Japanese Yen Symbol (¥)
The Japanese Yen (¥) is the official currency of Japan and the third most traded currency in global foreign exchange markets. The Latin letter Y with two horizontal strokes represents the yen in international commerce, while domestic transactions in Japan utilize the kanji character 円 (U+5186).
Typographic & Developer Encoding Codes
Quickly copy HTML entities, CSS content escape sequences, and Unicode code points for Japanese Yen.
| Format | Value / Code | Description | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raw Symbol | ¥ | Standard plain text character or abbreviation | |
| Unicode Code Point | U+00A5 | YEN SIGN (Latin-1 Supplement) | |
| Windows Input / Alt Code | Alt + 0165 | Keyboard shortcut for Windows PC | |
| HTML Named / Decimal Entity | ¥ | HTML5 named character entity | |
| HTML Hex Entity | ¥ | Hexadecimal HTML character reference | |
| CSS Escape Code | \00A5 | For CSS ::before or ::after pseudo-elements |
How to Type Japanese Yen Symbol (¥) on Any Device
Windows PC
Hold the Alt key and type 0165 on the numeric keypad.
Mac / macOS
Press Option + Y on your macOS keyboard.
iPhone & iPad (iOS)
Tap 123, long-press $ and select ¥
Android (Gboard)
Tap ?123, long-press $ and select ¥
Formatting Rules & Real-World Examples
Symbol Placement: Before Amount
In standard financial notation, the Japanese Yen symbol is positioned immediately before the numerical amount.
Typography & International Usage Guidelines
In international Latin-script financial documents, the yen sign is placed before the numeric amount without decimals (¥1,000). In domestic Japanese text, the kanji 円 is placed after the number (1,000円). When typing in East Asian computing environments, Japanese keyboards map the backslash key to U+00A5 due to historical JIS X 0201 encoding legacy.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Including decimal places (the yen has 0 decimal digits in modern accounting; writing ¥100.00 is incorrect).
- Confusing the standard halfwidth yen sign (¥, U+00A5) with the fullwidth CJK yen sign (￥, U+FFE5).
- Confusing Japanese Yen (JPY) with Chinese Yuan (CNY), both of which share the Latin symbol ¥.
Historical Background & Monetary Evolution
The yen was formally established by the Meiji government through the New Currency Act of May 10, 1871. The monetary reform replaced Japan's complex feudal currency system with a unified decimal system based on the silver Spanish-American dollar. The word 'yen' translates literally to 'round object' or 'circle', mirroring the circular shape of Western coins. While Japan historically divided the yen into 100 sen and 1,000 rin, both fractional units were removed from circulation by the Small Currency Disposal and Fractional Rounding Act of 1953.
Countries & Jurisdictions Using ¥
Related Tools & Guides for Japanese Yen
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ToolCurrency Formatter
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GuideMac Option Key Shortcuts
How to configure and type international financial marks quickly on macOS.
GuideGoogle Docs & Sheets Guide
Insert special characters and configure currency formats in spreadsheets.
GuideiPhone & iPad Shortcuts
Quick long-press keyboard shortcuts on iOS to type monetary symbols.
SpecsUnicode Technical Standards
Master technical index for U+20A0–U+20CF blocks, HTML entities & CSS codes.
Similar & Related Currency Symbols
View all Yen & Yuan Currencies (¥) →Standards Verification & Official Registry Specifications
This specification has been verified against official international standards registries (ISO 4217 Maintenance Agency, Unicode Consortium 16.0, and Unicode CLDR).
Frequently Asked Questions about Japanese Yen (¥)
Common questions and direct answers regarding currency symbols, typing shortcuts, and international formatting.
Why does the Japanese yen have no decimal places?
Post-World War II inflation drastically reduced the purchasing power of the fractional sen (1/100th of a yen), leading the Japanese government to formally abolish fractional currency in 1953. Modern accounting treats JPY as a zero-decimal integer unit.
Why does a backslash turn into a yen sign on Japanese computers?
In early Japanese computing character sets (JIS X 0201), code point 0x5C was assigned to the Yen sign instead of the ASCII backslash (\). As a result, Japanese fonts render 0x5C as ¥, causing file paths like C:\Windows to display as C:¥Windows.
What is the difference between ¥ and 円?
¥ (U+00A5) is the international Latin typographical symbol used in global commerce, foreign exchange, and pricing for non-Japanese audiences. 円 (U+5186) is the native Japanese kanji character used in domestic Japanese stores, receipts, and accounting.