Video Lesson 64a - Prices + Japanese Currency

Please watch the Irasshai Video Lesson. There are two segments for this Lesson, and they are separate videos. Take a break after watching the first segment, then come back to watch the remainder of the episode. There is no need to watch it all at once! The handouts and activities on this page cover the entire video lesson (both segments).

Also, while watching, pause the video often to practice the lessons and to fill out answers on the Check Sheet. When Tim-sensei asks his students to do something, you should try it too!

Video Check Sheet

Download the Video Check Sheet for Lesson 64 (this version is a Word file, which you can type on). The document is also embedded as a PDF below. Use this handout as your guide while you watch the video. Remember - the Check Sheet covers the whole video, and will be presented after both segments of the video.

Vocabulary Activity

Japanese Currency

Let's examine Japanese currencies.

Bills: Currently, there are four denominations of bills. However, 2,000 yen bills are not as widely used as the others. The portraits on the bills are described below.

1,000-en = portrait of Hideyo Noguchi

2,000-en = portrait of Shureimon in Okinawa

5,000-en = portrait of Ichiyo Higuchi

10,000-en = portrait of Yukichi Fukuzawa

Coins: There are 6 denominations of coins. The ones with holes are popular for souvenirs by foreign visitors because of their uniqueness.

Prices in Japan are usually written in one of two ways. The kanji for -en ( 円 ) is written after the Arabic numerals or the symbol for yen ( ¥ ) is written before the numerals. Thus, a price of 300 yen could be represented as:

300 円 OR ¥ 300

Now, what can you buy with 300-yen? You may be able to buy a cup of coffee at an average coffee shop or 2 bottles of drinks from a vending machine. You can't buy much, can you? 300-yen has been about $3.00 in US dollars. You may want to find out today's exchange rate online for your information.

300 円 ≈ $3.00

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