Japan Mint
Encyclopedia
The is an Incorporated Administrative Agency
of the Japanese government
. This agency has its Head office in Osaka
with branches in Tokyo
and Hiroshima
.
government was the establishment of a Japan Mint as a constructive step towards modernizing
Japan's circulating currency. In the early Meiji era, paper currency was initially printed by Dondorf and Naumann in Germany. The European production was inspected and sealed by Banknote Annex Office of the Ministry of Finance
. A proposal to construct a banknote manufacturing plant was submitted to Grand Council of State in May, 1874; and construction was approved in December of that same year. A two-story Western red brick
building was completed in October 1876.
Over the course of decades, Mint activities have expanded to include the production of orders (decorations), medals of honor and metallic art objects, the analysis and testing of metal ore
s and mineral
s, and the fineness certification of precious metal
wares (hallmarking).
The Mint became an Incorporated Administrative Agency on April 1, 2003.
Independent Administrative Institution
An Incorporated Administrative Agency or in lay terms an Independent Administrative Corporation or Independent Administrative Institution is a newly designed type of legal body for Japanese governmental organizations regulated by the Basic Law on Reforming Government Ministries of 1998...
of the Japanese government
Government of Japan
The government of Japan is a constitutional monarchy where the power of the Emperor is very limited. As a ceremonial figurehead, he is defined by the 1947 constitution as "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people". Power is held chiefly by the Prime Minister of Japan and other elected...
. This agency has its Head office in Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
with branches in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
and Hiroshima
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...
.
History
Amongst the first acts of the MeijiMeiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
government was the establishment of a Japan Mint as a constructive step towards modernizing
Modernization
In the social sciences, modernization or modernisation refers to a model of an evolutionary transition from a 'pre-modern' or 'traditional' to a 'modern' society. The teleology of modernization is described in social evolutionism theories, existing as a template that has been generally followed by...
Japan's circulating currency. In the early Meiji era, paper currency was initially printed by Dondorf and Naumann in Germany. The European production was inspected and sealed by Banknote Annex Office of the Ministry of Finance
Minister of Finance (Japan)
The is the member of the Cabinet of Japan in charge of the Ministry of Finance. This position was formerly cited as being Japan's most powerful and one of the world's, because Japan had historically held the largest foreign exchange reserves...
. A proposal to construct a banknote manufacturing plant was submitted to Grand Council of State in May, 1874; and construction was approved in December of that same year. A two-story Western red brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
building was completed in October 1876.
Over the course of decades, Mint activities have expanded to include the production of orders (decorations), medals of honor and metallic art objects, the analysis and testing of metal ore
Ore
An ore is a type of rock that contains minerals with important elements including metals. The ores are extracted through mining; these are then refined to extract the valuable element....
s and mineral
Mineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical substance formed through biogeochemical processes, having characteristic chemical composition, highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. By comparison, a rock is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids and does not...
s, and the fineness certification of precious metal
Precious metal
A precious metal is a rare, naturally occurring metallic chemical element of high economic value.Chemically, the precious metals are less reactive than most elements, have high lustre, are softer or more ductile, and have higher melting points than other metals...
wares (hallmarking).
The Mint became an Incorporated Administrative Agency on April 1, 2003.
Osaka Head Office
- 1871: After an inaugural ceremony was held in Kawasaki, Osaka, the actual work of minting coins began. The mint's work was urgently necessary to rectify confusion over coins which was a recurrent feature of the Tokugawa period.-- see photograph of opening ceremonies from Japan National Archives
Tokyo Branch
- 1879: This branch of the Mint was set up in the Ministry of Finance building. The primary function of this office was to accept goldGoldGold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
and silverSilverSilver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
to be made into coinCoinA coin is a piece of hard material that is standardized in weight, is produced in large quantities in order to facilitate trade, and primarily can be used as a legal tender token for commerce in the designated country, region, or territory....
s which would then be returned to the bearer; however the sub-branch was abolished in 1907. - 1929: The branch is established at KōjimachiKojimachiis a neighborhood in Chiyoda, Tokyo.Prior to the arrival of Tokugawa Ieyasu, it was known as . The area developed as townspeople settled along the Kōshū Kaidō. In 1878 Kōjimachi became a ward in the city of Tokyo. It was the forerunner of Chiyoda which is now a special ward.The Kōjimachi ward was...
-ku. The primary function of this office focused on certifying the fineness certification of precious metal wares. - 1939: The branch moved to the present address in Toshima-ku to enable the expansion of its operations.
Hiroshima Branch
- 1942: The construction of a minting plant in Hiroshima PrefectureHiroshima Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Hiroshima.- History :The area around Hiroshima was formerly divided into Bingo Province and Aki Province. This location has been a center of trade and culture since the beginning of Japan's recorded...
was decided with the aim of minting coins in Japan for various Southeast AsiaSoutheast AsiaSoutheast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
n countries. - 1945: The minting of coins was initially begun in February; but production was stopped later in that year.
- 1946: Operations resumed at the present address.
- 1948: The branch becomes capable of managing the entire coinage process.
Standards
Japan Mint has sought to bring its operations within an ambit proposed by the International Standard for Quality Management System (ISO).See also
- Independent Administrative InstitutionIndependent Administrative InstitutionAn Incorporated Administrative Agency or in lay terms an Independent Administrative Corporation or Independent Administrative Institution is a newly designed type of legal body for Japanese governmental organizations regulated by the Basic Law on Reforming Government Ministries of 1998...
(IAIIndependent Administrative InstitutionAn Incorporated Administrative Agency or in lay terms an Independent Administrative Corporation or Independent Administrative Institution is a newly designed type of legal body for Japanese governmental organizations regulated by the Basic Law on Reforming Government Ministries of 1998...
), 2001 - Ministry of Finance (Japan)Ministry of Finance (Japan)The ' is one of cabinet-level ministries of the Japanese government. The ministry was once named Ōkura-shō . The Ministry is headed by the Minister of Finance , who is a member of the Cabinet and is typically chosen from members of the Diet by the Prime Minister.The Ministry's origin was back in...
- Japanese yenJapanese yenThe is the official currency of Japan. It is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling...
- SenpukanSenpukanThe Sempukan is a historic building in Osaka, Japan. It used to function as a guest house for the Japanese Mint Bureau. Designed by Thomas Waters, it is the oldest Western-style building in the city...
External links
- Japan Mint English web site
- National Archives of Japan, Digital Gallery, see documents and images relating to Meiji era mint
- Building a national currency (1868-1899)