Coins to Mark 30th Anniversary of Japan Emperor’s Enthronement

August 7, 2018

Tokyo- Japan's Finance Ministry said Tuesday it will issue a gold coin with a face value of 10,000 yen and a 500-yen bronze one to mark next year's 30th anniversary of Emperor Akihito's accession to the throne.

The gold coin will be sold for 138,000 yen through Japan Mint, an independent administrative organization, via mail order. The bronze coin can be purchased at financial institutions at face value.

The obverse of the gold coin depicts a phoenix, as well as paulownia and white birth, which symbolize the Emperor and Empress Michiko, respectively, while that of the bronze coin features the design of the carriage used for the Imperial couple's wedding parade in 1959.

The reverse of both coins depicts the Imperial emblem pf chrysanthemum.

The ministry will mint 50,000 gold coins and five million bronze coins, while 30,000 sets of the gold and bronze coins will be offered at 140,000 yen.

Purchase applications for the gold coin will be accepted for about three weeks from Nov. 1. Buyers will be decided by lottery if applications exceed the planned sales number.

Details of how to purchase the bronze coin will be announced around January next year.

The gold coins and the sets of the gold and bronze coins will be shipped by the time a ceremony to mark the 30th anniversary is held on Feb. 24.

Emperor Akihito, who acceded to the throne in January 1989, is set to abdicated on April 30, 2019. Crown Prince Naruhito is scheduled to assume the throne the following day. Jiji Press