11

Next Feature Exhibition

Opening hours: 9:30–17:30 (until 19:30 on Saturdays)
Final admission 30 minutes prior to closing.
Closed: Mondays on October 29, November 5, 12, 19, 26, and December 3.
*Viewed with permanent exhibition admission.
Admission: General 600 yen, over-65s 300 yen. For students and otherconcessions, please visit the Museum website.
Hosts: Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Tokyo Metropolitan
Edo-Tokyo Museum, and The council for Ancient History and Culture(Prefectures: Saitama,Ishikawa, Fukui, Mie , Hyogo, Nara, Wakayama,Tottori, Shimane, Okayama, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Saga, and Miyazaki).

Tama:
Colorful Crown
Jewels ofAncient Japan
Tuesday, October 23, 2018 toSunday, December 9, 2018

5F Permanent Exhibition
Area Feature Exhibition
RoomSmall glass beads and commashaped beads from Saitobaru
No. 111 Tumulus
Saitobaru ArcheologicalMuseum of Miyazaki
Prefecture collection,Miyazaki

Oct. 26 Fri. 2018 No.11

Land Connecting
TAMA in a Time of Connecting Spirits

Important Cultural Property
Gold chain necklace with jade magatama commashaped beads attributed to Susenji site, Fukuoka
Hakutsuru Fine Art Museum, Hyogo

TAMA have occupied an important existence among the people of Japan sinceancient times, not only for their beauty as decorative wear but also for their mystiqueunderstood through the spirit and soul. TAMA also offer an extremely important clue tounderstanding ancient power structures, regional relations, and the spiritual world. This exhibit
and its five sections take a closer look at the historical significance of TAMA, long considered theembodiment of people's aesthetic values in antiquity.

Chapter 1

Chapter 2— The Origin of Gems

— Gem-making Techniques

TAMA first appeared in Japan aroundthe end of the Paleolithic (Stone Age).
Initially, TAMA were made from animaltusks or bones, but around the end of the Jomon
period people began to make TAMA of beautiful jade.
In the Yayoi period, TAMA made of various materials
including glass began to appear. This was also when thecustom of placing TAMA in the tombs of influential
figures was begun.

The Hokuriku, Sanin and Kanto regions have a wealth ofstones ideal for TAMA. As a result, fabrication technologies
developed here. In the Kofun period, dedicated studios wereestablished in Yamato(present Nara Prefecture), resulting
in a mass production system. However, in the sixth century,
TAMA-making was consolidated in Izumo(present ShimanePrefecture), which became the only production area in Japan.
This section explores the various production sites of TAMA
and examines the sophisticated techniques used to make TAMA.

Chapter 3— The World of Jewelry

Chapter 4— Gems that Crossed the Seas

TAMA were at their most valuable during the Kofun
period, reaching a maturation period. The Kofun tombs
located across Japan enshrine influential figures who wereadorned with beautiful TAMA accessories. TAMA withmystical power were dedicated during rituals. This section
takes a closer look at the meaning found in TAMA byancient people.

Comma-shaped jade TAMA believed to be from Japan
have been excavated from the tombs of kings on the Korean
Peninsula. Meanwhile, in the Kofun period, some TAMA
were brought over from China, the Korean peninsula andfurthermore from the Silk Road. This section traces grandcultural exchanges through the introduction of jewelry thatadorned the kings of East Asia.

Epilogue— The Future of Gems
In the history of Japan, TAMA have occupied an indispensable presence in mythology, rituals,and religion. This final section of the exhibit looks at changes in mystical TAMA throughout
history. This exhibit was made possible through the joint efforts of a council on ancient history
and culture comprising 14 prefectures with deep connections in history and culture. The
treasures on display were carefully selected from National Treasuresand Important Cultural Properties from throughout Japan. Visitors areencouraged to immerse themselvesin the beauty and aura of Japan's ancient TAMA.
(Curator: Naoko Nishimura)

Important Cultural PropertyMale haniwa figurine
with necklace of beads from
Sakamaki No. 14 Tumulus, Saitama
Gyoda City Local Museum collection

National Treasure
Silver plating and gold beads
from Fujinoki Tumulus (Nara Prefecture)
Agency for Cultural Affairs collection, Nara

Gold magatamacomma-shaped beads from
Shakanokoshi Tumulus
Wakayama
City Board of
Education collection

Red: agate
comma-shapedbeads(Magatama)
Ueno No. 1 Tomb
Shimane Prefecture
Archaelogy Centercollection
Green: Jasper
magatama commashaped beads from
Okusai No. 34 Tumulus
Matsue City Board of
Education collection,
ShimaneRelated Program
Short Presentation Series
TAMA of the Kofun Period — TAMA Culture of 14 Prefectures
Date & time: Saturdays during the exhibit at 17:00 lasting approximately 40
minutes / Mondays at 16:00 lasting approximately 40 minutes.
*5F Permanent Exhibition Hall, in front of Nakamura-za Theatre(no prior reservation necessary).
*Only Japanese Version available.
*For details, see the museum's website.

EDO-TOKYO MUSEUM NEWSHighlights of the Permanent Exhibition
Tokyo Zone – Urban Culture and Recreation Corner – Reconstructed Model

A Closer Look at“Ryounkaku”tower

Pl. 2 Original tiles and octagonal
foundation that emerged during a houseconstruction project in February 2018
(Photo by the author)(Asakusa Twelve-Stories)

YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YelPngm70a4

After "Circulator"-3640.000-3635.000-3630.000-3625.000-3620.000-3615.000-31520.000-31525.000-31530.000

Pl. 1 Reconstructed model of “Ryounkaku”tower
Time period of restored work: 1890, 1/10 scaleFig. 2 Assumed positional diagram of“Ryounkaku”tower
Courtesy of Taito City Board of Education

Fig.1 Original survey diagram ofRyounkaku discovered during ahouse construction project in 1981
Created by Chikashi Kitagawa(5th Taito City Cultural Property
Research Report, Asakusa Rokku,
Changing Faces of Entertainmentand the Town 1987)

New Original Video

Before "Manual Fan"

-3645.000-31515.000-3650.000-31535.000

Ryōunkaku, a tower also known as the “Asakusa Twelve-Stories,” was designed by the British engineer
William K. Barton and completed in 1890. Gazing out at the surrounding area from atop a highplace became a new leisure activity among commoners during the Meiji period. The 60-meter tall
Ryōunkaku was hard to miss and it played a role as an urban landmark together with the Asakusa
Rokku, one of Tokyo's best-known pleasure quarters. The related works and documents collected byChikashi Kitagawa, a private-sector researcher and frontrunner in Ryōunkaku research, are known
as the Kitagawa Collection. This model was created based mainly on the woodblock prints, picture
postcards, photographs and documents from this collection (Pl. 1).
Ryōunkaku, which functioned as a symbol of Asakusa, suffered the collapse of its eighth floor
and all higher levels in the Great Kanto Earthquake of September 1, 1923. The remaining structure,
too, was demolished by an engineering unit of the military on October 23 the same year due to thethreat of collapse. As of the 1960s, Ryōunkaku's design blueprints and location were unknown due
to a lack of attention from researchers of architectural history. While doing lithographic artwork on
the side, Kitagawa had considered Ryōunkaku research to be his life's work, having collected related
picture postcards and woodblock prints from before World War II. He visited specialist institutions
in Tokyo to continually research Ryōunkaku's location, and published a vicinity map at the time ofits opening with an illustration of Ryōunkaku in the inaugural edition of Asakusa Temple Culture
published in January 1963. Later, in July 1981, the original tiles of Ryōunkaku were discovered during
a house construction project, which finally shed light on the tower's original location. Kitagawa alsobequeathed photographs he took of the construction site and survey diagram (Fig. 1) he drew.
In February 2018, during the remodeling work on a home across the street from this site, theoriginal tiles and part of the octagonal concrete foundation were unearthed (Pl. 2, Fig. 2). Soon after
beginning to work for the museum, the author in charge of putting together the Kitagawa Collection
headed to this site with the same thoughts as Kitagawa did when he ran into the construction site
in 1981. The author was very moved by the opportunity to see the foundation of Ryōunkaku withher own eyes. In 2010, the museum began piecing together information about Kitagawa's lifelong
research, mainly using the Kitagawa Collection. The results are published in Research Report 22 andResearch Report 23 of this museum.
The museum hopes to reflect the latest research outcomes in future exhibitions while working
closely with the Taito City Board of Education.
(Curator: Kaoru Matsui)

Now Showing TOKYO Before/AfterTOKYO Before/After is a new introductory video about the museum produced for both domestic
and international audiences. This movie was produced to commemorate the reopening of themuseum in April this year. Under the theme "Look at the past, find the future," this video is expertly
synchronized with the culture and aesthetic values of Edo Tokyo. The video closely examines thenine themes in a high-tempo fashion, including cooperativeness, aesthetics and play. This video
offers a glimpse into the lifestyle of commoners in Edo. The "manual fan" appearing in the video is a
replica made by the museum.
The video is currently uploaded to YouTube, the video-sharing service. The video is also available
through the museum's website Edo Haku Video Contents and played on the 1F screen inside themuseum. Be sure to check it out.
Edo Haku Video Contents: https://www.edo-tokyo-museum.or.jp/special/movie

Special Exhibitions Closure Due to Renovation
Special Exhibitions (1st floor) is scheduled to close for facility renovation from October 1 (Sunday) 2017 until around April 2019.

EDO-TOKYO MUSEUM NEWS