JNDA# 07-19
| Material | Silver |
| Composition | Pure Silver |
| Weight | 31.1grams=1.09oz |
| Diameter | 40mm=1.57in |
| Year of Production | 2011(Heisei 23 year) |
These silver coins were issued to commemorate the enforcement of Japan’s Local Autonomy Law.
Each of the 47 prefectures has its own unique design.
The coin of Akita Prefecture features the portrait of Shirase Nobu, an explorer from Akita Prefecture, and the Namahage.
Shirase Nobu (1861–1946)
A man who spent 40 years realizing his childhood dream of polar exploration.
On January 16, 1912, he reached the Antarctic continent and attempted to reach the South Pole with four crew members, but abandoned the attempt due to food shortages and other hardships. On the 28th of the same month, he named the area around their final point of arrival (80°05’S, 156°37’W) “Yamato Snowfield” and returned home. The “Shirase Glacier” in Antarctica is named after him.
Namahage: A folk ritual performed annually on New Year’s Eve in many areas of the Oga Peninsula.
“Namahage” figures, wearing demon-like masks and wielding knives, walk from house to house chanting phrases like “Are there any crying children here?” Designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan in 1978 as “Oga Namahage.”
