A lad who spent three weeks reconstructing a 10,000 yen bill that his father accidentally shredded has been awarded after the bank swapped it for a brand-new note.
The project began when the father of the boy named Tomo shredded an old envelope containing the single note.
Instead of discarding the shredded pieces, the father challenged Tomo to reconstruct the bill, promising him the reward of keeping it if successful.
Starting in mid-February, Tomo meticulously sorted through the shredded paper to find the bill fragments.
He used a reference JPY-10,000 (GBP-51) bill placed under transparent plastic to aid in piecing together the fragments accurately. Despite the difficulty of the challenge, Tomo persevered for over three weeks.
On 21st March, Tomo shared a photo of the partially reconstructed bill.
He acknowledged that it was not perfect but hoped it would meet the criteria set by the Bank of Japan for damaged bill exchanges. According to the Bank of Japan’s policy, if more than two-thirds of a banknote remains and the unique number on it is legible, it can be exchanged for its full value.
Tomo took the partially reconstructed bill to the bank for inspection at the end of March. After a thorough examination, the bank confirmed that it met the exchange criteria.
They exchanged the reconstructed bill for a brand new JPY-10,000 (GBP-51) note.
News of Tomo’s project spread across Japanese social media platforms, with many users applauding his patience, determination, and problem-solving skills.
Most, however, were impressed by the photographs of the extremely tiny pieces that the lad whose age was not given had managed to put back together.
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Story By: Michael Leidig, Sub-Editor: Simona Kitanovska, Agency: Newsflash
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