Edo Museum: History of Tokyo
No umbrellas allowed in the museum! This was absolutely not a problem on this rainy day! Downstairs was a giant rack with a coin-operated lock system. The girls loved figuring out how to work it! All over Japan are creative solutions to making life simple :-)
Going up the giant escalator was exciting for these ladies... going down, not so much! They rode pretty much everything at Tokyo Disney, Z has been on zip lines, but the down escalator brought on panic attacks!!!
While we purchased tickets to enter, the girls engaged in an umbrella sword fight! Though nothing fancy, with the day turning to dusk and tall buildings in the background, beautiful colors and lighting made this simple picture one of my favorites. Frolicking, carefree moments of childhood...
Tickets in hand! The travelers are ready to explore the Edo Museum. It is full of historical information on Japan and specifically Tokyo. Entry fees for adults 600 yen ($5.43US) and primary school students free! This has been a fun group to travel with! All easy going... all love to explore... all willing to fight off jet lag rather than miss seeing something new!
Visiting a museum was perfect for the girls! Though Spammie has been to Japan many times in her short life, this stop was new to her. The girls took their time exploring. Studying all of the informational signs made this a great learning experience! We had them reading maps to determine which exhibits to check out. They also took the time to read the small informational plaques placed in front of each artifact.
One room had the Japanese replica of the "Instrument of Surrender" signed by General Douglas MacArthur and Admiral Nimitz. This document declared an "unconditional surrender" to the allied forces (USA, Britain, China and Russia). It was signed on September 2, 1945 aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. Quite fascinating...
Spammie was enamored with the miniature replicas of scenes from around Tokyo. She decided to take photos because she found them so impressive. The tiny villagers stand about three inches tall at most. Even with the small stature, they are very detailed! Notice the clothing, body parts, details on their faces. Incredible! Each person conducting "business"... carrying water in the traditional old Japanese way, delivering wares to shops and leading horses.
This amazing piece of wall art ran the length of the room. The girls loved the traditional watercolor! Throughout the museum we discovered scrolls of paintings just like this one on the wall. In each instance, only a select section of the roll was exposed for viewing. To see so much rolled out and presented this way was impressive!
In the Edo Museum, we found a section detailing the history of Samurai. Considering we had just learned so much about the Sumo community, it was interesting to learn another aspect of the Japanese culture. Next exhibit... a traditional home. Just a regular living space. Spammie is used to eating Zashiki style because there is a room like this in her family restaurant. They sit on tatami in this photo just like in homes and restaurants around the country.
Queen for a day! Spammie played "Royalty" for a few moments. This "Queen" sat comfortably in her palanquin. If it was olden times, her highness would be carried across the country by four servants. Kind of amazing when you think about it! The thought of walking so far as a regular mode of transportation is incredible... but imagine carrying a person lifted off the ground as you walked! Mind boggling!
Modes of transportation... the girls posed and played on these for a good amount of time. I love museums that have hands on areas. It really engages the younger (and older) guests! Kids (and adults) can gather information on how the Japanese got around town. It is readily available on the internet or in books. However, reading it does not have the same impact as actually seeing... touching... climbing on these bikes and rickshaws. I was thinking horses pulled the rickshaw only to find out PEOPLE do the work! Wow!
Two life-sized replicas were placed in different areas of the museum. Walking in, we crossed a bridge. On one side sat the Kibuki theater (on the left). It was built just as one you would find in the old days. My favorite part of this museum is that it is designed to be a walking experience through camps and marketplaces. We walked through hands-on, life-sized villages. Such a great learning experience... It was a step back in time. I love when learning comes alive!
Well... this says it ALL!!! Day's end... and we have two exhausted young ladies! They could not keep their eyes open during the train ride home. On tap for tomorrow... more Japan fun!
