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On the Money: Cultural Insights in Yen

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On the Money: Cultural Insights in Yen On the Money: Cultural insights in yen YEN AND GREENBACKS Ever since Japan put Natsume Soseki on the thousand-yen bill many Americans have dreamed of the Walt Whitman dollar the Edgar Allan Poe five-spot the Herman Melville sawbuck the Jack Kerouac twenty the Emily Dickenson fifty the Mark Twain C-note or at least the Thoreau thousand but all we get are generals and presidents monolithic buildings on the flip side. Of course Japan has had 2000 years to put its writers on the money America just got here so for centuries yet we'll have to be content to spend politicians and military men until they're all gone when we can begin at last to transact Walt and the others whose words are worth more than all the money ever printed. By Robert Brady the man with the fountain pen and the waterfalls of wisdom and humor behind these exceptional websites: www.purelandmountain.com and the www.theblogbrothers.com . If you like to read, laugh or be surprised, what are you waiting for! And don’t forget to tell your friends!!!!! ON YEN BILLS AND COINS In Japan, the faces on the money are of an educator, a biologist, and a novelist. The coins of Japan are also revealing. They show a deep love of agricultural and natural beauty. Below is a detailed description of what's on the money in Japan. The next time you getting ready to pay, have a look and consider . Japanese bills 10,000yen bill: The face on Japan's ten thousand yen bill, the country's largest denomination, is of Fukuzawa Yukichi (1834- 1901). He was born in Osaka in an old samurai family. He was a prominent philosopher and played a key role in establishing Japan's modern education system. He was very intelligent and was sent to Europe several times to study modern society. Towards the end of his career, he founded Keio University in Tokyo, which remains one of Japan's most elite private schools. His most famous work is Gakumon no Susume. He appeared on the 10,000 yen bill in 1984 and was the only 'face' to remain when Japan issued new currency in 2004. The back of the bill shows the phoenix that stands atop classic Byodo-in Temple in Uji, southeast of Kyoto. 5,000yen bill:Japan's five thousand yen bill features Higuchi Ichiyo (1872-1896), the first woman to appear on Japanese money. She was born into a samurai family in Tokyo and became one of Japan's most respected novelists and poets.. When she was 17, she became the head of her family after her father and old brother died of tuberculosis. Her life was tough but she never gave up. In the 14 months before she died at the young age of 24 she produced a number of masterpieces. Her best known work is Takekurabe. The back of the bill shows a detail from Ogata Korin's painting masterpieces: Kakitsubata-zu (Painting of Irises). 2,000yen bill: The 2,000 yen note was first issued in July 2000 in commemoration of the first G8 summit hosted by Japan (in Okinawa, at the southern edge of the Japanese island chain). The front of the bills shows an image of the ancient Shurei-mon Gate in Naha, Okinawa. This note is fairly uncommon today, and nearly all of Japan's ticket machines do not accept it. On the other side of the bill is a scene from the Tale of Genji (considered to be the world's first narrative novel) and portrait of the writer Murasaki Shikibu, a legendary noblewoman. 1,000yen bill: The one thousand yen bill has a picture of Noguchi Hideyo (1876-1928), a medical pioneer. He was born into a poor farming family in Fukushima. When he was 1 year old, he accidentally fell into the fireplace while his mother was working outside, and so badly burned his left hand that his fingers stuck fused together to form a ball. An operation, when he was 15, finally allowed him to open his hand again.. He became a brilliant doctor. While working in Africa to find the cause of yellow fever, he caught the fever and died at age 51. The other side of the bill shows cherry blossoms and a scene of Mt. Fuji viewed across Lake Motosuko. Japanese coins 500yen coin: The 500 yen coin was first introduced in 1982 (it was a bill before that). One side of the coin shows the paulownia (kiri) flower (kiri is a lightweight wood used to make chests for clothing; it absorbs moisture and is very light). The other side has bamboo and a mandarin orange tree. 100yen coin: The present 100 yen coin was born in 1967 and made of white copper. Previously, it was made with real silver. One side has a cherry flower (it used to be a phoenix and before that a rice plant heavy with seed). 50yen coin: The first 50 yen coin appeared in 1955 but did not have a hole in the center. It was later redesigned and made slightly smaller because it looked so much like the 100 yen coin. The design has changed many times but the symbol of the chrysanthemum flower has remained constant. 10yen coin:The building shown on the front of the ten yen coin is the Phoenix Hall at Byodo-in Temple built by the powerful Fujiwara family in the 11th century (it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has an outstanding museum and gift shop adjacent to it). The other side shows the evergreen leaves of the shiny-leafed Tokiwa tree. 5yen coin: The design of 5 yen coin represents three of Japan's main industries: rice for agriculture, water for the water industry, and a gear cog for general industry. The double leaves on the back are a symbol of democracy in Japan after WW II. Pronounced ''go-en'' this coin is a keeper as go-en also means good fortune and luck in human relations. 1yen coin: The first 1 yen coin was born in 1955. The design was based on the results of a public design competition (the front and back side were designed by different people). The front side shows a young tree and symbolizes development. .
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