Japanese Yen is interesting because the smallest bill you can get is a 1,000 Yen (~$10). When I first got to Japan (after I exchanged money) I put one of these bills into a vending machine at the airport to get a drink, and was shocked when only a few coins popped out; "Where is the rest of my money?!" I thought.
The coins come as follows: 500, 100, 50, 10, 5, 1
Because of this, I end up carrying a lot of change with me all the time now. Imagine a $5 coin about the size of a quarter.
The coin highlighted above is my favorite coin (50 yen). I like that it has a hole in it, and the amount is convenient. It's about as big as a nickel.
The 1 yen coins are as useful as pennies, and in fact some people won't take them. Fortunately they're made out of what feels like alluminum, so they're very light.
2 comments:
Hey Kaeruyaki!
I want to see Kyoto a lot and I am interested in everything about Japan. So, thank you very much for the pictures, videos, and all the information! I have a question: Is it very expensive there? How much do you think it will cost to travel (from us) and stay there for a couple of weeks?
DB
Haha. It just always throws me off. When I hear a yen sum, it always takes me that split second to convert it by subtracting those 2 zeros. I like foreign money though. No, wait. I just like money. Having large denominations of money in coin form is kind of scary because it's easier to lose and it can roll away. On the plus side, it's an even nicer surprise if you're cleaning your couch and find coins worth as much as $5 between the cushions. Alex has promised me her 1 yen coins. You know, for my yenyard. Er, yen orchard. Garden. Well, in any case you know you can always give them to me.
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