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Located in southwest Japan, the Kyushu region, which consists of seven prefectures, is attracting more Vietnamese coming to work and study. The center of Kyushu is Fukuoka, famous for its automobile manufacturing, chemistry, semiconductor and metallurgical processing industries. Over 33,000 Vietnamese are currently living in Kyushu, with nearly 19,400 people residing in Fukuoka. In September 2019, the Vietnamese Association in Fukuoka was established with support from the Consulate General of Vietnam in Fukuoka.

The establishment of the association has met the dire need of the Vietnamese community in Fukuoka for a place to connect generations of Vietnamese living, working and studying across Kyushu, support each other and create conditions to integrate better into the Japanese society. At the launching ceremony of the Vietnamese Association in Fukuoka, the CEO of the Japanese academy GAG was appointed vice-president and secretary-general of the association.

Nguyen Duy Anh (second right at the bottom line) took a photo with the central committee of the Vietnamese Association in Fukuoka and the Consul General of Vietnam in Fukuoka Vu Binh. Photo: Vietnam Times

Duy Anh has been living in Japan for over 16 years. In addition to his main work as a Japanese instructor, he reserves a significant part of his community support activities to help students and interns from Vietnam and teach the second generation of Vietnamese children in Fukuoka the Vietnamese language and culture.

Duy Anh said “the Vietnamese community in Fukuoka and Japan generally is growing in size, particularly the Vietnamese children born in Japan. Many children of Vietnamese origin here cannot speak and write in Vietnamese, nor do they understand the Vietnamese culture and customs. As such, I believe teaching Vietnamese language and culture to Japanese Vietnamese children should be focused on and implemented as soon as possible.”

Nguyen Duy Anh, CEO of the Japanese academy GAG and the Dai Viet Language and Culture Academy, was appointed vice-president and secretary-general of the Vietnamese Association in Fukuoka. Photo: Vietnam Times

With his passion and desire to bring opportunities to learn Vietnamese for the Vietnamese community in Japan, Duy Anh has established the Dai Viet Language and Culture Academy with support from the Consulate General of Vietnam in Fukuoka, the Vietnamese Association in Fukuoka and Japanese friends who harbor a love for Vietnam. The academy has been organizing classes on the Vietnamese language and culture every Saturday in Fukuoka city of Japan.

Lecturers at the academy are volunteer undergraduate and graduate students from universities in the region, such as Kyushu University and Kyushu Sangyo University. The academy received two series of textbooks, “Tiếng Việt vui” (fun Vietnamese) and “Quê Việt” (Vietnam, our homeland), donated by the Consulate General of Vietnam in Fukuoka and the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam.

The Vietnamese program used for the Vietnamese community in Fukuoka is designed according to the six-level Vietnamese competency framework stipulated by the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training. The framework serves as the basis to design and update teaching materials and organizing class activities and evaluation of learner’s capacities to use Vietnamese.

Launching ceremony of the Vietnamese classes at the Dai Viet Language and Culture Academy in Fukuoka city, Japan. Photo: Vietnam Times

In addition to providing lessons to improve the Vietnamese children’s ability to listen, read, write, and speak in Vietnamese, the academy also organizes extracurricular activities such as teaching Vietnamese songs, holding contests on the Vietnamese customs and providing Vietnamese dish cooking lessons to help them understand and appreciate the Vietnamese culture.

A Mid-autumn Festival held at the Dai Viet Language and Culture Academy. Photo: Vietnam Times

Cooking Vietnamese dishes at the Dai Viet Language and Culture Academy. Photo: Vietnam Times

The academy’s students performing at the Tet Festival in Fukuoka. Photo: Vietnam Times

According to Duy Anh, the Covid-19 pandemic has been affecting the academy’s activities, disrupting in-person classes. Duy Anh hopes that these classes will soon resume and be replicated across Japan.

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