TOCHIGI Prefecture The 60th Anniversary of Enforcement of the Local Autonomy Law 500 yen Bicolor Clad Coin (栃木)

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 coin in the photo is a Tochigi.It depicts a “sleeping cat” and two sparrows.These are one of the sculptures of the Toshogu, a World Heritage Site in this prefecture.In particular, the “Sleeping Cat” is a famous sculpture that represents Toshogu. Toshogu is a shrine built in 1617 to enshrine Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun.

Tokugawa Ieyasu was the one who established the shogunate（government) in Edo, which later became the beginning of what was called the Edo period. He is an important figure in the history of Japan.

Toshogu is located in Nikko, which is known as a tourist spot in Tochigi Prefecture, and is a famous tourist attraction with a variety of sculptures and buildings, including the above-mentioned “sleeping cat”.

The “sleeping cat” and the sparrow are carved on the door leading to the innermost part of the Toshogu, and are carved on the front and back, respectively.