Overview: Discover aspects of Japanese culture through people, things, situations and stories depicted in works of Japanese art!At the heart of the exhibit are environments and activities that present a broad depiction of Japan; i.e., traditional and contemporary, urban and rural, past and present, fantastic and realistic. The exhibit is organized into three main activity areas, each based on a work of art, an artistic form or tradition.
The focus areas are:
- Fantastic Animation, organized around feature film animation;
- Manga Mania, organized around comics and animation of contemporary urban Japan; and
- Artful Traditions, organized around Japanese tradition and architectural details.
Audience: Jump to Japan’s target audience is ages 5-12 years of age.
Languages: Text graphics are available in English and Spanish.
Components:
Area 1.0 Exhibit Entry
Visitors pass a freestanding shoji screen, typically used in Japan to mark the entrance to rooms or as room dividers. Area 2.0 Fantastic Animation
The focus in this area is artwork from the animated film, My Neighbor Totoro, created and directed by Japanese animation artist, Hayao Miyazaki. Activities are located around a fantasy-inspired vehicle, the Cat Bus, a central character in the film. This environment provides a context for activities that engage children in a playful discovery of the art in My Neighbor Totoro and of Japanese culture through the use of sculpted characters, space for younger visitors to encounter Totoros, try-on Totoro costumes and a small shrine signifying the high esteem for nature in Japanese culture. Activities include: Ride The Cat Bus, Scrolling Windows, Animation Cel, Animation Viewer, Zoetropes and Animation Stations.
Area 3.0 Manga Mania
The focus of this area is the art form of Manga (Japanese comic books) and Anime (Japanese animation) that have originated from Manga. The exterior of the shop structure resembles the facades of two buildings straddling an alleyway. The first building is a Comic Specialty Store with rack of tightly packed Manga sits. The second building is dressed as the entrance to a sushi restaurant. A display window contains beautiful food replicas-examples of the sushi delicacies available inside. A sushi lantern is mounted high on the wall and a noren (curtain) hangs across the "entrance" to the restaurant. A high shelf running around the interior space holds some original Manga artwork done by students in Japan. A corner display case holds small collectible Manga and Anime- related items such as first edition trading cards, small character figurines and plush toys, fad buttons and good luck charms. A display case beneath the cash register contains a display-only selection of Japanese snacks and candy, with packaging designs that are either Manga-style or linked to specific Manga and Anime. Also displayed behind the cash register is a maneki-neko (beckoning cat), thought to bring good luck to a commercial venture. Activities include: Buy and Sell in Manga Mania, Manga Packages, Anime Connection, Browsing the Stacks, How to Read Manga and Making Manga.
Area 4.0 Artful Traditions
Visitors are introduced to enduring Japanese traditions-including clothing, festivals, children's games and stories-through activities drawn directly from 19th century woodblock prints on display. The environment visitors enter here suggests a Japanese home of the Edo period (1603-1867) as modeled on details from the woodblock prints themselves with and exterior of openwork wooden grating, wood lattice with paper panes, stucco, bamboo-framed walls, and a roof of bamboo with wood shakes. A tree and the bamboo overlay on two of the exterior walls, evoke the feeling of the garden area outside many Japanese homes of this era. A lattice panel mimics the traditional sliding paper-paned (shoji) door. Visitors are invited to remove their shoes and place them into a rectangular box with cubbies before stepping on the tatami (traditional Japanese floor covering). Visitors can try on Japanese clothing. The ranma (openwork grating) visible on the exterior are also seen in the entrance area. One of the interior walls that encloses the tatami area features chigai-dana (staggered shelves) that hold props for area activities. The other interior wall holds a Hinamatsuri (Girl’s Day) display. A tall bamboo pole seen from both the interior and exterior of the area showcases colorful koinobori (carp streamers) that are flown on Kodomo-no-hi (Children’s Day). Activities include: Hinamatsuri (Girl’s Day) and Kodomo-no-hi (Children’s Day) Tea Party, Kodomo-no-hi (Children’s Day) Carp Puzzle, Traditional Try-Ons, Play Karuta, Ancient Picture Scroll and Woodblock Layers.
Goals:
Goal 1. Provide immersive environments in which visitors encounter Japanese culture through different artistic forms and traditions. Objectives:
- Present a transformative experience that introduces visitors to a rich Japanese environment as they step into the exhibit.
- Create encounters with Japanese stories, people, places and things in the exhibit's featured works of art.
- Provide opportunities for visitors to construct stories using Japanese story-telling techniques, images, props and costumes.
- Feature works of art that support a broad depiction of Japan; i.e., traditional and contemporary, urban and rural, past and present, real and imaginary.
Goal 2. Stimulate visitors’ awareness and recognition of Japanese art. Objectives:
- Create opportunities to explore the contemporary Japanese art forms of Manga and animation.
- Include opportunities to explore traditional Japanese art forms and techniques.
- Enhance exhibit environments using Japanese art from a variety of genres, mediums and time periods.
- Provide further information on Japanese art, techniques and artists through labels, books and other references.
Goal 3. Foster understanding and awareness among museum visitors for Japanese childhood experiences. Objectives:
Include settings and objects that allow visitors to engage in dramatic play around daily living experiences in Japan.
Introduce a diversity of Japanese children throughout the exhibit in art images, photographs, video and audio.
Provide opportunities for visitors to make connections between childhood experiences in Japan and the United States.
Goal 4. Promote communication about Japan and Japanese culture. Objectives:
- Provide comfortable and accessible formats for adults to communicate with children about Japan.
- Incorporate encounters with written and spoken Japanese language.
Support: Marketing and publicity materials, educational materials and installation guide are provided.