Japanese coins have all sorts of devices and emblems on them, and these give a pretty interesting insight into the history of the country. This article looks at symbols used on the coins that were manufactured during Japan’s era of modern coinage which began with the opening of the Osaka Mint in April 1871, and continues to the present day.

The imperial and mythical devices we will look at are:

• cherry blossom (sakura)
• sacred jewels (yasakani no magatama)
• sunburst crest (symbol of Amaterasu o Mikami)
• sacred mirror (yata kagami)
• golden kite (kinshi)
• paulownia crest (kirimon)
• chrysanthemum crest (kikumon)
• dragon (ryu)
• orb (tamashi)
• phoenix (hoo)

Prior to the opening of the Osaka Mint, Japan spent 600 years importing coins from China, Korea and Annam, so there are no great insights into Japanese culture to be gained from examining those coins. It is certainly an interesting period from a numismatic perspective, with a trade in gold dust evolving to the use of Mexican 8 Reales (counter-stamped with a Japanese character). However, the scope of this article is restricted to the devices and emblems of the modern coinage that was actually manufactured in Japan after 1870.

Many of the emblems used in the early 1870s can be found in the currency that changes hands today, so without further ado let’s take a look at what they tell us about one of Asia’s most fascinating numismatic nations.

Cherry Blossom
The cherry blossom, or sakura, is the national flower of Japan, and the nation unites in its pride that the cherry tree does not naturally occur anywhere else. Sakura has featured on many coins, usually in a very stylized design. You can observe it on the current 100 yen coin below.

The Sacred Jewels
The sacred jewels, or yasakani no magatama, is a precious stone shaped like a comma and considered to be one of the three sacred treasures. It was a possession of the Sun Goddess which was given to the first Emperor of Japan Jimmu Tenno. The 5 Sen Type III is the only coin to feature this device.

Sunburst Crest & Sacred Mirror
The sunburst crest is a device which represents the Sun Goddess herself. The Sun Goddess is an ancestor of the Imperial Family, and the sunburst image is that which was seen as a reflection of the sacred mirror, another of Japan’s three sacred treasures. Some coins show both the sunburst itself and the sacred mirror. On other coins the sacred mirror is shown alone. Also known as yata kagami, this is an eight lobed bronze mirror without which it is said that the Emperor cannot ascend to the throne of Japan. The third of Japan’s sacred treasures, the sacred sword, has not appeared on a coin.

Golden Kite
The golden kite (kinshi) is an image of the golden bird that is said to have perched on the bow of Jimmu Tenno when he faced his enemy. The bird’s bright rays blinded the enemy and allowed Jimmu to conquer the Yamato region. Given the symbol’s association with violence it is no surprise that it has only ever been used during periods when Japan is at war.

Kirimon & Kikumon
Another flower that is featured on coins is the paulownia and chrysanthemum wreath. Paulownia and chrysanthemum are the two plants from which the Imperial Crests are formed. The wreath has the branches of the paulownia on the left, and the chrysanthemum on the right. At the bottom of the wreath they are tied either by a rope or a ribbon. This device was most popular in the coinage of the Meiji era, but also features in some coins of the early Taisho Era.

The paulownia crest (kirimon) is the Imperial Crest of the Empress, and the chrysanthemum crest (kikumon) is the Imperial Crest of the Emperor. The Emperor’s device is displayed on coins as a sixteen double petaled chrysanthemum blossom, and prior to 1945 featured on almost every coin. It was actually not until the start of the Meiji era that the coin became the official seal of the Emperor, and in 1912 a law was passed dictating that the diameter of the crest must be eight and one seventh times that of the size of the center circle. The Empress’s paulownia crest is made of the leaves and flowers of the paulownia. Click on the below photo to see the chrysanthemum and paulownia wreath surrounding the center of the coin, with the chrysanthemum crest at the top of the coin.

Dragon & Orb
The dragon is symbolic of the emperor in Japan, even though it is a symbol that derives from Chinese culture. In coins this metaphorical emperor is shown as a curled dragon hurling flames from its mouth. If you look at the coins you will see that the dragon has a scaly skin and is holding an orb. This is no ordinary orb, but is a tamashi, which is a special jewel containing supernatural power. Should the dragon lose the tamashi it is said that it would lose also its supernatural power. This is a symbol that was included on the one yen coin up until the year Taisho 3. The below coin is an example (click to enlarge).

Phoenix
The phoenix (hoo) is a symbol of the virtues of the Emperor. The phoenix is said to appear at the birth of a child that will become emperor. If you look carefully you will see two phoenix  on top of the temple depicted on the 10 yen coin that is in circulation today – this is Phoenix Temple.

As you can see examining Japanese coins is a great starting point to investigating the myths and history of Japan.