A veteran artist has become the first in Vietnam to win Japan’s Daifumi International Award for his immense contribution to the restoration and preservation of the Southeast Asian country’s historically important architecture.

The Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism said Tuesday on its website that artist Nguyen Thuong Hy received the honor at an awards ceremony in Japan last Saturday.

Hy is the first in the country to garner the award, the ministry noted.

He is a former division chief at the Quang Nam Center for Relic and Tourist Attraction Management.

In 1995, he received training from Fumio Tanaka, a revered Japanese carpenter, whom the award was named after.

During his 35-year career, Hy has made notable contributions to the research, documentation, preservation, and restoration of wood architectural works in Quang Nam Province, located in central Vietnam, and other nearby provinces.

The Daifumi International Award is presented annually by the Toyama International College of Crafts and Arts in collaboration with 120-year-old Kogakuin University in Tokyo.

The award recognizes individuals’ and organizations’ merit in the preservation and restoration of wooden architectural works worldwide.

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