The Ministry of Finance published the results of the FY2024 survey on currency, targeting 1,200 men and women aged 15-79 nationwide, investigating awareness of new banknotes, understanding of anti-counterfeiting technologies, cash holding status, and interest in commemorative coins.
Key Points
Awareness of New Banknotes and Anti-Counterfeiting Technologies
- Regarding new banknotes that began circulation in July 2024, 96.6% responded they "knew about them," showing extremely high awareness
- For banknote anti-counterfeiting technologies, "3D hologram" had the highest recognition at 26.0%, followed by "high-definition watermark" at 13.7% and "microtext" at 10.8%
- For coin anti-counterfeiting technologies, "irregular diagonal ridges" was most recognized at 18.0%, but 36.9% responded they "don't know any of them"
- Regarding banknote types, 73.9% responded that "current types are fine," showing high satisfaction with the current banknote system
Cash Usage Reality and Holding Status
- Experience with banknote/coin returns from vending machines: 500 yen coins had "often" 17.5% and "sometimes" 18.6%, the highest
- Cash holding in wallets: 67.6% hold 2-5 pieces of 1,000 yen notes, 66.6% hold 6-10 pieces of 100 yen coins
- Reasons for holding cash at home: "Having cash on hand provides peace of mind" 37.2%, "In emergencies, cash withdrawal may become impossible or cashless payments may become unusable" 33.5%
- Reasons for reduced cash possession compared to before: "Paying with cash doesn't earn points etc., so it's disadvantageous" was the most common at 61.6%
500 Yen Coin Saving and Commemorative Coins
- 500 yen coin saving: "Have done it and still doing it" 12.2%, "Have done it but not doing it now" 35.5%
- Reasons for stopping: "Fewer opportunities to obtain 500 yen coins" 49.5%, "Financial institutions started charging fees for coin deposits" 41.1%
- 66.7% have never obtained commemorative coins, exceeding half, with acquisition reasons being "rarity" at 33.3% being most common
- Reasons for not acquiring: "Not interested in commemorative coins" 52.4%, "Sales prices are high" 20.5%
The article shows that while there is high awareness of new banknotes, the advancement of cashless payments has reduced cash holdings, with decreased opportunities to use coins and fee burdens particularly affecting people's cash usage behavior.