The Finance Ministry is considering resuming production of ¥1 and ¥5 coins for circulation in fiscal 2014 in anticipation of increased need when the consumption tax is raised to 8 percent next April, officials said.
New ¥1 coins were last produced for circulation in fiscal 2009 and ¥5 coins in fiscal 2008 as the spread of electronic money and credit cards reduced demand. One million coins of each type were to be produced for collectors this fiscal year.
When the consumption tax was first introduced in 1989, there was a shortage of ¥1 coins.
In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.
By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.