Greeting from the Co-Editor
Archaeology is a truly global endeavour, with a long and distinguished history
inﬂuenced by explorers, literati, and collectors from many parts of the world, including
Japan, extending back to the antiquaries of the European enlightenment and of Edoand Meiji eras. I often begin my lectures with reference to the richness of the Japanesearchaeological record—and the response is often ‘how do we ﬁnd out more—especially
if we do not read Japanese?’ The Japanese Journal of Archaeology is providing theanswer.
The exchange of ideas and information about archaeology between Japan and the rest ofthe world has formed an important part of the discipline since the late 19th century. Oneof the reasons that Edward Sylvester Morse was so inﬂuential in the development of theﬁeld was that he published his report on the Omori Shell Mounds in both English andJapanese, and maintained a correspondence with the leading ﬁgures of the day, including
Charles Darwin. Today we are re-discovering the signiﬁcance of the scholarship of otherearly western archaeologists active in Japan including William Gowland and Andre
Leroi-Gourhan, and of the impact of Japanese specialists abroad, such as Tsuboi Shogoro
and Koganei Yoshikiyo. C.T. Keally from Sophia University has estimated that over 100
foreign archaeologists have proactively engaged with the Japanese archaeological record
over the following century. We have yet to research how many Japanese archaeologists
have worked overseas, but they are legion. There are now few parts of the world whereJapanese archaeologists have not undertaken research.
With new media, heightened interest in Japanese culture around the world, and enhanced
encouragement for younger Japanese to experience the world beyond Japan, we havean unprecedented opportunity to engage people around the world with the wonders ofJapanese archaeology. Our understanding of the Japanese archaeological record has thepotential to contribute greatly to the human history as a whole, and this requires a wider
appreciation of Japanese archaeological methods and thought.
Since the 1960s a series of exhibitions have brought some of the highlights of Japanesearchaeology to overseas audiences, from Vancouver to Kuala Lumpur, and from
Washington to the European capitals of Paris, London and Berlin. There are regular
opportunities to see the treasures of ancient cultures from around the world at exhibitionsin Japan. Such exhibitions are often accompanied by beautiful and informative catalogues

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GREETING FROM THE CO-EDITORand conferences. Japanese Journal of Archaeology offers the potential to create a forum
for enhanced dialogue, building on the interest created by these one-off events. It also
provides the opportunity to take Japanese archaeology beyond the exhibition gallery,conference hall or library, to a truly global audience, accessing the Journal from their
computers wherever they are.
The attention of the world will be focused on Japan for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.
As I write, there is even an initiative to have the Olympic cauldron or ‘seikadai’ in theform of a Jomon pot—following on from two Flame pots becoming the most popularexhibits ever about Japanese art at the British Museum in London a year ago. Four years
prior to the Tokyo Olympics, the World Archaeological Congress will meet in Kyoto, inAugust 2016. With this constellation of events, we have an unprecedented opportunity
to capture the imagination of archaeologists and the public in Japan and around theworld, overcoming the language barrier and ensuring that Japanese archaeology takes
its rightful place as a fully integrated, active participant in the global archaeologicalcommunity. A kind of archaeological Olympiad! It is therefore very timely that theJapanese Archaeological Association has decided to establish the Japanese Journal ofArchaeology, and it is an honour and a privilege to serve on the ﬁrst Editorial Committee.
I hope that all archaeologists of Japan, broadly deﬁned as archaeologists from Japan andthose from elsewhere with an interest in the archaeology of the archipelago, will support
this bold new endeavour.
Simon KanerCo-Editor© Japanese Archaeological Association2