The 9th Japan Vietnam Festival, held until March 10 in HCM City, is attracting locals and expats with festivities and cultural exchange experiences. — VNS Photo Việt Dũng

HCM CITY — The 9th Japan Vietnam Festival in HCM City, themed “Hold hands together - From now on,” is drawing locals and expats from all over, offering diverse intercultural experiences and festivities.

The annual festival, taking place in District 1’s 23/9 Park until March 10, celebrates the strong bilateral relationship and promotes cultural exchange between the two countries.

It is also the closing event for the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Việt Nam.

“The festival is the largest annual cultural exchange event with the participation of businesses from Việt Nam and Japan,” said Sugano Yuichi, chief representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) - Việt Nam Office, 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 ongoing event is hosting the largest number of booths ever, said JICA.

It has over 150 booths showcasing and selling food, consumer goods, tourism products, local specialties, educational programmes, and healthcare products.

There are 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.

Visitors can participate in exciting activities like baseball, Japanese traditional dancing, and enjoy delightful Japanese and Vietnamese cuisine. — VNS Photo Việt Dũng

Festival-goers can also engage in music and dance shows performed by Japanese artists, such as BallistikBoyz and PsychicFever, and Vietnamese singers, such as Mỹ Mỹ and Tăng Duy Tân.

Cosplay activities, the re-creation of the Bon Odori and Awa Odori dance festivals, traditional Vietnamese áo dài shows, and other thrilling performances are 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 cememony 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.

“Following last year's success, the festival will continue 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,” said deputy Prime Minister Trần Lưu Quang.

Japan is among Việt Nam’s top economic partners, with bilateral trade exceeding US$40 billion in the first 11 months of 2023, and Việt Nam importing nearly $20 billion worth of goods from Japan. — VNS