Why Japan Was Called the Land of Gold: Zipangu Discover why Japan was once known worldwide as the “Land of Gold,” or “Zipangu,” the mythical island of endless treasure that fascinated explorers like Marco Polo! In this video, we explore Japan’s glittering golden history: Early gold imports and the game-changing 749 discovery that gilded the massive Great Buddha at Todai-ji The Edo period boom with legendary mines like Sado Kinzan and Toi, producing up to 20% of the world’s gold Iconic koban coin