Time and Eternity (1996): The True Story Behind Princess Anio?
- Thạch Thanh Thảo
- Jul 1
- 6 min read
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 opera.
During the Lunar New Year of 1996, Ho Chi Minh City Television (HTV) broadcast a historical drama titled Time and Eternity (Thời Gian Và Vĩnh Cửu). According to historian Nguyễn Đắc Xuân, the film portrayed the romance between a daughter of the Nguyễn Lords and Japanese merchant Araki Sotaro before she followed her husband to Nagasaki.
The film introduced many Vietnamese viewers to a remarkable historical story that had received relatively little attention in official Vietnamese chronicles.
But was the story portrayed in the film based on real history?
Interestingly, Nguyễn Đắc Xuân addressed exactly this question in his book 700 Years of Thuận Hóa – Phú Xuân – Huế, where he compared Vietnamese records with Japanese historical documents and foreign research.
This article explores the historical background behind the 1996 television drama and why Princess Anio's story continues to fascinate historians more than four centuries later.
Table of Contents
1. What Was Time and Eternity (1996)?
For many viewers, Time and Eternity was simply a historical romance shown during the Lunar New Year.
According to historian Nguyễn Đắc Xuân, Ho Chi Minh City Television broadcast the film during Tết Bính Tý (1996) under the Vietnamese title Thời Gian Và Vĩnh Cửu.
The story followed a daughter of the Nguyễn Lords who married Japanese merchant Araki Sotaro before accompanying him to Japan.
Yet instead of presenting the romance as unquestionable history, Nguyễn Đắc Xuân raised an intriguing question:
"Did this love story really happen?"
His answer was both cautious and compelling.
Official Nguyễn dynasty chronicles recorded very little about the marriage. However, Japanese historical materials and the research of French orientalist Georges Dumoutier both preserved accounts of the relationship.
Rather than dismissing the story because of limited Vietnamese documentation, Nguyễn Đắc Xuân argued that historians should consider historical evidence from both countries.
This cross-cultural approach makes Princess Anio's story especially fascinating, as its history survives through multiple traditions rather than a single official source.
2. Did Princess Anio Really Marry Araki Sotaro?
The historical background of the story begins in the early seventeenth century.
After the death of Lord Nguyễn Hoàng, his successor Lord Nguyễn Phúc Nguyên sought to strengthen Đàng Trong through international trade. European, Chinese, and Japanese merchants regularly visited Hội An, which had become one of Asia's busiest trading ports.
Among these merchants, Araki Sotaro was one of the most influential.
According to Nguyễn Đắc Xuân, between 1604 and 1635, Araki Sotaro completed seventeen trading voyages to Đàng Trong, making him one of the leading Japanese merchants involved in trade with Vietnam.
Because of his close relationship with Lord Nguyễn, historical sources suggest that he eventually married one of the lord's daughters.
Interestingly, Vietnamese royal chronicles do not clearly record the princess's personal name.
Japanese historical sources remembered her as Anio, while French scholar Georges Dumoutier referred to her as Amô.
Another remarkable detail recorded in the book is that Lord Nguyễn reportedly gave Araki Sotaro a Vietnamese name:
Nguyễn Đại Lang.
The Vietnamese name reflected not only the merchant's close relationship with the Nguyễn court but also the trust placed in him during a period when foreign trade played a vital role in strengthening Đàng Trong.
Although historians continue to discuss certain details surrounding Princess Anio's identity, both Vietnamese and Japanese sources agree that the marriage became one of the earliest personal connections linking the two countries.
3. What Happened After Princess Anio Left Vietnam?
According to the historical account summarized by Nguyễn Đắc Xuân, Princess Anio and Araki Sotaro initially lived happily together in Hội An.
Later, during a visit to Araki Sotaro's hometown of Nagasaki, circumstances changed dramatically.
Japan's policy of restricting overseas travel prevented many Japanese merchants from returning abroad, leaving Princess Anio in Japan with her husband.
Araki Sotaro passed away in 1636.
Princess Anio remained in Japan until her own death in 1645 and was buried at Dainonji Temple.
One particularly valuable detail preserved in Nguyễn Đắc Xuân's research concerns a mirror that Princess Anio brought from Vietnam.
The book notes that her descendants carefully preserved the mirror for generations. Measuring approximately three and a half tấc wide and over four tấc high, the mirror featured elaborate carvings and gilded decorations unlike traditional Japanese mirrors of the period.
Today, the mirror is preserved at the Nagasaki Museum of History and Culture, making it one of the few surviving artifacts directly associated with Princess Anio.
More than four centuries later, this object continues to serve as a tangible reminder of the historical relationship between Vietnam and Japan.
Image
The mirror believed to have belonged to Princess Anio, now preserved at the Nagasaki Museum of History and Culture.
Source: 700 Years of Thuận Hóa – Phú Xuân – Huế (Nguyễn Đắc Xuân, Trẻ Publishing House, p.451).
4. Was Time and Eternity an Award-Winning Television Drama?
One question remains open.
While researching the history of Time and Eternity (Thời Gian Và Vĩnh Cửu), we found several references suggesting that the film may have been directed by Meritorious Artist (NSƯT) Trần Mỹ Hà and produced in 1996.
Some film reference materials also indicate that the production received notable recognition, including:
A Prize from the Vietnam Cinema Association
Silver Lotus Award at the Vietnam Film Festival
However, despite these references, we have not yet been able to independently verify that these awards belong to the same Time and Eternity television drama about Princess Anio broadcast by Ho Chi Minh City Television during Lunar New Year 1996.
At present, publicly available information about the production remains surprisingly limited. Official cast lists, production records, photographs, and archived footage have yet to be located.
As additional archival materials become available, this article will be updated accordingly.
Perhaps somewhere in Vietnam's television archives, Time and Eternity is still waiting to be rediscovered—just as Princess Anio's remarkable story has gradually been rediscovered over the past several decades.
Conclusion
Although Time and Eternity (Thời Gian Và Vĩnh Cửu) is rarely discussed today, it represents one of the earliest Vietnamese television productions to introduce the story of Princess Anio to a national audience.
As historian Nguyễn Đắc Xuân observed, the romance between Princess Anio and Araki Sotaro cannot be understood through Vietnamese royal chronicles alone. Japanese historical records, foreign scholarship, preserved family heirlooms, and cultural traditions all contribute important pieces of the story.
From a television drama broadcast during Lunar New Year to a centuries-old mirror preserved in Nagasaki, Princess Anio's legacy continues to bridge Vietnam and Japan in ways that extend far beyond history books.
More than four hundred years after her journey across the sea, her story remains a powerful reminder that cultural connections are often preserved not only through official records, but also through memory, tradition, and the enduring curiosity of later generations.
References
Primary Source
Nguyễn Đắc Xuân. 700 Years of Thuận Hóa – Phú Xuân – Huế. Ho Chi Minh City: Trẻ Publishing House, First Edition, 2009, pp. 450–451.
The information regarding the 1996 television drama Time and Eternity (Thời Gian Và Vĩnh Cửu), the marriage of Princess Anio and Araki Sotaro, the Vietnamese name Nguyễn Đại Lang, and the mirror preserved in Nagasaki is primarily based on the historical research presented in these pages.
Additional Research
Japanese historical materials concerning Araki Sotaro and Princess Anio.
Research by French orientalist Georges Dumoutier referenced by Nguyễn Đắc Xuân.
Research Note
This article distinguishes between verified historical records and information that is still being researched.
While the existence of the 1996 television drama Time and Eternity is documented in Nguyễn Đắc Xuân's 700 Years of Thuận Hóa – Phú Xuân – Huế, our research into the film's production history—including its possible director (NSƯT Trần Mỹ Hà) and reported awards from the Vietnam Cinema Association and the Vietnam Film Festival—remains ongoing.
We have not yet been able to independently confirm that these references correspond to the same television drama discussed in the book. This article will be updated if official archival records, production documents, or additional reliable sources become available.
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