I Have a Yen For a Hundred.

Actually, I have a Hundred 円, or en, anglicized as yen. I've been doing a lot of tidying of the apartment lately and came across a 100-Yen bill that a student gave me back in my Soma days. This bill was minted around 1954 and though I'm no numismatist, I know it is worth about 10 times its value. So I won't be able to retire by selling this bill. But I can appreciate its appreciation.

板垣 退助 Itagaki Taisuke (1837–1919) was a Japanese politician who became a leader of 自由民権運動 or the Freedom and People's Rights Movement (jiyu minken undo). Itagaki Taisuke was born on April 17, 1837 in Tosa, Japan, into a middle-ranking Samurai family. After a long history of politics, in 1881, he created the Liberal party and was granted status as a 伯爵 (Hakushaku or Count.) He also has one of the coolest beards I've ever seen.

The obverse of the bill shows 国会 or the main building of the National Diet of Japan (kokkai) which is Japan's legislature.


Who knows what other gems I'll dig up during my tidying binge?