About Showa no Kodomotachi

Dolls of villagers gathered in front of a wooden house

The Showa 30s (1955–1964): we were poor, but it was a time like no other, when children could simply be children.

Showa no Kodomotachi (Children of the Showa Era) is a series of works in which Japanese doll artist Ishii Michiko drew on her memories of being a child in the Showa 30s and recreated those scenes in dolls and dioramas.

The series is divided into two parts—Part 1, “Hometown (Furusato),” depicting people living in the countryside, and Part 2, “People of the Sea (Umi no Hito),” depicting people living by the sea—with 64 works and 332 figures in all.

Every doll has its own face, and every one is full of life. Each scene captures a real day in the life of someone whose name we will never know.

The works have been exhibited at more than 100 venues across Japan, drawing over 1.5 million visitors, many of whom have told us how deeply they were moved.

These exhibitions across Japan, beginning with the one at the Edo-Tokyo Museum in 2000, are said to have helped spark the wave of nostalgia for the Showa 30s. Today, amid the Showa retro boom, we hope people of all generations will come to see them.

Those Days

Words by Ishii Michiko

I was a child, that much is certain
School was dull
but we had long afternoons after school
The grown-ups were busy just getting by
so we had all the free time in the world

Capture the flag, sword fights, tag
hopscotch, kick the can, catching dragonflies
Our pockets were stuffed
with our treasured Higonokami pocketknives
and the menko cards and marbles we’d won at play

We climbed trees and swam in the river
made our friends cry, and cried ourselves
Times were poor
and we were always hungry
but even so, it was heaven to us
Scuffles and fistfights, being left out—
we settled it all by our own rules

We had nothing, and it was enough
Back then, time really did move slowly

Now we have grown up
and cannot remember the children we once were

Why is that?

The childhood we thought would last forever
the childhood that was such fun
came to a sudden end, and we all went our separate ways

Growing up
meant getting busy
Swept along by it all
we forgot that dear world that was ours alone

Why didn’t we hold on
to those happy days, just as they were?

I cannot remember the child I was
Perhaps I have lost sight of myself

Play

Back alleys, open fields, beaches—everywhere was our playground.

  • “Children of the Wind (Kaze no Ko)”“Children are children of the wind,” people used to say, and out we all went to play. The roads were slushy with snow, so we gathered on the beach. The wind was still cold, but throwing ourselves against our friends soon warmed us up. We often played oshikura manju, too—huddling together and shoving to keep warm.
  • “Sword Fight Play (Chanbara)”Who is this striding boldly onto the scene—Tange Sazen? Arashi Kanjuro (“Arakan”)? Back then, the heroes we children longed to be were the dazzling stars of samurai films, their images burned into our memories.
  • “Rock, Paper, Scissors (Janken)”There was a saying: “The poor have the most children.” Every household was full of children, and even the boys played with a little sister or brother strapped to their backs.
  • “Ohajiki with Shell Lids (Chinkoba Ohajiki)”In parts of the Noto Peninsula, the lids of turban shells were called chinkoba. The girls would gather in the shade and play ohajiki—a flicking game—with chinkoba and seashells. Winning a rare, pretty shell from an opponent was a real thrill. Cooled by the sea breeze, the beach made a fine playground for children even at the height of summer.
  • “Marbles (Bidama)”In the Tohoku region, winter shuts everything in with bitter cold and snow. Impatient for the long winter to end, the boys head out onto roads where the snow has only just melted to play marbles. The middle of the road has dried out—surely now the marbles will roll right where they aim.
  • “Spinning Tops (Koma)”Boyhood days spent playing in earnest until the sun went down. It was take or be taken—we threw ourselves into every match in dead earnest, with no do-overs.
  • “The Tricycle (Sanrinsha)”The tricycle we rode with our brothers and friends was our proudest treasure. Our hearts cut through the wind.
  • “The Bug-Catching Boy (Konchu Shonen)”Countless children were hooked on collecting insects—most of them boys, by far. In this way, children deepened their understanding and love of nature and of life.
  • “Who Goes Farthest? (Tobashikko)”Stay innocent and carefree, and grow up just as you are. Please stay healthy. This is your mother's wish.
  • “The Naughty Boys (Akudo)”People called them scamps and little terrors. Now and then their lovable spirit found no outlet and ran wild, but usually it all came to nothing more than harmless mischief.
  • “Covered in Mud (Doronko)”Someday, when you are grown, the runny nose, the tears, the scrape on your forehead—every one of them will be a precious badge of honor from your childhood.
  • “Menko Cards (Menko)”The ground itself was a child's plaything. There was plenty of time to play, and never a shortage of friends. This country was a paradise for children.
  • “Making a Face (Akkanbe)”Akkanbe at somebody. Akkanbe at the sky. Catch me if you can—akkanbe! Look, here I am.
  • “Peeking Between the Legs (Matanozoki)”When your heart feels stuck, try looking at the world upside down. Even the scenery you know so well—look, it changes.
  • “Little Rascal (Wanpaku)”Reflected far off in the boy's eyes is a dream too big to hold… His heart soars into the sky…

Home

The low dining table, the veranda, and Grandma’s lap.

  • “The Circle of Life (Meguru Inochi)”Voices murmur in the distance. May the sky over these children's future shine blue as well, and may they be sheltered by the warm sunlight that embraces every living thing.
  • “Afternoon Nap (Gosui)”A summer afternoon, a cool breeze drifting through. Mother and child let the time slip by, lulled by the song of the cicadas.
  • “By the Kitchen Hearth (Kamado no Mae)”On the paths between the fields, before the kitchen hearth, here and there throughout my hometown, I see my mother, who is gone now.
  • “Resting on Mother's Lap (Hizamakura)”Mother's lap, mine alone at last. Wrapped in its warmth, the bliss of drifting off into a doze.
  • “Helping Out (Otetsudai)”Thank you for all the help from your little hands. Having you here makes your mother so happy.
  • “On the Way Home from School (Gakko Gaeri)”Lose at rock, paper, scissors and you carried everyone's bags. Our long afternoons after school always began on the way home.
  • “Big Brother's School Bag (Oniichan no Kaban)”The school satchel of the big brother he adores. A day from early childhood, before he knew what learning meant.
  • “Sisters (Shimai)”I secretly admired the way my big sister lived. She carried the scent of a grown-up world I did not know.
  • “Best Friends (Nakayoshi)”To Sacchan, my dear friend: now and then I still take out the memories of the childhood we spent together, and draw strength from them to go on living.
  • “Crybaby (Nakimushi)”Why was that tattered doll so precious to me back then? Why can I no longer cry? Once, there were crying children in every alley.

Work

Children were always watching the grown-ups at work.

  • “Helping with Rice Planting (Taue Tetsudai)”In the busy season, children became important workers too. School closed for the rice-planting break, and the whole family turned out to plant the seedlings. Little ones too young to help played in the paddies.
  • “The Vegetable Seller (Yasai-uri)”The carrying pole digs into Mom's shoulder. Her voice, ringing out as she sells her vegetables, is proof of a strong and resilient life.
  • “Rice-Planting Maidens (Saotome)”Women who plant rice are known collectively as saotome. Rice planting was a sacred task, watched over by the god of the rice fields. The girls went out to the paddies in white undergarments beneath neat, clean work clothes. Along with the birdsong all around, the bright voices of the young women brought the mountain-village paddies sparkling to life.
  • “Threshing Rice (Inekoki)”Minding the babies was simply expected, but play was what children did best. Forgetting the weight on their backs, they let the hours fly by. Their ball-bouncing songs, ringing through the clear autumn air, brought quiet comfort to the grown-ups toiling away.
  • “Twisting Straw Rope (Nawanai)”The rope that took shape in Grandma's hands, almost as if it were alive, was used not just for tying things but for all kinds of straw crafts. Watching her nimble fingers, spellbound, the children found it was fun—and soon learned to do it themselves.
  • “A Short Break (Ippuku)”A hardy spirit that seems almost to relish hard labor. A traveler through time pauses here for a moment's rest.
  • “The Way Home (Ieji)”Father and Mother were always there before our eyes, hard at work. Children pulled their weight as workers too, and hunger was never far away—but we had our family.

The Seasons

Starting school under the cherry blossoms, summer yukata, snow huts in winter.

  • “Under the Cherry Tree (Sakura no Ki no Shita de)”Dear faces come back from the far reaches of memory. In that moment, we truly were friends sharing the same time.
  • “The Temple Fair (Ennichi)”The acetylene lamps beckoned us into a thrilling, heart-pounding, wondrous world. The signs of the sideshow tents fired children's imaginations.
  • “Kamishibai Storyteller (Kamishibai)”Once we heard the drum of the kamishibai man, we couldn't sit still. What would happen next in yesterday's Golden Bat story? We clutched the 10-yen coins Mom had given us.
  • “The Wedding Day (Totsugu Hi)”On an auspicious day, once everyday life had at last settled back into calm, a bride sets out toward her future, blessed by the bright, healthy smiles of everyone around her.
  • “Tender Love (Jiai)”A mother's gaze, smiling as she accepts everything. She lives in a world of silence.
  • “The Snow Hut (Kamakura)”The children's world that brightens winter in the snow country—a feast of angels who have flown down on a snowy night.

Click a photo to enlarge it.

Showa no Kodomotachi comprises 64 works and 332 figures in two parts: Part 1, Hometown (Furusato), and Part 2, People of the Sea (Umi no Hito). Below is a list of the works, with the number of figures and the year each was made.

Part 1: Hometown (Furusato)

The number of figures and the year made for the 51 themes and the extra works listed on our former official website.

  1. The Snow Hut (Kamakura)4 figures, 19984 figures, 1998
  2. Tender Love (Jiai)3 figures, 19983 figures, 1998
  3. Buddha's Smile (Hotoke-warai)2 figures, 19972 figures, 1997
  4. Lost in Play (Muchu)1 figure, 19961 figure, 1996
  5. Big Brother's School Bag (Oniichan no Kaban)1 figure, 19971 figure, 1997
  6. A Moment of Plenty (Hojo no Hitotoki)5 figures, 19975 figures, 1997
  7. Helping Out (Otetsudai)1 figure, 19921 figure, 1992
  8. Resting on Mother's Lap (Hizamakura)2 figures, 19962 figures, 1996
  9. The Circle of Life (Meguru Inochi)3 figures, 19963 figures, 1996
  10. By the Kitchen Hearth (Kamado no Mae)1 figure, 19941 figure, 1994
  11. With the Little One (Osanago to)3 figures, 19943 figures, 1994
  12. Piecework at Home (Naishoku)2 figures, 19942 figures, 1994
  13. At Mother's Side (Haha no Katawara)2 figures, 19922 figures, 1992
  14. Afternoon Nap (Gosui)2 figures, 19972 figures, 1997
  15. The Way Home (Ieji)5 figures, 19965 figures, 1996
  16. The Sound of Waves (Shiosai)4 figures, 19964 figures, 1996
  17. Little Rascal (Wanpaku)1 figure, 19911 figure, 1991
  18. Our Tree (Bokura no Ki)9 figures, 19969 figures, 1996
  19. New Shoes (Atarashii Kutsu)1 figure, 19911 figure, 1991
  20. Sword Fight Play (Chanbara)2 figures, 19922 figures, 1992
  21. The Quarrel (Kenka)3 figures, 19953 figures, 1995
  22. The Teacher (Sensei)4 figures, 19974 figures, 1997
  23. The Scuffle (Tokkumiai)7 figures, 19977 figures, 1997
  24. The Lost Game (Makejiai)4 figures, 19924 figures, 1992
  25. Covered in Mud (Doronko)1 figure, 19961 figure, 1996
  26. Peeking Between the Legs (Matanozoki)2 figures, 19952 figures, 1995
  27. Making a Face (Akkanbe)1 figure, 19971 figure, 1997
  28. Home from Playing in the Flowers (Kusabana Asobi no Kaerimichi)2 figures, 19922 figures, 1992
  29. Best Friends (Nakayoshi)2 figures, 19942 figures, 1994
  30. Crybaby (Nakimushi)2 figures, 19942 figures, 1994
  31. The Temple Fair (Ennichi)2 figures, 19922 figures, 1992
  32. The Tricycle (Sanrinsha)2 figures, 19932 figures, 1993
  33. Who Goes Farthest? (Tobashikko)2 figures, 19942 figures, 1994
  34. The Tub Bath (Gyozui)5 figures, 19955 figures, 1995
  35. Marbles (Bidama)5 figures, 19915 figures, 1991
  36. Spinning Tops (Koma)4 figures, 19924 figures, 1992
  37. Rock, Paper, Scissors (Janken)5 figures, 19925 figures, 1992
  38. The Naughty Boys (Akudo)7 figures, 19977 figures, 1997
  39. On the Way Home from School (Gakko Gaeri)5 figures, 19955 figures, 1995
  40. Under the Cherry Tree (Sakura no Ki no Shita de)4 figures, 19924 figures, 1992
  41. A Short Break (Ippuku)1 figure, 19981 figure, 1998
  42. The Vegetable Seller (Yasai-uri)1 figure, 19941 figure, 1994
  43. A Band of Peddlers (Gyosho no Mure)9 figures, 19939 figures, 1993
  44. Sisters (Shimai)2 figures, 19912 figures, 1991
  45. Street Girls (Gaisho)6 figures, 19946 figures, 1994
  46. The Wedding Day (Totsugu Hi)44 figures, 199544 figures, 1995
  47. Mother and Child (Boshizo)2 figures, 19992 figures, 1999
  48. Kamishibai Storyteller (Kamishibai)26 figures, 199326 figures, 1993
  49. Twisting Straw Rope (Nawanai)3 figures, 20073 figures, 2007
  50. Helping with Rice Planting (Taue Tetsudai)6 figures, 20076 figures, 2007
  51. Threshing Rice (Inekoki)5 figures, 20075 figures, 2007
  52. After the Rain (Ameagari)Extra, 1 figure, 1991Extra, 1 figure, 1991
  53. The Errand (Otsukai)Extra, 2 figures, 1991Extra, 2 figures, 1991
  54. Menko Cards (Menko)Extra, 5 figures, 1991Extra, 5 figures, 1991

Part 2: People of the Sea (Umi no Hito)

The number of figures and the year made for the works created from 2011 to 2016.

  1. Children of the Shore (Hama no Ko)7 figures, 20117 figures, 2011
  2. Hauling In the Divers' Boat (Amabune no Hikiage)24 figures, 201224 figures, 2012
  3. The Diver's Rest (Ama no Kyukei)14 figures, 201414 figures, 2014
  4. Ohajiki with Shell Lids (Chinkoba Ohajiki)6 figures, 20156 figures, 2015
  5. Children of the Wind (Kaze no Ko)8 figures, 20158 figures, 2015
  6. Jumping Rubber Rope (Gomutobi)7 figures, 20157 figures, 2015
  7. Playing House (Mamagoto)6 figures, 20156 figures, 2015
  8. Afternoon on the Shore (Hama no Gogo)13 figures, 201613 figures, 2016
  9. Young Women at Work (Hataraku Musumetachi)4 figures, 20164 figures, 2016
  10. Kankoro Rice (Kankoro Meshi)8 figures, 20168 figures, 2016

What is Showa no Kodomotachi?

It is a series of doll works that doll artist Ishii Michiko created around the theme of the Showa 30s (1955–1964). The series has 64 works and 332 figures in two parts: Part 1, “Hometown (Furusato),” and Part 2, “People of the Sea (Umi no Hito).” The dolls are modeled in toso, a woody clay made from paulownia sawdust, and finished with natural animal glue (nikawa), mineral pigments and other materials.

Who made them?

Doll artist Ishii Michiko (1953–2023). Born in Fukui, Fukui Prefecture, she began learning the fundamentals of toso doll-making around 1987 and created Showa no Kodomotachi on the theme of her own childhood. She passed away in 2023, and her works are now cared for and shared by Atelier Michiko Corporation. For more about her, see Ishii Michiko, Doll Artist.

How many works and figures are there?

64 works and 332 figures, divided into Part 1, “Hometown (Furusato),” and Part 2, “People of the Sea (Umi no Hito).” The List of Works on this page includes the works whose titles we have been able to confirm so far.

What era do they depict?

Japan in the Showa 30s (1955–1964). Ishii Michiko chose her own childhood as the theme of her work and launched Showa no Kodomotachi as a message of encouragement to the baby-boom generation and to herself as she went on with her life. The works depict children at play, family life, work in the fields and peddling, seasonal festivals and more.

What is “People of the Sea” about?

Part 2, “People of the Sea (Umi no Hito),” takes as its theme the people who live by the sea. Ishii Michiko began it as a requiem after the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 2011, and completed it in September 2016.

Where can I see them?

The works have been exhibited at more than 100 venues across Japan, including history and art museums, department stores and local government events. Current and upcoming exhibitions are listed on our Exhibitions page. For facilities and companies, we also offer the Monthly Display Lease, which delivers dolls or photo panels with a different work each month.

Is there a photo book?

Yes. “Photo Story: Showa no Kodomotachi,” with photographs of the dolls by Yamamoto Kunihiko, comes in two volumes: “Hometown (Furusato)” and “People of the Sea (Umi no Hito).” For details, see the Photo Books page.

Can people who never knew the Showa era enjoy them?

Ishii Michiko hoped that the works would bring back fond memories of the Showa era for the baby-boom generation, and let later generations feel that “there once was a time like this in Japan.” At one exhibition, a 14-year-old visitor from Kochi told us: “These are scenes from a time I never saw and never knew. So why did they feel so nostalgic?”

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