{"id":12744,"date":"2017-01-24T09:49:14","date_gmt":"2017-01-24T09:49:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/?p=12744"},"modified":"2020-01-28T14:17:41","modified_gmt":"2020-01-28T14:17:41","slug":"introducing-the-yen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/2017\/01\/24\/introducing-the-yen\/","title":{"rendered":"Introducing the yen: What&#8217;s in a coin?"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4>Like this post? Help us by sharing it!<\/h4><ul class=\"wpfai-list\"><li class=\"wpfai-list-item facebook\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F12744&amp;t=\" title=\"Facebook\" class=\"wpfai-facebook wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-facebook fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item twitter\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F12744\" title=\"Twitter\" class=\"wpfai-twitter wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-twitter fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item pinterest\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F12744&amp;description=&amp;media=\" title=\"Pinterest\" class=\"wpfai-pinterest wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-pinterest fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item linkedin\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F12744&amp;title=\" title=\"Linked In\" class=\"wpfai-linkedin wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-linkedin fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item envelope\">\r\n      <a href=\"mailto:?subject=&amp;body=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F12744%20-%20\" title=\"E-Mail\" class=\"wpfai-envelope wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-envelope fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item stumbleupon\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stumbleupon.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F12744\" title=\"Stumble Upon\" class=\"wpfai-stumbleupon wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-stumbleupon fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item reddit\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F12744\" title=\"Reddit\" class=\"wpfai-reddit wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-reddit fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><\/ul><p><strong>Tour leader David has lived in Japan for ten years. These days, he&#8217;s based in Tokyo &#8211; except when he&#8217;s leading our fantastic tours across Japan. Here he investigates a topic no traveller to Japan can avoid: cash.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>You might already know that Japan is a cash-based society, but how much do you actually know about its cash?<\/p>\n<h1>History of the yen<\/h1>\n<p>The Japanese yen is only about 145 years old. That\u2019s surprising, isn\u2019t it? It was to me. For a country with a history stretching back so far its origins blend into legend, I expected the currency to have at least hit 150.<\/p>\n<p>Unlike its people, Japan&#8217;s currency of Japan looks a lot older than it actually is. This is because until 1871, when the Meiji government first introduced the yen, each province had its own currency. The name &#8220;yen&#8221; was a cognate of the Chinese yuan, and though the yuan was a decimal currency (and one that predated Western currencies by far), the Japanese yen followed\u00a0the decimalisation of European currencies.<\/p>\n<p>Each province printing the same currency was a good first step, but it wasn&#8217;t until the Bank of Japan was formed in 1882 that production and value were regulated. So, without any further ado, let\u2019s see what they\u2019ve given us to play with!<\/p>\n<h1>Shrapnel<\/h1>\n<p>Shrapnel. The one and five yen coins are great for taking up space in your pockets or coin purse and preventing you from feeding an automated vending machine any denomination it will accept. Use these as quickly, because they will add up fast &#8211; and when you have too many nobody will talk to you anymore. You can\u00a0pay with exact change at restaurants or stores, or a self-serving yet altruistic option is to donate any and all of these monetary outcasts at collection boxes near the till in most convenience stores. Causes range from domestic earthquake recovery to food and school supplies for the underprivileged around the world. The staff even say thank you when you unload your bluff money. No, thank <em>you<\/em>.<\/p>\n<h2><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12753\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/CoinsFront.jpg\" alt=\"Japanese yen\" width=\"1170\" height=\"780\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/CoinsFront.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/CoinsFront-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/CoinsFront-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/CoinsFront-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/CoinsFront-564x376.jpg 564w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/CoinsFront-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/CoinsFront-720x480.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/CoinsFront-390x260.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/CoinsFront-780x520.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/CoinsFront-510x340.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px\" \/><\/h2>\n<h2>The one-yen coin<\/h2>\n<p>It has been scientifically proven that holding a one-yen coin in your hand feels like nothing at all. This dime-sized coin reaches its 1g weight on a diet of aluminium and lies. The obverse has a small tree, while the rear has a large number one above the date of its minting.<\/p>\n<p>The dating system used on one-yen coins is not Gregorian, but domestic Imperial. Emperor Hirohito\u2019s reign translates to the Showa denotation. This period, ranging from 1926-1989, is represented by Showa 1\u201364. The present period is Heisei, which began in 1989. At first it might seem confusing that Showa 64 and Heisei 1 occupy the same year, but the Showa era ended seven days into January, so in actuality 1989 is mostly Heisei 1. Onward!<\/p>\n<h2>The five-yen coin<\/h2>\n<p>The five-yen coin is the only unit of Japanese currency devoid of any Arabic numerals, which might lead you to believe (rather correctly) that it should be given back to whoever handed it to you in the first place. Nearly four times the weight of the single yen, this brass coin is one of only two to have a hole bored through its centre.<\/p>\n<p>The face has an ear of rice emerging from water, with a gear around the hole, representing agriculture, fisheries, and industry, staples of the Japanese economy from past through present. The reverse simply tells you the year and country it was minted in, separated by adorable little tree sprouts to rekindle any feelings you had towards the one-yen coin.<\/p>\n<h2>The ten-yen coin<\/h2>\n<p>With a ten-yen coin in your hand, you can walk with confidence, knowing that any debt or fee just got 10 yen cheaper. Welcome to the world of universally accepted coinage.<\/p>\n<p>Bronze is the flavour of this minidisc, and although its only slightly more massive than the fiver, it\u2019s in a different league entirely. The front side depicts the Phoenix Hall of Byodoin in Uji, one of the most beautiful temples in Japan. So beautiful in fact, that a replica was built in Hawaii\u2019s Valley of the Temples. Pretty cool. The other side has bay laurel leaves embracing the number ten above the year of issue.<\/p>\n<h2><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12750\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/CoinsBack.jpg\" alt=\"Japanese yen\" width=\"1170\" height=\"780\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/CoinsBack.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/CoinsBack-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/CoinsBack-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/CoinsBack-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/CoinsBack-564x376.jpg 564w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/CoinsBack-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/CoinsBack-720x480.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/CoinsBack-390x260.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/CoinsBack-780x520.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/CoinsBack-510x340.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px\" \/><\/h2>\n<h2>The 50 yen coin<\/h2>\n<p>This is where things start to get shiny. 50\u00a0yen. The only other coin to have a hole in the middle, but in no way should it be confused with its lesser sibling. For one thing, it\u2019s money-coloured. Another differentiating feature is the big 5-0 on the back, above the mintage date.<\/p>\n<p>The face has chrysanthemums, the flower on the coat of arms and Imperial Seal, which is all well and fine, just make sure they\u2019re not in the bouquet you hand the gracious hosts who invited you over for dinner.<\/p>\n<h2>The 100 yen coin<\/h2>\n<p>Speaking of flowers, there\u2019s one perhaps even more inextricably linked to the country. Cherry blossom! These are found on the 100 yen coin, which is comprised of a copper-nickel alloy, as is the 50 yen. The rear has a simple date and value, short and sweet.<\/p>\n<h2>The 500 yen coin<\/h2>\n<p>Bringing pecuniary metallurgy to a close we have the world\u2019s most valuable coin in circulation, weighing in at 7g with a nickel-brass compound, the 500 yen granddaddy. The stuff of pirate booty. The reason I want a satchel and how I\u2019d prefer to pay when I purchase my next car.<\/p>\n<p>Excuse me, you\u2019ve got paulownia on your face. How many times do you hear that? The 500-yen coin hears that daily. Just as the chrysanthemum is used for the Imperial Seal, the paulownia is used for the Government Seal of Japan. This \u201cprincess tree\u201d got its colloquial name because it was planted when a girl was born and used to make a chest on her wedding day. It\u2019s also used in many quintessential Japanese goods such as instruments, clogs, visiting cards, etc.<\/p>\n<p>Somewhat peculiar for a coin, the reverse utilises an anti-counterfeiting latent image in the zeroes, as well as micro-printing and a unique electric conductivity that vending machines check to make sure you\u2019re not feeding them the similar yet inferior 500 won coin from Korea. Also on the reverse are the date of issue, of course, and a symmetrical motif of bamboo and auspicious citrus. Anyway, a fine, fine coin.<\/p>\n<h1><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12747\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/500.jpg\" alt=\"500 yen\" width=\"1170\" height=\"780\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/500.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/500-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/500-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/500-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/500-564x376.jpg 564w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/500-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/500-720x480.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/500-390x260.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/500-780x520.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/500-510x340.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px\" \/><\/h1>\n<h1>Notes<\/h1>\n<p>They say you can tell where a country places its values by what images they put on their currency. You will find no superhero eagles, levitating pyramids, politicians, or royalty on Japan\u2019s notes. What you will find, however, are authors and a bacteriologist.<\/p>\n<h2>The 1,000 yen note<\/h2>\n<p>The 1,000-yen note celebrates Hideyo Noguchi, whose hair is indisputably awesome. Dr. Noguchi was nominated for the Nobel Prize no less than nine times, and his tireless work most notably furthered the understanding of syphilis. The opposite side of the bill has one of the classic views of Mount Fuji from across Lake Motosu, with cherry blossoms, naturally.<\/p>\n<h2>The 2,000 yen note<\/h2>\n<p>The elusive 2,000 yen note was made for the 26th\u00a0G8 summit held in Okinawa. The only way you\u2019re likely to set eyes upon one of these is if you exchange your money for yen in your own country. It can be a good conversation starter though, and you\u2019ll find no problems unloading them over here.<\/p>\n<p>One distinction is the absence of a bust on the front of this note. Instead, we see Shureimon, a gate to Shuri Castle, a UNESCO site in Okinawa. Perhaps it should be noted that Mount Fuji is a UNESCO site, too. The back of the bill portrays a scene from <em>The Tale of Genji <\/em>overlaid with an excerpt from the same work beside a portrait of the author, Murasaki Shikibu.<\/p>\n<h2>The 5,000 yen note<\/h2>\n<p>The 5,000 yen note also pays homage to a female author, best known by her pen name, Ichiyo Higuchi. Whereas Lady Murasaki writes from and about the Imperial Court of the Heian Period, Ichiyo Higuchi writes of and amongst destitution and misfortune in a notorious red-light district of Meiji Era Tokyo. Sadly, she passed before she could reach a quarter-century in age. The opposite side shows us a painting of irises, titled just that, by distinguished Rinpa painter Ogata K\u014drin.<\/p>\n<h2>The 10,000 yen note<\/h2>\n<p>Last and opposite of least, who is displayed on the 10,000 yen note? Saying Fukuzawa Yukichi was also an author is akin to saying Einstein was also a breather. His list of deeds is truly mind-boggling, and I honestly wouldn\u2019t know where to start or how to sum them up appropriately, so I\u2019ll just say one of his many illustrious accomplishments was founding Keio University, one of Japan\u2019s best. The flip side returns us to Heian Uji with a close-up of a phoenix adorning the eponymous hall of Byodoin, which you may or may not be surprised to learn is also a UNESCO site.<\/p>\n<h1><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12754\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Yen.jpg\" alt=\"Japan's currency: the yen\" width=\"1170\" height=\"780\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Yen.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Yen-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Yen-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Yen-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Yen-564x376.jpg 564w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Yen-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Yen-720x480.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Yen-390x260.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Yen-780x520.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Yen-510x340.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px\" \/><\/h1>\n<h1>The yen-d&#8230;<\/h1>\n<p>Well, hopefully that sheds a little light onto what\u2019s being exchanged for goods and services over here. Speaking of, now is a good time to visit, as the yen is currently weak. That said, with an export-driven economy, it\u2019s often a good time to visit because the Bank of Japan does what they can to keep the yen less burly than it might be.<\/p>\n<p>I wanted to share photographs I\u2019d taken of Japanese cash for illustrative purposes, but Photoshop wouldn\u2019t let me open the files at all. Since they\u2019ve ironically denied me the ability to easily write \u201csample\u201d on the images in an effort to curb counterfeiting, I\u2019ll share this link to pictures on the Bank of Japan\u2019s website:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.boj.or.jp\/en\/note_tfjgs\/note\/valid\/issue.htm\/#p03\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.boj.or.jp\/en\/note_tfjgs\/note\/valid\/issue.htm\/#p03<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>If you&#8217;re thinking of visiting Japan in the near future, get in touch with one of our travel consultants to begin planning your trip today. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/about-us\/contact-us\/\">Click here to get started<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h4>Like this post? Help us by sharing it!<\/h4><ul class=\"wpfai-list\"><li class=\"wpfai-list-item facebook\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F12744&amp;t=\" title=\"Facebook\" class=\"wpfai-facebook wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-facebook fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item twitter\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F12744\" title=\"Twitter\" class=\"wpfai-twitter wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-twitter fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item pinterest\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F12744&amp;description=&amp;media=\" title=\"Pinterest\" class=\"wpfai-pinterest wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-pinterest fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item linkedin\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F12744&amp;title=\" title=\"Linked In\" class=\"wpfai-linkedin wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-linkedin fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item envelope\">\r\n      <a href=\"mailto:?subject=&amp;body=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F12744%20-%20\" title=\"E-Mail\" class=\"wpfai-envelope wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-envelope fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item stumbleupon\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stumbleupon.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F12744\" title=\"Stumble Upon\" class=\"wpfai-stumbleupon wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-stumbleupon fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item reddit\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F12744\" title=\"Reddit\" class=\"wpfai-reddit wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-reddit fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Like this post? Help us by sharing it! Tour leader David has lived in Japan for ten years. These days, he&#8217;s based in Tokyo &#8211; except when he&#8217;s leading our fantastic tours across Japan. Here he investigates a topic no traveller to Japan can avoid: cash. Like this post? Help us by sharing it!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":171,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_sitemap_exclude":false,"_sitemap_priority":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2356],"tags":[1450,2343,2644,2959,2962],"class_list":["post-12744","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-japanese-miscellaneous-blog-posts","tag-currency","tag-yen","tag-david-lovejoy","tag-japanese-coins","tag-banknotes"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12744","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/171"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12744"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12744\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12757,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12744\/revisions\/12757"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12744"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12744"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12744"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}