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In 1957 young Japanese student Ishii Yoneo arrived in Siam to fulfil a dream of learning the language from people of this country.

Half a century later and now a professor, Ishii, 78, becomes the first Japanese scholar to receive an honorary doctorate in arts from Chulalongkorn University. It is in recognition of his contribution to Thai studies.

Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn will confer the degree on Thursday (July 12).

Ishii produced numerous works that have become a body of knowledge for scholars of Thailand. His works include the five-volume "Computer Concordance to the Law of the Three Seals", or Datchanee khonkham nai kotmai trasamdaung; "Monsignor Pallegoix and King Mongkut: Catholic Church in the History of Modernisation of Siam"; "A Selected Thai Bibliography: On the reign of King Chulalongkorn", and "Thailand: A Rice-Growing Society."

His monograph "Sangha, State, and Society: Thai Buddhism in History" won him his doctorate in law at Kyoto University in 1981 at age 52. He had not earned either a bachelor's or master's degree.

A book of Ishii's memoirs has been translated into Thai from Japanese and published by Toyota Thailand Foundation and the Foundation for the Promotion of Social Science and Humanities.

The book's launch will be held in Room 105 of Chulalongkorn University's Maha Chulalongkorn building on Wednesday, afternoon. Thai scholars will speak on his contribution to Thai studies from 1pm-3pm and Ishii will give the keynote speech in Thai from 3.45pm-5pm.

"Some people told me the foreign ministry was a good shortcut if I really wanted to go to Thailand," recalled Ishii in his book "Half a century on the path of Thai studies" to be unveiled at a reception organised for him by fellow scholars at Chulalongkorn.

"Ishii sensei is a prime example of a true academic. He is interested and excited in what he studies. This is why his writing is not just academically good but always lively and enlightened," said historian Charnvit Kasetsiri.

"Ishii sensei is impressive; a scholar and a gentleman. He speaks perfect Thai, plus many other languages. I think he is a perfectionist, without being fussy," added foundation secretary Charnvit.

The foundation published Yoneo's "The 600 Years of Relationship between Thailand and Japan".

Ishii started learning what he calls "pasa Siam", or the language of Siam, in 1953 in Japan. At that time few knew it. Ishii spent two years studying at Chulalongkorn while working at his embassy in Bangkok.

Between 1957 and 1963, Ishii spent his free time searching old bookstalls at Sanam Luang. When he returned to Japan, the diplomat took with him 27 boxes of historic documents and chronicles. These books have been used as sources for study not only by himself but also Japanese and foreign scholars in Japan.

"His greatest contribution to Thai studies is an interdisciplinary approach," said Prof Nidhi Eoseewong, a leading historian.

After a decade as an administrator and translator, Ishii's dream of working in academia cametrue.

At 36 he transferred to the education ministry as an associate professor at Kyoto University's Centre for Southeast Asian Studies. Ishii has collected about 6,000 cremation volumes from Thailand at the centre. Cremation volumes are a unique form of publication in Thailand, usually published on the occasion of cremation rites of an important figure.

Ishii has worked tirelessly on Thai studies in the world of Japanese academia. His Japanese translation of "Siam Mapped: A History of the Geo-Body of a Nation" won the Grand Prix of Asia-Pacific Award in 2004.

"When I learned that ajarn Ishii would translate my book into Japanese, I felt overwhelmed, not by the pride of having a Japanese version of my book, but by the humility that a towering figure in the field of Thai history like ajarn Ishii would do it," said author Prof Thongchai Winichakul, a historian at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

"He could have been awarded this doctoral degree 10 years or so earlier. But I guess perhaps it was delayed until now simply because we would like to honour him during this most auspicious year of 120 years of Thailand-Japan diplomatic relations."

"To me this is more meaningful; a high-point in the long relations between the two countries," said Assoc Prof Chalong Soontravanich, head of history at Chulalongkorn.

Ishii is director of the Japan Centre for Asian Historical Records at the National Archives of Japan and president of National Institutes for the Humanities, too.

Subhatra Bhumiprabhas

The Nation