5000 Yen

The 5000 yen denomination has existed in postwar Japanese currency in several distinct series, each reflecting the Bank of Japan's ongoing refinement of its anti-counterfeiting program. Without a Pick number or series date, the specific printing generation here is unclear — but the small physical size relative to other high-denomination notes from the same period was a deliberate policy choice made in 1984, when Japan broke from its earlier, larger format.

Counterfeiting pressure, particularly from high-quality offset reproductions appearing in the early 1980s, accelerated the move toward intaglio-heavy security printing that defines the modern issues.