A performance Princess Anio in HCM City Conservatory. Photo thethaovanhoa.vn

TOKYO — Vietnamese Consul General in Fukuoka Trịnh Thị Mai Phương attended the debut of “Princess Anio”, an opera that recounts a 17th century love story between a Vietnamese princess and Japanese merchant, in Nagasaki city, southwestern Japan, last weekend.

According to historical records, Princess Anio, also known as Princess Ngọc Hoa, was the daughter of Lord Nguyễn Phúc Nguyên, who ascended to power in 1613. She fell in love with Japanese merchant and samurai Araki Sotaro during his trading voyages to Hội An. In 1620, Sotaro brought her to his hometown in Nagasaki. What may have initially appeared to be a diplomatic marriage became a lifelong bond, as she remained in Japan for the rest of her life and is remembered as the first foreign bride in Japanese history.

Nagasaki welcomed her for her beauty, grace, and gentle demeanor. She affectionately called her husband “Anh oi” (“My dear”) in Vietnamese, and locals soon dubbed her Princess Anio, or Anio-san, a phonetic echo of that phrase. Today, her arrival is still be marked in the “Red Seal Ship” procession of the Nagasaki Kunchi Festival, a ritual celebrating the sea lanes that stitched Japan to Southeast Asia, including Việt Nam, in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

That transoceanic romance endures as a symbol of devotion and an early cultural bridge between Việt Nam and Japan. It has spawned a string of artistic works, notably the “Princess Anio” musical, first staged to mark half a century of diplomatic ties.

In her speech, Consul General Phương described the union as more than a dynastic match but also a living emblem of 400-plus years of bilateral friendship and exchange. The opera, she said, draws on that legacy to bring shared values of friendship, mutual understanding and respect to modern audiences, particularly the youth.

Culture and people-to-people exchanges have long been among the most important pillars of Việt Nam – Japan relations. Projects like the “Princess Anio” project give citizens of both countries, especially the youth, a sharper view of each other’s history, traditions, and humanistic values, thereby fostering their mutual trust, connectivity, and friendship, she said.

The Consulate General will continue working closely with local authorities, friendship groups, and the Vietnamese community in the Kyushu region to intensify cultural exchanges, thereby contributing to the substantive and sustainable development of the Vietnam - Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, she added.

Prior to the ceremony, Phương and other officials visited the graves of Princess Ngọc Hoa and the Sotaro family in Nagasaki. — VNA/VNS