Chichibu

Chichibu lies in a mountain basin of western Musashi, surrounded by wooded ridges. In 708 native copper from the district was presented to the court, prompting the adoption of the era name Wadō. The deposit became associated with the early Japanese coinage known as Wadōkaichin. Centuries later, sericulture and silk weaving prospered in Chichibu; markets brought together the work of its villages and helped carry their cloth beyond the basin.