Currency Museum of the Bank of Japan, Numismatic museum in Nihonbashi-Hongokuchō, Tokyo, Japan.
The Currency Museum of the Bank of Japan is a numismatic museum in the Nihonbashi-Hongokuchō district of Tokyo, displaying coins, banknotes, and related objects from across Japanese history. It occupies a brick building that formerly served as a storehouse for the Bank of Japan, standing just steps from the bank's main headquarters.
The museum opened in 1985 to mark a hundred years since the Bank of Japan was founded, with the goal of making the country's monetary history accessible to the public. The brick storehouse it occupies dates from the Meiji era, a period when Japan adopted Western-style construction for its financial institutions.
The displays trace how coin designs shifted over centuries, reflecting changes in craftsmanship and the materials available at the time. Some early coins on show were imported from China and circulated in Japan long before a domestic currency existed.
The museum is a short walk from Mitsukoshimae Station, making it easy to combine with other sights in the Nihonbashi area. Entry is free, and the rooms are compact enough that most visitors can take in everything comfortably within an hour.
One of the most talked-about features is a hands-on display where visitors can lift a case holding 100 million yen in cash and feel its actual weight. The experience tends to surprise people, since that sum in banknotes turns out to be far heavier than most expect.
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