AsemconnectVietnam - The 9th Japan Vietnam Festival, themed “Hold hands together - From now on”, was held in Ho Chi Minh City on March 9-10, starting a series of cultural, sport, trade and tourism activities between the two countries.

 The festival is the largest annual cultural exchange event with the participation of businesses from Vietnam and Japan, said Sugano Yuichi, chief representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Vietnam, a sponsor of the festival.

This year’s theme means that after 50 years of building close diplomatic ties, both countries will continue to work together to develop further, he said.

The event also hosted the largest number of booths ever, with over 150 booths showcasing and selling food, consumer goods, tourism products, local specialties, educational programmes, and healthcare products.

There were also booths featuring Vietnamese and Japanese poetry, Japanese tea ceremonies, traditional Japanese folk games, and sports, as well as Gashapon vending machine-dispensed toys for children.

Festival-goers could also engage in music and dance shows performed by Japanese artists, such as BallistikBoyz and PsychicFever, and Vietnamese singers, such as My My and Tang Duy Tan.

Cosplay activities, the re-creation of the Bon Odori and Awa Odori dance festivals, traditional Vietnamese Ao dai (long dress) shows, and other thrilling performances were also part of the event.

“That Japanese culture and products are greatly endorsed by Vietnamese people, and vice versa, proves that this cooperation is getting stronger than ever,” said Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida while addressing the opening ceremony via video.

Hosting around 500,000 visitors last year, the event is expected to continue being a great way to connect people from both countries, he said.

Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang said that following last year's success, the festival continues to be a bridge strengthening the friendship and mutual trust between the two countries, boosting trade promotion, as well as promoting multifaceted cooperation and exchange./.

Source: VNA