The Japan Mint Museum was built in 1911 as a thermal power plant and is the only Western-style brick building from the Meiji era remaining on the Japan Mint Bureau premises. In 1969, the building was renovated to preserve its original appearance and reopen as the Japan Mint Museum, with the aim of making the valuable coins and other items stored by the authorities available to the public and introducing the minting business to the public. In 2008, the museum underwent extensive renovations, introducing the latest techniques to its exhibits and facilities to make it more accessible to everyone, and reopened in April 2009.