Look and Compare in the Edo Period

People today can enjoy what’s going on anywhere in Japan thanks to a variety of modern media, such as TV and the Internet, without having to physically go anywhere. What was the situation like in the Edo Period? Just as today’s generation are curious about trends and news, people in the Edo Period were also quick to respond to trends. For people living in Edo (today’s Tokyo), making comparisons or gathering information were a pleasure because so much information, along with goods, were gathered there.
This exhibition will introduce the kinds of information that Edokko (people of Edo/ Tokyo) have and what they were interested in. On exhibit will be documents, publications and paintings that were popular in the Edo Period, “kawaraban” tabloid papers issued to cover local events, and “mitate  banzuke”  ranking lists, an idea borrowed from how sumo wrestlers are ranked.