An Edo period
village...After breakfast Yuko asked me whether I would like to go to the Edo Museum or to the shrine where the 47 ronin are buried (the 47 ronin were samuri who avenged the death of their master and then killed themselves). I opted for the Edo Museum because I am interested in that period of Japanese history, roughly from the beginning of the 16th century until the middle of the 19th century. Yuko and I took the subway to the other side of the Sumida river where the museum is located. The museum has many artifacts from the Edo period and includes a recreation of an Edo period village. Examples of the artifacts are Ukiyoe paintings (paintings of courtesans from the Edo period) and toys from the Edo era.
After touring the museum, Yuko had an appointment to teach dance lessons, so I said goodbye and went back to the Asia Center. I was very glad I had the opportunity to meet Yuko and her family. The homestay program is a nice feature of the Summer Institute in Japan, and we were lucky to be the first participants to take part in it.
An Edo period
village...
Examples of Edo
period art...
Some Edo period
toys...
More toys...
The toy
demonstrator balancing a top on a fan...
Yuko attempting
to master the levitating top...