Wedding Gift Worries as New Currency Release Approaches

Jun 19, 2024 | News On Japan

TOKYO - With the new currency release drawing near, unexpected issues are emerging. This month, known as the season of June brides, sees many weddings, but there are growing concerns over the difficulty in obtaining crisp banknotes for wedding gifts.

A wedding attendee this month said, 'I tried to exchange money at the post office to prepare a wedding gift for a friend, but realized this is problematic.'

This man found himself in an unexpected predicament while preparing for a weekend wedding.

'They told me, "We no longer handle new bills of the current currency." I couldn't make the exchange.'

When he tried to exchange for crisp banknotes, commonly known as "pin-satsu," he was told it was not possible.

Why exactly is it so difficult to get crisp banknotes?

According to Mizoguchi Tamaki from Johoku Shinkin Bank, 'With the new currency issuance approaching, financial institutions might be ordering fewer new bills than usual.'

The issue stems from the new currency set to be issued on July 3, leading financial institutions to reduce their orders for new bills.

Faced with this, the man took action.

'I withdrew as much as possible from the ATM, hoping to find clean bills close to new ones for the wedding gift.'

He initially withdrew 40,000 yen, but when he didn't get clean bills, he withdrew an additional 200,000 yen to gather the necessary crisp banknotes for the gift.

Vending Machine Upgrades Challenge Ramen Shop

Regarding the new currency, a ramen shop in Tokyo's Itabashi Ward made a significant decision.

Shina Soba Osada's Sho Osada said, 'We decided to make the change before the new currency comes into circulation to avoid inconveniencing customers.'

The shop underwent work to upgrade its vending machines to handle the new currency. While the main unit replacement can cost over 1 million yen, this shop opted to replace only the currency recognition device, which still cost around 200,000 yen.

Osada remarked, 'With all the rising costs, including materials and taxes, having to replace the vending machine is tough for small shops.'

Elcom, a company handling vending machine sales, reported a surge in orders. Takeshi Kawanami, the executive director, noted, 'Orders have flooded in since the beginning of the year, with 3-4 times the number compared to when we started handling the new currency in 2022.'

The shop successfully completed preparations for the new currency.

At a financial institution in a town associated with Eiichi Shibusawa, depicted on the new 10,000 yen bill, preparations are underway.

Mizoguchi stated, 'We've redesigned the Shibusawa-kun Johoku Shinkin Bank, featuring photo spots with large stuffed animals and panels to build excitement for the upcoming currency release.'

Mizoguchi added, 'Many customers will likely want to keep the new banknotes as souvenirs, so we're preparing to distribute them starting from the afternoon of July 3.'

Source: ANN

Typhoons No. 28 and 29 Bring High Waves to Japan's Pacific Coast

Two typhoons moving across the Pacific southeast of Japan are expected to remain well away from the Japanese mainland, but powerful swells could bring rough seas to a wide stretch of the country's Pacific coastline throughout the three-day holiday weekend, according to forecasts updated at 3 a.m. on October 10.

Cyberattacks Spread Across Japan

A series of cyberattacks has disrupted business operations and exposed millions of customer records across Japan, with a ransomware attack on a cloud service provider affecting 495 companies and local governments nationwide, while convenience store operator Lawson has disclosed a separate breach involving more than 2.15 million personal information records.

Japan's First 360-Degree Projection Mapping Opens in Osaka

Japan's first 360-degree projection mapping show will open at the Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts on October 10, transforming the historic building into an immersive world of light, music, and seasonal imagery, with organizers hoping the attraction will also help stimulate the city's nighttime economy.

Tokyo University Professor Wins Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Tokyo University of Science professor emeritus Kenzo Soai has been awarded this year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry together with French chemist Henri B. Kagan for discoveries that transformed scientists' understanding of how chemical reactions can favor one of two mirror-image forms of a molecule.

US Military Halts All Okinawa Operations for 48 Hours

The US military suspended activities by all forces stationed in Okinawa for 48 hours from noon on October 7, an unusual measure following the arrest of a US Marine in connection with a robbery and murder case that has renewed scrutiny of crimes involving American service members.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Most Sightings of Fugitive Yoichi Hatta Reported in Kanto

Police in Oita Prefecture have revealed that the Kanto region accounts for the largest number of reported sightings of Yoichi Hatta, a fugitive wanted in connection with a fatal hit-and-run incident in Beppu in 2022, with authorities preparing to distribute new wanted posters nationwide from November as the search enters its fifth year.