【12th Round】We Ask Egyptologist Mr. Michinori Oshiro What Travel Will Look Like in 5 Years

The New Buds of Tourism, Exploring the Shape and Future of Tourism Five Years Ahead

There are not many Egyptologists in Japan. But what does Mr. Michinori Oshiro think constitutes “being Japanese” from studying Egypt?

Today’s column focuses on knowing and pinpointing changes in future tourism and travel trends and brings an expertise from specialist outside of the travel industry to share their thoughts.

We’re talking today with Mr. Michinori Oshiro, who has studied ancient Egypt for a very long time and is currently teaching at Komazawa University as a professor in the Faculty of Letters, has been on TV, has written books and uploads videos to YouTube. Through the power of various mediums, he continues to talk about what makes ancient Egypt so fascinating.

Mr. Michinori Oshiro

　
Mr. Michinori Oshiro is a professor at Komazawa University. He completed a doctoral course in history at the Graduate School of Letters at the University of Osaka and majored in the study of Egypt in the Department of Classics, Ancient History, and Archeology at the University of Birmingham in the UK. Since 2003, he has been a full-time instructor teaching Occidental History in the Department of History, Faculty of Letters, Komazawa University. As of 2014, he’s now a doctor in Literature. With his expertise, he’s been involved in archeology finds in Egypt, Palmyra in Syria, and Pompeii in Italy. His written works include Ancient Egyptian Civilization -The Source of History- (Kodansha), Voices of the Dead in Ancient Egypt (Kawade Shobo Shinsha), The History of Illustrations of the Pyramids (Kawade Shobo Shinsha), The Gods and Humans: Myths of Egypt, The Story of Magic, Adventure and Revenge (Yoshikawa Kobun Kan) and many more.
　

The Path to Researching Ancient Egypt and Current Status

　
Explorer: Mr. Oshiro, what was the catalyst for your interest in Ancient Egypt, becoming a researcher and a professor in this subject?
　
Mr. Oshiro: When I was a child, my family was the type to only watch sports or documentaries on TV. Because of that, I watched a lot of programs about history and Egypt. My father loved the idea of “buried treasure,” and had many books about the subject. As a result, I loved the subject of history because of that environment. I enjoyed reading too and read a lot of books. As time passed, I grew up and went to university, where I had the chance to think about my future career. I thought of becoming a novelist and writing books. With this desire to write books, I chose a university with professors who taught Egyptian history because of my interest in the country and the Incas too. As my research at university progressed, I realized I wanted to become a professor and a researcher, a career that would allow me to dive deep into the subjects I’m interested in. I actually thought it was great that university professors have summer and winter vacations (laughs). After that, I studied abroad and joined in field research as a researcher myself and built my career that you see now.

　

　

Realizing “Being Japanese” From Research Egypt

　
Explorer: I’d like to ask you about your research on Egypt in detail now. You’ve been to Egypt tens of times at this point for your research. What left an impression on you?
　
Mr. Oshiro: The way people socialize is very interesting. Every year, I perform the same survey in the same place and talk to the same people. The way people in Egypt treat me, a Japanese man, to the other foreign researchers is very different. They have a good impression of Japanese people. The country has implemented some aspects of the Japanese education system and respects Japan. I wanted to know why this is and asked some of the locals for the reasons. They said that, “Japanese people talk to us on the same level. The Europeans won’t even sit at the same table to eat with us. But the Japanese do.” Listening to that, I realized that Japanese people socialize in a different way.
　
Explorer: The way people socialize is a very interesting topic. Is there anything you’re careful of when communicating with the local people?
　
Mr. Oshiro: I’ve visited the area many times, but I always introduce myself and greet people. In the Arab world, saying hello is the most basic of manners. I’ll have to repeat this many times, but they’ll remember my name, face, and personality – earning their trust as a result. There are many types of permissions required to carry out research on Ancient Egypt. For example, not allowing the public into restricted archeological sites. To access those areas, you must first earn their trust – that’s the most important thing of all. That’s why it’s important to go there, meet with them and talk to them. It’s also important to follow their suggestions. If they ask you to drink some tea, then you drink some tea. If they ask you if you want a motorcycle ride, then you get on that motorcycle. I always try my best to get along with them. And of course, speaking their language, no matter how bad your language skills are, is important. I’m not sure if they’re happy to hear it or suspicious when they hear it though (laughs). Learn how to make the proper greetings in their language first to communicate it and it will be easier to earn their trust.
　
Explorer: Listening to your story, of course we believe that academic skills are necessary for on-site surveying but we also realized that communication skills are also important. What do you think makes research on Egypt so enticing, including the relationships you build with the locals?
　
Mr. Oshiro: The most enticing aspect of research on Egypt are the pyramids. Throughout the years of research, we still haven’t been able to completely figure out how they built them. There’s still a lot of unknowns, so it feels worth it. It’s also interesting to see the commonalities that exist between Egyptian culture and Japanese culture. For example, the idea of the “next life” and niraikanai (the idea of another world in Okinawa and the Amami Islands, it is where the dead live beyond the sea). This idea also exists in Egypt. Another major commonality is the idea of multiple gods. Nowadays, the majority of people in Egypt believe in Islam (a one god religion), but people back then believed in multiple gods. Even though Egypt now changed to a one-god system, there are still many people who think the gods are watching them in various aspects. That’s why I believe Japanese people can understand Ancient Egypt better than westerners. I’m conscious of these commonalities and carry out my research thus.

　

Travel That Changes and Its Value That Doesn’t

　
Explorer: We’d like to talk to you about all of this with a focus on travel. How does travel manifests itself in Ancient Egypt and Modern Egypt?
　
Mr. Oshiro: Egypt has always been a travel destination since antiquity. Ancient Greeks and Romans traveled to the area. Since 100 years ago or so up until now, the British and other Europeans traveled to the country to escape the cold, which allowed Egypt to flourish as a destination. Egypt also has a lot of holy grounds of early Christianity still present to this day. Thus, there are a lot of tourists who go and visit those places. As a unique tourist destination, many Egyptians now speak English, but they only do so because they wouldn’t be able to be business otherwise. Egypt has been deeply connected with the tourism industry as a result. I’ve talked about people coming into Egypt to travel, but Egyptians themselves also have traveled within the country since antiquity. Osiris is the god from Ancient Egypt who ruled over afterlife and people have been visiting his grave as a holy grounds since back then. I don’t know if the idea of travel existed back then like it does now for Ancient Egypt, but families did embark on long journeys and the motivation was because of religion.
　
Explorer: Egypt has been a travel destination since antiquity. As you’ve extensively researched the country, what do you think are the charms and true nature of travel?
　
Mr. Oshiro: I believe the charm of travel is the fact that you don’t know what will happen on the trip. Everything such as the people, things and places can be great, but it’s so interesting to have new encounters when you least expect them. The trip that left the most impression on me was when I went to Syria as a graduate student. When you hear Syria, you think of war now, but back then it was a peaceful country. It was a country full of warm hospitality. I would go meet researchers in the country and they would invite me to their homes to stay overnight even though it was our first time meeting. I also had the opportunity to stay overnight in a temple. Another charm of traveling is the ability to make a community for yourself as you meet new people. When I went to Syria, I also met some fellow Japanese people. As I was carrying out archeological surveys of Palmyra, I saw a Japanese person drawing some sketches of the site, so I went to talk to them. It’s unusual to meet someone from Japan in Syria, so I took the chance to have some food with them. These sorts of encounters don’t happen in group tours; it happens because you’re traveling alone. That man is still a friend of mine; someone I met in a desert of a foreign country has become a lifelong friend. Those sorts of unexpected encounters are what make travel a true joy, especially when you go by yourself. This is why I tell people to travel alone when they are students.
　
Explorer: And lastly, what do you think travel will look like in five years’ time?
　
Mr. Oshiro: I believe Japanese people should travel abroad more. See what the country has to offer, meet and talk to the people there, try the local cuisine, and smell the scents of the streets. Doing so, you’ll notice and realize a lot of different things. However, when I ask students if they have a passport, most of them say they don’t. In recent years, people in Japan have become hesitant to travel abroad. One reason was COVID-19, but another is that Japan is too comfortable. When I think about how to convince Japanese people to travel abroad, I think countries should market and communicate information to those potential travelers. Travel agencies will have that information and deliver it to consumers. Travel agencies connect travelers to various countries so I want them to create catalyst for people to want to travel. That will move people to do so and create a pattern: go abroad, experience it, come with new realizations, want to go again, and head back out for another trip. This is a great cycle that I think should happen within the next five years.

　

The “Bud” We Found in this Exploration

We discovered what “being Japanese” meant after talking to Mr. Oshiro about his experiences studying Ancient Egypt for a long time. What is the foundation for the way we think culturally in Japan? If we understand that, we can establish a point of return even if we’re confused and lost in this globalized world. Travel gifts us with encounters and exchanges, which should help us too. According to Mr. Oshiro, Japan should host a large-scale exhibition related to Ancient Egypt in 2025, so there could be anothre boom in popularity of the country in Japan. Look at yourself objectively as a first step and then take a peek into the ancient world of Egypt.