As Vietnam and Japan deepen their ties under a comprehensive strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia and the world, the book Vietnam - A Perspective from Japan by Professor Furuta Motoo, President of the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Association and Rector of the Vietnam Japan University (VNU), offers a timely and heartfelt tribute. Published by the National Political Publishing House in collaboration with Sbooks, the work reflects a lifetime of scholarly dedication.

Far from being a conventional academic volume, the book is the culmination of nearly 50 years of rigorous, passionate engagement with Vietnam. Blending personal experience and scholarly analysis, Professor Furuta departs from the traditional chronological approach, instead weaving observations of daily life with historical and sociological insights.

Professor Furuta began studying Vietnam in the late 1960s during the height of the Vietnam War. His graduation thesis focused on the August Revolution of 1945, which sparked a journey that would make him one of Japan's most knowledgeable scholars of modern Vietnamese history.

The book’s 10 chapters span a wide array of topics – from daily customs, language, and spirituality to political systems, economic development, diplomacy, and regional roles. Real-life portrayals of key regions such as the Mekong Delta, Northwest Highlands, Southeast Vietnam, and major cities like Hanoi, Hue, and Ho Chi Minh City bring depth and color to the narrative.

One standout aspect is the bottom-up approach. Instead of analyzing grand historical events, Professor Furuta explores grassroots behaviors to understand societal structures. A gesture like signaling when cycling or the quick withdrawal of a sidewalk barber upon spotting local authorities is seen as evidence of a highly adaptive, self-regulating community.

Based on such observations, he provocatively concludes that Vietnam is a “difficult-to-govern” society, not a “disorganized” one. He uses the term “ungovernable” not pejoratively, but to highlight Vietnam’s strong internal vitality and bottom-up resilience. In his view, Japan’s top-down control model cannot be directly applied in a context where grassroots pressures can reverse administrative decisions.

On religion and belief, the professor goes beyond statistics to explore cultural depth. Whether it's the ceremonial ritual when relocating the Vietnam Japan University or the preservation of banyan trees and village gates on Vo Chi Cong Street, he illustrates how Vietnamese spirituality is not just sacred but deeply practical and community-oriented.

His analysis of the Vietnamese script (chữ Quốc ngữ) offers another academic highlight. He views it as a “silent revolution” that democratized literacy but at the cost of severing ties with classical Sino-Vietnamese scholarship – a dilemma he leaves open for debate.

Although some of the views in the book diverge from official interpretations, the National Political Publishing House retained the author’s original arguments, stating clearly that these perspectives are personal and not reflective of the publisher’s stance. This editorial integrity enhances the book’s value, making it an external yet deeply empathetic lens into Vietnamese society.

Tinh Le