5 Friends from Japan: Children in Japan Today

This exhibition gives visitors a feel for contemporary life in Japan through the eyes of five children. The excitement begins in a typical Japanese elementary school classroom. Museum-goers will discover video messages from each of the five friends. After getting acquainted and participating in customary activities in the school, families can follow the friends home. Rooms modeled on authentic Japanese homes feature more in-depth video narratives and hands-on activities lead by the five friends. Families can visit Aisa’s Kitchen and Tofu Shop or stop by Yusuke’s yard and practice aikido moves with the help of an instructor. They can also dress up in traditional Japanese attire in Sakiko’s bedroom, learn to write in Japanese in Ken’s tatami room, and listen to different kinds of Japanese music in Shoko’s living room. An age-appropriate exhibition for children 5-12 years old and their families, Five Friends from Japan addresses an important question: what happens to distinct traditional cultures in an age of fluid exchanges of people, products, and information across national borders? Five Friends from Japan highlights similarities and differences between Japan and the U.S. and replaces misguided stereotypes about Asian lifestyles with authentic vignettes.

Sponsors

Five Friends from Japan is presented by the National Building Museum in partnership with the National Children’s Museum and made possible by the Freeman Foundation and supported by the Association of Children’s Museums.

This presentation is made possible by the Japan-United States Friendship Commission and Weyerhaeuser Company.