A second walk through

There are plenty of museums that I would never return to.  They may be interesting in the moment, but once you've seen it there isn't any reason to relive the experience.  There have been quite a few museums in Tokyo that definitely do not fit into this category.  They capture my attention and make me want to learn more.  They are also big enough that I don't feel like I absorb everything it has to offer in one go.

Today I took my cousins to the Edo Tokyo Museum.  I could wander through this museum again and again.  Between the dioramas, full scale replicas of homes and businesses, as well as tons of artifacts, there is so much to see and learn. 

Today, I learned about the black markets in Japan during and immediately following World War 2.  I never thought about it, but people weren't looking for knock-off designer bags - they wanted house goods!  People desperately needed shoes, dishes, rice cookers, and kitchen knifes.  They couldn't get them in stores, so they had to rely upon these markets.  I can't even fathom having to sneak around to purchase a rice bowl for my child, but that is exactly what people had to do during that time.

My favorite thing to see today was the step-by-step process of making woodblock prints.  I had seen it the last time we visited the museum, but I didn't have the ability to really stop and take in the whole thing because I was preoccupied with our friends.  This time I could read all about it and really look closely at the blocks and prints.

I'm so glad I had the opportunity to go back to this beautiful museum.  It is so well put together and chocked full of information and visual history.  I definitely think this place should be on everyone's must see list!