EDO-TOKYO MUSEUM – Alajournal

EDO-TOKYO MUSEUM building in Tokyo was designed by Kyionori Kikutake (1928-2011), a prominent Japanese architect, who was the intellectual leader and core instigator of Metabolism in architecture in Japan. The museum building is mounted on four posts, as was even his own house – the Sky House, constructed in 1958 – where he was living. Edo-Tokyo Museum opened in 1993.

Edo is the former name of Tokyo, until 1868. 400 years of history of this city – since Tokugawa Ieyasu entered it and it became the seat of political power, through 1868 when it became the capital of Japan, to the 20th Century until Tokyo today – are represented in this museum. The life and the culture of people living in it is depicted by visual demonstrations.

I have found out now that it is closed at the moment for renovation which started on 1st October 2017 and will last until 31st March 2018. I was surprised to find this out as it seemed so perfectly in order during my recent visit. And I liked it very much. Concerning the date of renovation completion I think, that it is supposed to be reopened beautifully renewed on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of its opening. Because I made it before its closing, come and have a look how it was there.

Edo Tókyo Hakubutsukan is written on the museum building as this is Edo Tokyo Museum in Japanese

I was wondering about the unusual shape of this museum building. You might be wondering, too. A little bit like robot. Will it start moving? 🙂 But the explanation is very simple and very interesting. Notice that slanting red “pipe” on the right, there is an escalator inside. The building is huge, as Edo was a huge city – with appr. one million inhabitants at the beginning of the 18th Century it was the largest city in the world. Space is definitely needed to present 400 years of its history

We can see that the building is mounted on four posts. The architect of the building Kiyonori Kikutake (1928-2011) was inspired by the shape of a warehouse on stilts = takakura. Takakura could be used for grain storage. It had raised floor to increase ventilation that helped to protect the grain from dumpness. The upper ends of the posts were covered with iron bands to prevent mice and rats from climbing to the grain. There is a restaurant in that glass part downstairs and as I spent the whole day in the museum I enjoyed lunch there, too. I had the same meal I had in Tokyo Skytree 🙂 yummy

Tokugawa Ieyasu – wooden life size statue from 1601 – museum exhibit. Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616) = the founder to the Tokugawa Shogunate = Tokugawa bakufu, which existed 1603-1867. Following his victory in the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, in 1603 he was appointed as seii taishógun = lit. barbarian-subduing generalissimo, in short “Shogun”. Thus he became the ruler of Japan. He took Óta Dókan´s Edo castle over and built his Tokugawa bakufu headquarters there and he began building a new castle and castle town. Edo became the home of the Shogunate and center of political power

Cross the model of the Nihonbashi Bridge to the world of Edo. It is built in 1/1 scale, full-sized. It represents the northern half of the bridge according to the records of reconstruction from 1806 and 1829. The bridge was 51 m long and 8 m wide. Bridge piles, beams and structure are made of zelkova and handrail and floorboards are made of Japanese cypress. The original Nihonbashi Bridge was built in 1603 and it became the focal point of the national highway. Riverside quarters for merchants, rice brokers, timber dealers and fishermen were established in the surrounding area, as well as fish market.

This model in 1/30 scale depicst the northern section of Nihonbashi Bridge in mid 17th Century

We can see the Nihonbashi Bridge and the chómin = townspeople, in the areas to the North of Nihonbashi Bridge during the Edo period

I am astonished to see how elaborate the figures of townspeople are

I am standing on the Nihonbashi Bridge and I notice the facade of The Nakamura-za Kabuki Theater. It is a life-size reconstruction of the original Nakamura-za Kabuku Theater of the Edo period which was founded in 1624 by Nakamura Kanzaburó I. It was destroyed by numerous fires and earthquakes and rebuilt each time. But following its destroyal by fire in 1893 it was not rebuilt

In front of the kabuki theater facade all sorts of performances are taking place – vaudeville entertainments and other events . I watched the performance of two samisen players and it attracted many of the musem visitors

Two samisen players. Samisen = three-stringed, is the most popular Japanese music instrument. In skilful hands it is capable of rendering a great variety of tones. The frame of the body is almost square in shape, is traditionally made of quince or oak wood. Like a drum, both faces are covered, but with cat´s skin. Its neck and fingerboard is made of oak or red sandalwood. Samisen and kabuki belong together 🙂

Scene from kabuki, from one of the most popular and famous kabuki plays – Sukeroku´s Story. The play premiered in 1713. It belongs to Sogamonogatari stories = Stories about revenge. In the picture: mannequin as Agemaki, one of the main characters. She was the top courtesan of the Miura-ya teahouse and her patron was samurai Sukeroku himself. The costumes on life-size mannequines are authentic of the play, as well as the set and props. The wig on Agemaki´s head weighs at least 11 kg

This is the main character, Sukeroku himself! Mannequin of Ichikawa Danjúró XII (1946-2013) – famous Japanese kabuki actor, here he acts a Sukeroku. The performance of Sukeroku´s story was special to Edo people because their sense of beauty was manifested in it – by beautiful costumes of the leading characters and crisp and clear presentation of performer´s lines

I loathe mice and rats but I took this picture for my niece who loves them. This is an oil lamp functioning so, that oil drops from the mouse´s mouth. Well, I couldn´t stand something like this in my home but I know she would love it 😀

Fancy took me this was ready to eat meal 🙂 In fact it is an artificial museum exhibit. Japanese meals are traditionally eaten on the floor from the ozen = a high tray, each person having his or her own tray. Each constituent of a meal is in a small bowl arranged on the tray to please the eye. If I remember well, this is a fisherman´s meal. It is eaten with chopsticks, one-handed

Display: Life of the townspeople – handicraftsmen houses

In the display Cultural City Edo we can admire this float

And we travel with floats right back to Edo period

Tokyo Bay today – model. Since Tokugawa Ieyasu entered Edo, the city expanded by filling in wetlands, lowlands and the sea. However it is unknown what type of construction method was used for accomplishing this

Historical remains of landfill work of Edo period – original excavated historic ruins of Shiodome – fill in

These remains were excavated from the historic ruins of Shiodome and were the first materials that specifically showed how Edo was filled in. This area was in the sea and it was filled in at the beginning of the Edo period. Stakes were pounded in diagonally in the directon of the open sea, and then weirs were created by entangling bamboo with the stakes to prevent erosion of the earth and sand that was filled in. When looking at the entirety of the historic ruin, it becomes apparent that this type of operation was repeated little by little and the reclaimed land was expanded. Here sea sand was primarily used for the retaining wall. In the remains of retainig wall wooden boards, stone walls and straw mats are used.