Editing Japanese yen (section)

=== Currently circulating coinage ===
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!colspan="10"|Coins presently minted<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mint.go.jp/eng/operations-eng/production-eng/production-aproach-eng/eng_operations_coin_index.html |title=Coins Presently Minted|access-date=8 July 2024 |publisher=[[Japan Mint]]}}</ref>
|-
!rowspan="2"| Value
!rowspan="2"| Image
!colspan="4"| Technical parameters
!colspan="3"| Description
!rowspan="2"| Date of first minting
|-
! Diameter
! Thickness
! Mass
! Composition
! Edge
! Obverse
! Reverse
|- {{Coin-silver-color}}
| [[1 yen coin|¥1]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#000;"| [[Image:1JPY.JPG|141px]]
| 20&nbsp;mm
| 1.5&nbsp;mm
| 1&nbsp;g
| 100% aluminium
| Smooth
| Young tree, state title, value
| Value, year of minting
| 1955
|- {{Coin-yellow-color}}
| rowspan="2"| [[5 yen coin|¥5]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#000;" rowspan="2"|[[Image:5JPY.JPG|141px]]
| rowspan="2"| 22&nbsp;mm
| rowspan="2"| 1.5&nbsp;mm
| rowspan="2"| 3.75&nbsp;g
| rowspan="2"| 60–70% copper<br />30–40% [[zinc]]
| rowspan="2"| Smooth
| rowspan="2"| Ear of Rice, gear, water, value
| rowspan="2"|State title, year of minting
| 1949 (rarely)<ref name="NIBV">{{cite web|url=https://www.boj.or.jp/note_tfjgs/note/valid/past_issue/index.htm|title=その他有効な銀行券・貨幣|publisher=Bank of Japan|language=Japanese|access-date=June 15, 2023|archive-date=June 16, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230616002326/https://www.boj.or.jp/note_tfjgs/note/valid/past_issue/index.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
|- {{Coin-yellow-color}}
| 1959
|- {{Coin-copper-color}}
| rowspan="2"|[[10 yen coin|¥10]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#000;" rowspan="2"|[[Image:10JPY.JPG|141px]]
| rowspan="2"|23.5&nbsp;mm
| rowspan="2"|1.5&nbsp;mm
| rowspan="2"|4.5&nbsp;g
| rowspan="2"|95% copper<br />3–4% [[zinc]]<br />1–2% [[tin]]
| [[reeding|Reeded]]
| rowspan="2"|Phoenix Hall, [[Byōdō-in]], state title, value
| rowspan="2"|Evergreen tree, value, year of minting
| 1951 (rarely)<ref name="NIBV"/>
|- {{Coin-copper-color}}
| Smooth
| 1959
|- {{Coin-silver-color}}
| [[50 yen coin|¥50]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#000;"| [[Image:50JPY.JPG|141px]]
| 21&nbsp;mm
| 1.7&nbsp;mm
| 4&nbsp;g
| [[Cupronickel]]<br />75% copper<br />25% [[nickel]]
| [[reeding|Reeded]]
| [[Chrysanthemum]], state title, value
| Value, year of minting
| 1967{{efn|Previously minted pure nickel 50 yen coins dated between 1955 and 1966 are still legal tender.<ref name="NIBV"/> These are rarely seen in circulation due to the price of nickel bullion.<ref name="JT">{{cite web|url=https://japantoday.com/category/features/why-the-50-yen-coin-has-a-hole-and-other-fun-facts-about-japanese-coins|title=Why the 50-yen coin has a hole and other fun facts about Japanese coins|website=Japan Today|date=December 1, 2013|access-date=April 13, 2020|archive-date=September 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200915101107/https://japantoday.com/category/features/why-the-50-yen-coin-has-a-hole-and-other-fun-facts-about-japanese-coins|url-status=live}}</ref>}}
|- {{Coin-silver-color}}
| [[100 yen coin|¥100]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#000;"| [[Image:100JPY.JPG|141px]]
| 22.6&nbsp;mm
| 1.7&nbsp;mm
| 4.8&nbsp;g
| [[Cupronickel]]<br />75% copper<br />25% [[nickel]]
| [[reeding|Reeded]]
| [[Cherry blossom]]s, state title, value
| Value, year of minting
| 1967{{efn|Previously minted 100 yen silver coins dated between 1957 and 1966 are still legal tender.<ref name="NIBV"/> Silver was dropped from the coinage in 1967, which led to coin [[hoarding]] and silver smuggling outside of the country for melting.<ref name="SI">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xLVdDgAAQBAJ&q=100+yen+coin+1957&pg=PA75|title=History of Digital Games: Developments in Art, Design and Interaction|author=Andrew Williams|publisher=CRC Press|year=2017|page=75|isbn=978-1-317-50381-1}}</ref> In light of this and their changed design, its unclear if these coins still circulate today.}}
|- {{Coin-yellow-color}}
| {{Coin-yellow-color}} |[[500 yen coin|¥500]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#000;"| [[Image:500yen-R3.jpg|141px]]
| {{Coin-yellow-color}} |26.5&nbsp;mm
| {{Coin-yellow-color}} |1.81&nbsp;mm
| {{Coin-yellow-color}} |7.1&nbsp;g
| {{Coin-yellow-color}} |[[Bi-metallic coin|Bi-metallic]] (75% copper<br />12.5% [[zinc]]<br />12.5% [[nickel]])
| {{Coin-yellow-color}} |[[reeding|Reeded]] helically
| {{Coin-yellow-color}} |[[Paulownia]], state title, value
| {{Coin-yellow-color}} |[[Bamboo]], [[Mandarin orange]], Value, year of minting
| {{Coin-yellow-color}} |2021{{efn|Two previous versions were not bi-metallic. The first, consisting of 75% copper and 25% nickel, was produced from 1982 to 2000. The second, consisting of 72% copper, 20% zinc, and 8% nickel, was produced beginning in 2000. Both remain in circulation.}}
|-
|colspan="10"|{{Standard coin table notice|standard_scale=Y}}
|}

The obverse side of all coins shows the coin's value in [[kanji]] characters as well as the [[Names of Japan|country name]] (through 1945, {{nihongo4||大日本|Dai Nippon|"Great Japan"}}; after 1945, {{nihongo4||日本国|Nippon-koku|"State of Japan"}} (except for the current 5-yen coin with the country name on the reverse). The reverse side of all coins shows the year of mintage, which is not shown in [[Gregorian calendar]] years, but instead in the [[regnal year]] of the [[Japanese era name|current emperor's reign]], with the first year of an era called {{nihongo4||元年|gannen}}. Imperial portraits have never appeared on Japanese coins, as the image of the emperor remains sacred.<ref>{{cite book|last=MacKay|first=James|title=The Complete Illustrated Guide to Coins & Coin Collecting|page=226|publisher=Anness Publishing Ltd.|date=2006}}</ref> The regnal year does not necessarily align with the calendar year. The first coins of the [[Reiwa era]] were minted in July 2019.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2019/07/4d8916769f0e-japan-starts-minting-coins-stamped-with-new-imperial-era-reiwa.html |title=Japan starts minting coins stamped with new imperial era "Reiwa" |work=Kyodo News |date=July 19, 2019 |access-date=April 14, 2025}}</ref>
;Examples
* Coins minted in 1900 bear the year [[Meiji era|明治 (Meiji)]] 33, the 33rd year of [[Emperor Meiji]]'s reign
* Coins minted in 1920 bear the year [[Taishō era|大正 (Taishō)]] 9, the 9th year of [[Emperor Taishō]]'s reign
* Coins minted in 1980 bear the year [[Shōwa era|昭和 (Shōwa)]] 55, the 55th year of [[Hirohito|Emperor Shōwa]]'s reign
* Coins minted in 2000 bear the year [[Heisei era|平成 (Heisei)]] 12, the 12th year of Emperor [[Akihito]]'s reign
* Coins minted in 2020 bear the year [[Reiwa era|令和 (Reiwa)]] 2, the 2nd year of Emperor [[Naruhito]]'s reign

[[File:1yen-M34.jpg|thumb|right|Early 1-yen coin from 1901 ([[Meiji era|Meiji]] year 34), 26.96 grams of 90% fine silver]]
[[File:20yen-M3.jpg|thumb|right|20 yen coin from 1870 (Meiji year 3)]]

In 1897, the silver 1 yen coin was demonetized and the sizes of the gold coins were reduced by 50%, with 5, 10 and 20 yen coins issued.

After the war, brass 50 sen, 1 and 5 yen were introduced between 1946 and 1948. The current-type holed brass 5 yen was introduced in 1949, the bronze 10 yen in 1951, and the aluminum 1 yen in 1955.

In 1955 the first unholed, nickel 50 yen was introduced. In 1957, silver 100 yen pieces were introduced, followed by the holed 50 yen coin in 1959. These were replaced in 1967 by the current cupro-nickel 100 yen along with a smaller 50 yen.<ref>{{cite web | author=Japan Mint | url=http://www.mint.go.jp/eng/data/page01-1_e.html | title=Number of Coin Production (calendar year) | access-date=September 7, 2006 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061110050643/http://www.mint.go.jp/eng/data/page01-1_e.html | archive-date = November 10, 2006}}</ref>

In 1982, the first cupronickel 500 yen coin was introduced. Alongside the 5 [[Coins of the Swiss franc|Swiss franc coin]], the 500 yen coin is one of the highest-valued coin to be used regularly in the world, with a value of US$4.42 {{as of|2016|12|lc=y}}.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://japantoday.com/category/features/kuchikomi/counterfeit-500-yen-coins-circulating-in-tokai |title=Counterfeit 500-yen coins circulating in Tokai |date=2012-08-07 |access-date=2024-05-30 |website=Japan Today}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://soranews24.com/2016/12/08/japans-500-yen-coin-has-two-hidden-messages-and-heres-where-to-find-them-%E3%80%90photos%E3%80%91/ |title=Japan's 500-yen coin has two hidden messages, and here're where to find them |date=2016-12-08 |access-date=2024-05-30 |website=SoraNews24 |last=Bassel |first=Casey}}</ref> Because of its high [[face value]], the 500 yen coin has been a favorite target for counterfeiters, resulting in the issuance in 2000 of the second nickel-brass 500 yen coin with added security features. Continued counterfeiting of the latter resulted in the issuance in 2021 of the third [[bi-metallic coin|bi-metallic]] 500 yen coin with more improvements in security features.

Due to the great differences in style, size, weight and the pattern present on the edge of the coin they are easy for people with visual impairments to tell apart from one another.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! style="width:40%" |
! style="width:30%" | Unholed
! style="width:30%" | Holed
|-
! Smooth edge
| ¥1 (light)<br />¥10 (medium)
| ¥5
|-
! [[reeding|Reeded]] edge
| ¥100 (medium)<br />¥500 (heavy) || ¥50
|}

Commemorative coins have been minted on various occasions in base metal, silver and gold.<ref>{{cite web | author=Japan Mint | url=http://www.mint.go.jp/eng/data/page02_e.html | title=Commemorative Coins issued up to now | access-date=September 7, 2006 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061109025354/http://www.mint.go.jp/eng/data/page02_e.html | archive-date = November 9, 2006}}</ref> The first of these were silver ¥100 and ¥1,000 [[Summer Olympic coins]] issued for the [[1964 Summer Olympics|1964 games]]. The largest issuance by denomination and total face value were 10 million gold coins of [[:ja:十万円硬貨|¥100,000 denomination]] for the 60th anniversary of reign of the [[Shōwa (1926–1989)|Shōwa Emperor]] in 1986, totalling ¥1 trillion and utilizing 200,000&nbsp;kg fine gold. ¥500 commemorative coins have been regularly issued since 1985. In 2008 commemorative ¥500 and ¥1,000 coins were issued featuring Japan's 47 prefectures. Even though all commemorative coins can be spent like ordinary (non-commemorative) coins, they do not normally circulate, and ¥100,000 coins are treated with caution due to the discovery of counterfeits.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Sanger|first1=David E.|date=1990-02-08|title=Fake Coins Embarrass The Japanese|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/02/08/business/fake-coins-embarrass-the-japanese.html|access-date=2023-02-20|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=June 26, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220626063948/https://www.nytimes.com/1990/02/08/business/fake-coins-embarrass-the-japanese.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

The 1 yen coin is made out of 100% aluminum and can float on water if placed correctly.