# What would you do with a 1000 Yen note in Los Angeles? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 24, 2005, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-with-a-1000-yen-note-in-los-angeles/332560 "2005-11-24T06:56:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-with-a-1000-yen-note-in-los-angeles/332560/1 "2005-11-24T06:56:33Z")
I mean, besides exchange it for dollars (or cents) and buy a hat or something. A woman from Japan gave it to me (I can’t remember why, though 😕 ). I have to admit I’ve been too lazy to even figure out what it’s worth. But it looks kind of cool. On one side is a statesman-type guy with a mustache. On the other is a nice, symmetrical picture of two cranes facing each other. This obviously not a question of practicality; I’m just curious of other people’s ideas. U.S. currency is so dull: always the same size, color and rarely creative. (E.g., the “new” five dollar notes–big change…not. It almost always portrays a president or political figure; never an artist, etc., though I’m still a big fan of the Sacagawea dollar, and demand that all my bank withdrawals be in two-dollar bills.) I ask because I’ve been acquiring a lot of clutter, and would like to reduce it. But like someone who might have a picture of their cat on their desk, I wonder ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-with-a-1000-yen-note-in-los-angeles/332560/2 "2005-11-24T07:09:37Z")
> [@](#): > > I have to admit I’ve been too lazy to even figure out what it’s worth. $8.41 Have you considered origami? ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-with-a-1000-yen-note-in-los-angeles/332560/3 "2005-11-24T07:59:40Z")
I keep all my foreign money in a box in my closet. But I suppose you could glue it to the wall. Or your fridge. Why? Just because. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-with-a-1000-yen-note-in-los-angeles/332560/4 "2005-11-24T09:12:38Z")
I like the origami suggestion, how about: -Make an interesting origami figure out of it; ideally one that leaves some important detail on the note still visible -Frame it in a really cheap, oriental-looking box frame from some budget store -Sell on eBay -Profit! ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-with-a-1000-yen-note-in-los-angeles/332560/5 "2005-11-24T11:35:00Z")
If the guy has a good haircut, then you have one of the old design with author Natsume Soseki. He was replaced a couple of years ago with Dr. Hideo Noguchi, who looks kinda simlar but with more of a mop for a hairdo (the rest of the bill design stayed the same). I used to have a photo of a really clever piece of origami. The bill was folded into a cat shape with Soseki’s face in the center. What made it clever was that Soseki’s most well-known book is titled “I Am a Cat.” ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-with-a-1000-yen-note-in-los-angeles/332560/6 "2005-11-24T12:04:38Z")
I’d put it in a clear photo frame that lets both sides show and keep it as a memento of a friend from overseas. She might have given it to you as a friendship gift, a rememberance, or just as a goodwill type gesture. ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-with-a-1000-yen-note-in-los-angeles/332560/7 "2005-11-24T12:19:58Z")
I recommend the flapping crane origami. Never learned to do it myself, but that’s a classic. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![False\_God](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ee7513/32.png) [@False\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/False_God)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-with-a-1000-yen-note-in-los-angeles/332560/8 "2005-11-24T13:28:43Z")
As someone who travels a lot; I found myself with a lot of relatively worthless foreign currency. We took magnetic backing that’s sticky on one side --find it at any craft store – and made custom fridge magnets. So now when I go to grab a beer, I can look at 10 Yugoslav dinars, 500 Italian lira; etc.