Days of tears and laughter.
There was a time when people had little, yet their hearts were rich.
Now on View
Now on view
Showa no Kodomotachi: Selected Works
Hachioji City Museum, Soto no Mori
- Dates
- Oct 3, 2026 – Jan 31, 2027Six works are on display until October 25, and five works from then until January 31.
- Works on display
- “Buddha's Smile (Hotoke-warai)”, “Peeking Between the Legs (Matanozoki)”, “New Shoes (Atarashii Kutsu)”, “The Tricycle (Sanrinsha)”, “Crybaby (Nakimushi)”“Kamishibai Storyteller (Kamishibai)” is on display until October 25.
- Venue
- Hachioji City Museum, Soto no Mori3-26-1 Koyasu-machi, Hachioji, Tokyo / 10-minute walk from the South Exit of JR Hachioji Station
- Hours
- 10:00–18:00
- Closed
- Mondays, December 29–January 3, and other days
Opening hours and closing days follow the venue (Soto no Mori). Please check the venue's information before you visit.
The golden age of childhood. Showa memories, for generations to come.
Showa no Kodomotachi (Children of the Showa Era) is a series of Japanese dolls by doll artist Ishii Michiko, set in the Showa 30s (1955–1964).
The artist passed away in 2023. Our work at Atelier Michiko Corporation is to preserve her world and pass it on to the next generation.
Through exhibitions and photo books, we hope to stay close to the many people for whom these dolls bring back fond memories.
We also bring scenes of the Showa era to you through display leases for facilities, licensing of the works, and merchandise.
Background painting by Ishii Michiko
The Artist: Ishii Michiko Every face looks like someone you once knew.
The children of the Showa 30s, racing through back alleys and across the fields. Each doll has its own expression, bringing back memories of the mothers, fathers, and friends of those days.
In 2000, the Edo-Tokyo Museum held its first-ever exhibition devoted to a living artist, drawing 80,000 visitors in 50 days.
The dolls have been exhibited at more than 100 venues across Japan, including history and art museums and department stores, with total attendance exceeding 1.5 million.
Monthly Display Lease Bring a new piece of the Showa era to your lobby every month.
For senior care facilities, hospital waiting rooms, and corporate lobbies. We deliver dolls or photo panels for a monthly fee, with the works changing every month.
A time for sharing fond memories. The works can be used in reminiscence therapy or to set the mood of a space.
Please contact us to discuss the details.
Licensing Bring this world into your project.
We review each request individually, for uses such as publishing photos of the works, exhibitions, regional promotion, and merchandise based on the doll designs.
Licenses are non-exclusive as a rule, and we do not provide the works as training data for generative AI.
Licensing to third parties is a new initiative that we are just beginning in earnest.
Diorama by Ishii Michiko
Information
News
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We have added information about the exhibition of "Children of the Showa Era" at Sōto no Mori Hachiōji Rekishi and Kyōdo Museum.
Oct 3, 2026 Learn more -
Notice of Website Renewal
Oct 1, 2026 Learn more -
Added information about the doll exhibition at Fujieda City Museum of Local History and Literature.
Mar 16, 2024 Learn more -
The price of "Photo Story: Showa no Kodomotachi - Furusato Edition" has been revised.
Mar 10, 2024 Learn more
Contact
We would love
to hear from you.
Hosting an exhibition, a display lease for your facility, licensing the works, or stocking our photo books and postcards—one form covers every inquiry.