INTRODUCTION At first glance, Thanh Ha Pottery may seem surprisingly simple. Unlike many ceramic traditions that feature glossy glazes, colorful paintings, or elaborate decorative patterns, traditional Thanh Ha pottery embraces a completely different aesthetic. Its natural clay color, unglazed surface, and minimalist appearance often surprise first-time visitors. However, this simplicity is not a limitation—it is the very identity of Thanh Ha Pottery Village. For centuries, a

INTRODUCTION For more than four centuries, Phuoc Kieu Bronze Casting Village has stood as one of Vietnam's most respected traditional craft villages. Located in Quang Nam Province, this historic village has preserved the art of bronze casting through generations of artisans who continue to refine techniques handed down from their ancestors. Today, the village is not only recognized for producing bronze bells, statues, and ceremonial objects, but also for representing a living

Today, Hội An is famous for its lantern-lit streets, yellow houses, and the iconic Japanese Covered Bridge. Every year, millions of visitors explore the ancient town, often hearing stories about the Japanese merchants who once lived there. But one question is rarely asked: Why did Japanese merchants travel more than 3,000 kilometers across the sea to trade in Hội An? During the early seventeenth century, the journey from Nagasaki to central Vietnam was neither easy nor safe.

INTRODUCTION During the 16th and 17th centuries, Hoi An emerged as one of the most important international trading ports in Southeast Asia under the rule of the Nguyen Lords. Located along strategic maritime routes connecting East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Europe, Hoi An became a natural meeting point for merchants from many different countries. Among these communities, Japanese traders played a particularly important role in shaping the port’s commercial and cultural identit

Introduction Today, Princess Anio is widely recognized as a symbol of the long-standing friendship between Vietnam and Japan. Known in Vietnam as Công nữ Ngọc Hoa and remembered in Japan as Anio-san, her marriage to Japanese merchant Araki Sotaro has inspired books, exhibitions, festivals, and most recently the internationally acclaimed opera Princess Anio. However, many people may not realize that her story appeared on Vietnamese television nearly three decades before the op

Introduction Kim Bong Carpentry Village is one of the most remarkable traditional craft villages in Vietnam. Located across the Thu Bon River from Hoi An Ancient Town, the village has been renowned for woodworking, architecture, and shipbuilding for more than four centuries. While merchants, rulers, and international trade often dominate discussions about Hoi An's golden age, the success of the port depended equally on the craftsmen who built and maintained its infrastructure

Introduction Ma Chau Silk Village is one of Vietnam's oldest silk-weaving communities and an important part of Quang Nam's cultural heritage. Located near Hoi An, the village has produced silk for centuries and played a significant role in the rise of Hoi An as one of Asia's most important trading ports during the seventeenth century. At a time when merchants from Japan, China, and Europe traveled to Hoi An in search of valuable goods, silk was among the most sought-after pro

Introduction Thanh Ha Pottery Village is one of the oldest and most important traditional craft villages in central Vietnam. Located on the banks of the Thu Bon River, just a short distance from Hoi An Ancient Town, the village has preserved its ceramic-making traditions for more than five centuries. During the seventeenth century, when Hoi An flourished as one of Asia's leading international trading ports, Thanh Ha Pottery Village supplied essential ceramic products that sup

Introduction More than four hundred years after her journey from Hoi An to Nagasaki, Princess Anio remains one of the most beloved historical figures connecting Vietnam and Japan. Known in Vietnam as Công nữ Ngọc Hoa and in Japan as Anio-san, her story has been preserved through historical documents, local traditions, festivals, and cultural memories that continue to inspire people in both countries. Yet beyond the well-known story of her marriage to the Japanese merchant Ara

Introduction Araki Sotaro is remembered as one of the most important Japanese merchants in the history of Vietnam–Japan relations. Living during the golden age of maritime trade in the seventeenth century, he traveled regularly between Nagasaki and Hoi An, helping connect two thriving port cities through commerce, diplomacy, and cultural exchange. Today, Araki Sotaro is best known as the husband of Princess Anio, also known as Princess Ngoc Hoa. Their marriage became one of t

Introduction Lord Nguyen Phuc Nguyen is remembered as one of the most influential rulers in Vietnamese history. Known as Lord Sai, he transformed Hoi An into one of Asia’s most important international trading ports during the seventeenth century and established the conditions that enabled cultural and commercial exchanges between Vietnam and Japan to flourish. Today, many people know him as the foster father of Princess Anio, also known as Princess Ngoc Hoa, whose marriage to