Japanese Souvenir Coins: Collector’s Guide

If you’re already collecting eki stamps, you’re might also be into collecting pressed pennies!

Or, since Japan doesn’t actually have pennies— they’re called souvenir coins or “medallions.” These shiny little beauties can be found all over Japan, particularly in tourist destinations and Pokemon shops. They’re a great option for a small souvenir that doesn’t cost a lot.

The ones in Japan are extra fun because they’re usually specific to a date or location. So you can get all the coins in Tokyo Disneyland one year, come back the next year and get a totally new set!

This post is about the different coins you can find, plus where to find the machines, how much they cost, and what you can keep your collection in.

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Tokyo Disney Resort Medallion Makers

The Tokyo Disney Resorts are probably the easiest places to get a ton of coins all at once. There are many machines within the parks, and at the Resort Line stations.

Tokyo Disney Parks Souvenir Coin Machines & Price

Here’s what some of the machines look like inside the parks. They tend to match the decor of the store or land they’re in! So for instance, the one on the far right is in the Little Mermaid Grotto.

Generally you’ll find them in souvenir shops, usually tucked to one side near the registers.

Coins are ¥100 yen each and each machine has a different design. Each machine’s selection gets swapped out pretty regularly, I’d say, and they aren’t afraid to put date-specific and event-specific special coins out there, either. Fancy!

You can also get souvenir medallion books at the merch stores inside the park to store your new treasures. These cost about ¥1,000+ each and you might be able to find different designs depending on what events are going on.

Disney Resort Line Souvenir Coins

If you don’t want to fork over the park entrance fees, you can try collecting souvenir coins from the Disney Resort Line stations that ring both parks. Grab a resort line day pass (¥700) and be sure to exchange your ¥1,000 bills at the coin machine at Resort Gateway Station before you go.

All the machines EXCEPT the ones at Resort Gateway Station are outside the ticket gates, so you’ll be charged the standard fee for entrance/exit. Don’t be like me and forget to get a day pass before you go! Otherwise you’ll have to pay ¥300 per station gate.

The Resort Line trains come every 2-5 minutes, and you can grab all the coins within an hour (depending on the crowds). There are 6 coins in two machines at each station, for a total of 24 coins and ¥2,400 yen.

Here’s the coins I saw when I got my set in March 2024 (click to enlarge photos):

They have tons with 2024 and the Tokyo Disneyland 40th anniversary, plus some really cute ones specific to the Disney Resort Line itself.

They switch these machines out a LOT: the official souvenir medallion page even has the dates that new ones arrive.

The Disney Store in Ikspiari Shopping Center…

Does NOT have a coin machine (or any stamps), just fyi. It does have adorable Disney merch you can buy, though!

Do you collect pressed pennies or souvenir coins? They’re not as abundant as they used to be, but I love collecting them around the world whenever I find them!

Pokemon Center Pressed Coins

The next-easiest place to get souvenir pressed coins is at the many, many Pokemon Centers! Usually you’ll get at least one machine in each location with three designs. The larger Centers will have a location-specific coin and then two generic ones. The smaller Centers tend to just have generic coins.

At the top of the machine you can see these are called “Medalief” (or maybe Medaleaf). These coins cost ¥200 each and the Center do have coin booklets to store them in for (I think) ¥1,100+.

If you’re only going to one Pokemon Center, I recommend stopping by the one in Tokyo Station. The location-specific coin is super cute, a Pikachu wearing a train conductor’s hat!

Souvenir Coins at Tourist Destinations

A second kind of coin can be found at various tourist destinations. These aren’t the “pressed penny” style like in Tokyo Disney Parks, but instead souvenir medallions with an etched design.

Here’s one I found at the Kobe Nunobiki Herb Gardens & Ropeway as an example:

Prices vary for this type of souvenir coin machine, but generally they’re about ¥400+. Supposedly you can find these machines at places like historic castles, super touristy locations like Tokyo SkyTree, and even the Tokyo Metropolitan Building.

Of course, you can also get the more expensive enamel-plated souvenir coins at various shops, for a much higher price.

For a list of souvenir medal locations, try checking this website (in Japanese).

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Explore More

Souvenir Coin Collecting Around the World

• PennyCollector.com – my go-to resource for pressed penny machines
• r/smashedcoins – Reddit community for pressed penny collectors
• Park Pennies – collector’s guide for Disney Resort pressed pennies, including Tokyo’s parks

Japan Collectibles & Souvenirs

• Unique & Small Souvenirs from Japan
• How to Mail a Package Home from Japan
• Where to Buy Stationery & Journal Supplies in Tokyo
• Le Creuset in Japan

Japan Adventures

• Where to stay: Japan hostels & hotels
• From Fukuoka to Busan by ferry (JR Queen Beetle)
• A Day Trip from Tokyo to Kawagoe, the Little Edo
• Exploring the Mozu Tombs in Japan (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
• Tokyo Buildings (Photo Collection)