HCM City to host 9th Vietnam-Japan Festival next month
The 9th Vietnam-Japan Festival will take place in Ho Chi Minh City from March 9-10, aiming to tighten the friendship between the two countries, said the city’s Director of External Affairs Department Tran Phuoc Anh.
Aki Toujin, a professional Yosakoi team in Japan will attend the 9th Vietnam-Japan Festival in Ho Chi Minh City. (Photo: courtesy of the festival organisers)
HCM City (VNA) – The 9th Vietnam-Japan Festivalwill take place in Ho Chi Minh City from March 9-10, aiming to tighten thefriendship 🅺betwꦗeen the two countries, said the city’s Director of ExternalAffairs Department Tran Phuoc Anh.
Speaking at a press conference to announce the event on February29, the official emphasised that the festival is expected to enhance cultural exchange between the twocountries, connect businesses, and promote their trade, investment, and tourismcooperation. It is also a premise for deepening the cooperative relationsbetween the two countries, opening a new period of stronger and more extensivedevelopment, meeting the common needs and interests of both countries andcontributing to peace and stability in the region and the world. Ono Masuo, Consul General of Japan in Ho Chi Minh City said thatlast year, Japan and Vietnam upgraded their relationship to aComprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and theWorld. He added that the close relations between the two countries havebeen built on the foundation of close exchanges between the two peoples.Therefore, Japan hopes that the festival will see the participation of manypeople in the city, which helps promote the friendship between the two nations. The festival will feature trade, culinary, and tourismexchange programmes, promotional activities for Vietnamese and Japaneseproducts, cultural and artistic exchanges, seminars, and trade talks to promoteJapan tourism in Vietnam. There will be a Vietnamese “Ao Dai” show, activities on the Japanese teaceremony, origami - the Japanese art of paper folding, and music performancesof Japanese and Vietnamese popular singers and bands. Last year, the 8th edition of the festival in the city attractednearly 500,000 visitors./.
The number of Vietnamese visitors to Japan in 2023 reached a new record of 573,900, an increase of 15.9% over 495,051 visitors achieved in 2019, the Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO) announced on January 30.
Japan’s Vice Minister of Defence for International Affairs Serizawa Kiyoshi visited the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations in Hanoi on February 27, during which the two sides sought cooperation opportunities in UN peacekeeping in the time ahead.
Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen Hoang Xuan Chien and Japanese Vice Minister of Defence for International Affairs Serizawa Kiyoshi co-chaired the 10th Vietnam-Japan defence policy dialogue in Hanoi on February 27.
Vietnamese officials at a workshop in Hanoi on February 28 called on Japan to continue its support to Vietnam in protecting and enforcing intellectual property (IP) rights, making IP a driving force for economic development.
The Vietnamese team will gather on June 26 in Ba Ria-Vung Tau, where they will train until July 14 before departing for Indonesia for the ASEAN U23 Championship 2025, which runs from July 15 to 29. Vietnam will face Laos on July 19 and Cambodia on July 22 in the group stage.
The exhibition showcases more than 100 valuable documents and artifacts, divided into two main parts: “Journalist Nguyen Ai Quoc – Ho Chi Minh” and “President Ho Chi Minh – Founder and Mentor of Vietnamese Revolutionary Press.” This is an opportunity to recall the late leader’s journalism journey and affirm his exceptional role in founding and guiding the revolutionary press in Vietnam.
For the first time, the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) has granted Vietnam hosting rights for the two championships, including the Asian women’s solo category, which debuts this year as an officially recognised event.
Eight teams will join the tournament, divided into two groups. Group A features Vietnam, the Philippines, Sichuan Club (China), and Australia, while Group B consists of Vietnam U21, Korabelka Club (Russia), Taiwan (China), and U21 Thailand.
Despite strong home support and high expectations, Vietnam were unable to overcome the defending champions, who secured their third consecutive win over Vietnam in a regional final, following previous victories in 2014 and 2023.
The event, part of Vietnam’s cultural diplomacy strategy through 2030, was jointly organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in Venezuela and USM’s Faculty of International Relations. It attracted thousands of students from universities across Venezuela.
For the first time, Vietnamese audiences will have the opportunity to experience the ballet masterpiece "Don Quixote" in its original version by renowned choreographer Marius Petipa.
The contest carried deep meaning as it was the first time the life of Vietnamese women abroad had been highlighted as the central theme, said poet and writer Nguyen Quang Thieu, Chairman of the Vietnam Writers’ Association.
The event formed part of Vietnam’s ongoing campaign to seek UNESCO World Heritage status for the complex at the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, scheduled to take place in Paris in July.
Creative cultural festivals are fast emerging as a new catalyst for tourism development in Vietnam, as localities increasingly invest in these vibrant events on a more systematic and larger scale.
This marks the first time Vietnam has hosted a continental-level Muay event which will feature competitions across 28 weight categories in combat and eight performance categories.
Coming to the Vietnamese booth, visitors had the chance to take part in a bamboo dance, a workshop on painting woven bamboo or rattan, or quizzes about Vietnam.
These are impressive achievements, not only showing the efforts and prowess of Vietnamese paddlers but also serving as proof of the sports sector’s strategic and systematic investment.
The cultural event in Canberra not only fostered cultural exchanges between Vietnam and Australia but also contributed to promoting Vietnam’s image internationally
The U23 competition will run from June 16 to 22, followed by the U17 event from June 23 to 28, while athletes competing in the U23 category will undergo weight and skill checks ahead of the matches starting June 18, while similar checks for U17 athletes will take place before June 23.
Vietnam continues to sit just behind continental powerhouses Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, China, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
Aki Toujin, a professional Yosakoi team in Japan will attend the 9th Vietnam-Japan Festival in Ho Chi Minh City. (Photo: courtesy of the festival organisers) 
