In 708, Japan minted its first official copper coins to modernize the national economy
Japan transformed its economy on August 10, 708, by minting the Wadokaichin, the nation's first official copper currency modeled after Chinese coinage to centralize power and modernize trade.
In the early 8th century, Japan sought to mirror the sophisticated bureaucracy of the Chinese Tang Dynasty. On August 10, 708, Empress Genmei ordered the production of the Wadokaichin, marking the birth of official Japanese coinage. Before this, the economy relied heavily on bartering goods like silk and grain.
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