| Material | Nickel-brass, Cupronickel and Copper |
| Composition | Copper 750 Zinc 125 Nickel 125 |
| Weight | 7.1g |
| Diameter | 26.5mm |
| Year of Production | 2011 |
A 500 yen coin made to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the enforcement of the Local Autonomy Law.
There are 47 types, the same as the number of prefectures in Japan.
It is made by combining two technologies: “Cladd,” in which another type of metal plate is inserted between two metal plates, and “Bicolor,” in which another metal is placed in a disk. “Baikara Clad
There are jagged edges on the sides, and only four places are shaped differently from the rest.
The reverse side is the same.
The design imitates the coins of the Edo period.
It is written in kanji as “local Autonomy” in four characters.
The year and “JAPAN 47PREFECTURES COIN PROGRAM” are engraved.
The obverse has a different design for each prefecture.
The AKITA type depicts ”Shirase Nobu” and “Kanto maturi(Festval)”.
Shirase Nobu is an explorer from Akita Prefecture and the leader of Japan’s first Antarctic expedition.
The Kanto Festival is a festival where people walk around holding long poles adorned with many lanterns called ‘kanto(竿灯)’.
It is held every year in Akita, and the light of the lanterns illuminating the darkness of the night creates a mystical scenery.
