500 yen coin (commemorative)

The 500 yen coin (五百円硬貨, Gohyaku-en kōka) is a denomination of the Japanese yen. In addition to being used as circulating currency, this denomination has also been used to make commemorative coins struck by the Japan Mint. These coins are intended for collectors only and were never issued for circulation.

Five-hundred yen
Japan
Value500 Japanese yen
EdgeReeded
CompositionVaries by issue
Years of minting1985–present[lower-alpha 1]
Catalog number-
Obverse
DesignVaries by year
Reverse
DesignVaries by year
For circulaing currency of the same denomination, see 500 yen coin.

Composition
Years Material
1985–199975% copper, 25% nickel
(Cupronickel)
2002–200972% copper, 20% zinc, 8% nickel
(Nickel-brass)
2008–present75% copper, 12.5% zinc, 12.5% nickel
(Bi-metallic)

Commemorative coins

Throughout the coin's history, the Japan Mint has issued 500 yen coins commemorating the various subjects of Japan's history.

1985–1999 (Cupronickel)
Image Japanese date Gregorian date Mintage[lower-alpha 2] Reason
六十 (60)
Shōwa[lower-alpha 3]		 1985 70,000,000[1] Tsukuba Exposition '85[2]
六十 (60)
Shōwa		 1985 70,000,000[3] Centennial of the Foundation of the Cabinet System[4]
六十一 (61)
Shōwa		 1986 50,000,000[5] Hirohito's 60th year of reign[6]
六十二 (62)
Shōwa		 1987 01 Unknown[7] Hirohito's 60th year of reign
六十三 (63)
Shōwa		 1988 20,000,000[8] Opening of Seto Bridge[9]
六十三 (63)
Shōwa		 1988 20,000,000[10] Opening of Seikan Tunnel (1988)[11]
二 (2)
Heisei		 1990 30,000,000[12] Enthronement of Emperor Akihito[13]
四 (4)
Heisei		 1992 19,950,000[14]
(50,000)		 020 20th anniversary of the reversion of Okinawa to Japan[15]
五 (5)
Heisei		 1993 29,800,000[16]
(200,000)		 Wedding of Crown Prince Naruhito[17]
六 (6)
Heisei		 1994 19,900,000[18]
(100,000)		 Opening of Kansai International Airport[19]
六 (6)
Heisei		 1994 09 9,900,000[20]
(100,000)		 1994 Asian Games - Running[21]
六 (6)
Heisei		 1994 09 9,900,000[22]
(100,000)		 1994 Asian Games - Swimming[23]
六 (6)
Heisei		 1994 09 9,900,000[24]
(100,000)		 1994 Asian Games - Jumping[25]
九 (9)
Heisei		 1997 19,867,000[26]
(133,000)		 Nagano Olympics (Snowboarding)[27]
九 (9)
Heisei		 1997 19,867,000[28]
(133,000)		 Nagano Olympics (Bobsledding)[29]
十 (10)
Heisei		 1998 19,867,000[30]
(133,000)		 Nagano Olympics (Acrobatic Skier)[31]
十一 (11)
Heisei		 1999 14,900,000[32]
(Unknown)		 010 10th anniversary of the enthronement of Akihito[33]

2002–2009 (Nickel-brass)
Image Japanese date Gregorian date Mintage Reason
十四 (14)
Heisei[lower-alpha 4]		 2002 10,000,000 2002 FIFA World Cup - (Europe & Africa)[34]
十四 (14) 2002 10,000,000 2002 FIFA World Cup - (Asia & Oceania)[35]
十四 (14) 2002 10,000,000 2002 FIFA World Cup - (North & South America)[36]
十七 (17) 2005 08 8,241,000 EXPO 2005 AICHI JAPAN[37]
十七 (17) 2005 03 50,000[lower-alpha 5]
(Silver)		 Opening of Chūbu Centrair International Airport[38]
十九 (19) 2007 06 6,600,000 50th anniversary of the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition[39]
二十 (20) 2008 04 4,800,000 Centenary of Japanese Immigration to Brazil - Japan-Brazil Year of Exchange[40]
二十一 (21) 2009 09 9,950,000[lower-alpha 6] 020 20th anniversary of the enthronement of Akihito[41]

2008–2016
60th Anniversary of Enforcement of the Local Autonomy Law
Starting in 2008, a program similar to the American 50 State Quarters was put into place which honors all 47 of Japan's prefectures. This was done by celebrating the 60th Anniversary of Enforcement of the Local Autonomy Law in the form of 47 different commemorative coins (designs on obverse side). This program ran until 2016, concluding with the final issues for Tokyo and Fukushima.
Various obverse designs have been used for the different prefectures (Nagano shown here)
Reverse design for the Local Autonomy Law series
Japanese date Gregorian date Prefecture[42] Mintage[43] Elements depicted
二十 (20) 2008 Hokkaido 2,100,000 Lake Toya and the former Hokkaido government office building[44][45]
Kyoto 2,050,000 Scene 2 from Chapter 49 of The Tale of Genji[46][47]
Shimane 1,970,000 Dōtaku discovered from the Kamoiwakura Remains in Unnan City[48][49]
二十一 (21) 2009 Nagano 1,830,000 Zenkoji Temple and an Ox (Bodhisattva of Mercy)[50][51]
Niigata 1,840,000 Pair of Japanese Crested Ibises and Rice Terrace[52][53]
Ibaraki 1,870,000 Kairakuen Garden and Japanese Apricot Tree[54][55]
Nara 1,800,000 Kentoshi-sen (ships used for royal envoys to China during the Tang Dynasty)[56][57]
二十二 (22) 2010 Kochi 1,960,000 Bust of Sakamoto Ryōma (born in Kōchi)[58][59]
Gifu 1,860,000 Shirakawa-go and Chinese milk vetch[60][61]
Fukui 1,830,000 Fukuiraptor and Fukuisaurus (discovered in the prefecture)[62][63]
Aichi 1,950,000 Aichi Prefectural Government Office and rabbit-ear iris[64][65]
Aomori 1,900,000 Sannai-Maruyama Site and Clay Figurine[66][67]
Saga 1,910,000 Ōkuma Shigenobu, and his associated craft Saga Nishiki[68][69][lower-alpha 7]
二十三 (23) 2011 Toyama 1,800,000 Owara Kaze-no-bon Festival[70]
Tottori 1,770,000 Sanbutsu-ji Temple (The Nageire Hall)[71]
Kumamoto 1,870,000 Kumamoto Castle[72]
Shiga 1,770,000 Biwa Catfish and Round Crucian Carp[73]
Iwate 1,790,000 Kyokusui-no-en (Water Poetry Party) at Mōtsū-ji temple[74]
Akita 1,740,000 Nobu Shirase and the Akita Kantō festival[75]
二十四 (24) 2012 Okinawa 1,760,000 Naha Tug-of-war and Eisa Folk dance[76]
Kanagawa 1,890,000 Daibutsu (Great Buddha) of Kamakura[77]
Miyazaki 1,740,000 Miyazaki Prefectural Government - Main Building[78]
Tochigi 1,800,000 Nemuri-neko (Sleeping cat) and Sparrows (sculptures)[79]
Oita 1,790,000 Usuki Stone Buddha[80]
Hyōgo 1,800,000 Pair of Oriental storks[81]
二十五 (25) 2013 Miyagi 1,700,000 Sendai Tanabata Festival[82]
Hiroshima 1,700,000 Atomic Bomb Dome and Memorial Park[83]
Gunma 1,720,000 Keystone, and a female worker from the Tomioka Silk Mill[84]
Okayama 1,660,000 Okayama Korakuen Garden[85]
Shizuoka 1,700,000 Mount Fuji and a tea plantation[86]
Yamanashi 1,670,000 Mount Fuji and grapes[87]
Kagoshima 1,660,000 Mount Sakurajima[88]
二十六 (26) 2014 Ehime 1,650,000 Nishiseto Expressway and the islands of Ehime[89]
Yamagata 1,660,000 Jōmon Dogū (prehistoric goddess figure)[90]
Mie 1,670,000 Kumano Kodō Iseji[91]
Kagawa 1,630,000 Scenery of Sanuki as viewed from Kotohira-gū shrine[92]
Saitama 1,780,000 Saitama Stadium 2002[93]
Ishikawa 1,660,000 Mount Haku as seen from Kibagata Park and the Abare Festival[94]
二十七 (27) 2015 Yamaguchi 1,610,000 Five-story pagoda of Ruriko-ji Temple[95]
Tokushima 1,630,000 Awa Dance Festival[96]
Fukuoka 1,680,000 Kyushu National Museum, Dazaifu Tenmangū Shrine, and Plum Blossoms[97]
Wakayama 1,610,000 Nachi Falls[98]
Osaka 1,700,000 Burial mound of Emperor Nintoku[99]
Nagasaki 1,600,000 Oura Cathedral and a stained glass rose window[100]
Chiba 1,680,000 Kujūkuri Beach[101]
二十八 (28) 2016 Fukushima 1,620,000 Sōma's Nomaoi Festival[102]
Tokyo 1,720,000 Tokyo Station (Marunouchi Building)[103]

2017–present
Image Japanese date Gregorian date Mintage Reason
三十一 (31)
Heisei		 2019 5,000,000 30th anniversary of the enthronement of Akihito[104]
元 (1)
Reiwa		 2019 5,000,000[lower-alpha 8] Enthronement of Emperor Naruhito to the Chrysanthemum Throne[105][106]
二 (2)
Reiwa		 2020 4,000,000 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics: Raijin[107]
2020 4,000,000 2020 Tokyo Summer Paralympics: Fujin

Notes
  1. Non consecutive
  2. Proof mintages are in parentheses
  3. 60th year of Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito)'s reign, Emperor Heisei (Akihito) was not crowned emperor until 1989
  4. 14th year of Emperor Heisei (Akihito)'s reign
  5. This is the only silver 500 yen commemorative coin ever issued
  6. 50,000 proof coins were made
  7. Shigenobu introduced Saga Nishiki and Kashima Nishiki overseas[68]
  8. 30,000 of these coins were issued alongside their 10,000 yen counterparts via coin sets.

References
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