Professor Kikuchi Seiichi: "Archaeology helps us understand Vietnam better."

Professor Nguyen Van Khanh (left, Rector) presents a commemorative plaque and flowers to congratulate Professor Kikuchi Seiichi. (Photo: Thanh Long/USSH)

The ceremony to present the commemorative medal to Professor Kikuchi Seiichi was attended by many Vietnamese historians and archaeologists who have been close colleagues and friends of the Professor for many years. Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Van Kim (Vice Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities) reviewed Professor Kikuchi Seiichi's more than 20-year association with Vietnamese archaeology.

Professor Kikuchi Seiichi was born in 1954 in Gunma Prefecture, Japan. He developed a deep love for Vietnam and its culture at a young age and first visited Vietnam in 1979. This trip left him with many profound memories and led him to discover and read "Fundamentals of Archaeology," compiled by the late Professor Tran Quoc Vuong and Professor Ha Van Tan. Upon returning to Japan, Professor Kikuchi resolved to self-study Vietnamese and diligently used Vietnamese dictionaries to translate the book into Japanese over many years. This became one of the first books on Vietnamese archaeology published in Japan.

In 1993, young university lecturer Kikuchi Seiichi decided to go to Vietnam to learn Vietnamese and directly participate in surveys and coordinate archaeological excavations at many sites and relics in Vietnam. The scientist quickly integrated with the Vietnamese historical and archaeological research community, proactively learning and establishing close relationships with many renowned scientists such as Professor Phan Huy Le, Professor Ha Van Tan, Professor Luong Ninh, Professor Diep Dinh Hoa, and others.

Following the 1990 international conference on the ancient town of Hoi An, with strong support from Japan, Hoi An became a symbol of close cooperation between researchers from both countries in general and archaeologists in particular. Together with his colleagues, Professor Kikuchi Seiichi began a fundamental and comprehensive study of the ancient town of Hoi An, placing it within the historical context of the central trading port of the Dang Trong region as well as the regional context. This parallel collaboration between historical archaeology and architecture yielded excellent results: Hoi An became a World Heritage site and one of the two heritage sites of Quang Nam province.

From 1993 to the present, Professor Kikuchi Seiichi has published numerous scientific works related to the ancient town of Hoi An at various scientific conferences, and compiled these studies in the monograph "History of the Ancient Town of Hoi An," published in both Vietnamese and Japanese. Passionate about research for many years, Professor Kikuchi Seiichi has built close relationships and strong bonds with the local community. In fact, many residents of Hoi An know and are familiar with the image of the Japanese archaeologist from his long field trips there.

Along with the ancient town of Hoi An, Professor Kikuchi Seiichi paid special attention to the connection between Hoi An and the trading ports of Central Vietnam, thus dedicating much time to surveying trading ports from North Central to South Central Vietnam. He was also interested in the interaction between commercial centers in coastal and estuary areas. Following the traces of trade routes between Japan and Asia, he conducted in-depth research on Japanese Hizen ceramics in the Bao Lap area (Lam Dong province), and offered noteworthy perspectives on the history of the formation and development of Hizen ceramics, as well as the history of Japanese exports of Hizen ceramics abroad in the 17th century.

Commenting on the contributions and commitment of Japanese scientists to Vietnam, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Van Kim said:Driven by his love for Vietnamese culture and history, and his passion and dedication to research, Professor Kikuchi Seiichi has devoted himself to and made significant contributions to Vietnamese archaeology. Professor Kikuchi's research on ancient cities and villages in various parts of Vietnam, such as the ancient city of Hoi An, the Ho Dynasty citadel, Duong Lam ancient village (Son Tay), and Phuoc Tich ancient village (Hue), has played a crucial role in proposing the recognition of national and world cultural heritage sites."

Furthermore, he made significant contributions to promoting cooperative relationships between Vietnamese and Japanese scientists; he initiated many cultural exchanges, seminars, and scientific forums between Vietnam and Japan, as well as internationally. Professor's contributions are closely linked to the development of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, specifically the Archaeology department of the University.

Expressing his joy and emotion at the affection shown by his Vietnamese colleagues and friends, Professor Kikuchi stated:I have been fascinated by Vietnam since I was a child, and when I had the opportunity to travel abroad for work and to broaden my horizons, Vietnam was my first destination. I want to use archaeology to understand Vietnam better."

He also shared many memories about self-learning Vietnamese through dictionaries and overcoming many difficulties over the years to be able to publish his first book on Vietnamese archaeology in Japan. That was the first opportunity that led to him dedicating most of his life and career to archaeological research in Vietnam.

At the age of 60, Professor Kikuchi Seiichi surprised listeners with his vitality and enthusiasm for research projects and promoting academic exchange in Vietnam in the coming years. First, he plans to establish student and faculty exchange programs between Showa Women's University and the University of Social Sciences and Humanities. Next, he envisions seeking support from Japanese corporations and exchange funds to build a center for Vietnam-Japan historical cooperation at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi. This will be a concrete location for implementing collaborative activities and mutual support in research between Vietnamese and Japanese scientists, aiming to build a modern and internationally integrated field of archaeology in Vietnam. Another major concern of Professor Kikuchi Seiichi is promoting the publication of valuable documents related to Vietnam-Japan cooperation throughout centuries. Finally, Professor... Kikuchi Seiichi shared that he wants to compile a Vietnamese archaeological dictionary in three languages—English, Vietnamese, and Japanese—as a foundational tool for archaeological research in Vietnam.

A Japanese scientist stated:Through my professional work, I want to contribute to the development of research exchanges between the two countries. In particular, I want to give young people from both countries the opportunity to learn about each other, discover the beauty and valuable aspects of their respective cultures and histories, to better appreciate what they have, and together contribute to the development of Vietnam-Japan relations in the future."