Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Tin Toys Stories

In the Japan Pavilion at Epcot, there is the Bijutsu-kan (museum) Gallery. It is home to a rotating collection of art and collectibles that focus on Japanese culture.


The most recent exhibit is the Kitahara Collection of Tin-Toys.


If you walk to the back of the pavilion and enter the main building, the gallery is on the left before you reach the Mitsukoshi Department Store. The Gallery is a beautiful, sedate spot to wander for a few moments without the crowds at your back. There are a few benches and the ambient lighting is perfect for a momentary respite.




Here are a few pictures of the display. Don't forget to spend some time in the Gallery the next time you find yourself in Japan.









Special thanks to Jeff Pepper of 2719 Hyperion for pointing out this great exhibit.

Addendum: Greg, from the Disney Obsession blog, has posted more information about the collection and some great pictures as well. Stop by his blog and leave him some Disney Geek love!

6 comments:

Princess Fee said...

One of the true overlooked treasures of the Japanese Pavilion - and the World Showcase as a whole. Especially good if you want a cool down from the heat outside - it's interesting and fun to look at! Thanks George (& Jeff)!

David Caffey said...

While riding Toy Store Midway Mania the other day I noticed one of the books displayed was called 'Tin Toys' by some guy named Lasseter

Unknown said...

David,

I wasn't sure if you were aware of the film:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tin_Toy

It is a great short and I love that they added that detail to the TSMM ride.

Thanks for telling us about the detail!

Ryan P. Wilson said...

I didn't run across these, even though I am a huge fan of the galleries, until Doc mentioned them to me. After seeing his fascination with them, I had to meadner over and take a look at them, and they were very cool. Thanks for reminding me of them (since I neglected to take any pictures), and thanks for the head's up Doc!

Greg said...

George, you scooped me man! But you're right; this is often overlooked and worth the visit. It is full of interesting toys and offers a brief escape from the heat of the day. I hope you don't mind but I paid a bit of tribute to your post by adding some additional photographs and a bit about the collector on my blog.

Ryan, thanks for the hat tip!

Greg said...

BTW, since you posted it first, does this mean I miss the Geek-end Update roll call?