EVER wondered why ¥5 and ¥50 coins have holes in the middle? Well, in the days before paper money, some Japanese used to string them together like beads on a necklace to make them easier to carry.
Nowadays, the holes – along with serrated edges on some coins – help the visually impaired distinguish between various denominations. For the romantics, the ¥5 is also considered the lucky in love coin.