Dispelling myths about life in Japan

An unusual exhibition is helping to change stereotypical perceptions of Japan by stressing similarities of domestic practices across cultures. The exhibition recreates the layout of a standard urban Japanese apartment filled with a variety of mundane objects inhabitants surround themselves with as well as photographs taken inside real, lived-in domestic interiors. It is based on research published in a new book by Oxford University's Dr Inge Daniels. Dr Daniels hopes that the exhibition will overturn stereotypes that the Japanese live mysterious and minimalist lives and question 'the way Japan more generally is depicted as the quintessential exotic other. 'People can sit on sofas, open drawers, try on kimonos and touch and feel all the objects on display,' she says. 'Hopefully this interaction will encourage visitors to engage with another culture in an empathetic way. 'I have been worried about the media's voyeuristic approach since the earthquake and tsunami in March.