What other travelers are saying about Osaka Mint Bureau (Zoheikyoku)
An interesting (free) museum that details the history of coin minting in Japan. As expected, most of the exhibits have explanations in Japanese, but there is some English. Although not the largest, there is a lot to see. I wish I had come during Sakura season - it looks like a beautiful spot for them! There's no reason not to stop in if you are in the area.
More about Osaka Mint Bureau (Zoheikyoku) from our blog
Frequently Asked Questions
The Osaka Mint Bureau is in Kita Ward, Osaka, near the Okawa River. The closest train stations are Temmabashi Station on the Keihan Line and the Osaka Metro Tanimachi Line. From there, it takes about 10 minutes on foot to reach the entrance.
The Cherry Blossom Walkway (Sakura-no-Torinuke) is open for only one week in April, depending on when the trees bloom. The exact dates change yearly and are announced in advance on the Japan Mint website.
Photography is not allowed inside the Mint Museum, but visitors can take pictures of the museum exterior, cherry blossoms, and other public areas. During the cherry blossom event, many people take photos of the unique trees.
The best time to visit is in April for the Cherry Blossom Walkway, as this is the only time visitors can enter the walkway through the mint grounds. However, the Mint Museum is open year-round for those interested in Japan’s coin history.
A visit to the Mint Museum usually takes about 30 to 45 minutes. If visiting during the Cherry Blossom Walkway event, expect to spend around one hour enjoying the sakura trees.
It was a bit of a trek to find (we walked from Osaka Castle to here) but definitely worth it if you like mints/ coins. It is free to attend- you need to go in through the main gate and then walk a bit beside the building until you get to the door.
I liked how friendly the staff are and I liked how there were different sections of the mint to explore. We had really good timing so we got to see the show that happens every 30 minutes which informs you about the history of the mint. It is in different languages!!!
The mint exhibition was mostly in Japanese but you could kinda figure out most of it anyway. There were interactive exhibits and fun little games too, which I loved. You can see the special coins and also the Olympic medals!!!
I also loved the mint museum shop. We couldn’t take photos in there but I really wish I got the 500 yen coin plushie!
It's great, but except a document they give you at the begining there is no explaination in english. The works shown are so beautiful, I was very sad I couldn't buy a myakumyaku 1000yen coin at the shop. Also, it's free !
What a gem this place is! Thank goodness the Sakura was still blooming! There wasn't any crowd at all. A great place for taking photos with the blossoms and spending a quiet afternoon in the museum away from the crazy crowd. The mint museum has many beautiful coins and there was a great history of the Japanese currency.
