![]() ![]() ![]() The symbolism of chrysanthemums in japan could fill an entire book, but in essence and most principally, they represent longevity (as long as they haven’t been planted by me). The 50-yen coin simplifies things a bit, having the value in Arabic digits and the mint year on one side, and the country’s name, value in kanji, and three chrysanthemums on the other. According to Ali Krusinski of Bryn Mawr College “In Japanese culture, the pine tree is known to represent longevity, good fortune and steadfastness.” I conclude that this is derived from the fact that coniferous trees don’t shed leaves in the fall-seeming to never die through the unforgiving winter. On the other side, the value in Arabic numerals and minting year are both displayed, encircled by a wreath of evergreen tree branches. your vending machine workhorse) shows the Byodo-in temple in Kyoto, a UNESCO World Heritage-designated Buddhist holy site, along with the country’s name and value in kanji. On the whole, the 5-yen coin in its current iteration feels like a pictographic thesis on the aspirations of post-war Japan, which makes sense since it began minting in 1949. On the other side, we again see the name of the country, along with the minting year, and two spring leaves to represent the birth of modern Japan as a democratic country after the war. One side of the five-yen coin showcases the three major industries of post-war Japan an ear of rice for agriculture, horizontal lines representing fishing, and a gear encircling the center hole for heavy industry. ![]() There’s a bit more going on for this one, starting with the fact that it has a hole in the center of it! Depending on what country you come from, this may or may not be a big surprise, but in my country there’s no coin with any form of perforation, so this intrigued me. For example, this year would be Reiwa 4 ( 令和四年 ( れいわよんねん ), as displayed on a coin), since this is the fourth year since Emperor Akihito abdicated and his son Naruhito took the throne. It counts years from when each new emperor takes the throne. SIDE NOTE: The Imperial date format is part of the traditional Japanese calendar. According to the Mint of Japan website, this tree “symbolizes the healthy growth of Japan.” On the other side the value is once again displayed (this time in Kanji), as is the country’s name, along with a symbol of a young tree. On one side, the value plus minting year are displayed, with the minting year using the imperial date format. The 1-yen coin is given a different design on each side, as are the rest. To that end, we’ll start by discussing every denomination of coin used in modern Japan and what cultural symbols they contain, as well as make some conclusions about what Japan communicates about itself through such iconography. So much so that it’s worth splitting into two articles one for each form of cash. There’s a lot you can learn about Japan just by studying the people and symbols of Japanese Coins and bills. As such, the presentation of your currency often serves as a first impression of your culture-your beliefs, aspirations and priorities. One of the first things you’ll do when entering a country is perform some kind of currency exchange, and once you do that you’re already carrying history in your pocket. Great statues, monuments and indeed even currency are used the world over to show off leaders, innovators and cultural symbols to both their own people and to foreigners. One simple way to gain an understanding of another culture is to look at who they immortalize. ![]()
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