Why is the 2,000 yen bill such a big deal. Our bank in Canada gave us quite a few of these and multiple stores in Japan have told us these are rare. Some stores didn't accept the bills as rheir bill readers don't recognize them. Just curious why they are so rare.
by cclarkson24
33 comments
Because they’re not in circulation in Japan and only come from overseas banks and money exchange places.
They are not distributed widely in Japan. I think just Okinawa. Look at it this way, how many 2000 yen bills have you received as change? I’m guessing none.
They are rare in Japan because people didn’t use them. Basically they all are now abroad or in Okinawa.
I’m sure there are lots of younger Japanese who have never seen them
They are now mainly for the use of foreign banks, and not circulated directly in Japan for the most part. When they were introduced they were not well liked so they ended up dropping out of regular circulation fast. So the only way for most of them to get into a Japanese person’s hands is from a foreigner who got cash from their bank in their home country. That’s why many are confused by them, especially outside of the main tourist areas.
I have a stack of them from a trip a few years back and decided to keep them.
One of my Japanese friends was amazed by it so I gave him a few to keep haha. It was annoying but funny when people saw me attempt to pay with the bill.
Yeah I got these in the U.S. from a bank during the pandemic and I had to tell the teller that nobody uses these in Japan.
I didn’t even realize they existed!
The only one I ever received was from someone who had gotten it when they did a currency exchange in the US prior to visiting. I keep it on my desk.
Pretty sure no one here wants them so Japanese banks ship them over to other countries for foreign exchange.
They were popular for distribution in the U.S. because at the time they were closer in value to the $20 bill, which Americans were more comfortable spending.
They’re like 2 dollar bills. More novelty than anything. They’re not commonly used because register tills don’t have slot for them. Any that do come in are slid under the cash tray and then don’t get used as change, instead being deposited later in the bank. But just like $2 bills, you can order as many as you want from any bank. I do this for otoshidama, graduation/metriculations, seijinshiki, and weddings just to make my gift a little different.
Just note that every mint has odd releases, usually for a special occasion. Ive had a £5 coin before and a $200 AUD coin. Also seen a $1000 AUD note (or something like that). Probably doesn’t happen in the states so much but ill bet it happens in Canada.
My sister got nothing but 2000s in the US then some places here wouldn’t take them. I had to them take it
I had old bills. The ones from before the recent switchover. I think they were older than the vending machines and checkout machines.
I had to get them exchanged by the manager for newer bills. Then I could use the machines.
Every branch of my bank has 2000¥ bills, and you can withdraw as many as you want (you just have to use a paper slip and go to a window instead the machine)
They’re useful for breaking up unlucky numbers of bills when giving gifts. Like if you have to give someone 4000¥ but want to avoid 4×1000 you can give 1×2000 and 2×1000
I remember when they were first released (in the early 2000s) there were a lot of complaints that probably limited their popularity.
Retailers hated them because their cash registers were designed to hold 3 types of bills (1,000, 5,000, 10,000] and not 4. They would accept them as payment, but they wouldn’t give them back as change which limited how many were circulated.
Most vending machines weren’t updated to accept them either (I’m not sure why since there were newly designed bills coming out at the same time for other denominations anyway), which further limited their appeal.
So I think at some point they just shipped them to overseas banks. When my parents visited a couple of years ago all the cash they had was in 2000 Yen notes, which amused me.
My friend’s late mother loved them so she used to get all her bills changed into 2000s. My friend’s pocket money was always in 2000s.
I got about 20 of them from a currency exchange because I didn’t specify the bill breakdown. I won’t put them into vending machine for fear of it not taking it but not giving it back but each person I spent one with took special notice of it.
There was an ATM on Rokko Island, Hyogo, that for a year or so around 2007 that weirdly dispensed ¥2000 notes.
They have been discontinued, just like the $2 bill in the states.
If you have a ¥100 bill that is also rare for the same reasons.
I don’t know if they still do this today but when you attend the mock test for JLPT, you would receive the 2000 yen bill. I got mine when I attended the mock tests last 2019 and 2021.
At a year-end ceremony at the school where I work, it was the year of the dragon so all the teachers born in the year of the dragon got a bonus. When I opened the envelope, there were 60 2000 yen bills. Kinda bizarre. The bank was looking at me funny when I went to deposit them. Kinda useless. But money is money!
Anyone happen to know if the payment machines at 7 takes them? I’m trying to get rid of mine.
Same reason getting a $2 bill in the US, it’s the novelty of it. My grandmother got a $2 bill and gave it to me along with my birthday present because the bank for some reason didn’t have two singles – I’ve held onto it in my wallet as a kind of good luck charm.
I got one from the ticket machine at Kansai airport, probably from foreigners who didn’t know it was a rare bill
It’s like the $2 bill in America. Still being printed but not widely distributed so it’s a happy surprise when you come across one while shopping in everyday life.
Also, the 2000 yen bill is really only distributed to banks in foreign countries (and Okinawa) so you mainly see tourists with them.
Some vending machines have issues with them too (I have provided change many times to foreigners who couldn’t use them in a vending machine).
Japanese people have thought the same thing as all the players of this game. Bills like the $20 bill are convenient, but handling four types is a hassle, so three types is easier. That’s why the 2000 yen bill is only used in Okinawa. The 2000 yen bill features a building that is special to Okinawa (like the Arc de Triomphe to Paris), and is popular among Okinawans.
Why is the $1 coin or $2 bill in America so rare?
I have a few from when I exchanged money in America before coming back to Japan. I still kept like, 7-8 of them and traded a few to family members who didn’t have any.
I used to see them very occasionally in the early 2000s, but now they are only really used by foreign tourists who for some reason exchanged cash before coming.
I think vendors don’t like them because they would need a separate drawer space in their cash register and vending machines would need a separate holding bay just for them.
They were only issued in 2001 for a special event. So if you can find one it’s about 25 years old now
I think overseas banks and currency exchange companies carry 2000 yen bills because a lot of other currencies have a similar denomination (ie. $20 bills) so they order them because on paper they seem normal, although in reality they are not used much.
My wife got one when they first went into circulation. I then went to Okinawa and I was swimming in them. They have Shuri Castle in them.
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