Old yen notes. Clarification and advice

Hi all,
I've ended up with some old 1000 yen notes, specifically Series D notes [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:1000_yen_Natsume_Soseki.jpg ] w/ black serial number (first run of this series from mid 80s.

I've read different conclusions from different places but:
Can these old notes still be used easily in Japan?

If they stand a reasonable chance of being rejected can they be exchanged for their new equivalents in, say, Narita airport when I arrive - Or even better is it possible to exchange them in the UK anywhere (perhaps at the post office bureau de change...?)

Thanks very much in advance,
Adam

Those are still legal tender, they aren't rare, heck I think I had one or two last week I used. You should be generally ok in using them. Sometimes maybe a newer vending machine will reject it, but stores etc will accept it.

They are still perfectly usable. It's getting less common, but I also occasionally find I've been given one as change. No one even blinks at them, let alone rejects them.

Thank you both very much.
This comes as quite a pleasant surprise considering what I'm used to here in England where withdrawn notes are swiftly declared void and even legal, current notes from elsewhere in the uk are almost never accepted!

Thanks again,
Adam