More than toys the Japanese KYŌDO-GANGU

The Museu Etnològic i de Cultures del Món preserves a very prominent collection of kyōdo-gangu, small Japanese objects that have often been described in the West as toys, but which in actual fact went well beyond recreation. Actually, these items (made of humble materials such as clay, wood and papier maché) were bearers of moral values of the traditional Japanese society.   
This showcase exhibition explores those kyōdo-gangu related to the unequal and hierarchical education of Japanese children, which was based on gender differences. Thus, these objects verify that girls’ education emphasised the domestic sphere and promoted values such as obedience, submissiveness, and humility; whereas boys’ education was related to exterior life and encouraged values such as loyalty, bravery, and honour. 
The display of these kyōdo-gangu clearly imbued with an educational background, allows us a glimpse into the diverse range of Japanese legends, stories, and popular traditions that underlie these items, dating back to the Edo period (1603-1868) and the Meiji period (1868-1912). 
Besides, the visitors can discover the circumstances surrounding the arrival of these items to Barcelona during the 1950s and 1960s and their final destination, as part of the collections of the Museu Etnològic i de Cultures del Món, as well as the essential role that sculptor Eudald Serra played in this process.