Moshi moshi? Japan is calling!
Convert your NZD to JPY and step effortlessly into Japan’s vibrant culture. From Tokyo’s electric cityscape to the steamy hot springs of Hakone—get the unbeatable rates you need for an unforgettable trip.
And the cherry blossom on top? Top rates and ultimate convenience make it easier than ever to turn your dollars to yen to ramen!
At Travel Money NZ, we ensure you snap up a competitive NZD to JPY exchange rate and make the process smoother than Uji matcha in Kyoto.
Come swap currencies and travel stories with our friendly experts in one of our conveniently located stores New Zealand-wide.
Holiday Budget Calculator
We know holiday budgeting can be a snooze fest, but it's important! Just pop in your trip details, and our clever tools will mix crowd-sourced Numbeo data with our exchange rates to show you how much to bring. Easy as!
How to save money on your Japan trip
Here are some tips to travel Japan on a budget...
- Travel in the off-season (Autumn/Winter) for cheaper flights and hotels, with fewer tourists around. Autumn (September to November) offers beautiful scenery and more affordable travel, while Winter (December to February) can be a quieter, budget-friendly time to explore... unless you're skiing that is!
- Eat like a local – street food at markets, conveyor belt sushi, and ramen shops are tasty and super affordable! PS: Always try the seasonal specials - Japan is known for celebrating the seasons with their cuisine, and sakura lattes are simply divine.
- Save money on transport with a JR Pass for long trips between cities, and grab a Suica or Pasmo card for easy, affordable travel on trains, buses, (and sometimes even vending machines). No hassle, just more yen in your pocket!
- Enjoy free fun – visit beautiful parks, temples, and shrines like Meiji Shrine, or take a peaceful walk through Kyoto’s Philosopher’s Path without spending a yen.
- Convert NZD to JPY with Travel Money NZ for great rates that make your money work harder. You'll want Japanese Yen in cash for local haunts (think family-owned soba shops) and the countryside.
All about Japanese currency
A quick intro to money in Japan
The Japanese Yen comes in an array of coins and notes, fit for everything from a gachapon (capsule toy vending machine) to a lavish kaiseki meal (traditional multicourse haute cuisine). Familiarise yourself with these denominations to shop and dine like a local.
The Japanese Yen symbol can be written like ¥ or 円 – ¥ is used more for international contexts (based of the first letter in Romanized “yen”), whereas 円is the Japanese Kanji. So keep an eye out for both symbols when shopping in Japan – 100 yen might be written as 100円 instead of ¥100!
Cash rate
Purchase in store
*Online rate not available in store
Card rate
Purchase in store
Code
JPY
Symbol
¥
Coins
Unholed - ¥1, ¥10, ¥100, ¥500; Holed - ¥5, ¥50
Banknotes
¥1000, ¥2000, ¥5000 and ¥10,000
Japanese notes and coins
The Japanese Yen symbol can be written like ¥ or 円 – ¥ is used more for international contexts (based of the first letter in Romanized “yen”), whereas 円is the Japanese Kanji.
So keep an eye out for both symbols when shopping in Japan – 100 yen might be written as 100円 instead of ¥100!
It is available in un-holed coins ¥1, ¥10, ¥100, and ¥500, and holed coins ¥5 and ¥50 (these look like little metal donuts).
Banknotes include ¥1000, ¥2000, ¥5000 and ¥10,000 variations.
Pro tip: for a quick, very loose conversion, you can think of “yen” as our cents – so 100 yen can be considered similar to $1.
For you visual learners, you can use the simple trick of covering the last two zeros with your fingers to get an approximate value – i.e. if you cover the last two zeros of 1000 yen, it’s about $10!
Fun facts about Japanese cash
- Japan released brand new banknotes in July 2024 – featuring a world first hologram design!
- These new banknotes also feature new artworks, including the famous Great Wave Off Kanagawa by Hokusai.
- The ¥5 coin is considered lucky in Japan because the word for "five" (ご, "go") and "yen" (えん, "en") together sound like "goen" (ご縁), which means "good fortune" or "connection", making it a popular offering at shrines for blessings.
Travel Money Trivia - Japan edition
- Paperclip coin - the ¥1 coin is made of aluminum, making it extremely light—it weighs just 1 gram—the lightest among all Japanese coins, and roughly the weight of a paperclip!
- Hey big trader! The Japanese yen is the third highest traded currency (after USD and the Euro).
- The name ‘yen’ comes from the Japanese translation of ‘circle’ or ‘a round object’.
- While our Kiwi coins display the Gregorian calendar year of mintage on their coins, yen coins display the year of the current emperor's reign. In 2019 Emperor Naruhito ascended the throne to usher in the Reiwa era, and so 2025 would be Reiwa 7!
- Between December 1941 and April 1949, the yen didn’t have a true exchange rate, as wartime inflation had reduced the yen to a fraction of its value before the war. The US occupation government fixed the value of the yen at ¥360 per US$1 in 1949 in an attempt to stabilise prices in the Japanese economy. This rate was abandoned in 1971.
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Securing the best exchange rate for your NZD to JPY conversion is key to maximizing your travel funds. Travel Money NZ makes it simple, with tools to help plan your expenses and secure delivery options, you're all set for a seamless adventure.
Prepare for your Japanese journey—it’s going to be epic!