1. How Many Counterfeit Notes Are There per 1 Million Notes in Different Countries?
According to a Bank of Japan publicity document, the number of counterfeit notes per 1 million notes in circulation was 0.3 in Japan, 207 in the United Kingdom, 63 in Europe, and 38 in Canada [1]. The Bank of Japan explains that Japan’s number is "orders of magnitude lower." If you divide 207 by 0.3, you get about 690, meaning the UK’s rate is about 700 times higher than Japan’s. However, this comparison is from 2009. You cannot read these as current numbers. The difference in figures is an entry point to look at what tricks are on the notes.
2. Why Banknote Security Combines Many Technologies Instead of One
Preventing counterfeiting is not based on one technology that says "this is safe." It works by combining many technologies. The Bank of Japan page states that the new banknotes, which started being issued on July 3, 2024, have 8 anti-counterfeiting technologies [2]. The explanation for the 2,000 yen note issued in 2000 follows the same idea. The Bank of Japan explains that combining technologies that work for both sight and touch makes counterfeiting difficult [3]. If your front door had only one lock, breaking it would be the end. If you stack three or five locks, breaking all of them becomes hard. However, banknote technologies are different because the way you check them—looking, touching, tilting—also changes.
3. How Raised Ink (Intaglio Printing) Lets You Feel a Note's Value Number
If you run your finger over the number showing the value on a note, it feels rough. This is because the ink is printed high using a method called intaglio printing. The Bank of Japan page says this printing is used for the value number and identification marks [2]. The description of the 2,000 yen note says the raised ink can be identified by touch, and the identification mark is a design based on the Braille character for "ni" (2) [3]. This shows that features you can check by touch help both to stop fakes and to help people with visual impairments tell the value apart. The shape of the identification mark differs by note type and issue date, so this example is from the 2,000 yen note.
4. How Watermarks Show a Portrait When You Hold a Note to Light
When you hold a note up to the light, the portrait appears through the paper. This is called a "watermark." It is a technology that creates a picture by changing the thickness of the paper in parts [4]. It is not printed; the picture is in the paper itself. For new notes, a "high-definition watermark" with fine continuous patterns in the background of the portrait was added. This is introduced in materials from the National Printing Bureau and the Bank of Japan [4][2]. The National Printing Bureau explains that watermarks are a technology considered especially difficult to counterfeit [4].
5. How Latent Images and Rotating Holograms Change When You Tilt a Note
A technology where patterns or letters appear when you tilt the note is called a latent image. On new notes, the value number appears on the front, and the letters "NIPPON" appear on the back [2]. The letters or patterns that appear differ by note type. The hologram on new notes makes the portrait look 3D and rotate. The Bank of Japan page says installing this on banknotes is the first in the world [2]. The 2,000 yen note also used special ink that glows orange under ultraviolet light, optically variable ink that changes from blue-green to purple depending on the viewing angle, and tiny letters that read "NIPPON GINKO" [3]. Looking, touching, and shining light on it. Technologies with different checking methods overlap on the same one note.
6. How Many Fakes Are Found, and What to Do About Suspicious Notes
The Bank of Japan page states that not only the person who makes a fake or altered note, but also a person who knowingly uses one, can face imprisonment for life or 3 years or more. It advises reporting suspicious notes to the police or the Bank of Japan [5]. According to National Police Agency statistics, the number of counterfeit notes found varied greatly between about 700 and about 2,700 per year from 2022 to 2025 [6]. These numbers are "notes seized through reports," not a percentage of all notes in circulation. Because the measurement method is different, you cannot compare them directly with the "per 1 million" figures from section 1. The only thing this table shows is that the yearly increase and decrease is large.
7. How to Investigate a Banknote Yourself in Three Steps
What you can do today: Take one note from your wallet and try these three things in order, writing down what you notice. Hold it to window light to see if the portrait or patterns appear. Run your finger over the value number to feel if it is rough. Tilt it slowly to see if there are parts where the way it shines changes. Do not fold or tear the note. Placing a new note next to an old one may show differences in how they look. Even if you find no difference, that is also a result. When you want to learn more, the Bank of Japan’s "Features of New Banknotes" and the National Printing Bureau’s introduction pages have explanations of each technology.