| Material | Nickel-brass, Cupronickel and Copper |
| Composition | Copper 750 Zinc 125 Nickel 125 |
| Weight | 7.1g |
| Diameter | 26.5mm |
| Year of Production | 2012 |
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 OKINAWA type depicts “the Naha Tug of War” and “Eisa”.
The Naha Tug of War is an event held annually in Naha, the capital of Okinawa, where two teams compete by pulling a giant straw tug .
This traditional event has been taking place since around 1450 and is a ritual to pray for various wishes such as peace and prosperity. The tug used was recognized by the Guinness Book of Records in 1955 as the largest straw tug in the world.
Eisa is a traditional dance of Okinawa Prefecture. It has regional characteristics, and is performed along with taiko drums and the Okinawan traditional instrument called the “sanshin.”
In Japan, there is a period called as ‘Obon’ in summer, during which we welcome the spirits of our ancestors into this world, host them, and send them off back to the afterlife.Eisa is a dance performed to send off the spirits of ancestors returning to the afterlife, and it is deeply connected to the identity of the people of Okinawa.
