On November 4, 2023, within the framework of a series of practical activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam - Japan friendship relations, the delegation of the International Scientific Conference: "Vietnam - Japan Relations: Past - Present - Future" organized by the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (VNU-USSH) and the Vietnam - Japan University under the Vietnam National University, Hanoi visited the museum, experienced the art of enameling and traditional pottery making at Kim Lan pottery village.
At Kim Lan commune, the delegation received a warm welcome from the representative of the People's Committee of the commune. At the beginning of the visit, exchange and connection of Vietnamese - Japanese culture, Mr. Nguyen Manh Ha - Chairman of the People's Committee of Kim Lan commune sent greetings and expressed his deepest gratitude to the late Dr. Nishimura Masanari and the archaeologists in the research group for their contributions to excavating and preserving the antiques and historical values of Kim Lan pottery village.
Prof. Dr. Momoki Shiro shares about the success of the workshop
Also at the meeting, Prof. Dr. Momoki Shiro (Vietnam-Japan University - VNU) shared about the success of the International Scientific Conference: "Vietnam - Japan Relations: Past - Present - Future". At the same time, he affirmed that the research results of the Conference and the study tour at Kim Lan pottery village are evidence of the strong cooperative relationship between Vietnam and Japan in research, exchange and cultural sharing between the two countries.
Japan and Vietnam - Preserving the heritage of Kim Lan pottery making
Visiting the Kim Lan Ceramic History Museum, the delegation had the opportunity to see with their own eyes and learn about the hundreds of years of history of pottery making with the meticulousness and care that is on par with Bat Trang pottery.
Delegation from Vietnam Japan University, VNU and partner universities in Japan
The delegation listened to a presentation about the traditions of Kim Lam pottery village as well as its history of formation and development..
Kim Lan is not only known for its valuable ceramic products, but also for its simple, rustic ceramics with elegant shapes. Kim Lan village is known as the place that produces household ceramics of the ancient Thang Long citadel and Kim Lan ceramics are considered to be on par with precious products such as silk, pearls, and jade.
The process of preserving and maintaining the exhibition house has received contributions from many benefactors from Vietnam and Japan such as Mr. Nguyen Minh Ha, Ambassador of the Embassy of Vietnam in Japan, Mr. Hattori Norio, Former Ambassador of Japan to Vietnam, etc. The exhibition house was designed by Mr. Ota Shoichi, a researcher of Asian Architecture, and Dr. Nishimura Masanari and his wife, Dr. Nishino Noriko, are in charge of the exhibition content..
The delegation listened to a presentation on the ancient enameling technique of Kim Lan village.
During the visit to Kim Lan, the delegation also had the opportunity to visit one of the ancient pottery workshops. The delegates were extremely surprised and impressed by the skillful craftsmanship and the traditional techniques of glazing and firing pottery. Villagers also shared new aspects that have been improved over time, combined with traditional elements. After nearly 40 years of dedicated efforts to preserve and develop the traditional craft, many types of products have been crafted, not only to serve the needs in Vietnam but also to reach international levels, especially in Japan.
At the end of the trip, the delegation visited and burned incense for the late Dr. Nishimura Masanari. The visitors were moved and emotional as they silently prayed, reminisced about their memories and thanked him for his contributions to Vietnam - his second home.
Prof. Dr. Momoki Shiro emotionally recalled the contributions of the late Dr. Nishimura Masanari to the S-shaped land, to the people and to the Kim Lan pottery craft.
The late Dr. Nishimura Masanari, born in 1965, has devoted his life and career to Vietnam for nearly 20 years, starting from when he participated in the cooperation program between Vietnam and Japan on the Vac village site. His master's thesis studied stone tools of the Hoa Binh and Son Vi cultures; his doctoral thesis studied archaeology in the Red River Delta and the Mekong Delta - Dong Nai.
During his time working in Vietnam, Dr. Nishimura Masanari and his wife excavated and restored many heritage sites and historical sites, as well as contributed to the construction of the Duong Xa Pottery Kiln Relic Museum (Bac Ninh) and the Kim Lan Ceramics and History Museum (Hanoi). He and archaeologists from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities conducted many excavations, explorations, and archaeological investigations in Vietnam and in Southeast Asian countries.
