Japan and the Italian region of Campania have joined forces in the name of culture at the Italy Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka.
    The occasion was a round table titled "Is it really Augustus' Villa?" that focused on the excavation campaigns and the results of research conducted by the University of Tokyo since 2002 at the archaeological site of Somma Vesuviana in Campania.
    Speakers at the event, which was attended by the Commissioner General for Italy at Expo 2025 Osaka, Ambassador Mario Vattani, included Masanori Aoyagi, an emeritus professor of the University of Tokyo, Mari Yamazaki, a manga artist and writer who has been awarded the honour of 'commendatore' of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, and Mariko Muramatsu, a professor at the University of Tokyo.
    Masayoshi Aoyagi, the founder of the project, spoke about the roots of the collaboration and the reason why a Japanese team has been conducting the research program for the such a long period of time.
    The professor delved into the value of the academic work carried out by the Japanese research group on Roman culture and history, which are observed from an external perspective considering the absence of direct contracts between the two ancient civilizations.
    The panel discussion also debated the current state of 'disaster archaeology', which focuses on changes in natural and cultural environments in the aftermath of catastrophic events such as volcanic eruptions, and potential new academic and cultural exchanges between Japan and Italy.
    Mariko Muramatsu, who is currently in charge of the project, presented the most recent findings using films and recordings from the site, explaining how the ruins of Somma Vesuviana - which cover a period of time starting with the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD that destroyed much of the surrounding area and its cities, including Pompeii, and that of 472 AD - provide unique evidence of social changes, from a period of prosperity to the catastrophe.
    Mari Yamazaki, a famous manga artist and the author of the Thermae Romae series starring a struggling ancient Roman architect who creates a spa inspired by a contemporary Japanese bath house thanks to his involuntary trips to modern-day Japan, spoke about the most recent discoveries.
    They included several large water heaters believed to have belonged to a bath house providing an insight into the society and everyday life of ancient Rome.

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