The only indication of its worth is in the kanji characters 五円, which mean “five yen,” and so foreign visitors who can’t read kanji, or who can’t read those two in particular, have no way of determining how much the five-yen coin is worth without prior knowledge. The five-yen coin is the only denomination without its value written in numerals. Proponents of a change cite personal observations of foreign travelers in stores and on public transportation being confused about how much the coin is worth, and point to one reason why. With its bright gold color and prominent hole in the middle, getting a five-yen coin at the money exchange counter or as change when making a purchase makes it feel like the monetary system itself is saying “Welcome to Japan!”īut as indicative of the country as it may be, some Japanese people think the five-yen coin could use a bit of a redesign. The next time you visit a shrine or temple, feel free to use a 5 yen coin to be part of this urban myth, but remember that whatever the amount may be, keep a sincere heart and an honest heartfelt prayer.On their first trip to Japan, many travelers are struck by how distinct the design of the five-yen coin is. So there it is, the myth of the 5 yen coin which continues up until today. Interestingly, the belief of this 5 yen coin urban myth has carried its meaning on to other currency amounts as well.Ĭonsequently, using the 10 yen coin is believed to push good luck further away from you since the number 10 can be read as “too” (十) in Japanese, which sounds the same as 遠, meaning “far”, thus pushing good luck further away from you. More than how much money you offer, if you use 5 yen coins or 10,000 yen note, what carries the power of your prayer is your heart and emotion, or “kokoro” in Japanese. Of course, as several shinto priests and Buddhist monks may point out, the amount offered has no effect on the outcome of your prayers, but the emotion and sincerity while performing it does. Therefore, by using this coin while praying to the shinto gods or Buddhist deities, it is believed that it shall help one to have a good connection with them and therefore find that which they are looking to achieve. It usually denotes the connection between people and objects and how they enhance their existence not by a particular doing but by chance. 5 yen is “go-en” (五円) in Japanese, which sounds the same as ご縁, which means “fate” or “chance” in the sense of finding something appealing by chance, such as an unexpected encounter or a beautiful piece of furniture. The main reason for the particular usage of this coin when praying at shrines or temples is because of its pronunciation in Japanese. From all these aspects, lets now focus on the one relating the usage of the 5 yen coin. Whether it be a long term stay or a short term stay, the richness of the Japanese culture shall certainly leave a mark on each traveler. Some may also be experiences daily at any of our share house, guest house or apartment units, such as taking your shoes at the “genkan” entrance or neatly separating the garbage. Many you may encounter yourself while walking around the streets of Tokyo or visiting the many tourist destinations of Kyoto. But why is this?ĭuring a stay in Japan there shall be many aspects to discover about the Japanese culture. On our recent Sakura Tips regarding manners at shrines and temples, we mentioned that when making an offering prior to praying, it is usual to see people using the 5 yen coin.
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