CNY
JPY
An in-depth comparison of CNY (Chinese Yuan) and JPY (Japanese Yen): physical banknotes, cash in circulation, trading volume, purchasing power, central bank policy, and fun size comparisons — all with authoritative citations.
Dimensions at real scale — as issued by each central bank
CNY — People's Bank of China
JPY — Bank of Japan
Japanese Yen (JPY) banknotes are 2% larger in area than Chinese Yuan (CNY) banknotes.
All available banknote denominations
1 denominations
3 denominations
Physical banknotes in circulation, per central bank data [Source: PBOC, 2024]
11.4 trillion CNY
Chinese Yuan in circulation
People's Bank of China
124 trillion JPY
Japanese Yen in circulation
Bank of Japan
What everyday items cost in Chinese Yuan and Japanese Yen regions [Source: The Economist, 2025]
¥26
Big Mac price
Chinese Yuan region, 2025
¥480
Big Mac price
Japanese Yen region, 2025
☕ Cup of Coffee
🍽️ Restaurant Meal
🏠 Monthly Rent
⛽ Liter of Gas
Global OTC FX market data [Source: BIS, 2025]
$526B
CNY daily volume
One side of all trades involving USD
$1,297B
JPY daily volume
One side of all trades involving USD
$9.6T
Global FX daily turnover
Total OTC FX market, April 2025
The institutions that issue and manage CNY and JPY
Issues Chinese Yuan
Issues Japanese Yen
IMF SDR (Special Drawing Rights) basket weights reflect a currency's importance in global trade and finance. [Source: IMF, 2022]
Physical dimensions and time-based comparisons at the same value
2 hours 47 minutes
Count CNY at 1 bill/second
10,000 bills
2 minutes
Count JPY at 1 bill/second
100 bills
67.6 years of median income
Median CNY region worker
~$14,800/yr median wage
24.7 years of median income
Median JPY region worker
~$40,564/yr median wage
CNY — Physical properties
JPY — Physical properties
CNY weight comparisons
CNY height comparisons
CNY volume comparisons
Text and numbers can only go so far. Use Money Visualiser to see how Chinese Yuan and Japanese Yen bill stacks actually compare in physical space.
Japanese Yen (JPY) banknotes are 2% larger in area: 160mm × 76mm vs 155mm × 77mm. In 3D, this means a stack of JPY bills takes up noticeably more physical space than an equivalent value in CNY bills.
At current dimensions and using the highest denomination (¥100), you need approximately 10,000 Chinese Yuan bills. This stack weighs about 10 kg (22 lbs) and stands 100 m (328 ft) high.
Using the highest denomination (¥10,000), you need approximately 100 Japanese Yen bills. This stack weighs 100 grams and stands 1.00 m (3'3") high.
Chinese Yuan (CNY) is issued by the People's Bank of China. Japanese Yen (JPY) is issued by the Bank of Japan. Both central banks manage monetary policy, inflation targets, and currency stability for their respective economies.
Both CNY and JPY are active in global FX markets. The total global OTC FX market turns over approximately $9.6 trillion per day (BIS 2025 Triennial Survey).
Counting at 1 bill per second, it would take 2 hours 47 minutes to count $1,000,000 in Chinese Yuan (10,000 bills). In comparison, the same value in Japanese Yen would take 2 minutes (100 bills).
Chinese Yuan comes in 1 denominations: ¥100. Japanese Yen comes in 3 denominations: ¥10,000, ¥5,000, ¥1,000.
Money Visualiser at https://moneyvisualiser.com/convert/CNY/JPY lets you enter any amount and see the equivalent bill stacks for both currencies side-by-side in interactive 3D. You can rotate, zoom, and compare the physical scale in real time with live exchange rates.
Statistics and data are sourced from central banks and international financial organisations. Exchange rates and market volumes change daily — figures shown reflect the most recently published research data.