This red child's backpack, called a randoseru, contains various school supplies and other items. The bag is red leather or vinyl, in a rectangular shape. The red color is traditionally used by girls, while boys favor black backpacks. The metal clasp, on which the word "Atomu"...

This small papier-mâché rabbit is mounted on a wooden stand, and features a white body decorated with colorful designs and large ears. It would have been one of twelve papier-mâché animals in a collection representing the 12 signs of the zodiac.

The Japanese zodiac is divided into 12...

This papier-mâché mask represents a kitsune, or fox. It has a white face, gray whiskers, pink ears and mouth, and gold eyes. The interior of the mask features a manufacturer's tag and a painted inscription.

Kitsune (foxes) are common figures in Japanese folklore, where...

This papier-mâché mask represents the comical figure Hyottoko. Here, he has a pink face with lines on his forehead, his eyebrows are painted black, and his mouth is puckered. The white circles of the eyeballs are painted around large holes. There is an elastic band around the back of the mask...

Uwabaki are a type of indoor shoe, in this case to be worn at school. This pair is for a young girl and is beige with a canvas top, rubber soles and an elastic strap. There are words written in hiragana (phonetic Japanese characters) at the top toe area of the shoes, which...

This painted papier-mâché Miharu ningyo (doll) represents a dancing female figure. She is wearing a brightly colored kimono in red, yellow, green, pale blue, dark blue, lavender and white, and holds an open sensu (folding fan) above her head in her right arm. The ...

This painted papier-mâché face mask represents Okame, or Otafuku, a figure from Japanese folklore who is considered the goddess of mirth. She is recognizable by her bulbous cheeks and forehead, as well as her expression of happiness. She is painted in a light skin tone with black hair, light...

This set of three plastic clayworking tools in a plastic carrying case includes one orange plastic stylus with a round point on one end and a square point on the other, one pink plastic cutting tool/dough scraper, and one flat plastic yellow knife tool with a tapered handle. All are stored in...

This boxed set of hair ornaments includes two lacquer pieces in a silver gift box. The lacquer pieces include: (a) a black lacquer comb with a floral design in red, gold, beige and silver on one side, and a botanical motif in gold on the reverse; and (b) a black lacquer hairpin with a matching...

This papier-mâché puppet (a) buyare ushi-oni (demon cow) is a miniature version of a parade float-sized buyare used in the Warejinja Shrine festival in Uwajima. The ushi-oni has a red, hollow papier-mache body shaped like half of a pear laid flat. A splatter of gold...

This pair of red wooden geta features a rectangular footbed with rounded corners. The top, bottom, and outer sides of the heels are painted red, and there are three flower designs in red, pale yellow, black and blue-gray painted on the footbed of each shoe. The insides of the heels are...

This jinbei (summer loungewear) is meant for a young boy. The set comes with a haramaki (literally, "belly warmer"), a stretchy item of clothing worn around the stomach to increase circulation and provide warmth. The jinbei is blue and white with a geometric star...

This telephone card features a photograph of a traditional Japanese scene with blooming sakura (cherry blossoms) in the foreground and a forest in the background, with a river and bridge in between. A label in the white border reads "Nissay Union" in blue in English. The back of the...

This metal key chain is in the shape of a ninja, likely a specific character from a popular manga series. The ninja is dressed in red with a pink scarf and socks, a white belt, and a black and tan, cross-hatched pattern. The ninja is reaching for a sword with his left hand, and holds a...

This isho-ningyo ("costume doll") represents a geisha performing a fan dance. She wears a furisode kimono, a type of kimono with floor-length sleeves intended for unmarried women. There are two layers of kimono, each with a puffed...

This battery-operated plastic Daruma is covered in red felt. Its arms, legs and face are molded in peach-colored plastic, and it wears red sandals on feet. The Daruma holds a plastic sensu (folding fan) in his right hand and holds a synthetic cloth banner in left hand. The fan has a...

This large red clay zogan-ware vase, by the artist Masayuki Imai, is a red-brown color flecked with black. The front features an image of a roughly incised lobster (called an "oo-ebi") filled with grey and reddish/brown glaze.

Masayuki Imai (b. Osaka 1930) began...

This late 20th-century boy's navy jacket has a zip front. The collar, cuffs, and bottom hem feature a yellow-and-navy striped knit pattern. The fabric is a polyester/cotton blend.

This khaki-colored outfit is part of a Boy Scout uniform. The two pieces of the uniform include a pair of shorts and a long-sleeved shirt, both made of a cotton blend. The tag on the shirt is in Japanese and translates to "Boy Scout Association of Japan." The shirt has two breast pockets with...

This boy's high school uniform, also known as gakuran, includes two pieces: a jacket and gray wool pants. The jacket has a mandarin collar, five brass buttons down the front, two brass buttons on each sleeve, and three pockets. There are two labels, one in Japanese and one in English....

This red silk wedding kimono is called an uchikake. The kimono is decorated with a crane and flower design. Because cranes have long life spans, they have come to symbolize long life and good fortune, making them an ideal symbol for a marriage. This kimono ...

This furisode (long-sleeved/"swinging sleeves") silk kimono is intended for a young, unmarried woman to wear to a coming-of-age celebration or other special occasion. It is made of ivory silk with a pattern woven into the fabric and a batik-like floral decoration. There is a...

This silk wedding kimono (uchikake) has long sleeves (furisode). It was made by the company Hayashi Kimono, whose name and logo are on a paper tag attached to the garment. It has a cream-colored background with a textured pattern of birds (perhaps cranes or pheasants...

This kokeshi doll, a traditional Japanese doll consisting of only a body and a head, is decorated with kusudama and fukinagashi, traditional decorations for the Tanabata summer star festival. The doll is painted with black hair tied in pigtails with red bows, red and...

This traditional papier-mâché Daruma doll was purchased at the start of the Teen Tokyo exhibition process. One eye was filled in at that point, according to Daruma doll custom: the blank second eye serves as a reminder to persevere and complete a goal or task. The second eye was filled...

This cherry-colored silk wedding kimono (uchikake) is embroidered with flowers, cranes (tsuru), and butterflies scattered throughout the entire kimono in white, pale pink, chartreuse, gold, blue, and gray. Due to their long lives,...

This haori (traditional coat) is intended to be worn over a kimono. The jacket is knee-length and reversible. The haori is black on one side with wisteria blossoms painted on both sides of the sleeves in yellow and orange; the leaves are green and maroon. The front...

This court servant doll is part of a Hinamatsuri (Girls' Day or Doll Festival) set of dolls. In a traditional Hinamatsuri arrangement, the doll would be positioned on the fifth tier. The doll has a white composition face, red painted lips, and black hair tucked under a skiff. He wears a narrow...

This emperor doll is part of a Hinamatsuri (Girls' Day or Doll Festival) set of figures. He is dressed in a black brocade kimono with a red and gray satin lining, and he wears a gold cap. There are two spots on his forehead. He sits on a white cushion on top of a striped cushion, which...

This lady-in-waiting hinaningyō doll is part of a Hinamatsuri (Girls' Day or Doll Festival) set of dolls. One of the sannin kanjo (ladies in waiting), she would be positioned on the second tier in a traditional Hinamatsuri arrangement. She is seated, holding a black lacquer...

This court musician doll is part of a Hinamatsuri (Girls' Day or Doll Festival) set of dolls. One of the gonin bayashi (five musicians), the doll would be positioned on the third tier in a traditional Hinamatsuri arrangement. The doll holds a drumstick in one hand and has a small ...

This court guard figure is part of a Hinamatsuri (Girls' Day or Doll Festival) set of dolls; it would be positioned on the fifth tier in a traditional arrangement. The doll represents the army and is dressed in a gold brocade kimono with red-lined sleeves, wears his gray hair tied in a...

This pair of wooden geta, or sandals, are stained with a red-brown color and feature a carved grain design called "kamakura-bori." Kamakura-bori is a style of wood carving in which the artist first carves an image, then coats it in colored lacquer and polishes it. The...

This single-piece bronze yatate, or brush and ink holder, is curved like a bow. The brush is missing, but when in place would have completed the bow shape. This creative shape (most yatate are pipe-shaped) indicates that this piece likely dates to the late Edo period (1600-...

This female lady-in-waiting doll is part of a Hinamatsuri (Doll Festival or Girls' Day) set. She has a white composition face and black hair pulled back into long ponytail. Her hair falls down her back to the end of her trousers and is tied at the back of her neck and at intervals down the...

This set of two miniature swords (a katana and a shoto) and sword stand is part of a Tango no Sekku (Boys' Day; now Kodomo no Hi, Children's Day) festival set. The longer sword (katana) is positioned on the top rack, while the shoto (shorter sword) is on the...

This toy wooden horse is mounted on a four-wheeled black base. The horse is painted white with black spots outlined in blue, and has a blue snout and tan bridle. There are yellow and red paper decorations, each with black patterns. The mane and tail are made of real horse hair.

This carved ivory netsuke represents a samurai riding a horse and accompanied by three other figures. The samurai carries a sword and a purse with green buttons. The horse, covered in a delicately patterned cloth featuring two Japanese characters (on the right side "...

This small netsuke depicts Jurōjin, the God of Longevity from the Daoist Seven Gods of Fortune, sitting on the back of a spotted deer. Jurōjin has his characteristically enlarged, bald head with swollen earlobes and a long beard; he holds open the scroll on...

This small ivory netsuke represents a man wearing a conical hat and leading a horse by a rope. The man's posture is hunched. They are both standing on a platform carved to look like the ground. The horse is wearing a patterned blanket and a bridle.

This doll represents a seated samurai or officer, whose face is painted whitish pink and has glass inset eyes and hair tied up at the top of his head. The doll's facial features are painted, including downturned lips and up-pointed eyebrows. The doll's arms are bent in front at chest...

This small torii, or Shinto gate, is painted the traditional vermilion red. The top is slightly curved and is painted black. Each leg of the pole structure is connected to a square-shaped base, also made of wood and painted black.

In the Shinto religion, which is indigenous to...

This netsuke features several miniature masks carved from ivory. The seven masks, connected to each other somewhat haphazardly, represent oni (demons): some have horns and fangs, for example, while most of them have somewhat grotesque expressions and features. Some of the...

This envelope-shaped pocket is a New Year's accessory for a young girl, and would be carried tucked into the obi (sash). The purse is made of red felt-like wool material, very lavishly embroidered with flowers in white, yellow, green, purple, and gold. The purse has a matching band,...

This small ceramic sake cup is a light cream color (perhaps faded due to age), with a central image of a brown sword or stick lying behind two gray, cloud-like structures with blue cords at either end. A small green half of a yin and yang symbol lies to the bottom right of the sword. There are...

This set of three Buddhist prayer or rosary beads (called "juzu" in Japanese) features beads of both glass and seeds. Each strand has three clear glass beads. One strand (AB 55-24 a) has a total of 19 seed beads, while AB 55-24 b has 17 and AB 55-24 c has 18. On each strand, the glass...

This small doll, representing a woman in a kimono holding a shamisen, is made almost entirely from silk moth cocoons, with some bamboo possibly used on the shamisen and at the neck for support. The woman's kimono is purple with a floral pattern of flowers and...

This figurine of a yamabushi (mountain priest) is made of composition (heads, hands, and feet) and cloth (rest of the body). Yamabushi are mountain hermits, believed to have supernatural powers. The figure is bald with side whiskers and wears the small black cap...

This female doll is named Fuji-Musume, the "Wisteria Maiden," and represents a popular character from kabuki theater. Dating from the 1950s, the doll wears a yellow kimono with a blue, white, and green floral pattern, and an orange and gold embroidered silk obi...

This sake cup, or guinomi, is made of porcelain with a woven exterior. The interior is painted with the head of a court lady in the Emperor's household, inside a scalloped aqua border. The court lady wears a red and white kimono and has yellow hair ornaments. The woven...

This set of 12 rectangular tiles with rounded corners shows the process of cloisonné. The final design consists of two branches of wisteria (one white, one purple) and leaves with a single orange-colored blossom. The tiles are placed in a wooden case, each within a designated slot. Twelve steps...

This warrior doll, depicting the famous warrior Minamoto no Yoshiie, is part of a Tango no Sekku (Boys' Day; now Kodomo no Hi, Girls' Day) festival set. The samurai sits mounted on a white horse on a black stand. The samurai is dressed in full armor, a red and gold brocaded...

This doll, likely intended for display during Kodomo no Hi (Children's Day, originally Boys' Day), represents a samurai warrior on a white horse. The figure stands on a black laquered wood base with a painted gold floral motif on the front. The samurai is dressed in full armor...

This short samurai sword, or shoto, has a handle covered with ray skin and a fraying black braid. A decorative metal lion is attached to the side of the handle over the braid, and there are embossed dragons on the top of the handle and on the bottom rim where...

This lacquered and gold-leaf suit of samurai armor with red cording includes: breast- and backplates with panel apron attached; six panels hung from the waist; needlepoint shoulder padding under shoulder straps; two panels between the waist and the knee; a two-toned blue brocade and...

This sake bottle is made from a hollowed gourd. It is rattle-shaped with a wide, round bottom and a long, narrow neck.  There is a fern-like drawing on one side in ink, which has been outlined fully but not entirely colored in. There is no stopper. The bottle is made from "Lagenaria siceraria...

This doll represents a geisha. Her body is made of painted silk over composition. Her facial features (eyebrows, eyelids, flushed cheeks, and red lips) are painted, dyed and molded. Silk ear lobes show under her black hair and her eyelashes are set in. The doll's black hair is worn in...

This pair of wooden geta (sandals) have straw-covered soles. The wood used may be Paulownia wood, or "kiri" in Japanese. The straps are made of purple velvet and are replacements from roughly the 1960s for older greenish-brown straps. The undersides have a small metal fixture...

This miniature kimono is part of a miniature laundry set or drying yard. The kimono is made of a coarse woven fabric with a blue and white design. The seven-piece set originally included a drying rack, wooden bucket, floor stand, tub, and scrubbing board.

This wagasa is made of thick washi paper on a bamboo frame. The washi has a light blue-green wash decorated with two types of flower blossoms, butterflies, and silver dots. There is no inner washi layer and the washi is uncoated, therefore it was...

This yellow woven, synthetic satin fabric obi is an example of a han-haba obi or half-width obi, a more informal sash that is worn casually with summer yukata. This obi is sewn over a stiff lining. The han-haba obi is very popular in Japan...

This wagasa (parasol) is made of painted silk on a bamboo frame. The parasol can be held closed by an orange decorative knot clasp with a tassle. The handle is made of bamboo with a decorative bulb at the end. It has a white decorative weave of strings that is tied onto the inside...

This round sieve has a woven horsehair bottom and sides made out of bark. Large and small sieves of this type were made in the home. The horsehair was woven to make the sieve through which teas and fruit juices or vegetables were strained.

This set of two dolls tells the story of "The Tongue-Cut Sparrow," a traditional Japanese folktale. The first figure (a) represents the old man from the story, whose humility is rewarded by the second figure (b), the Lady Tongue-Cut Sparrow. They both appear to be made of a composition-like...

This Kintaro warrior doll is part of a Kodomo no Hi (Children's Day; formerly Tango no Sekku, Boys' Day) festival set. His composition face is painted pink and he has glass inset eyes. Kintaro wears a painted black headdress with white paper and floral decorations, a red jacket, and gold and...

This pencil (or "enpitsu" in Japanese) is made for children and features football players in jerseys of various colors. The words "American Football" appear at the top in English. It is one of a set of four pencils in two patterns, purchased from the children's book department of a...

This small rectangular leather book bag is part of a collection of items that would have been used by a 6th grade schoolgirl in Japan. 
The large exterior leather flap covers the entire front of the bag, with leather buckle fastenings at the bottom. The flap has a plain design, with the...

This thin, rectangular Japanese crayon box is part of a collection of items that would have been used by a 6th grade schoolgirl in Japan. The box features the words "Maitei Kureon" ("Mighty Crayons") in katakana across the front and again underneath the top lid. A modern,...

This wooden tea canister is in the shape of an urn. It has a small inner lid and a large outer lid, and is intended for storing tea in the home.

The Japanese word for tea is o-cha. Tea is served in cups without handles and without milk, sugar, or lemon. A very small teapot is...

This white rice cooker is circular, with black plastic handles. It has a metal top with one circular plastic black handle. The pot stands on three pegs. The front has a white switch, which is used to heat the rice. Below the switch is an outlet, where the cord plugs in. Next to the switch is a...

This circular serving tray is made of black lacquer with a curvilinear design in gold and bronze. The design is on both sides of the tray.

It was donated to the Boston Children's Museum by Mr. Masatako Yamaguchi of the Citizens of Kyoto, Japan in 1976 to honor of the Boston...

This pair of small carved wooden Shinto amulets or charms is intended to ward off evil. The amulets are each shaped like a round human face with hair and other features carved in, and are attached to blue cords. There are Japanese characters in green and red on the backs of the amulets. The...

This glazed pottery chawan, or tea bowl, is stored in a plain wood box with black ink kanji characters and a signature in red ink. The lid is slightly warped, and a blue-and-orange cloth ribbon is attached for closure. There is yellow cloth inside for packing. The chawan...

This kimono is a deep brick red, patterned with pale blue, orange, and white sail boats. It has a red lining. The silk is woven with a flying geese and wave motif. Red linings fell out of use in the 1950s, so this kimono predates that time. 

The kimono is a...

An obi is a sash for a kimono, traditional Japanese dress. There are many types of obi, which are categorized by their design, material, and use. 

A tsuke obi, or ready-tied obi, is typically much shorter than other types of obi. With...

This furoshiki, or wrapping cloth, is made of a dark green-dyed fabric. It consists of three long panels joined at two seams. The design features the "three friends of winter" (bamboo, plum, and pine trees) and a large mon (family crest) at a bottom corner, here a four-petal...

This tea set would have been used for a Japanese tea ceremony. The items sit on a wooden three-tier shelf unit stained a dark brown color. This unit is enclosed by a lighter wooden case, which has a removable sliding shutter at the front. The shutter has Japanese characters written on it. The...

This small purse or money pouch is made in the shape of a baby doll. The doll figure is in an outstretched position on its stomach, covered in green silk clothing with a geometric floral design and a pink, white, orange, and silver collar. The body of the doll makes up the purse. A brown velvet...

This hagoita (battledore or racket) is used to play the game of hanetsuki, which is similar to badminton. The design featured on this battledore is of a woman wearing a red kimono with a gold, white, and blue floral design. The left side of her kimono is gold with an...

This furoshiki is made of a cream-colored fabric. A large, multicolored image seated at the lower right corner expands and fills much of the cloth, featuring a brown and gold wheelbarrow overflowing with flowers and leaves, representing the four seasons. There are peonies and wisteria...

This higasa, or parasol, is one of the Miss Kyoto doll accessories. The parasol has a bamboo pole and ribbing, with a black atama rokuro (top cap) and a silk covering that has mostly deteriorated over time. The remaining silk is a neutral color (perhaps faded from white) with...

This collection of toys is one of the Miss Kyoto doll accessories. The set includes a hagoita (battledore) and two shuttlecocks for use in the New Year's game hanetsuki, as well as two otedama bean bags. The hagoita (AB 782 u.1) has a black handle and...

This mirror, case, and stand set are Miss Kyoto doll accessories. The set includes five pieces featuring a black lacquer background painted with a gold leaf and floral design. The mirror is made of metal (possibly bronze), with a bamboo-wrapped handle. The other pieces include a box with a lid...

This pair of geta are Miss Kyoto accessories. This distinctive style of geta is known as okobo (or pokkuri or koppori) because of the sound they make when walking. They are intended for very formal wear by young girls and geisha-in-training (...

This tea set (AB 782.14) is one of the Miss Kyoto doll accessories. The set includes five white porcelain tea cups with a blue floral design, five black metal saucers, and a matching blue and white porcelain dish for cooling water (that looks like a saucer). The water dish has no handles; it...

This teapot is one of the Miss Kyoto doll accessories. The teapot is made of white porcelain with blue flowers, and matches the teacups of AB 782.14. Its spout and handle are at right angles to each other; the handle is hollow. The set includes three pieces: the body of the teapot, a matching...

This toy lamb is one of the Miss Kyoto doll accessories. It is made of stuffed white wool and has black eyes, an orange stitched mouth and nose, a curled tail, floppy ears, and splayed legs. The lamb wears a padded silk collar tied around its neck with a brass bell. 

This purse is one of the Miss Kyoto doll accessories. The purse is in the shape of a baby doll, lying in an outstreched position on its stomach; at the top of the back is a drawstring opening. The doll has black hair, and short fabric arms and legs. The purse is covered in silk, featuring an...

This miniature lacquer trunk is a Miss Kyoto accessory. The trunk is covered in black lacquer that has been painted with a gold leaf design and circular shapes divided by two bars. Tin pieces cover the corners of the trunk and comprise the lock and hinge hardware. There is a faded red and gold...

This unusually shaped sewing chest is one of the Miss Kyoto doll accessories. The chest is made of black lacquer with a painted gold leaf and floral design. The square base has three layers of drawers: the bottom two drawers are as wide as the base, while the top layer is divided into two...

These two ceremonial sake jars are a pair. Both are white, unglazed porcelain, with a flared base, an urn-shaped body, and a narrow mouth with a cylindrical lid. This ceremonial stoneware was used for the opening ceremony, Shunko-shiki, of The Japanese House on October 14,...

This white, unglazed porcelain ceremonial dish with a pedestal was used during the opening ceremony, Shunko-shiki, of The Japanese House on October 14, 1979. 

This bentwood tray was one of four used during the opening ceremony, or Shunko-shiki, of The Japanese House in 1979.

This late 19th-century Japanese sensu (folding accordion fan) has a guard and frame of black lacquered wood. The guards also feature small floral designs etched in red. The front of the paper mount features six birds (possibly sparrows) in flight against a blue background with black...

This zara (tray) is made of a vermilion-red lacquer with images of pine needles in gold and green at the center. Pine needles represent resilience—they are one of the "three friends of winter," along with plum blossoms and bamboo, all of which grow during the winter in...

This kawara (roof tile) is one of the roof tiles were used for the reconstruction of the Japanese house. It is made of clay, formed in a curved rectangular shape appropriate for the eaves, with a decorative disc on one side. It is silver gray in color.  This type of tile is for the...

This pair of wooden geta (sandals) have blue and yellow straps. The geta are traditional in form, but the straps are more modern. The wood is dark and has a particularly strong grain.

Geta are a form of traditional Japanese footwear that resembles both clogs...

This furoshiki (wrapping cloth) is square in shape and features a village scene design on half of the surface, divided diagonally. The other half is a solid forest green color. The village scene appears to be from the Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō print series made by...

This assortment of 15 different types of nails is set in a wooden display case. Labels identifying each type of nail run along the top of each compartment, and are written in both Japanese script and in rōmaji (the Latin alphabet). These nails were given to the Museum after the...

This kamidana, or Shinto shrine, consists of three pieces: (a) the shrine itself, (b) the door piece, and (c) a plaque. It was originally in kitchen of The Japanese House. The kamidana is a small, wooden structure with two front doors that open out. Inside the shrine, there...

This set of two candlesticks is meant to go in a butsudan, or household Buddhist altar. Made of blackend bronze, the candlesticks have a narrow neck with a wide flute mouth. They have a figure eight shape below with two handles, with three legs on a round base, and bas relief...

This small, smooth brass incense burner, called a kōro, was made to be part of a butsudan household altar. The pot features two winged handles and has a lid with a nob and several openings to let the smoke from the incense escape. 

A butsudan (literally "...

This string of black Buddhist prayer beads, called juzu, are meant to be part of a butsudan household altar. The beads are likely made out of glass and the majority are black, but two red beads and the knot divide the strand into three sections. Tied at the knot is a green...

This plastic, vinyl hard hat was used by construction workers for the dismantling of The Japanese House in 1978 in Kyoto. The white hat has a brown cotton tie for securing at the chin. It is decorated with a green band and the kanji character "moku" ("woodworker") above the...

This carpenter's saw, one of a set of five, is called a ryōba nokogiri in Japanese. Some of the saws in the set were used as back-up tools in the construction of The Japanese House in 1979. The saw has a flat, rectangular blade with small teeth on both sides and a wooden...

This sharpening stone, or toishi, is made of dark gray, hard, rectangular carbon stone with metallic flecks. The label attached to the side of the stone reads: "A product by Carbon Stone, Hatahoshico, Ltd." The stone is possibly intended for use to sharpen other stones or to flatten....

This white cotton canvas pouch is for storing a set of chisels. It has white cotton ties, reinforced with a leather tab. The pouch is part of a set of chisels either used in the assembly of The Japanese House or as a presentation set in 1979.

This steel framing square, one of a set of three, is L-shaped and flexible, with markings in green. It is used for conversion from shaku (a traditional Japanese unit of measurement) to the metric system. The framing square was used by carpenters during the construction of The Japanese...

This wood and steel, hand-forged carpenter's hammer is one of a set of three that provide a representative sample of Japanese hammers. It was used in the construction of The Japanese House in 1979. The hammer has one flat face and one pointed end as well as a wooden handle with a manufacturer's...

This steel trowel with a wooden handle was used in the construction of The Japanese House in 1979. The handle is made of unfinished wood and has a black and gold sticker on it. The trowel has a short, straight, squarish shaft leading to the flat head; it was used for clay, cement, and plaster...

This nail bag is made of white canvas and features black lettering. It has a drawstring to secure the bag around the waist, as well as a large, deep pocket and a smaller front pocket containing assorted nails. The text on the front is an advertisement for a nail shop with its phone number. The...

This picture or wall hanging is a Hinamatsuri, Girls' Day or the Doll Festival, decoration. The wall hanging features a "Warabe-ningyo" ("young girl doll"), a type of kami-ningyo, or paper doll. The paper doll is three-dimensional and origami-folded; she consists of a red ...

This is a hand-carved and -painted No theater mask of a young woman made by the artist Izan Hotta. It would have been worn by a male actor. Called a "Ko-omote" (literally, "little mask"), it is meant to portray a beautiful and innocent young girl under the age of twenty. The...

This Daruma doll is made out of papier-mâché. It features the traditional pink face, black mustache and eyebrows, and gold markings on the red background. On the front center of the doll the kanji character "fuku" ("good fortune") is painted in gold. This doll was purchased at...

This makisu (bamboo mat) is used to roll the type of maki-zushi (sushi roll) with a layer of nori (roasted seaweed) filled with a layer of rice and a filling of vegetables or meat. The makisu is square-shaped, made of individual rounded bamboo sticks held...

This ceramic teacup has a white/slightly blue-green colored glaze and a brown rim at the top and bottom. The surface has a ribbing effect, with eight rings. The cup widens gradually towards the base.

This pair of Minzoku ningyo (folk dolls), made by the fiber artist Sumako Cohn, represents a male and a female farmer dressed in traditonal garb. The male doll (AB 82-30) is wearing black trousers, zori (straw sandals), a green-and-blue striped top, an apron underneath and a...

This set of 50 wooden blocks inside a wooden open box features the 46 hiragana characters. The kana (characters) are stenciled on one side of each block; a corresponding word and picture are painted on the reverse side. Four of the blocks are blank, one of which has a blue...

This small ceramic sake cup, or guinomi, has a painted interior and a sculpted exterior. The interior features the face of Otafuku, the "homely woman," in black and gold against a white background. Otafuku, with her characteristic round cheeks, is a symbol of luck and good...

This Daruma Otoshi game is from Miyagi Prefecture in Japan. The game consists of a Daruma doll made of five cylindrical doughnut-shaped blocks, each a different color (red, yellow, green, purple, and unpainted) that make up the body and a painted headpiece on top. The blocks are held...

This uchiwa, or flat handheld fan, is made of bamboo and paper. The uchiwa features a design by the artist Keisuke Serizawa of a fish, based on the Okinawan stencil technique called bingata. The fish is white with black lines against a bright blue background. The...

This small firefly cage, or hotaru kago, is made of barley straw twisted into a spiral shape with a hole at the top and a braided handle. In Japan, children traditionally catch fireflies on the riverbanks in June. These types of cages are very traditional in form and used in the...

This omamori (amulet) and paper bag packaging would have been used during the Shichigosan (7-5-3) Festival. (a) shows the packaging for chitose-ame, the "candy of a thousand years" that is given to children by a priest when they visit a Shinto shrine during the Shichigosan...

This kokeshi doll is a traditional Japanese wooden doll consisting of only a head and a body. This particular doll is of the Tōgatta type. The body features a floral design depicting three chrysanthemums painted in red and a faint purple band around its shoulder and waist....

This kokeshi doll is a traditional Japanese wooden doll consisting of only a head and a body. This particular doll, made by Chushichi Saito (b. 1917), is of the Tsuchiyu type: the body is thick and very stable. The branch from which the doll was made has been left uncarved...

This kokeshi doll is a traditional Japanese wooden doll consisting of only a body and a head. This particular doll, made by Tzutae Sato (b. 1906), is of the Yajiro type: it has a long, thin body and a large head that is wide at the top. The body has a faded yellow background...

This miniature shishi-gashira, or lion's mask, is called a yumijishi. The mask is painted wood, with a red background, gold eyes and teeth, and black ears and accents. There are white feathers attached to its head. There is a piece of purple and white cotton fabric attached to...

This pair of "Sankaku Daruma (triangle Daruma)" dolls featurs an orange and a blue conical-shaped variation on the traditional Daruma doll. Each Daruma doll has a pink face painted on the front, with white eyes, an orange upside-down U-shaped mouth, and simplified black lines to...

This papier-mâché figurine features a cow with a Daruma doll riding on its back. The cow is painted black with a white nose, belly, and legs. It has blue eyes, yellow horns, and a blue saddle with a red border and five white spots on each side. The cow is a bobblehead. The Daruma is painted in...

This papier-mâché bobblehead tiger, called a hariko no tora, consists of three pieces: the tiger's head, the standing tiger body, and the upraised tail affixed at the rear. The head is weighted in the neck area and hung on a metal wire inside the hollow neck of the body. The tiger's...

This small ivory netsuke features two men and an oni (demon). One of the men is partially submerged in a round bathtub, his arms holding one side. The other man stands at the side of the bath, wearing shorts and grasping the edge of the tub with his right hand. He is holding a...

This pair of similarly designed ceramic vases feature an orange-red color over a white background. The base tapers up slightly and narrows abruptly at the neck. A design featuring flowers, trees, and birds in a deeper orange color and gold leaf decorates the exterior. The potter, of the...

This handpainted tengu (goblin) mask is made of papier-mâché and features the tengu's characteristic abnormally long nose. The eyebrows, mustache, and beard of the mask are made of sisal. The face is painted red with black and gold accents. Tengu masks...

This portable hashi setto, or chopsticks and utensil set, includes a red plastic case with a design featuring Hello Kitty drinking from a yellow tea set on the cover. The case contains a stainless steel fork and spoon with red plastic handles decorated with Hello Kitty, a clock, a...

This girl doll has a composition head, glass eyes, and black, shoulder-length hair with bangs. Her eyelashes and lips are painted. She wears two (possibly even three) layers of clothing, perhaps made out of silk or cotton. If silk, her robe is a kimono; if cotton, she is wearing the...

This puzzle forms a variation on the Daruma doll when completed. The puzzle is natural wood color with the traditional angry Daruma face painted in black and red, featuring a thick black beard, eyebrows, markings under the eyes, and pupils. Thinner black strokes are used for the eyes, nose, and...

This miniature Hinaningyō set is held in a miniature red box with a floral design on the exterior. The set, only 1 1/4" tall, is an abbreviated version of the traditional Hinamatsuri doll arrangement. It has a pull-out, three-tiered stand on which the ten tiny dolls are positioned. Decorative...

This ohashi setto (set of chopsticks) is for a child. The box has a sliding top; the chopsticks can be stored inside for transport to and from school. The chopsticks are made of wood, painted blue, and decorated with a boy and ghost and the logo "Obake no Q-Taro." The case is...

This Daruma doll is a wooden nesting doll consisting of four dolls in seven pieces. The largest Daruma is painted red with a natural wood-colored face. It has a beard and red mouth, a nose, scowling blue eyes, wrinkles and crows' feet, and red dot embellishments. A black arch is painted under...

This small, carved wooden figurine represents Kannon Maria: the Virgin Mary disguised as the bodhisattva Kannon, known as the Bodhisattva of Compassion. The statue comes from the island of Kyūshū, Japan, where Kakure Kirishitans ("hidden Christians") practiced their faith in secret, in...

This sensu (folding fan) is made entirely of sandalwood. The fan is held together with blue ribbon (now detached). Each rib and guard are rounded at the top; a metal hook and pin hold the end of the handle together. A cream-colored tassel is tied onto the hook. 

The fan is...

This manekineko doubles as a ceramic sake bottle. The bottle takes the shape of a white bobtail cat with blue eyes, red ears, a pink nose and mouth, brown and orange spots, and a green scarf around the neck on which is placed a sticker that reads "lucky" in gold. The ...

This set of two Snoopy dolls is for a Hinamatsuri (Girls' Day or Doll Festival) celebration. (a) refers to the Snoopy doll in blue, and (b) refers to the slightly larger Snoopy dog in red (possibly meant to be Snoopy's sister Belle). Belle is wearing a red, white, and yellow kimono ...

This manekineko has a slit in the back of its head, possibly for a bank. The cat is white with black and orange spots and glitter around its red collar, on which hangs a bell. In its right paw, the manekineko is holding a gold coin with the words "Senman Ryō" (Ten Million Gold...

This Angel Pocket toy features two miniature dolls in a compact yellow beauty salon. The toy is made of yellow, violet, white, red, pink, blue, and orange plastic. Both dolls are blonde-haired with brown eyes; the doll wearing a pink outfit has curly hair, while the one in a green outfit has...

This miniature manekineko (beckoning cat) is made of white plaster. The cat is painted with red ears and mouth and black spots and eyes. The cat is raising its left paw in a beckoning gesture, and is mounted on a square of red fabric with a white shibori (circle) design, which...

This kitchen knife is for cutting meat. It has a wooden, oval-shaped handle with a metal end nearest the blade. The blade, inserted into the end of the handle, tapers at one end. One side of the blade is polished while the other side has only a small polished strip, leaving the rest a black...

This miniature ivory netsuke represents two older men who are partly bald. The men are seated one behind the other, one holding his abnormally long legs folded in front of him, and the other putting his abnormally long arms on the shoulders of the first. They are made of white ivory...

This miniature wood netsuke represents two figures. One is a bearded, grumpy-looking old man, half reclining with head on hand and wearing a floral patterned kimono. An open book lies beside him and two other books lie at his side by his foot. Standing behind him is an oni...

This red plastic rice bowl features a "Hello Kitty" design. The bowl is decorated with three color decals of Hello Kitty, or "Kitty-chan" as she is known in Japan, and one color brand logo with a teddy bear. The bottom is stamped with the manufacturer's information (Sanrio Company)....

This tsuba (sword guard) is made of iron and has four scalloped edges. In the center is a cutout design of peony blossoms and leaves, depicted from both sides on the front and the back. The long central cutout (called the nakago-ana) would hold the blade; the other two cutouts...

This miniature religious shrine contains a statue of the Buddha, or possibly of the Bodhisattva Manjusri. The Buddha statue is made of a dark brown, carved wood. He is depicted seated on a lion, which in turn crouches upon a rock. The Buddha is seated in the "demon-subduing" posture, with his...

This symmetrical necklace is made of beads carved from the horns of the sacred deer of Nara, Japan. The beads, of varying shapes and sizes, are a dark ivory color with carved circular geometric patterns. They are strung on a brown knotted cord with green jade beads interspersed. A club-shaped...

This small sculpture of a Buddha figure is a miniature reproduction of the Great Buddha statue at Kotoku-in temple in Kamakura, Japan, a colossal outdoor bronze sculpture of the Amida (Amitabha) Buddha. The Buddha is seated in a meditative posture, with his legs folded, and his hands folded in...

This pair of white nylon tabi covers would be worn over tabi socks to keep them clean. They are made like the socks, with a split toe that would allow them to be worn with geta or zori.

Tabi are traditional Japanese ankle-height, split-toe...

This pair of small kokeshi dolls represents a boy and a girl. They dolls are a variation on the traditional kokeshi form, with round heads and bodies, but no arms or legs, as is typical. The heads are joined to the bodies by a dowel, and can swivel around. The boy (a) is...

This plastic mask represents the tengu, a goblin-like figure from Japanese folklore. It has a red face and white moustache and eyebrows, as well as the tengu's characteristically long nose and black cap held on by a gold cord. There is a thin elastic band attached to the back...

This thin gold cord is strung with four miniature netsuke beads and tied in a knot at the bottom. The carvings consist of (from bottom to top): a brown mouse curled up in a ball with its tail wrapped around itself; a round-faced, pudgy child with his arms and legs wrapped around the...

This iron tsuba (sword guard) is circular in shape, and each side features a raised-relief image. One side depicts two figures looking at each other beneath pine trees; the figure on the right is standing on a stone stairway and is dressed in feudal clothing while the figure on the...

This pair of a young girl's geta (sandals) is made of orange lacquered wood with a painted floral design in brown and gold. The shoes are painted as mirror images, with blue and gold curves on one side and a circular design with blue petals on other. They have tan and orange velveteen...

This figurine represents the Lucky God Hotei, God of Happiness. He is one of nine statues of the god that were collected by the original owners of the Japanese House and remains part of the house today. This particular Hotei is made of a brown stone or earthenware, and has the most traditional...