Nagato Coin Mint Site: Where Wado Kaichin Coins Were Cast
The Nagato Coin Mint Site (長門鋳銭所跡, Nagato no Juzensho Ato) is the site of a Nara-period coin foundry in Chofu Anyoji, Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, designated a national Historic Site in 1929.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs places it about 2 cho (roughly 220 metres) west of the Nagato provincial temple site, in what was then the grounds of Kakuonji Temple and farmland. Wado Kaichin coins, coin moulds and crucibles were dug up 2 to 3 shaku below ground, which the Agency takes as clear proof of a mint working from the Wado era onward.
Yamaguchi Prefecture's tourism site says the mint was attached to the Nagato provincial government, opened in the Wado era (708 to 715) and closed in 825. The Agency reads the name Nagato no Juzensho; Kakuonji also gives the reading Nagato Chusensho.
Why It Was Designated
According to Kakuonji, minting debris had turned up nearby since the Edo period. In 1911 the head priest dug in the temple grounds and found about 100 items, including coin moulds, bellows nozzles and crucibles, and the temple became known as a place where Wado Kaichin had been cast. Further excavations, including one in 1921, produced large quantities of material, leading to designation in 1929. The finds themselves are separately designated as national cultural property.
In 2010, sewer works in a residential area about 50 metres south of the temple turned up a large number of wooden tablets. Kakuonji says they confirmed the account in the Shoku Nihongi that copper mined and smelted at 2 places in Suo province was sent to Nagato to be made into coins.
Kakuonji notes that Wado Kaichin was cast in several places, but that this is so far the only site where the remains are known for certain to survive underground. A 2014 excavation by Shimonoseki City in the temple grounds found many Nara-period roof tiles about 4 metres down, suggesting official buildings that ran the mint.
What to Look For
The heart of the Nagato Coin Mint Site is the grounds of Kakuonji, an Obaku Zen temple, and the land around it. A marker post in the grounds identifies the spot where coins of the same kind used in the Nara capital were made.
There are no visible structures. Instead, look at the names: Kakuonji records that the hill behind the temple was once called Isanbo, "mint lodge", and that a narrow lane beside the grounds is still known as Hiyokemichi, the firebreak path, a memory of furnaces kept in the land's names.
Visiting the Nagato Coin Mint Site
The site lies in and around the grounds of Kakuonji, and no official information on fees or hours is published. As it is a temple, keep quiet and avoid disturbing worshippers or services.
According to Yamaguchi Prefecture's tourism site, take a bus from JR Chofu Station (about 10 minutes) or Shimonoseki Station (about 23 minutes) to Jokamachi Chofu, then walk about 15 minutes. By car it is about 20 minutes from the Shimonoseki interchange of the Chugoku Expressway. Enquiries go to the Shimonoseki City tourism policy division on 083-231-1350.
Q&A
- What was the Nagato Coin Mint?
- A Nara-period workshop where coins were cast for the state in Nagato province. Wado Kaichin coins, their moulds and crucibles have been found there, and the site was designated a Historic Site in 1929.
- When did the Nagato Coin Mint operate?
- Yamaguchi Prefecture's tourism site says it opened in the Wado era (708 to 715) and closed in 825.
- Where is the Nagato Coin Mint Site?
- In and around the grounds of Kakuonji Temple in Chofu Anyoji, Shimonoseki. Take a bus from JR Chofu or Shimonoseki Station to Jokamachi Chofu and walk about 15 minutes.
- What has been found at the Nagato Coin Mint Site recently?
- In 2010 a large number of wooden tablets were found about 50 metres south of Kakuonji, supporting the record that copper from Suo province was sent to Nagato for minting.
- How is Nagato Coin Mint Site read in Japanese?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs reads it Nagato no Juzensho Ato; Kakuonji also gives Nagato Chusensho Ato.
Basic Information
| Name | Nagato Coin Mint Site (長門鋳銭所跡) |
|---|---|
| Location | Chofu Anyoji, Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture (grounds of Kakuonji Temple and surroundings) |
| Designation | Historic Site |
| Year Designated | Designated 1929/12/17 (Showa 4) |
| Quantity | 1 site |
| Dimensions | No visible structures (no dimensions recorded) |
| Owner | Managed by Shimonoseki City |
| Public Access | Temple grounds. No official hours or fees published |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Nagato Coin Mint Site (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/401/2391
- Cultural Heritage Online: Nagato Coin Mint Site (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/139314
- Kakuonji Temple: Nagato Coin Mint Site (Japanese)
- https://www.kakuonji.com/keidai/nagato.html
- Yamaguchi Prefecture tourism site: Nagato Coin Mint Site (Japanese)
- https://yamaguchi-tourism.jp/spot/detail_10474.html
Last verified: 2026.09.27