01-05-2025
Lost and found history receives glittering homecoming at Osaka Expo
In 2015, an unusual discovery was made in Malta's capital city, Valletta: forgotten samurai armor from Japan. This find kicked off a period of painstaking restoration resulting in the armor's shiny debut at the Expo 2025 in Osaka.
'We were restoring our Grand Master's Palace when our Heritage Malta (a national agency for museums and cultural heritage) colleagues uncovered this huge box,' Josephine Farrugia, deputy commissioner general of the Malta Pavilion, tells The Japan Times. 'Inside, they found armor that was completely different from anything else we had.'
At that point, the ambassador of Malta to Japan, Andre Spiteri, stepped in, recognizing the find as Japanese samurai armor. 'I had no idea that such armor was in Malta,' Spiteri says.
Spiteri spearheaded the investigation into the armor's origin, which revealed that it had been gifted to the former British governor of the island in 1862 by the Bunkyu Mission, the first Japanese embassy to Europe, led by the samurai lord Takenouchi Yasunori.
The gift had been on display within the Grand Master's Palace, a 16th-century edifice that currently serves as the office of the president of Malta, until World War II, when it was boxed up and hidden underground for safekeeping during relentless aerial attacks that went on for two years.
The Bunkyu Mission, the first Japanese embassy to Europe, gifted three sets of armor to the former British governor of Malta in 1862. |
Irina Babanova
Forgotten for nearly half a century in storage and exposed to humidity, the armor had degraded substantially by the time it was rediscovered. To restore it to its full glory, Spiteri and Heritage Malta worked with Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to transport the armor to Kyoto where it was placed in the care and expertise of Miyaobi, a Kyoto-based company for dealing and repairing antiques.
'I was aware that it was very valuable and important armor,' says Harumasa Miyashita, president and representative director of Miyaobi. 'My philosophy is to bring buried history back to life, and when I was offered the opportunity to restore and revive the armor, I felt it was my mission to do so.
"I hope that the display of the armor will encourage the people of both countries to become more interested in one another."
Miyaobi's artisans revealed yet another surprise. 'After classification, we discovered a third armor, where we thought there were only two sets,' Spiteri says. 'Also, details in the construction, materials and insignia confirmed the armor's authenticity and suggested connections to prominent samurai families.'
The story of the restoration was documented by visual artist and director Irina Babanova in her documentary, 'Forging Bonds: The Samurai Armor Restoration.'
'I heard about this project from a friend of mine who was involved as a facilitator, connecting Maltese officials with local artisans. When I learned more, I knew I wanted to be involved,' Babanova says. 'This restoration fascinated me not only because of the artistry involved, but also its deep historical and diplomatic significance.'
Babanova was able to capture the restoration work as the artisans carefully gave the armor its old shine back. The documentary is currently slated to premiere at the Malta Pavilion this summer (the date is to be announced).
While two of the three suits of armor currently remain in storage in Kyoto, one is now on display at the Malta Pavilion at the Expo. Chika Horiki, a team leader at the Malta Pavilion, who spent time studying in Malta, says that the armor is more than 'just an object' to her.
'When I see it on display, I feel that it carries with it invisible gifts: the thoughts of all those involved, the shared history and the friendship between our two countries,' Horiki says. 'To be able to see such a meaningful item here at the Malta Pavilion fills me with a deep sense of awe and gratitude.'
To show the military history and craft of both countries, the samurai armor is presented alongside armor worn by a knight of the Order of St. John, a Catholic lay religious order that ruled Malta from 1530 to 1798. 'At first glance, many visitors perceive the display simply as a comparison between Maltese armor and Japanese armor,' Horiki says, 'However, once they hear the explanation — that the armor was actually gifted to Malta from Japan and has been preserved there for many years — they are visibly surprised and often begin taking photos right away.'
While two of the three rediscovered suits of armor currently remain in storage in Kyoto, one is now on display at the Malta Pavilion at the 2025 Expo in Osaka. |
Laura Pollacco
The armor will also be front and center for the Malta Pavilion's National Day on July 17, which coincides with Japan and Malta celebrating 60 years of diplomatic relations. 'We have the highest statesmen from Malta attending the Expo for our National Day,' Farrugia says. 'We are currently in the process of planning cultural programs where we will continue to promote the collaboration of Maltese and Japanese artists.'
Once the Expo is over, the armor will return to Malta. 'We will be taking the armor back in a much more glorious state,' Farrugia says. 'We are already preparing a spot in the Grand Master's Palace for it. However, we are still not excluding the idea of keeping the armor here (in Japan) for a little longer, working with the collaborations we are developing here at the Expo.'
For Spiteri, the samurai armor serves as a symbol of the relationship and long history between the two island countries. '(It is) a cultural bridge, strengthening mutual appreciation and sparking renewed interest in historical and academic exchange between the two countries,' he says. 'It will stay (in Malta) for visitors and future generations to appreciate.'
