Kitagawa was first introduced to Vietnamese media in late 1973, when he arrived in Hanoi to study the Vietnamese language at the University of Hanoi. Since then, his connection to Vietnam has deepened through three postings as a correspondent. He currently serves as Vice President of the Tokyo chapter of the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Association.

Facing the ongoing strong growth of digital communications and fierce competition among various forms of media, as well as changes in the public’s approach to information, the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) has promoted innovation and creativity to adapt to the new situation and reach more readers, maintaining the core role of the national news agency, according to VNA Director-General Vu Viet Trang.

Vietnamese media could be falling behind the relentless march of technological development and need to catch up soon, Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung said at the Press and Technology Forum in Hanoi on November 13.