| Material | Nickel-brass, Cupronickel and Copper |
| Composition | Copper 750 Zinc 125 Nickel 125 |
| Weight | 7.1g |
| Diameter | 26.5mm |
| Year of Production | 2016 |
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 FUKUSHIMA type depicts soma-nomaoi.
This is a traditional event held in Minamisoma City, Fukushima Prefecture, which has a history of over a thousand years. It originated from a military training exercise where the warrior Taira no Masakado chased and captured wild horses. The captured horses are dedicated to the shrine. Nowadays, it is conducted as one of the shrine’s festivals, and the content of the event has also changed. The ceremony of capturing and dedicating horses continues as a sacred rite, but in addition to that, there are also drills conducted by armored cavalry. The sight of hundreds of armored individuals and horses lined up is truly spectacular.
