On the 3rd of July 2024, the 10,000, 5,000 and 1,000 yen banknotes were redesigned.
Who are the faces of the new ones?
渋沢 栄一 Eiichi Shibusawa (on the 10,000 yen note)
The front depicts Eiichi Shibusawa. He was an active businessman who is said to have been involved in the establishment of some 500 companies during his lifetime.
The reverse side depicts Tokyo Station. It is a historical building (Important Cultural Property), popularly known as the “Red Brick Station Building.”
津田 梅子 Umeko Tsuda (on the 5,000 yen note)
The front depicts Umeko Tsuda. She devoted herself to modern higher education for women, including founding the Women’s Eigaku Juku (current Tsuda University).
The reverse side depicts wisteria, a flower that has been popular since ancient times and appears in the Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters) and Manyoshu (Collection of a Myriad Leaves).
北里 柴三郎 Shibasaburo Kitasato (on the 1,000 yen note)
The front depicts Shibasaburo Kitasato. He established tetanus serology, discovered the plague bacillus, founded the Infectious Disease Research Institute and the Kitasato Research Institute, and devoted himself to the training of future generations.
The reverse side depicts “Fugaku Sanjurokkei (Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, Kanagawa Okinamiura),” a well-known masterpiece by the Edo period ukiyoe artist Katsushika Hokusai, which has influenced artists worldwide.
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