Unknown Japan Making Money in Japan

Unknown Japanese History Making Money – In 1871, the Meiji government launched a bold mission to modernize Japan — and it started in Osaka… with coins.
They established the Japan Mint, a Western-style facility that revolutionized how coins were made in Japan.
At the time, Japan had no heavy industry. So, everything — from massive machines to tools — was imported from abroad.
Inside the Mint, they didn’t just make coins. They built entire factories to produce sulfuric acid, gas, and even their own ink and coke — essentials for minting.
And with little tech available in Japan, they even crafted their own balances and clocks — right on site.
They introduced telephones and telegraphs, and were the first in Japan to use double-entry bookkeeping.
The Mint also pushed cultural change: banning swords and topknots, and requiring staff to wear Western clothes.
Beyond coins, they expanded into making medals of honor, decorations, and precious metal certification — helping to lay the groundwork for modern Japanese industry.
Today’s Osaka — Japan’s economic powerhouse — owes much of its growth to the foundation built by the Japan Mint.
Now operating as an Incorporated Agency since 2003, the Japan Mint continues shaping history — one coin at a time.