I heard that two exhibitions with titles that piqued my curiosity—“Children’s Perspective Café” and “What Do You Want to Be?”—had opened in the same space, the ITOCHU SDGs STUDIO, so I went to check them out.

The latter is a special exhibition marking the 65th anniversary of Barbie's debut, designed to provide an opportunity for visitors to learn about occupational diversity and bias, and to reflect on their own potential and aspirations.

The Barbie doll was created in New York in 1959. Her unnatural, otherworldly figure seemed strange to me, so I had absolutely no interest in her as a child and never ended up buying a single one.

However, it seems that Barbie has played a significant role in the advancement of women in society.

In 1962, at a time when women couldn’t even open a bank account, she purchased a home as a female representative. In 1980, she also launched the “We Girls Can Do Anything” advertising campaign.

In 1985, “CEO Barbie” was introduced to help break through invisible barriers.Astronaut, doctor, diplomat, pilot, president, zoologist, physicist, musician, actress, Olympic athlete. With over 250 different career roles, Barbie has showcased the diversity of career choices available to women, become a symbol of female leadership, and served as a role model for women’s advancement in society.

In addition, there were seven skin tones, 22 eye colors, and three body types. It seems the doll served as a symbol of diverse beauty—encompassing not only professions but also race and body type—and encouraged self-acceptance and an understanding of diversity. Specifically, Black and Hispanic dolls debuted in 1980.In 2016, a Barbie with a new body type graced the cover of TIME magazine.

It’s because he showed children their limitless potential by telling them, “You can be anything you want,” and encouraged them to achieve self-fulfillment and pursue their dreams that he was embraced by people all over the world. I’ve finally come to understand that.

So, I tried my hand at being an astronaut at an interactive exhibit where, when you take a photo, Barbie’s face changes to your own!

I Tried Being an Adventurer with “Narukamo Business Cards”—Business Cards That Create the Future When You Tap Your Name!

We girls can do anything!