Nipponica

This is the first bank note update since 2004. Now adorning the 10,000-yen (about $63) notes is Shibusawa Eiichi, an industrialist considered to be the father of capitalism in Japan. On the new 5,000-yen (some $32) notes is Tsuda Umeko, founder of Tsuda University in the Japanese capital. Lastly, honoring the 1,000-yen (roughly $6.30) notes is Kitazato Shibasaburo, a microbiologist who established a treatment for tetanus.

This is very much an "evolution, not revolution" design change for the yen banknotes as they still maintain the general look of the previous set while incorporating new imagery and security features.