The Expo '70 commemorative medals were first issued on September 15th,1969, in order to raise funds for the 1970 Japan World Exposition in Osaka.The gold medal, designed by Sugiura Kohei, is 27mm in diameter and 7mm thick, in 18 carat gold. The silver and copper medals, both 34mm in diameter, were designed by Sato Tadayoshi and Fukuda Shigeo respectively.The selling price of the set was 14,500Yen, of which part went to the Japan Association for the 1970 World Exposition.
After the Expo '70 symbol was adopted in November, 1969, a further medal,in platinum, was issued at a price of 1OOYen sold out on the first day of sale, March 25th, 1970. The pure platinum medal is 30mm in diameter and bears the Expo '70 symbol.
The ┤1OO March 10th and June 9th, 1970. Thirty million coins were minted initially but ten million more coins were issued during the exposition. Of the total,5 million were reserved for sale to foreign visitors.
The coin is made of white copper (copper 75%, nickel 25%); it is 28mm in diameter and weighs 9 grams. The obverse side bears a design taken from a famous woodblock print, "Aka Fuji", the red Mount Fuji in the series "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji" by Katsushika Hokusai (1760-l849). The reverse side bears the Expo '70 symbol with the globe in the background.