BOJ Currency Museum 2009.12.1

Marco Polo, a Venetian traveler who visited Khblai Khan of Mongol Empire (China’s Yuan Dynasty) in the late 13th century, described Japan as a country of gold in his book. Indeed, Japan was a big producer of gold.

At the Currency Museum of the Bank of Japan, visitors find big oval gold coins. They were minted in the early Edo period, about 300 years after Marco Polo’s book. We also find silver, bronze and other coins of medieval Japan.

Coins and bank notes issued after the Meiji era (modern Japan) are also displayed.

The museum was not crowded. The staff answered politely to the questions by a group of students. I enjoyed the display.

The old headquarter building of the Bank of Japan was built in 1896. It was registered as national cultural property in 1974.