I went to see the exhibition on “Children in the Meiji era” at the Maison de la culture du Japon in Paris.

Entitled “Children of the Meiji Era. At the School of Modernity (1868-1912)”, this exhibition is about Japanese children who grew up in the late 19th century, at a time when Japan was modernizing and opening up to the West.

In the exhibition we find “ukiyo-e representing children”, but also “ukiyo-e intended for children”: educational prints to learn, toy prints for fun or story prints to dream.

School becomes compulsory for both girls and boys. It was at this time that prints and educational boards were placed in classrooms. More than a hundred prints and books are presented in the exhibition.

The museography was very minimalist and uncluttered. There is a lot of space between the objects exposed which is perfect for the quality of the visit. The labels are very complete and the explanations clear. I recommend this exhibition. On the Maison du Japon website you will find a pdf that gives a lot of information about the exhibition.

Let’s see the pictures!