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Japanese military currency (1937–1945)

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by Japan. Several types of currencies were put into circulation there during the occupation. In China, several puppet governments were created (e.g. Manchukuo), each issuing their own currency. In South East Asia, the Japanese military arranged for bank notes to be issued, denominated in the various currencies (rupees, pesos, dollars, etc.) that had been circulating there prior to the occupation. These latter are referred to as
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The territories controlled or occupied by Japan had many different currencies. Taiwan maintained its own banking system and bank notes after it came under Japanese sovereignty in 1895. The same is true for Korea post 1910. Between 1931 and 1945, large parts of China and South East Asia were occupied
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After Japan announced its unconditional surrender on 15 August 1945, military yen banknotes were seized by British military authorities. However, although there was about as much as 1.9 billion yen, the Japanese military administrations intentionally destroyed 700 million worth of it.
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Early issues did not have serial numbers, and were issued without regard for inflation. Later issues did initially feature serial numbers. Towards the end of the war, as more money was needed to pay military personnel, notes were issued without serial numbers once more.
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Later series were less crude. In the early 1940s, the Japanese government issued military yen notes with a design prepared specifically for the military yen. These designs were not based on existing Japanese yen notes, but featured original designs such as
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On 13 August 1993, an organization in Hong Kong seeking a refund for military yen took legal action against Japan, suing the Japanese government for the money that was lost when the military yen was declared void. A Tokyo district court ruled against the
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period, when the Japanese government excessively issued it to all of its occupied territories. In Hong Kong, the military yen was forced upon the local population as the sole official currency of the territory. Since the military yen was not backed by
262:. In addition to these currencies, the Japanese military issued their own bank notes, denominated in yen – this is the Japanese military yen. The military yen became the official currency in some occupied areas, e.g. Hong Kong. 278:
In the late 1930s there was an issue of military yen which was similar to the standard yen in terms of design, but with minor modifications. Generally, thick red lines were overprinted to cancel the name
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When the military yen was first introduced on 26 December 1941, the exchange rate between the Hong Kong dollar and the military yen was 2 to 1. However, by October 1942, the rate was changed to 4 to 1.
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This text explains: "This note is exchangeable to Japanese currency upon presentation. Severe punishment will be applied to anyone who counterfeits notes or knowingly uses such notes."
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As Japan became more desperate in the war effort in 1944, the Japanese military authorities in Hong Kong circulated more military yen, resulting in
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After exchanging for Hong Kong dollars, the Japanese military purchased supplies and strategic goods in the neighbouring neutral
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surrendered to the Japanese Imperial Army on 25 December 1941, the Japanese authorities decreed the military yen to be the
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on 17 June 1999, stating that, although it acknowledged the suffering of the Hong Kong people, the
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announced that all military yen became void, reducing the military yen to useless pieces of paper.
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and dragons. All later series featured the following text on the reverse of the note:
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did not have specific laws concerning military yen compensation. Japan also used the
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This infobox shows the latest status before this currency was rendered obsolete.
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For military currency issued by the Japanese Empire before 1937, see
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was a signatory state, as one of the reasons to deny compensation.
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Nullification of the military yen and demands for redemption
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as a salary. The military yen reached its peak during the
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deal primarily with Hong Kong and do not represent a
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and set a deadline for exchanging dollars into yen.
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Retrieved 16 October 2007. 269: 41:This article includes a list of general 1107: 493: 491: 487: 319:The examples and perspective in this 295:此票一到即換正面所開日本通貨。如有偽造、變造、仿造、或知情行使者均應重罰不貸。 89: 21:Japanese military currency (1894–1918) 465:Banknotes of the British Armed Forces 7: 539:"Narcotics trade boosted army scrip" 525:, 1999-6-7. Retrieved 14 June 1999. 337:, or create a new, as appropriate. 47:it lacks sufficient corresponding 14: 667:List of Japanese coinage patterns 378:of Hong Kong the following day. 1201:Japanese occupation of Hong Kong 1158: 1146: 1134: 1122: 1110: 695: 613: 561:Hong Kong Reparation Association 310: 108: 32: 274:10 Yen note of the 1938 series 234:Imperial Japanese Armed Forces 1: 533:External links and references 366:The military yen in Hong Kong 475:Military payment certificate 421:Japanese Ministry of Finance 1012:Japanese military currency 333:, discuss the issue on the 1227: 1211:Modern obsolete currencies 230:Japanese military currency 91:Japanese military currency 18: 1206:Military history of Japan 693: 640:Countermarked yen ("Gin") 611: 467:– Currency issued by the 419:On 6 September 1945, the 220: 107: 100:(in Chinese and Japanese) 1028:Allied Military Currency 677:National Printing Bureau 459:Allied Military Currency 215:Ministry of War of Japan 1191:Currencies of Hong Kong 1186:Japanese invasion money 650:Japanese invasion money 453:Japanese invasion money 437:Treaty of San Francisco 260:Japanese invasion money 62:more precise citations. 505:. 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Index

Japanese military currency (1894–1918)
references
inline citations
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Symbol
Denominations
Areas occupied by Japan during World War II
Central bank
Ministry of War of Japan
Imperial Japanese Armed Forces
Pacific War
gold
Japanese yen
Japanese invasion money

Bank of Japan
Onagadori cocks
worldwide view
improve this
talk page
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Hong Kong Government
legal tender
Hong Kong dollar
Portuguese
Macao
hyperinflation

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