Restored Samurai Armour To Represent Malta At Expo 2025 In Japan
A rare piece of Japanese Samurai armour gifted to Malta in 1862 has been fully restored and will be featured at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, as part of a cultural showcase celebrating 60 years of diplomatic relations between Malta and Japan.
The armour is one of three sets originally donated during a historic Japanese diplomatic mission to Malta, the first recorded visit of Japanese delegates to the island.
The delegation included Yukichi Fukuzawa, a prominent Samurai and philosopher whose legacy remains central to Japan’s modernisation.
With restoration led by experts at the Kyoto Art Restoration Centre and coordinated by Malta’s Embassy in Japan, this initiative was made possible through a collaboration between Heritage Malta, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, and the Embassy of Malta in Japan.
The restored Samurai armour will appear at the Malta Pavilion alongside a suit of armour from the Order of St John, as well as replicas of key Maltese cultural artefacts such as the Majmuna Stone, the Phoenician Cippus, and the Neolithic Seated Figure.
Once showcased at Expo 2025, the Samurai armour will return to Malta to go on public display at the Grand Master’s Palace in Valletta, its original home before World War II.
This restoration not only revives a long-lost diplomatic gift but also symbolises a renewed cultural connection between Malta and Japan, made possible through years of international cooperation and dedication to heritage.
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