Mrs. Bowles, an American in Tokyo, wrote the following description of the doll
palace, which was gift from the Empress of Japan:
The doll palace in the Educational Museum is wonderful. It
is a perfect Japanese house, surrounded with an exquisite Japanese garden, the
whole enclosed in a huge glass case. Miss America is, of course, sitting in
the place of honor; on either side, as guests, are a number of American dolls,
together with a few Japanese dolls who act as hostesses. All over the garden
are articles used for kindergarten games. Some dolls are sliding down the
slide; others are on the see-saw; some are picking flowers. There are just
enough Japanese dolls to act as caretakers and hostesses.
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Doll House
Photo courtesy of
National Science Museum, Tokyo
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No aspect of the Japanese reception to the American dolls
fascinated American children more than the story of the doll palace, and the
keenest interest was taken in the beautiful photographs of it that were sent
from Japan.
A letter to the Minister of the Japanese Imperial Household
from Sidney Gulick, members of the Committee on World Friendship Among Children,
and other leaders of the Doll Program thanked the Japanese for their
enthusiastic reception of the dolls: