The weight of new 500-yen coins is measured at the Japan Mint in Osaka's Kita Ward on Nov. 15, 2021. (Mainichi/Naohiro Yamada)

       OSAKA -- The Japan Mint verified on Nov. 15 that all new Japanese coins, including recently issued 500-yen (about $4.40) coins, meet weight standards during regular tests.

       The procedures were conducted at the Japan Mint, an incorporated administrative agency based in Osaka's Kita Ward. The test subjects were all types of conventional coins, new 500-yen coins -- which debuted on Nov. 1 -- and five kinds of memorial coins including 10,000-yen (approximately $88) gold coins to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the modern currency system.

       During the latest tests, officials measured each kind of coin using balances to make sure their weight is within the range stipulated by law.

       The total error margin for the 1,000 new 500-yen coins -- each weighing 7.1 grams -- must be within 13 grams, and all seven measurements detected no errors.

       (Japanese original by Atsushi Inagaki, Osaka City News Department)

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