Trade British Pound / Japanese Yen

GBP/JPY

What is the GBP/JPY currency pair?

The base currency – GBP. The counter currency – JPY. The GBP/JPY chart represents the relationship between the UK pound and the Japanese yen. Both GBP and JPY are major currencies within the global Forex market. The cross pair has got a fiery nickname “dragon” and is renowned for its inherent volatility. That is, the GBP/JPY rate tends to fluctuate dramatically, relating the economic relation between Western Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.

UK pound vs Japanese yen

The currency pair of the British pound (GBP) vs. the Japanese yen (JPY) has always enjoyed popularity among risk-accommodating Forex investors and traders. Representing the two major global currencies, the “dragon” is considered the barometer of the world’s economic environment. Among the top 8 global currencies the yen is ranked the 3rd representing 19% of Forex volume, and the pound is ranked the 4th, accounting for 12.9% of trading volume.

The GBP/JPY couple is considered a “cross” one. It means that the American dollar (USD) is not applied during the calculation of the exchange rate. The conversion is performed directly, without prior denomination in US dollars.

Known for its drastic price fluctuations, the GBP/JPY pairing often experiences significant up- and downtrends, caused by the major changes in the world’s economic environment. For example, the Brexit referendum in 2016 led to a severe downtrend of the GBP/JPY price rate.

Another unique factor that impacts the GBP/JPY valuation is the relations of energy pricing and the Japanese yen. The price for energy commodities and the Japanese yen exchange rate is closely correlated. Japan is the 4th global importer of crude oil and the 2nd largest importer of natural gas.

Besides energy pricing, major factors that influence the GBP/JPY volatility include the countries’ domestic monetary policies and economic conditions, as well as political atmosphere.

GBP – British pound

The British pound, or pound sterling, is the United Kingdom’s official currency. The symbol is £, the currency code is GBP. One of the world’s most widely-traded currencies in the Forex market after the US dollar (USD), euro (EUR) and the Japanese yen (JPY), the British pound (GBP) is the oldest and the 3rd most-held reserve currency globally. Subdivided into 100 pence, the pound is managed by the Bank of England. The popular currency’s nickname is “Quid”.

The pound originated in Anglo-Saxon England. One pound of silver was equal to 240 silver pennies that were made from the purest available silver. In 1694, when the Bank of England was founded, it issued the paper money and adopted a gold standard. After a 300 years history, there are approximately 3 billion pound banknotes worth £60 billion and 30 billion pound coins in circulation.

JPY – Japanese yen

The official currency of Japan, the Japanese yen, is the 3rd most widely-traded currency in the world, after the American dollar (USD) and Euro (EUR). It accounts for 23% of daily Forex turnover. The currency is managed by the Bank of Japan. The official symbol of the Japanese yen is ¥ and it can be traded under the JPY currency code. The word “yen” in Japanese means “round”.

The first yen coins originated in 1870 and were produced from copper, silver, gold and other metals. Introduced in 1871, the New Currency Act of Japan introduced a gold standard alongside the Western societies. In 1872, the banking system under the National Bank Act adopted banknotes in addition to coins. In 1882, the banking system of Japan was centralised.

Yen coins are issued in several denominations, including ¥1, ¥5, ¥10, ¥50, ¥100 and ¥500. Yen banknotes are release in ¥1,000; ¥2,000; ¥5,000; and ¥10,000 denominations. The Japanese currency depicts national and natural beauties, including flowers, temples and even rice. Today the number of yens in circulation reaches approximately $1 trillion USD of worth.

How to learn the GBP/JPY live rate?

GBP/JPY is one of the most popular currency pairs traded on the international Forex market. Browse the latest Forex GBP/JPY chart in real time with Capital.com and stay tuned to the sterling-yen correlation.