japan-mints-one-yen-coins-again-after-11-years-a-cashless-era-surprise
# one-yen coin# Japan Mint# cashless# cash circulation
Key Points
- Japan's mint restarted mass production of one-yen coins for the first time in 11 years
- Cashless growth had shrunk minting to collector-set volumes
- The restart signals real circulation demand — cash has not exited Japan
Analysis
Japan's Mint announced, with a production video on X and YouTube, that it has restarted mass production of one-yen coins for the first time since FY2015. Counterintuitive in the QR-payment era — cashless growth had shrunk one-yen minting to collector-set volumes. The restart implies real circulation demand: inflation revives small-change needs, and cash remains sticky among older users, regional areas and micro-transactions. Japan's cashless ratio keeps rising, yet cash and cashless will coexist for years; never model Japan's consumer infrastructure as cash-free.