Note 2-32

32 First issued in March 2003, government bonds for individuals (interest-bearing national treasury bonds for individuals) can be purchased for a minimum of 10,000 yen and they adopt a floating interest rate system in which the applicable interest rate changes every six months. Even if the actual interest rate falls, a minimum interest rate guarantee of 0.05% has been established. The maturation period is ten years but if a year has passed since the bonds were issued redemption before maturity is possible (in that case an amount equivalent to the interest from the previous two times is subtracted from the redemption amount). So compared to former government bonds government bonds for individuals are designed to be easier for individuals to purchase.