Amidst New 10,000 Yen Note Issuance, ATM Factories See Increased Operation Rates, Fukaya City (Yukari's Land) Celebrates

With the issuance of a new banknote on July 3rd approaching, preparations are in full swing, and the birthplace of Shibusawa Eiichi, the face of the new 10,000 yen note, is already abuzz with excitement.

The issuance of a new banknote for the first time in 20 years is expected to have an economic impact of 1.63 trillion yen.

A man in his 30s from Fukaya City said, "This is the first time we've had an event like this, and it feels like it's really revitalized the area. I'm happy about it." Fumino Tosaka, the head of the Fukaya City Cultural Promotion Section, said, "We've had quite a lot of visitors. It's been more successful than we expected, and I'm really pleased." She added, "We're really looking forward to July 3rd. It feels like it's just around the corner."

Roadside rest stops have stocked up on Shibusawa-related goods, a staggering 136 varieties in total. It's like a 10,000 yen note Shibusawa craze.

Meanwhile, OKI, a manufacturer of ATMs and other equipment, has been operating its factories at full capacity since January of this year. Maiko Sugimoto of OKI's Public Relations Office stated, "In addition to ATMs, we also manufacture cash handling machines and change machines for shopping malls and other locations. Production volume has nearly doubled compared to last year." The factories are scheduled to remain in full operation until March of next year.

A taxi company in Tokyo's Suginami Ward has ordered new 'payment machines' to handle the new banknotes. Miyuki Yokota, a director at Aoi Kotsu, said, "We placed the order in mid-January, and the payment machines were expected to arrive after the Golden Week holiday in early May. However, there was a delay, and the delivery was pushed back to mid-June. They only arrived recently." In addition to the payment machines, they also invested 4 million yen in money exchange machines. Director Yokota commented, "The cost is certainly significant."

On the other hand, some stores have undergone major changes. A ramen shop in Kitana Goyashi, Aichi Prefecture, has eliminated its ticket vending machines and adopted cashless payments. One of the reasons for this change was cost. Tsutomu Takai, Managing Director of NUK Corporation, said, "Replacing the ticket vending machines would have cost about 150,000 yen in total, even though our machines weren't that old." Customers can now order and pay using their smartphones. Takai believes, "Customers will find it easier to order this way. I think that was a significant factor (in replacing the ticket vending machines)." The introduction of the new banknotes could significantly accelerate the shift to cashless transactions.

Just like the disappearance of ticket vending machines from ramen shops, fare boxes costing 2 million yen are also set to disappear from buses. JR Tokai Bus plans to remove fare boxes from most of its highway buses and switch to cashless payments starting next month. If customers pay in cash, the driver will collect the money directly. If cashless payments become the norm, this might be the last time the 'new banknote' becomes a major topic of conversation.