"The sea is vast, so big..." The skills and wisdom (= folk tools) nurtured through the long relationship between the sea and people, for obtaining its bounty, and the hopes (= toys) that people have held for a bountiful catch towards the sea.Musashino Art University Museum & Library, Folklore Materials RoomExcavated from the approximately 90,000 folk artifacts held by the institution, this series features separate exhibition rooms for folk tools and toys, and, with commentary by Professor Koji Kato of the university, explores the deep connection between people and the sea that has continued from ancient times to the present.
We will be highlighting folk tools used by people whose livelihoods depended on the sea, as well as toys that were expressions of people's prayers to the sea, based on the following themes. Updates are planned about once a month.
Vol. 01: Traditional Tools of the Sea - Collected from the ShoreーRead
Folk Artifacts Exhibition Room - The Sea and PeopleLivelihood
Humans have long observed nature in depth and tried to understand the creatures that exist beneath the surface of the water in order to obtain the bounty of the sea. Whether it's a small livelihood like "gathering ingredients for food" run by an individual or family, or a large fleet of fishing boats venturing out into the open sea, at its core lies an imagination for the activities of marine life and an accumulation of wisdom and experience learned through repeated ingenuity.
Scheduled for serialization
- Collecting from the shore (collecting fish and shellfish from the shore, using free diving equipment)
- Fishing with line (fishing hook, fishing line, weight, fishing bell, fish basket)
- Fishing with a net (net, float, weight, netting needle, knot for weaving the net)
- Fishing with traps: (trap fishing using traps such as fish nets)
- Searching with pots: (Various types of octopus pots)
- To carry fish (fish basket, fish basket)
Toy Exhibition Room: The Sea and the Human Heart
The vast natural world of the sea has been deeply intertwined with faith and prayer since ancient times. This sentiment towards the sea is reflected in festival implements and local toys. The invisible essence of the sea has been cherished, sometimes stylized or personified, like the god Ebisu. The sea itself seems to speak directly to human emotions as a colossal entity.
Scheduled for serialization
- Prayer for a bountiful catch (earthen bell, prayer amulet)
- Sea bream toys (wooden confectionery molds, dolls holding sea bream, sea bream carts)
Ebisu (clay figurine, papier-mâché, votive tablet)
• Whale toys (whale boat, whale spout, whale cart)
• Toys featuring pufferfish (pufferfish bells, whistles, pufferfish lanterns, porcupinefish lanterns)
- Summoning of treasure ships (treasure ships, fishing boats)
- Sea/Sky/Waves (representation of waves in kites and toys)
Planning, supervision, and writing
Koji Kato(Kato Koji)
Professor at Musashino Art University, specializing in folklore (research on folk implements). Holds a PhD in Literature. Previously served as a curator at the Wakayama Prefectural Kii Fudoki-no-Oka Museum and a professor at Tohoku Gakuin University (concurrently serving as a curator at the university museum), before assuming his current position in 2019. His major publications include "Folklore: Facing and Expressing the Past" (Musashino Art Publishing Bureau/2022) and "Folklore: Public Studies: Learning and Practicing for Oneself" (Musashino Art Publishing Bureau/2025).
Illustration:Ryotaro Hirosaki