A Short History of Japanese Anatomical Entertainment

Anatomical models have long been used as a teaching tool in medicine. The Pink Tentacle blog relates a story from the July 2001 issue of Geijutsu Shincho magazine about the history of wooden birth dolls in Japan. Apparently the Japanese were so fascinated with human anatomy that these models were a popular attraction at carnivals and fairs – which probably says more about Japanese carnivals than their anatomy dolls.
More pics at the Pink Tentacle…
Image: Fetus model set (circa 1877) – Toyota Collection