Money Money Money 円

      So, something that I have mentioned in an earlier post is the fact that Japan is still a cash based society. Credit cards exist, but with much less popularity than in the West because most stores, including large chain stores, still do not accept credit cards. Therefore, the machine in the photo above becomes a familiar part of my life - the ATM. The screen in the photo above is asking what kind of transaction is required (withdrawl, deposit, etc...)  Thankfully most machines have an English option. I am all about adventures in a foreign language, but not when money is on the line.

Speaking of money, this is what Japanese money looks like. 

The dark brown coin is the ten yen piece (one yen is roughly equivalent to a penny). The yellow one is five yen, the fifty yen piece has 50 written on it. The hundred yen piece is silver with cherry blossoms on it. The one yen piece is in the middle. The five hundred yen piece is the largest coin on the top right. The smallest bill is one thousand yen (or ten dollars). There is a 2000 yen bill, but it is not pictured here because it is very uncommon (like coin dollars in america). Then the 5000 ($50) and ten thousand (pronounced ee-chee-man). Interesting fact, although you cannot tell from this photo, each of the bills are different lengths.

The photo below are complimentary glasses at the bank for nearsightedness with weak, middle, and strong proscriptions. One more example of Japan's great customer service.