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The 8th Vietnam Festival underways in Yokohama city in Kanagawa prefecture of Japan on September 7-8, marking another milestone in cultural exchanges between the two countries, VNA reported.

The festival was attended by Kuroiwa Yuji - Governor of Kanagawa prefecture, Ta Quang Dong - Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Nguyen Duc Minh - Chargé d'Affaires of the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan, Nguyen Van Son - Chairman of Hoi An City People's Committee and representatives of agencies, organizations, two countries' businesses and a large number of Kanagawa residents and tourists.

Officials of Vietnamese and Japan's Kanagawa prefecture at the opening ceremony of the festival. Photo: Vo Truong An

The festival is part of an agreement on culture, sport, and tourism cooperation signed by the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MoCST) and Kanagawa last year, which includes the annual organization of the Vietnam Festival in Kanagawa and the Kanagawa Festival in Vietnam.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the festival, Kanagawa Governor Kuroiwa Yuji stressed that from 2015 to now, the Vietnam Tourism - Culture Promotion Festival in Kanagawa has been held 8 times, if not delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic, this year would be the 10th edition. When the festival was first held in 2015, there were only about 10,000 Vietnamese people living in Kanagawa, but now that number has increased to about 34,000 people, ranking second only to China in the number of foreigners living here.

He also emphasized that in 2015, there were no Vietnamese enterprises operating in Kanagawa, but currently there are 17 Vietnamese enterprises investing, and more Vietnamese enterprises intending to invest in Kanagawa. This cultural event not only connects the people of the two countries in the cultural field but also in the economic field.

Nguyen Duc Minh, Chargé d'Affaires of the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan, noted that the event has become a beloved tradition and an effective bridge of friendship between the people of the two countries since its inception in 2015.

The Vietnam Festival serves as a vital platform to connect the people of Vietnam and Japan, promoting the image of Vietnam, its people and cultural values to the Japanese public, especially those in Kanagawa, Minh said.

The annual festival has bridged the Vietnamese community and Kanagawa people, helping strengthen the friendship and mutual trust between the two countries’ people. Photo: Vo Truong An

The two-day festival featured around 100 booths showcasing the beauty of Vietnamese culture, traditional cuisine, economic strengths, and specialties. As in previous years, Vietnamese food stalls were a major draw, with long lines of visitors eager to enjoy famous dishes such as 'pho' and 'banh mi'.

A dedicated space for books and materials introducing Vietnam's maritime sovereignty and a booth of the Vietnamese Youth and Student Association in Japan (VYSA) also attracted many visitors keen to learn and explore.

Despite the midday heat, a large number of Japanese people still patiently waited to enjoy the captivating performances of Vietnamese water puppetry.

The festival features performances of Vietnamese water puppetry. Photo: Vo Truong An

The festival is an opportunity for local residents to get better insights into a beautiful Vietnam, thus promoting people-to-people ties. An exchange event will also be held from August to September to introduce Vietnamese cuisine’s standout features to local people and tourists.

Vietnam, with more than 34,000 nationals in Kanagawa, becomes the second largest foreign community there. The Japanese prefecture is located just south of Tokyo and boasts a population of over 9.2 million.

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