An old-fashioned wooden home hidden in an otherwise unassuming modern Tokyo suburb, Showa no Kurashi (Showa Living History Museum)* normally depicts post-war Tokyo life but for a limited time its taking visitors back to World War II to show life on the Japanese home front.

Built in 1951 by architectural engineer Koizumi Takahashi, his family lived here for 45 years before his eldest daughter made it into a living history museum in 2002. For the release of Kono Sekai no (Sara ni Ikutsumono) Katasumi Ni, or In This (and Other) Corners of the World,** the former Koizumi residence of 1951 has been converted into the Hojo residence of 1944-45.

Kono Sekai is about Hojo Suzu, a Hiroshima-born housewife living in the naval port of Kure and showcases her everyday life and struggles during wartime. Both the original manga and film were painstaking researched to recreate the period accurately down to the smallest details from the daily chores they performed to the movement of military ships in Kure Bay.

As a fan I was excited to ‘visit’ Suzu’s house but movie aside I still think this place is a must see because it recreates a wartime home and highlights aspects of life unique to that time and place. Walking through a fully stocked house is a more engaging way to learn about history and seeing items where they belong on a table or as if in use creates greater context than if it were all just treated as artifacts under glass. Its focus on purely the home aspect also makes this a good venue to talk to smaller children about the effects of war on people in way they can see and understand.

Walking into the living room was like entering a home whose harried mistress had momentarily left for a mandatory Dai Nippon Kokubo Fujinkai (Japan National Patriotic Women’s Organization) or Tonarigumi (Neighborhood Association) meeting. The low table was set for two with bowls of miso soup and fluffed up nankoumeshi, brown rice that looks generous but is rather unappetizing. Beside the table is the ‘fireless’ stove, a metal pot stuffed in a wooden beer crate full of wadded up newspaper. Set up in the next room is a kimono in the midst of being chopped into monpe, unfashionable but practical work clothes during a time of air raids. To keep warm there’s a brazier and basket of homemade substitute charcoal.

This photo courtesy of Kobayashi Kozue / Showa Living History Museum

This austere living in an otherwise normal home was the result of Japan’s ever-tightening rationing and national policies that demanded more of its people as they were reminded that “Luxury is the Enemy.” They are all also scenarios played out in the film in an almost tutorial way as the young protagonist learn how to take care of herself and her family.

When visiting also pay attention to the little touches such as the blackout curtain on the ceiling light and the tape on the glass windows. These pertained to air raids, the curtain to minimize light and the tape to lessen the shrapnel hazard of shattering glass.

What makes this the Hojo residence and not just a generic home is the support of Kono Sekai Director Katabuchi Sunao and Assistant Director Uratani Chie, who loaned the museum some of their furniture, furnishings and clothing which look to be the real life references used for the home items in the animated film. Even the hand-made substitute charcoal in the living room is their handiwork.

How many directors are dedicated enough to make their own charcoal to support a museum exhibit for their animated films? I’d like to see Miyazaki Hayao top that.

The film was a passion project for him and its clear he isn’t alone in his enthusiasm as the museum also has a large collection of clothes ‘worn’ in the movie which replicate a broad range of apparel from kimonos and monpe of housewives to military uniforms and children’s clothing. These all came from fans.

Another subtle reminder that a war was on can be seen on one of Suzu’s dresses as it sports a white identification card that functioned like a soldier’s dog tags, giving her name, address and blood type. (Book accurate it reads “Hojo Suzu, Kure City, Kaminaganoki #808, Blood Type B.”) A few outfits also had home-made bokuzukin flash hood handy for air raids.

Suzu’s bokuzukin also has a tag

Upstairs is a treasure room for film fans as it is covered in hand-drawn pre-production art from Uratani, who was also the character designer. There’s also recreated ‘props’ and a scale model of the movie Hojo residence with the roof opened up. This little model is loaded with minuet details and a tiny Suzu. It was made by film’s dialect coach, who also voiced a kempeitai officer. (Along with the animated cast, there’s a tiny stand up of him dressed in an army uniform in front of the house.) When TBS made a live-action Kono Sekai drama, they used this model for reference.

A traditional museum room covers rationing, neighborhood associations, women’s patriotic organizations and air raid defense. This is a step further information-wise than the Hojo residence for people who want a little more background.

Before leaving I was invited to the courtyard to try my hand at one of Suzu’s household chores by donning a yoke with (empty) water buckets on either side, near the outdoor hand-powered water pump, two things which make me appreciate the simple and work free joy of in-home tap water. Running with the Kono Sekai theme other movie props are available to try out, or maybe you’d just like to do the washing. The bucket and board are waiting.

First visitor of the year!

The Kono Sekai Suzu’s House exhibition will end Mar. 29, 2020. Admission is 500 yen. The museum is open Friday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

When visiting I highly recommend getting a guided tour. I was guided by curator Kobayashi Kozue and her knowledge about not just the history but the stories behind making the exhibition really made a difference.

Photography is not allowed inside the house itself and displays are in Japanese. You can also use a translator app on your phone to read the signs though you should inform the staff ahead of time that you’re using an app and not taking photos.

In case it isn’t already abundantly clear, I’m a huge Kono Sekai fan. It’s a good movie and it’s been a catalyst to talk about life in World War II. As well as this museum exhibit there’s a traveling exhibition that’s a mixture of production art, original manga art and a small museum’s worth of wartime home and personal items. (I had the good fortune to come across this when it was in Hiroshima two years ago.) They also had Achikochi no Suzu-san (Roughly “All Around Suzu-sans”) a two-part NHK special in August which wasn’t about the movie or Suzu but the real Suzus, normal people and their stories of life during the war. Sadly, that generation is passing away and we’re in the last years for people to pass on their first-hand experiences and soon we’ll only have what they leave behind. So I hope this renewed interest sparks conversations and results in an increase of knowledge while it’s still available.

It’s only in Japanese, but movie information can be found at:
https://ikutsumono-katasumini.jp/ (official website)

*Alternately the museum’s name is translated “Showa-era Lifestyle Museum,” which is also the name on neighborhood signs leading to it.

**The film was originally released as Kono Sekai no Katasumi Ni in 2016 but on Dec. 20, 2019 the current extended version began playing in theaters around Japan.

(This exhibition ended in May 2020, but may happen again. I still recommend visiting this museum.)

ADDRESS

Showa no Kurashi

2-26-19 Minamikugahara, Ota City, Tokyo 146-0084

www.showanokurashi.com

https://www.facebook.com/showanokurashi/

0337501808

This photo courtesy of Kobayashi Kozue / Showa Living History Museum