Different Ways of Having Fun―The Art of Toys and Games in Handicrafts and Paintings

September 15 (Sun.), 2024 – November 17 (Sun.)

The aim of this special display is to offer a learning opportunity on how both children and adults have played with toys and games traditionally in Japan. The exhibits include handcrafted toys that were actually used, in addition to paintings that depict people having fun with toys. The items on display will number around 90 pieces selected not only from the museum’s own collection but also on loan from other museums and personal collections in the country. The majority of the exhibits are from the Edo Period, including dolls and games, like go, shogi, karuta, and hagoita, in addition to paintings on different surfaces, including folding screens. We hope this will also be a good chance for visitors to appreciate the beauty of the art characteristically seen in handicrafts such as toys, as well as in the people’s faces and actions having fun as portrayed in paintings.