Japanese archaeologist, who dedicated his life to Anatolia, dies in Kırşehir
ISTANBUL
Japanese archaeologist Sachihire Omura, a key figure in strengthening archaeological ties between Türkiye and Japan, has passed away in the Central Anatolian city of Kırşehir.
Omura, who had lived in Türkiye since 1972, died at Kaman State Hospital due to an illness. He had served as the head of excavations at Kalehöyük since 1985, contributing to uncovering the remains of seven civilizations at the site.
Omura was born in Japan, with sources citing either 1948 or 1949 as his birth year. Omura’s journey to Türkiye began in 1972 when he arrived as a student, and he dedicated most of his life to uncovering the ancient history of Anatolia.
In a candid interview, Omura shared how his interest in Türkiye began after reading an article in Japan’s largest newspaper, Asahi, about a Turkish diplomat visiting Japan. Intrigued, he sought to visit the Turkish embassy, where he was initially turned away but eventually connected with Turgut Özal, then prime minister, who personally invited him to Türkiye.
Omura’s passion for the Hittite period led him to work in the eastern province of Elazığ from 1973 to 1976, and he later played a vital role in the excavations in Kaman, Kırşehir.
In 1988, he founded the Japanese Anatolian Archaeological Institute (JIAA) in Sağırkan village, which became a hub for archaeological research in the region. Omura also spearheaded the Kaman-Kalehöyük Archaeology Museum and Japanese Garden Project, symbolizing cultural cooperation between Japan and Türkiye.
Omura spent eleven months a year in Kırşehir, with one month in Japan. He believed that the artifacts uncovered in Anatolia represented world history, stating that Anatolia held a deeper cultural significance than places like Egypt and Italy, which he had also studied.
For his extraordinary contributions, Omura was honored with Türkiye’s State Superior Service Medal in 2008 and Japan’s Rising Sun Order.
