JPY
CNY
An in-depth comparison of JPY (Japanese Yen) and CNY (Chinese Yuan): 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
JPY — Bank of Japan
CNY — People's Bank of China
Japanese Yen (JPY) banknotes are 2% larger in area than Chinese Yuan (CNY) banknotes.
All available banknote denominations
3 denominations
1 denominations
Physical banknotes in circulation, per central bank data [Source: Bank of Japan, 2024]
124 trillion JPY
Japanese Yen in circulation
Bank of Japan
11.4 trillion CNY
Chinese Yuan in circulation
People's Bank of China
What everyday items cost in Japanese Yen and Chinese Yuan regions [Source: The Economist, 2025]
¥480
Big Mac price
Japanese Yen region, 2025
¥26
Big Mac price
Chinese Yuan region, 2025
☕ Cup of Coffee
🍽️ Restaurant Meal
🏠 Monthly Rent
⛽ Liter of Gas
Global OTC FX market data [Source: BIS, 2025]
$1,297B
JPY daily volume
One side of all trades involving USD
$526B
CNY 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 JPY and CNY
Issues Japanese Yen
Issues Chinese Yuan
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 minutes
Count JPY at 1 bill/second
100 bills
2 hours 47 minutes
Count CNY at 1 bill/second
10,000 bills
24.7 years of median income
Median JPY region worker
~$40,564/yr median wage
67.6 years of median income
Median CNY region worker
~$14,800/yr median wage
JPY — Physical properties
CNY — Physical properties
JPY weight comparisons
JPY height comparisons
JPY volume comparisons
Text and numbers can only go so far. Use Money Visualiser to see how Japanese Yen and Chinese Yuan 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 (¥10,000), you need approximately 100 Japanese Yen bills. This stack weighs about 100 grams and stands 1.00 m (3'3") high.
Using the highest denomination (¥100), you need approximately 10,000 Chinese Yuan bills. This stack weighs 10 kg (22 lbs) and stands 100 m (328 ft) high.
Japanese Yen (JPY) is issued by the Bank of Japan. Chinese Yuan (CNY) is issued by the People's Bank of China. Both central banks manage monetary policy, inflation targets, and currency stability for their respective economies.
Both JPY and CNY 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 minutes to count $1,000,000 in Japanese Yen (100 bills). In comparison, the same value in Chinese Yuan would take 2 hours 47 minutes (10,000 bills).
Japanese Yen comes in 3 denominations: ¥10,000, ¥5,000, ¥1,000. Chinese Yuan comes in 1 denominations: ¥100.
Money Visualiser at https://moneyvisualiser.com/convert/JPY/CNY 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.