At the Chuo Ward Folk Tenmonkan (Time Dome Akashi), a mini-plan exhibition "Edo toys excavated" began on January 30 (Saturday). This is an exhibition that combines Edo toys excavated from archeological sites in the city, and the toys that children in the townspeople will play seem to represent the lives of the people at that time. The exhibition will be closed on Monday until March 6 (Sun) and admission is free. Click here.>>
Since Chuo-ku was the center of Edo Shimomachi, many relics that tell the lives of townspeople have been excavated from archeological sites in the ward. This time, more than 100 artifacts are on display, focusing on toys.
Many toys excavated from the Nihonbashi 2-chome archeological site (near the north side of Cored Nihonbashi) are on display. There are some play tools that are still used, such as Hagoita, tops, and saikoro. At the beginning of the year, called Harukoma, there is an event where you sing and dance with a horse's head. It is said that the wooden head is on display this time, and it is extremely rare that these relics are excavated.
A lot of mud menkos are also on display. It is said that it was about 10 yen coins and played like a hajiki. The patterns on the surface vary from actors and patterns, and seem to represent the world at that time. It is also a feature of Chuo-ku that many kinds of mud menko come out.
There is a dove flute from the site of Hatchobori 3-chome. It is made of pottery and painted. It seems to have been made in this area, and there are remains in the middle of making, and it is a valuable thing that shows the manufacturing process. Some of the exhibits include animal statues applied to Earthly Branches. This year's zodiac sign, monkeys are on display.
In the Edo period, children's playground equipment would have been mainly made of paper and wooden, but those excavated from archeological sites will not be destroyed and many of them are pottery. Looking at the exhibits, it is an exhibition that reaffirms that there were so many toys. @ Akira Makibuchi
