Edo Museum PDF

Ava Altmann
ASST3076
24 Sept 2019
Edo-Tokyo Museum Assignment
The Edo-Tokyo Museum was an awesome space to learn about the very intricate history of
Tokyo, from its foundation to the city we all know and love today. I went with a classmate on a
late Wednesday evening and we had about an hour to explore before the museum closed.
Immediately walking in and seeing the huge replica of the Nihonbashi Bridge and the various
buildings and huts below was a great way to start our museum experience. The facilities were not
only beautiful but helped to immerse me in the history of Tokyo and learn all that I could about
this city’s past.
!  
1. Edo Period
How did fires condition the everyday life of the people and the architecture of the city?
In 1657, the great fire of Meireki completely transformed the landscape of Edo. The flames
engulfed about two-thirds of the entire city, including the Edo Castle, many warrior mansions,
and most of the townspeople’s living area. The death toll is said to have reached between 60,000
and 100,000. The fire, as devastating as it was, did contribute to some important changes in the
city in the long run. First, to prevent further spread of fires, the town built firebreaks and wider
streets and put mud on all the roofs. This created more open spaces in the city for people to
gather, prompting the establishment of the entertainment district. The overall reconstruction of
the city caused the development of areas that were not previously included in the city bounds,
expanding the Edo borders. As a result, the city’s population, distribution of goods, and the
overall economy flourished.
2. Tokyo Period
What were the similarities and differences in the impact of the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake and
1945 Allied Firebombings?
Between the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake and 1945 Allied Firebombings, Tokyo has
experienced a lot of destruction within the past century. Both of the events caused massive,
widespread fires, scorching the earth and killing tens of thousands of people. However, the
outcome after each devastation differed severely. After the Great Kanto Earthquake, Japan
received plenty of relief supplies and donation money from foreign countries including Korea,
Taiwan, and the United States. Because most of the area was destroyed, it had become somewhat
of a clean slate which the city could be built upon through a major remodeling project. For
example, conditions of the roads, parks, bridges, and schools were all improved, and this greatly
enhanced city infrastructure and sparked radical urban renewal. The Great Kanto earthquake
caused Tokyo to become of the greatest cities in the world, whereas the Allied Firebombings had
the complete inverse effect. Tokyo suffered greatly from the severe destruction of the war. There
was an extreme scarcity of food and daily supplies, as Japan received far less foreign support
than during the Great Kanto Earthquake. As a result, illegal black markets became very popular
and crime within the city increased. There was a lack of housing, so daily life had to be
contained to a limited space. Overall, although both events were both destructive and
traumatizing to the city, the outcome after each differed immensely.
3. Jordan Sand article

In how far did the Edo-Tokyo Museum represent a reevaluation of the Edo period?
According to Jordan Sand’s article, the Japanese have “denigrated the Edo period” and have been
“relentlessly… leaving behind feudal tradition.” This mindset, however, was not applied to the
content and layout of the Edo-Tokyo Museum. Instead, the space proudly reflects on life during
the Edo period and recognizes this time period’s impact on the modernization of Japan. Rather
than refusing to acknowledge this history, the Edo-Tokyo Museum does the complete opposite
and provides a space for visitors to immerse themselves in the Edo world and reflect on this
monumental time.
What are some examples of the “everyday life” represented in the Edo-Tokyo Museum?
Because the museum wants visitors to be able to relate to the history presented and immerse
themselves in the time period, there are many displays of ordinary life of the Edo period that
resemble situations we have today. One example is the recreation of the birth scene in the Edo-
Zone Tenament. Visitors can see the way a newborn is being bathed by a nurse, a mother resting
in bed, and a father sitting nearby. It appears both familiar and distant; the same principles as
modern-day childbirth but in a much more prehistoric and less medically-advanced setting.
Towards the end of the museum, they also showcase school lunches throughout the decades.
School lunch is a seemingly mundane aspect of everyday life, but by showcasing this ordinary
thing, museum-goers can relate to the history while learning about the development of Tokyo
infrastructure throughout the 20th century.
What are the benefits and the shortcomings of this type of commemoration of the past?
By creating an environment of everyday life, the Edo-Tokyo Museum allows visitors to immerse
themselves in history and feel a sense of nostalgia. In some ways, this can be very beneficial;
museum-goers are more intrigued to learn and put their prejudices aside, as well as create a
narrative where people can experience that living culture directly. This mode of presentation,
however, can also have some negative consequences. People who lived in the more recent
history can dispute the setting portrayed, claiming that “that’s not how it was” or “we didn’t have
that.” This creates an atmosphere of doubt, and in a history museum that can be very
problematic.
What is your own view?
As a Documentary Production major, I understand the importance of immersing an audience into

your narrative. It invokes empathy, compassion, and a deeper understanding of the subject at
hand. Instead of learning about a topic, they are living in it. Because of this, it makes sense that
this is how the Edo-Tokyo Museum is set up. Although it does have some drawbacks regarding
the inaccurate nostalgia dilemma, the positives outweigh the negatives.

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Ava Altmann

Edo-Tokyo Museum Assignment

3. Jordan Sand article

What is your own view?

As a Documentary Production major, I understand the importance of immersing an audience into

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