Episode 1 of 2

Initial Production and Security Measures

When: January 1872
Where: Imperial Printing Bureau
Part of: Japan introduces its first modern paper currency, the Meiji Tsuho notes

Banknotes arrived from Germany in January 1872 but were incomplete for security, requiring finalization by the Imperial Printing Bureau in Japan.

Production was handed over to the Imperial Printing Bureau in January 1872. Notes arriving from Germany lacked the 'Meiji Tsuho' text and the Minister of Finance's mark, which were added in Japan to ensure security and authenticity.

Sources

Meiji Tsuho Wikipedia, revision of 2026-02-22

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.