More bills:
And more:
I thought these were pretty nice. Interesting that one side is a super serious portrait and the other something symbolizing the country. Seems like sort of a standard for currency around the world. I like the non-portrait sides better. I guess the red slashes are to keep people like me from creating a small fortune in my basement.
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New Japanese Currency
Posted by lss at September 26, 2004 07:35 PM
i think the portraits are in themselves more symbols of japan, especially symbols of the modern republic. the back images are more symbols of japan before it was a nation. the images of nature in the back allude to ancient japan, japan of shinto when the land and the people were deeply connected. at least that's how i took the images to be.
Posted by: paul at September 27, 2004 09:22 AMour currency is so lame.
Posted by: Graham at September 27, 2004 10:11 AMYes good point. Maybe both the portraits and the landscapes are supposed to evoke different sides of Japan, or Japanese nationalism, and identify them with each other on the same bill. Here is the culture (portrait/historical) and here is another aspect of the culture (landscape/historical).
Posted by: Dave P at September 27, 2004 01:48 PMI think it's pretty lame too.
I was excited for the new designs, but they really didn't change much.
And what's up with no colors?
I think there should be stories on the bills too, like the 10 would be all about the abolition of slavery, with Frederick Douglas giving a speech and stuff, and Abraham Lincoln giving a high-five" to an old black man.
Posted by: DCS at September 27, 2004 01:48 PMDave P has a good point about different aspects of Japanese national/cultural identity. "Country' and "nation" mean slightly different things; "country" has connotations that don't necessarily have to do with the political state of Japan.
It's interesting how many currencies outside of the US don't use political figures on their currency.
Posted by: seth at September 27, 2004 02:15 PM