What is the official currency of Japan, used since the late 19th century?

The official currency of Japan is the Japanese yen.

Japan introduced the yen under the New Currency Act of 1871 during the Meiji era. The reform created a modern decimal currency system and replaced a complex mixture of feudal coins and paper instruments. The word yen means “round,” referring to the shape of the new coins.

The yen's symbol is ¥, and its international currency code is JPY. The Bank of Japan issues banknotes, while the Japan Mint produces coins. Common circulating coins include denominations from 1 yen through 500 yen, and banknotes include 1,000, 2,000, 5,000 and 10,000 yen.

The yen is often confused with the Chinese yuan because both names derive from the same Chinese character for a round monetary unit. In international finance, however, they are separate currencies with different codes: JPY for the yen and CNY for the Chinese yuan.