1.000 Yen JPN Banknote (Standard Issue) 2024

1.000 Yen (Issued 2024)

Issued in 2024 as part of Japan’s first major redesign of its banknote series in two decades, the 1,000 Yen note immediately draws the attention of currency specialists for its integration of cutting-edge security technology alongside one of the most iconic images in world art history. The note marks a significant transition point in Japanese monetary design, replacing the previous portrait of bacteriologist Noguchi Hideyo with that of another pioneering figure from Japan’s Meiji-era modernisation. What a currency expert notices first is the extraordinarily fine intaglio engraving of the portrait, which exhibits the characteristic tactile relief that distinguishes genuine high-security banknotes, combined with a holographic security strip that produces vivid colour-shifting effects. The pairing of rigorous scientific heritage on the front with classical ukiyo-e artistry on the reverse gives this note a cultural depth that sets it apart from most contemporary currency issues.

On the front, the central portrait depicts Kitasato Shibasaburo, the eminent Meiji-era physician and bacteriologist who co-discovered the infectious agent of bubonic plague and made foundational contributions to the understanding of tetanus and the development of serum therapy. The portrait is rendered in meticulous intaglio engraving, presenting Kitasato in formal Western dress with a high collar and dark jacket, his expression composed and authoritative, with fine cross-hatching and line work conveying strong tonal depth across his face, hair and clothing. The overall colour palette of the front is a warm blue-green teal with cream and pale pink tones across the central ground. To the left of centre, a large oval watermark window is surrounded by intricate guilloché rosette patterning in pale teal and cream, with delicate floral and geometric latticework extending across much of the note’s surface. The denomination numeral 1000 appears in large bold black characters at the lower left and lower right, with a smaller intaglio-printed 1000 in the lower right corner. Japanese script text identifying the denomination and issuing authority appears at the upper left alongside a vertical column of Japanese characters, and the bilingual inscription reading “Bank of Japan” appears in Latin text beneath the Japanese script at the lower left. A red seal with Japanese characters printed in a square format appears prominently in the lower-centre area of the note, serving as an official issuing mark. Cherry blossom motifs are scattered across the lower portion of the design, rendered in fine engraved detail. In the lower left corner, a small secondary portrait of Kitasato Shibasaburo appears in a blue holographic format, shifting in colour as the viewing angle changes, forming part of the note’s principal security feature. The serial number AA502051NR appears twice in teal ink, once across the upper left area and once across the lower right. Fine vertical lines with a security-thread band are visible along the right edge, and the overall border treatment features teal and green patterned panels with ornamental detailing.

The reverse features a dramatic reproduction of the celebrated ukiyo-e woodblock print commonly known as “The Great Wave off Kanagawa,” originally created by the artist Katsushika Hokusai as part of his Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji series. The image is rendered across the full width of the note in blue-green intaglio engraving, with cresting waves of extraordinary turbulence dominating the composition, their white foam tips rendered in fine stippled detail against deep teal and blue wave bodies. Mount Fuji appears in the background at centre, reduced in scale beneath the wave’s arch, conveying the famous sense of natural grandeur and human vulnerability that made the original print iconic. A large oval watermark zone at the right of centre contains a faint portrait visible when the note is held to the light, and a cluster of dot-pattern security marks in gold and teal appears in the upper right area. The denomination 1000 appears in large bold numerals at the upper right, and the text “1000 YEN” appears in bold Latin characters at the lower left. The issuing authority name is printed in Latin characters as “NIPPON GINKO” across the upper centre of the reverse. A red seal with Japanese characters in a square format matching that on the front appears in the lower right quadrant alongside a small floral motif. The teal and pale blue colour palette of the reverse is consistent and rich, with subtle tonal variation across the wave imagery that demonstrates the high quality of the intaglio printing process.

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