Mint Museum — Local services in Osaka

This is our favorite place during the 2024 spring trip. It is a historical museum with more than 150 years and the coin production is still operating well today. The admission is free, all the staff from gate guards, information counter guides and instructors inside the museum are all kind and welcoming. The abundant content inside is impressive and inspiring, a perfect place for technology lovers, history lovers or anyone curious about the creativity of humankind. Appreciate them to have arrange and maintain such a high-quality museum.

We were so fulfilled and enlightened after visiting. Absolutely a place worth visiting more than one time. Authentically recommend to everyone!

The 1st floor is the hallway area, there is bathroom, information counter and the huge old clock operating since the opening of the Japan Mint. Since the Mint Museum is actually also a famous cherry blossom viewing site, there are pictures and brief introduction of the main cherry blossom species around whole Mint Museum area, along the aisle leading to the bathroom.

The exhibition starts from 2nd floor, where they introduced the establishment of Japan Mint, the people who devoted for the building construction, the modern technologies for coin production, the design of coins, the introduction of double entry bookkeeping, etc. There is a film introducing the brief history of Japan Mint with 3D miniature model moving alongside. They offer detailed videos clips explaining explicitly the whole coin production process. There is a detailed chronicles of the Japan Mint alongside with the main historical events in Japan and worldwide. The operation of Japan Mint doesn’t only include coin production, but also medal production (for the multiple Olympics Japan has held throughout history) and badges production (for honoring outstanding citizens such as artists, architects, authors, athletes)

The third floor displays the evolution of Japan current, from ancient shells and stones to modern Japanese Yen. There is also a huge collection of various commemorative coins of Japan, such as the 50th anniversary of Emperor Showa’s throne, the One Piece animation and the local feature coins of all Japan prefectures. There is oversea commemorative coin collection as well, such as the Canada wild animals collection, 120th anniversary of Peter Rabbit, and the butterflies of Cook Islands. The beauty of some coins are really beyond description! The design, the brilliance, the color, such a...

The Mint Museum Sakura walkway is fantastic during spring/full blooms because you can see hundreds of varieties of cherry blossoms. It's interesting to walk through and compare and appreciate the differences of each variety. Every year they have a "cherry blossom variety of the year" so keep you eye out for which is this year's blossom! At the end of the walkway there is a place where you can see that year's cherry blossom on a mint piece, cool souvenir.

The walkway is one way only so be sure to enter the right place. There are plenty of people directing foot traffic so it should be easy to identify.

Also be aware that cherry blossoms are plants and do not bloom on command! Since there are many varieties, they will not all bloom at the same time. If you are lucky to be there during a majority if the trees' full bloom, take your time and enjoy! The daylight and night time experiences are also very different and beautiful in their own way.

On the walkway below and running parallel to the cherry blossom walkway are many food and game vendors. Lots of beer, street food, and sweets available! Perfect for a snack or meal + cherry...

Especially interesting history behind the coin mintage of Japan, as a coin enthusiast I found this visit essentials and somehow there weren't many tourists around at all. Mainly because there were no English translations on the museum panels which you might be required to use a translator to scan texts.

I found it fascinating that if you compare a silver yen from the Meiji era it's almost apparent to claim Qing China's silver dollars design takes many aspects of the Japanese mint. Unfortunately I'd thought they would have released commemorative coins to celebrate the 150 birthday of the mint, maybe a 150 year Meiji silver bullion? Overall the mint shop didn't have much of interest but the history was definitely worth while.

The location requires quite a walk and from comparison of the old mint models the area has lost most of its former glamour but remains a...