Established in 1871, the Japan Mint produces currency as well as manufactures decorative medals and other metal objects. They produced the golden dolphins for Nagoya Castle as well as medals for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, Sapporo Olympics, Nagano Olympics, and Nagano Paralympics. In recent years, as electronic payment methods have gained traction, the need for physical currency in circulation has decreased. To make use of the equipment and maintain the techniques required to prevent high-quality forgeries, the mint also produces currency for countries as well as commemorative coins and medals. The Mint Museum on site also has about 4,000 items on display, ranging from mainly old Japanese currency to medals and industrial art objects. Every year around mid-April, lots of visitors come to enjoy the sight of cherry blossoms that fill the premises. As of 2019, there are 338 trees and 134 different cultivars, with the late-blooming Yaezakura being the primary focus. The facility is also known to make use of byproduct gases to light lamps. It takes about 15 minutes to walk to the Japan Mint from Sakuranomiya Station on the JR Osaka Loop Line.