Delegates cut the ribbon to open the Vietnam Festival 2025 in Japan. — VNA/VNS Photo

TOKYO — The Vietnam Festival 2025 opened on May 31 at Yoyogi Park, Tokyo, featuring a diverse programme designed to offer visitors a full experience of Việt Nam’s charm.

As the largest annual Vietnamese festival in Japan, the event attracts a large community of Vietnamese residents, Japanese friends, and international visitors eager to explore Vietnamese culture and cuisine.

Addressing the event, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyễn Chí Dũng highlighted that, since its inception in 2008, the Vietnam Festival has become a hallmark of cultural exchange between Việt Nam and Japan, warmly awaited by the Vietnamese community and Japanese admirers alike.

The festival is also one of the few international events in Tokyo to have welcomed distinguished guests from both countries, including members of the Japanese Imperial Family, notably the current Emperor when he was Crown Prince in 2008.

The Deputy PM expressed his belief that with over 100 booths and a rich array of activities, the Vietnam Festival 2025 will offer unique cultural experiences from both Việt Nam and Japan, fostering greater connections and boosting economic, trade, investment, and cultural-tourism cooperation between the two nations.

Opening the festival, Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Phạm Quang Hiệu stressed that the Vietnam Festival in Japan is not only a joyful occasion but also a meaningful bridge connecting the hearts of Vietnamese and Japanese people.

He highlighted that Japanese PM Ishiba Shigeru’s official visit to Việt Nam marked a new milestone in bilateral relations, deepening mutual trust and cooperation across many fields. The festival continues this momentum by celebrating cultural harmony and mutual respect through daily life expressions, including cuisine, music, art, and human connections.

Yuko Obuchi, Chair of the Japan-Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Alliance, noted that the annual Vietnam Festival at Yoyogi Park is renowned for showcasing traditional Vietnamese arts and cuisine. As Chair of the association, she pledged to promote exchanges between parliamentarians and friendship associations to further strengthen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi remarked that 2025 marks a historic milestone for Việt Nam, commemorating 50 years since the end of the war. He expressed deep respect for the Vietnamese people’s remarkable development since then and hoped that through the Vietnam Festival and the Vietnam Pavilion at EXPO 2025, the exchange between the two countries will deepen further.

The festival aims to widely promote the unique and rich cultural heritage of Việt Nam to Japanese friends. Highlights include traditional folk arts such as the unique water puppet shows, Áo Dài fashion presentations, authentic traditional cuisine, and the depiction of Việt Nam’s gentle, friendly, and creative people.

A standout feature this year is the debut performance of the Thăng Long Water Puppet Theatre from Hà Nội, one of Việt Nam’s most prestigious and iconic art troupes. Their shows blend Vietnamese folklore, music, and storytelling in ways that captivate audiences of all ages.

The festival also showcases young, talented, and creative contemporary artists, bridging vibrant musical performances that resonate strongly with youth, fostering lively connections between Vietnamese and Japanese communities.

The Vietnam Festival 2025 promises two dynamic days linking Việt Nam and Japan, with around 130 booths expected to attract approximately 180,000 visitors. — VNS