小判(こばん)

こばん
noun
koban; oval gold coin (Edo period)
historymoney
1. koban; oval gold coin of the Edo period
A flat, oval gold coin used as currency in Japan during the Edo period (1603–1868), and a familiar symbol of old wealth.
小判(こばん)を数(かぞ)える。
to count koban coins.
時代劇(じだいげき)に小判(こばん)の詰(つ)まった箱(はこ)が出(で)てきた。
A box stuffed with koban appeared in the period drama.
江戸(えど)時代(じだい)には、小判(こばん)一枚(いちまい)でかなりの価値(かち)があったと言(い)われている。
In the Edo period, a single koban is said to have been worth a considerable amount.

An oval gold coin of the Edo period and a familiar emblem of historical wealth in Japan. It appears constantly in period dramas and folktales.

Common collocations

  • 小判(こばん)型(がた): koban-shaped (oval)
  • 大判(おおばん)小判(こばん): large and small gold coins (great riches)

Common expressions

  • 猫(ねこ)に小判(こばん): 'a koban to a cat' — casting pearls before swine; giving something valuable to someone who cannot appreciate it.

Related Words

Related: 金貨(きんか) (gold coin)
general
Added 2026.5.21 13:04 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
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