Masaichi Sato, 63, is an archaeologist, researcher and the Curator of the Najomon Museum in Tsunan, Niigata Prefecture. For most of his life he has worked to uncover the secrets of the Jomon, who are commonly considered to be the first organized societies in Japan.
1. How does one become an archaeologist? First you must attend university, but fieldwork is equally important.
2. How did your interest in archaeology begin? Originally, I formed a club together with some of my classmates in my hometown in Sanjo; we rented a room to study in, looked for artifacts and did research. My family was against me formally studying archaeology because they thought I’d never be able to make a living. I majored in economics at a junior college instead but soon grew tired of it. I told my parents I was attending school, but all the while I went to help out at dig sites in Nagaoka and from there worked on local government commissions around Niigata Prefecture.