1.
5-yen coin; five-yen piece
The Japanese five-yen coin. Distinctive for its brass color and the hole in the center. Often used as an offering at Shinto shrines because ごえん sounds like ご縁 (good ties, favorable connections).
財布の中に五円玉が一枚あった。
There was one 5-yen coin in my wallet.
神社で五円玉を賽銭箱に入れてお参りした。
I put a 5-yen coin in the offertory box at the shrine and prayed.
五円玉は「ご縁」に通じるため、縁起がいいとされ、初詣のお賽銭に好まれる。
The 5-yen coin is considered auspicious because it sounds like 'good ties' (ご縁), and is often preferred for New Year shrine offerings.
The five-yen coin (brass, with a hole) is the only Japanese coin with a hole in the center. Its pronunciation ごえん is a homophone of ご縁 (good fortune, beneficial connections), making it a popular coin for shrine offerings.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 五円玉を投げる: to toss a 5-yen coin (into the offertory box)
- 五円玉でお参りする: to pray using a 5-yen coin
- 穴あき硬貨: perforated coin (a description of the 5-yen coin)
CULTURAL NOTE: The punning connection between ごえん (five yen) and ご縁 (good fortune, fate, relationships) makes this coin uniquely popular for shrine offerings, especially at 初詣 (New Year shrine visits).