500 yen coin (commemorative)

For circulating currency of the same denomination, see 500 yen coin.

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
Value	500 Japanese yen
Edge	Reeded
Composition	Varies by issue
Years of minting	1985–2020[a]
Catalog number	-
Obverse
Design	Varies by year
Reverse
Design	Varies by year

Composition

Years	Material
1985–1999	75% copper, 25% nickel (Cupronickel)
2002–2009	72% copper, 20% zinc, 8% nickel (Nickel-brass)
2008–present	75% 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. Early commemorative coins minted under the Shōwa era have their dates of reign written in Kanji script. This practice was later replaced by adding Arabic numerals to reflect the current Emperor's year of reign.

1985–1999 (Cupronickel)

Image	Japanese date	Gregorian date	Mintage[b]	Reason
	六十 (60) Shōwa[c]	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
	63 Shōwa	1988	20,000,000[8]	Opening of Seto Bridge[9]
	63 Shōwa	1988	20,000,000[10]	Opening of Seikan Tunnel (1988)[11]
	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]
	6 Heisei	1994	19,900,000[18] (100,000)	Opening of Kansai International Airport[19]
	6 Heisei	1994	09 9,900,000[20] (100,000)	1994 Asian Games - Running[21]
	6 Heisei	1994	09 9,900,000[22] (100,000)	1994 Asian Games - Swimming[23]
	6 Heisei	1994	09 9,900,000[24] (100,000)	1994 Asian Games - Jumping[25]
	9 Heisei	1997	19,867,000[26] (133,000)	Nagano Olympics (Snowboarding)[27]
	9 Heisei	1997	19,867,000[28] (133,000)	Nagano Olympics (Bobsledding)[29]
	10 Heisei	1998	19,867,000[30] (133,000)	Nagano Olympics (Acrobatic Skier)[31]
	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
	14 Heisei[d]	2002	10,000,000	2002 FIFA World Cup - (Europe & Africa)[34]
	14 Heisei	2002	10,000,000	2002 FIFA World Cup - (Asia & Oceania)[35]
	14 Heisei	2002	10,000,000	2002 FIFA World Cup - (North & South America)[36]
	17 Heisei	2005	08 8,241,000	EXPO 2005 AICHI JAPAN[37]
	17 Heisei	2005	03 50,000[e] (Silver)	Opening of Chūbu Centrair International Airport[38]
	19 Heisei	2007	06 6,600,000	50th anniversary of the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition[39]
	20 Heisei	2008	04 4,800,000	Centenary of Japanese Immigration to Brazil - Japan-Brazil Year of Exchange[40]
	21 Heisei	2009	09 9,950,000[f]	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
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]
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]
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][g]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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
	31 Heisei	2019	5,000,000	30th anniversary of the enthronement of Akihito[104]
	元 (1) Reiwa	2019	5,000,000[h]	Enthronement of Emperor Naruhito to the Chrysanthemum Throne[105][106]
	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.