“Help, what should I do?? I didn’t realise how paper fragile the yen dollar is, that it just ripped into half when I take it out of my wallet! What should I do ? Sticky tape it back? Or has it lost its value? Such a waste for the 5000 yen to go to the bin.”

I highly recommend you to give up. You can take them to a Bank of Japan branch and they will exchange them for regular banknotes, but they are inconveniently located. It would be nice if you happen to be in the neighborhood, but going all the way there is a waste of time. It might be better to give them to someone you meet locally or as a tip.

What Japanese People Actually Do

Most locals are familiar with this topic and handle it naturally in their daily lives.

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