This popped up in my feed. Video is in Japanese. Youtube does an 'ok' job with the subtitle translation. Missing a bit but you get the idea. Good videos like this don't come up easily! [youtube] This site is in Nara, which was Japan's first permanent capital city. The capital city back then was literally based on where the Emperor chose to live. The first Japanese coin was thought to be the Wado Kaichin which looked similar to the Chinese cast coin. (708AD). Some Wado Kaichin were also cast in silver (!) More information about Wado Kaichin can be read at wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wadōkaichin However the excavation reveals that there could be earlier proto cash coin cast perhaps around 683AD. Debate remains if this was an actual coinage or was some kind of temple charm. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuhonsen Excavation site shows the work area that it might be the first mint that cast coins as well as other metallurgic works and glass manufacturing. Video also suggest that some of this technology came from Korea. More information can be read here: https://www.imes.boj.or.jp/cm/english/history/content/ https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/1...t-coin-find-rewrites-japans-monetary-history/ Hope you find it interesting!
