Edo-Tokyo Open-air Architecture Museum

Over the holiday break Aya and went to the Edo-Tokyo Open-air Architecture Museum, which is really interesting.  Established in 1993, by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the museum "aims to relocate, reconstruct, preserve, and exhibit historical buildings of great cultural value that are impossible to preserve at their actual places as well as to inherit these valuable cultural heritages to future generations." 

House of Okawa - built in 1925 it looks like it could be located in Dilworth, but is actually from Den'enchofu, which is located in Ota ward where Aya and I now live.  This house is unique because all of the rooms are built in a western style which was very rare at that time

House of Kunio Mayekawa - built in 1942 by the architect Kunio Mayekawa for himself in Kami-osaki, Shinagawa Ward, which is near Aya's parents and Kinoto & Yuri's houses.

This was Aya and I's favorite building in the musuem, and it was obvious in every detail that an architect designed it for himself.  We hope to one day have one of our own.

Tokiwadai Photo Studio - 1937

Residence of Hachirouemon Mitsui - 1952  The guest room and the dining room were built around 1897 in Kyoto and relocated after the Second World War.

The storehouse dates back to 1874

House of the Leader of the Hachioji Guards (1603-1867)

House of Koide - 1925

"Maruni Shoten" (Kitchenware Store) (1926-1989)  The facade is composed of a series of overlayed copper plates

The Stationary Store "Takei Sanshodo" (1868-1912), "Hanaichi" Flower Shop (1927), and "Maruni Shoten" (from left to right).  This area has composed a series of preserved buildings to create a sense of what a historic retail street may have felt like

"Kodera" Soy Sauce Shop - 1933

The "Yamatoya" Store (Grocery Store) - 1928, with the House of Uemura in the background

The logo of the Soy in the Soy Sauce Shop

"main street"

Interior of the "Kodakara-yu" Public Bathhouse.  Glad they preserved this as there would otherwise not be anyway to show what the inside of a bathhouse looks like.  

The kids definitely like playing in a bath more than taking one

Traditional bench and bucket used in a Japanese bath.  It is still common to find these in houses, although plastic buckets are becoming more common than wood

Baskets to place your belongings while you bathe.  Most bath houses today use lockers.

Cheezu!

Street Art

Just like in the United States, they had historical toys for the kids to play with.  Aya was much better at the stilts that I was...

Leg lift check. Simultaneously lifting arm and stilt?  Not so much.

And no tour of historic Japanese architecture would be complete without dinner at a Mexican restaurant.

Who knew you could substitute cream cheese for sour cream on a fish taco?

Aya's Birthday

Friday night we celebrated Aya's birthday with her family at Mamai, a local indian restaurant Aya and I love.

 Kanpai to another year of health, happiness, and a bit of patience (with Brian)

Kanpai #2 with me in the photo, thanks to Kinoto

Yoshiko-san likes to party

Aya and Yoshiko-san show Aya's age in both Japanese (right to left) and English (left to right) 

The whole gang in a photo for a change

 Miyakoda-san is so happy to get to take the extra hot sauce home with him!

No birthday is complete without a little air guitar on a statue of liberty pillow 

Aya shows off all of her international fan mail

Fittingly Willie is still her biggest fan