Japanese House

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History Timeline

Explore key moments in the history of teaching and learning about Japan at Boston Children’s Museum and about the installation of the Kyo no Machiya inside the Museum.

1913-1950

1951-1975

1976-1983

1984-1992

1993-2015

308 Congress Street Boston, MA 02210 (617) 426-6500

©2015-2021 The Boston Children’s Museum

Teen Tokyo evolved from the Museum’s desire to present a more modern view of Japan than that presented by The Japanese House.  The Japanese House represents a traditional way of living that is rapidly disappearing in Japan, thus its presence in the Museum can create a misleading impression among visitors about daily home life in Japan today.  When Japan Program Director Leslie Bedford spent a year in Tokyo on a Fulbright fellowship, she returned to the Museum determined to find a way to tell a fuller story about Japan. Teen Tokyo complemented the House by presenting contemporary Japan and the ways it was similar to the rest of the industrialized world, showing what it had adopted from the world, and what aspects of it had been adopted by others.  The Japanese House showed visitors what is unique about Japan, while Teen Tokyo showed what we had in common—especially youth culture.

Visitors entered the exhibit through scenes of Tokyo at night, into a Japanese subway station, and onto an iconic subway car.

And exited into downtown Tokyo, where the various districts were presented, including Akihabara, the discount electronic district.

Cultural borrowing was a major theme of the exhibit. It was particularly on view in the area representing the Shibuya district, the shopping area.

Twelve life-size photos of Tokyo teens greeted visitors and displayed their own answers to questions about the universal themes of growing up: friendship, love, body image, dreams, and parents.  Other areas were devoted to manga (Japanese comic books), language, school, karaoke, and Sumo wrestling.

In Tetusuo’s Room, visitors watched scenes from the life of the three children sharing a bedroom in a Tokyo family, presented through the cutting-edge technology of Object Theater. The 7-minute presentation used video, sound, light, and animation to inform the audience about the kids’ homework, their games, chores, distractions, pets, and even an earthquake.

A catalog/curriculum in manga form was published for the exhibit.  Hundreds of school groups toured the exhibit during the years it was at the Museum. 

 

Boston Mayor Ray Flynn issued a proclamation declaring the day Shukuten Appreciation Day. The City of Kyoto donated lanterns with their emblem on them. Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis attended the event, which included performances of Japanese dance and music.

Left to Right: Consel General and Mrs. Kensaku Hogen, Governor Michael Dukakis, Alford Rudnick, Yori Oda, Mrs. Sadanobu Oda

Textile artist Yasuko Yabe designed a special tengui (head cloth) for the event.  She is shown here as the tengui is placed on Museum Director Ken Brecher. 

[main picture: Former BCM Director Michael Spock, Kiyoshi Yasui (carpentry firm director), Masaru Kumagai (architect), Museum Trustee Yori Oda, Museum Director Ken Brecher]

The exhibition was held in conjunction with the Massachusetts College of Art, which was showing Maruki’s paintings as well as a film, Hellfire, about his life and work.  The exhibit occasioned BCM’s first use of a wishing tree, and visitors were encouraged to write their wished on tanaka—long, thin strips of paper—and tie them to the tree.  The space was designed to be meditative, with low lighting and plenty of resources for families to help them talk about war. A teacher workshop, Hiroshima: Teaching about War and Peace, was held as well. 

At nearly 60 years old, Miss Kyoto (see entry for 1928) needed some repair.  Doll conservators in the United States were unfamiliar with the materials and the methods necessary to repair her correctly, so she was sent back to Japan, where disciples of her original maker, Goya Hirata, could make the repairs. 

She was packed into a special box by art handlers.

After that, she was loaded onto a plane at Logan Airport for her journey to Japan, accompanied by Japan Program Director Leslie Bedford, who did not have to ride in the hold of the plane.

When they got to Kyoto, there was a big ceremony at City Hall.  The Governor of Massachusetts, Michael Dukakis, and his wife, Kitty, joined the celebration with the Mayor of Kyoto, seen here holding Miss Anne, one of the Blue-Eyed Friendship Dolls sent to Japan by the United States in 1926.  Two of the women who had written letters that accompanied Miss Kyoto when she left Japan in 1927 for Boston were also at the ceremony.

The Yoshitoku Doll Company in Tokyo did the conservation work on Miss Kyoto.  It took several months of very careful work, using lots of different materials to restore her to her original beauty.

Conservators discovered that Miss Kyoto had sustained a crack in her skull during her original trip to Boston. The stamp of her creator, master artisan and “National Treasure of Japan” Goyo Hirata, is visible.

At some point, her arm had been scratched.

Her clothes also needed repair.

After her scalp was repaired, Miss Kyoto got new hair.

When the repair work was finished, she was dressed in her newly cleaned and repaired kimono.

Before leaving Tokyo for Boston, Miss Kyoto met the Crown Prince and Princess of Japan!

Suma Ohashi Cohn demonstrated and taught the art of making straw sandals (zori).  Yasuko Yabe demonstrated and taught roketsu, wax-resistant textile art.

And Makto Yabe taught the art of neriage, or using 2 different colored clays to create pottery.

Happy Meal

Bento display

The museum was well positioned to teach about the rules of etiquette for visiting Japan and doing business with the Japanese. Holding classes in The Japanese House offered participants direct experience in a different culture.  The museum held workshops called Orientation: Japan (especially for business people) and Landing on Your Feet in Japan (for travelers) as well as Japanese language, culture, and art classes.  The museum designated January 1984 as the Month of Japan, featuring family programs such as sushi making and folk arts demonstrations.   As many schools introduced Japan in their social studies curriculum, BCM offered educator workshops and created curricula on Japan and China through its collaboration with Harvard University (Harvard East Asian Program, see 1976 entry).