The Japanese Farmhouse
This is a house of a wealthy farmer in Japan 100 years ago. Imagine you are sitting somewhere in the house or garden. What would you hear? Feel? Touch? What materials did they use to build the house? The roof and windowpanes are made from the same plant. What is a common Asian plant? Why might this house be safe in an earthquake?

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Traditional Clothing
Can you find the clothing of a farmer, a geisha (performer), and a Shinto priest? Describe one.

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Shinto Festivals, Buddhist Festivals, and Annual Festivals
Which festival would you like to participate in with your family — New Year (a Shinto festival), Obon (a Buddhist festival), or the Doll Festival (celebrated at home)? Find the Shinto shrine, the doll display, or the Buddhist altar and giant statue of Buddha. Pick an artifact in the display; describe attending a festival and how the object would be used.

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