🗺️ Osaka Mint Bureau (Osaka Mint Museum)独立行政法人造幣局（造幣博物館）

The Osaka Mint Bureau (Osaka Mint Museum) was converted from a thermal power plant built in 1911, and it still retains the appearance of the brick architecture from that time. In 1969, it officially opened to the public as a display of the precious coins and artifacts held by the Japan Mint. Subsequently, to create a "friendly, environmentally conscious, and charming museum," the latest exhibition methods and equipment were introduced, and after extensive renovations, it reopened in 2009. Inside the museum, there are displays of gas lamps and balance scales used in the early days of the museum, items produced by the mint, samples of currency, and valuable items such as Japan's earliest Hepburn Japanese-English dictionary. It also showcases rare ancient coins like the Ōban and Koban, as well as the machines and currency produced during the early days of the mint. Additionally, there are metal crafts made using the mint's medal manufacturing techniques, including rare exhibits like the medals from the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics, as well as the shield-shaped medal for the National Honor Award. The "Sakura Tunnel," held in mid-April each year, is famous as a cherry blossom viewing event representative of Osaka. The so-called Sakura Tunnel is located along the river that flows through the mint facilities, stretching 560 meters and planted with about 13 varieties of 336 cherry blossom trees. Every year, the mint lifts its entrance restrictions to coincide with the cherry blossom season and holds a week-long "Sakura Tunnel Cherry Blossom Viewing Event," during which entry is free for cherry blossom viewing. During this period, visitors flock to enjoy the flowers, and food stalls in the surrounding area set up, creating a festive atmosphere. As a result, the Osaka Mint Museum's "Sakura Tunnel" has been recognized as one of the cherry blossom viewing spots representing Osaka and has been selected as one of the "One Hundred Famous Cherry Blossom Spots in Japan."

You can visit retro buildings from the Meiji era. You can see various currencies as well as precious exhibits like medals and awards, gaining insight into the history of Japanese coinage and related knowledge. During the cherry blossom season in April each year, a cherry blossom viewing event is held in the "Sakura Passage," making it one of the representative cherry blossom viewing spots in Osaka.