Pounds GBP to Japanese yen JPY exchange rate

It’s the official currency of Japan, issued by Bank Japan. Its abbreviation is JPY and its symbol is ¥ (international) or 円 (in Japan).

The Japanese yen is the third most-traded currency in the world. To get some for your trip, pop into a participating Post Office branch or buy your travel money online.

Japan is the only country to officially use the Japanese yen. The currency is also used unofficially in the neighbouring Myanmar and Vietnam.

You can buy Japanese yen from the Post Office online or in any of our thousands of participating branches around the UK. Find your nearest with our branch finder.

Order online and you could get a better rate than in branch. You can also choose to collect in branch or get it delivered to your door (both the next working day if you order before 3pm).

The more currency you buy the better the rate. And buying when the exchange rate shows the pound to be strong will save you some money too.

If you prefer to use plastic, Travel Money Card is a prepaid Mastercard® you can load before going away. It operates in 23 currencies, including the yen, and can be used for chip & PIN and contactless payment. It’s also compatible with Apple Pay and Google Pay, and you can use it to withdraw cash.

The highest denomination banknote in the Japanese currency is the 10,000 yen note. It’s also one of the most frequently used. At the time of writing it’s worth around 70 GBP pounds. Other commonly used notes are the 1,000 and 5,000 yen. There is also a 2,000 yen note.

The lowest value coins in the Japanese currency are the 1 and 5 yen. They’re not used often due to their low value, but you may receive them in your change. The coins used most often are the 10, 50, 100 and 500 yen.

If you need an idea of what something costs in pounds or how much you’re spending while you’re in Japan, download our free smartphone apps to your iOS or Android device:

• Post Office Travel
• Currency converter (also available for Apple Watch)
   

You can instantly convert local prices, keep track of your holiday outgoings and order travel money.

To learn about more local laws, travel restrictions and alerts for any country across the world check the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) travel advice pages – including its dedicated page for Japan.