The opening ceremony of the Japanese Satsuma Yaki Art Museum in Hội An Ancient Town. The museum displays about 1,500 exhibits on showcasing traditional Japanese ceramics. — Photos courtesy of Mori Takero

HỘI AN — A new museum dedicated to Satsuma Yaki, a traditional Japanese ceramic art form originating in what is now Kagoshima Prefecture during and after the Edo period, has opened in Hội An, marking a new step in cultural exchange between the ancient town and Japan.

The Japanese Satsuma Yaki Art Museum features collections of Satsuma Yaki artworks and offers visitors an opportunity to explore one of Japan’s distinctive artistic traditions.

Located at 17 Hùng Vương Street within the Japanese Bridge and Japanese Culture Gallery complex, the museum is expected to become a gathering place for residents and visitors interested in Japanese art and culture, while providing deeper insight into Japan’s traditional arts and cultural heritage.

The Consul General of Japan in Đà Nẵng City, Mori Takero, poses for a photo at the opening ceremony of the Japanese Satsuma Yaki Art Museum in Hội An Ancient Town.

The museum is the second Japanese cultural venue in Hội An, following the opening of the Japanese Culture Gallery on Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai Street in 2017. The gallery showcases Japanese calligraphy, tea ceremony traditions, origami and yukata try-on experiences.

The Consul General of Japan in Đà Nẵng, Mori Takero, said: “It’s gratifying to see that Vietnamese people are fascinated by the beauty of and collect so many pieces of Satsuma Yaki. It’s a great idea to exhibit this valuable collection in Hội An, the historic point of trade between Việt Nam and Japan. I hope that many people from Việt Nam and Japan and other countries, as well as local residents and visitors, will come here to admire this remarkable collection.”

A Satsuma ceramic piece is displayed at the Japanese Satsuma Yaki Art Museum at 17 Hùng Vương Street in Hội An. The ancient town has hosted the annual Hội An–Japan Cultural Exchange Festival for 22 years.

The Japanese Satsuma Yaki Art Museum displays 1,500 Satsuma pottery pieces, including the premium Satsuma Kyoto tea set, a masterpiece depicting the four seasons and featuring embossed brocade painting techniques with 24-carat gold gilding, crackle-glazed ceramics from the Kagoshima region (old Satsuma ware) dating from the Meiji period (1868–1912) and Imperial Satsuma pieces.

In previous years, Hizen porcelain patterns and historical stories about the ancient Japanese craft were also showcased at the annual Hội An–Japan Cultural Exchange Festival.

A collection from the premium Satsuma Kyoto tea set, a masterpiece depicting the four seasons and featuring embossed brocade painting techniques and 24-carat gold gilding, is on display at the Japanese Satsuma Yaki Art Museum in Hội An.

The Japanese Bridge has served as the main venue for the annual Hội An–Japan Festival for more than 22 years.

The bridge is an iconic symbol of the friendship between Việt Nam and Japan over the past 400 years, with particular emphasis on the 17th-century marriage of Vietnamese Princess Ngọc Hoa and Japanese businessman Araki Sotaro.

The Hội An Centre for World Heritage Conservation said the local community in Cẩm Châu Commune has preserved three tombs of Japanese traders who died in the town in the 17th century.

Tani Yajirobei is believed to have died in 1647, and records relating to him contain some of the oldest and clearest information about his life, including his relationship with a local woman.

Hội An Ancient Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Đà Nẵng City are home to Japanese communities and a range of Japanese-style restaurants.

A Satsuma ceramic plate set on display at the Japanese Satsuma Yaki Art Museum in Hội An. More than 1,500 Japanese ceramic products are on display at the museum.

Currently, the national flag-carrier, Vietnam Airlines is operating two air routes connecting Đà Nẵng with Narita and Osaka with 11 flights per week.

More than 200,000 Japanese tourists visited Đà Nẵng last year. — VNS