ArticleKey #19: A Commonplace Wonder - Fukagawa Edo

Arguably, one of the most stunning wonders ever experienced by humankind, isn't a place or an object but a concept known as the “butterfly effect” - namely, occurrences when small changes bring about far-reaching consequences. While it's hard to imagine how a butterfly, flapping its wings, might cause a typhoon, it's easy to see how replacing a single letter alters the meaning of the given word beyond recognition: “joy” turns into a mere “boy”, and “hall” becomes “hill” or even a much more ominous “hell”. The museum, advertised on the above picture, is essentially based on the same concept.

At the first glance, Fukagawa-Edo is a carbon copy of the Osaka Museum of Housing and Living, as both reconstruct bits and pieces of Japan of old - and even cover roughly the same historical period. Some of the exhibition principles and techniques (such as marking the transition of time by changing the lighting, or having a greeting cat) are also shared. One difference between the two museums is the choice of spotlight - as emphasized by their respective names. Osaka has for centuries been one of the biggest cities in the world (even more so in the 19th century), and its museum focuses on the city as a whole. Hence its stories, associated with public places and businesses, such as bathhouses, pharmacies, entertainment centres… Not even one person's name is mentioned throughout the exhibition. As opposed, Fukagawa is a district/ward in Tokyo (former Edo). Even now, its population is barely more than 20,000 people. 200 years ago or so, there lived much less people in Fukagawa - and that fact must have facilitated the decision to keep some of those people and their individual stories in the centre of attention. A unique “lobby exhibition” was a byproduct of that decision. 

Below is one of 20 “picture-bio” combos located outside of the main area.

A detailed and personalized presentation of some prominent citizens born and raised in Fukagawa - and a foretaste of what to expect. There are still stores and shops (and visitors are encouraged to approach some of them hands on by engaging in typical activities of the time - like polishing brown rice with a machine mortar)

but this time, there are also houses belonging to people who work in those stores, or elsewhere. To be precise, there are five such houses on display, and each owner is identified by hir name and occupation. Some houses are inconspicuous, and marked only by tools of the owner's trade - like that of street vendor Masasuke who sells clams

Others might indicate that the owner is married (with or without children), or single - depending on the number of personal dinner plates

Rich or poor, simple or stylish, each house has bedding boxes - and literally everybody would fold their bedding in the morning and store it in that box - to run away with it as soon as possible when a fire starts… And fires are always about “when” , not “if” - and they would determine the design of that and many other neighbourhoods, with their inevitable fire watchtowers, open spaces between houses, locations of public spaces. The latter included toilet stalls that had, by Tokugawa Law, to be either semi-transparent or half-open - to prevent criminals from hiding in them! That practical quandary created a very special kind of solidarity when people in need would ask their family members, friends or even just neighbours to keep them company to provide a human shield in front of the stall…

And, whatever the time, the place or the government, Japan wouldn't be Japan without hanami - so, beautiful cherry trees grace the streets of the museum village, just like they would in the real one