| Material | Nickel-brass, Cupronickel and Copper |
| Composition | Copper 750 Zinc 125 Nickel 125 |
| Weight | 7.1g |
| Diameter | 26.5mm |
| Year of Production | 2014 |
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 ”Mount Hakusan” and “Kiriko maturi(Festval)”.
Mt. Hakusan is a famous sacred mountain in Ishikawa Prefecture, and together with Mt. Fuji and Mt. Tateyama, it is known as one of Japan’s three most sacred mountains.
The “Kiriko Festival” is the general term for festivals held in Ishikawa Prefecture that use giant japanese lanterns (燈籠） called “kiriko.”
The festivals vary from region to region, with some placing the “Kiriko” on boats and floating them on rivers or in the sea, others on portable shrines and parading through the city, so it’s interesting to compare the festivals of several regions.
