First issued in Kan’ei 13 (1636), the square-holed Kan’ei Tsūhō coins instantly became standard currency during the Edo period in Japan, and later a cultural symbol of sorts. Several samurai clans and shrines adopted its design as part of their coats of arms. Visitors to the country might still spot such coins if you wander through certain historic districts, such as Asakusa in Tokyo. On the Ariake Beach in Kan-onji, there is a massive sandpainting (sunae) of a Kan’ei Tsūhō, approximately 345 meters in circumference. Though it looks circular when…
