New books in Japan shed light on Xinjiang

After more than 150 visits to China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region over four decades, 84-year-old Yasutaka Kojima, a Japanese cultural heritage advocate and cultural adviser to the regional government, continues to share what he has seen and experienced with Japanese people.

His latest effort came on Monday with the Tokyo launch of two Japanese-language books, highlighting Xinjiang's development and cultural heritage.

Compiled by Kojima and published by Japan's Record China, the first book is an updated Japanese-language edition of a previously published Chinese photo book documenting Xinjiang's development over seven decades.

The second, titled Five Stars Rising in the East's New Course after the Prosperous Era, recounts joint Sino-Japanese archaeological research at the Niya ruins, including the 1995 discovery of the "Five Stars Rise in the East, Benefiting China" brocade armband.

Chinese Ambassador to Japan Wu Jianghao, in remarks delivered on his behalf, praised Kojima's contributions to cultural heritage preservation and education and expressed hope that the books would help readers appreciate Xinjiang's ethnic unity and prosperity.

Born in Nagoya in 1942, Kojima first visited Xinjiang in 1982 to purchase gemstones. He was impressed by its landscapes, history, culture, and local hospitality.

Recalling his first visit to Urumqi, Kojima said the city had few tall buildings or cars, while camels carried goods through the streets. Today, high-rises and a subway system have transformed the city.

"Every time I visit Xinjiang, I wonder whether this is really the same place I came to before. It feels like an entirely different place," he said.

According to the National Ethnic Affairs Commission of the People's Republic of China, Xinjiang's GDP rose from 1.23 billion yuan ($184.5 million) in 1955 to more than 2 trillion yuan in 2024.

Kojima said some people in Japan, the United States, and Europe hold misconceptions and prejudices about Xinjiang, while certain media reports fail to reflect conditions there accurately.

He pointed to advances in agricultural mechanization and improvements in living and working conditions. Despite allegations of so-called forced labor by some overseas media outlets, Kojima said the reality differs from their portrayals.

To share what he has witnessed, Kojima began producing weekly two-minute videos about Xinjiang in May, covering its landscapes, food, music, and culture. More than 20 episodes have been released.

Kojima said videos claiming that "Xinjiang is very dangerous" or that "serious problems are occurring in Xinjiang" might attract larger audiences, but he prefers to share his own experiences.

Vibrant place

"Xinjiang is a very beautiful, vibrant place that is developing rapidly," he said, adding that he hopes to continue making videos although he is not a professional video producer.

Kojima has also spent decades supporting cultural heritage preservation. In the 1980s, he helped establish a Japan-China association to restore and preserve the Kizil Caves and participated in archaeological research at the Niya ruins.

A joint Sino-Japanese team discovered the "Five Stars Rise in the East, Benefiting China" brocade armband in 1995. The Kizil Caves were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2014 as part of the Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor.

His efforts also extend to education through scholarships for Xinjiang students.

At the launch, Jansaya Nursultan, a Xinjiang student of cultural heritage conservation and restoration at Tokyo University of the Arts, presented Kojima with flowers.

Her father received a scholarship from Kojima while attending Xinjiang University, and she thanked him on her father's behalf.

Reflecting on his four decades of work, Kojima emphasized that mutual understanding and respect require practical cooperation.