People from outside Japan may know this symbol (¥) for Japanese yen, a Y with two slashes through it. However, in Japan, another symbol often appears on menus, shelves, and price tags (円). Actually, the two symbols are almost nearly identical in meaning, but the history behind each is where the difference lies. Let’s explore the background and nuances of these two symbols!
In this Article:
What is the ¥ symbol for yen?
There are many various theories about how the Y-looking symbol came to be. One main idea leads back to international trade over 100 years ago. At this time, businesses needed to keep track of the many new currencies coming into and out of Japan. The theory is that a capital Y was used to abbreviate the word “yen”, and then two slashes were added to make it look more like foreign currency. Also, this symbol is shared with the Chinese yuan, which may also be linked to the name of “yen” itself.
What is the 円 symbol for yen?
The other symbol for yen is not a symbol at all! It is a kanji meaning “round,” a Japanese word on its own. Like most kanji, there are multiple ways to pronounce it and it can be used in words with various meanings. This kanji was born long before the yen symbol. However, the use of this kanji as “yen” developed during the Meiji Period, just like the other yen symbol. Japan standardized its currency by developing all round coins, different from the square or oblong coins which came before. Perhaps this is also why the Japanese hand gesture for money consists of making a circle with your thumb and pointer finger!
How to use the two different symbols for yen
In practical terms, you can think of the yen symbol (¥) as a dollar sign. It is a symbol which notes the currency in writing and accounting. In contrast, the kanji of yen ( is more like a word, similar to writing the word “dollars” after a number rather than using the dollar sign.
Sources and Further Reading
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