Festival goers enjoy a performance. — VNA/VNS Photo

TOKYO — The Việt Nam Festival 2026 in Kanagawa has opened in Yokohama, Kanagawa prefecture, Japan, bringing Vietnamese and Japanese people together through culture, cuisine, and people-to-people exchanges.

Held under the theme Connecting Hearts, Looking to the Future, the festival aims to promote mutual understanding and deepen cooperation between Việt Nam and Kanagawa prefecture.

The September 12 opening ceremony was attended by Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Phạm Quang Hiệu, Kanagawa Governor Kuroiwa Yuji, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Trịnh Thị Thủy, representatives of local authorities, members of the Vietnamese community and Japanese residents.

Speaking at the event, Hiệu said that after 10 editions, the Việt Nam Festival in Kanagawa has become a familiar cultural gathering and an important bridge connecting the people of Việt Nam and Japan.

The theme of this year's event reflects a shared desire to bring people from the two countries closer together, he said, stressing that mutual understanding and people-to-people exchanges provide a solid foundation for stronger cooperation in the future.

Kuroiwa said cultural exchanges between Kanagawa prefecture and Việt Nam have become increasingly vibrant in recent years. In addition to the annual Việt Nam Festival, the prefectural government also organises Kanagawa festivals in Việt Nam, helping expand cooperation in various fields.

The 10th Việt Nam Festival in Kanagawa features around 100 booths showcasing Vietnamese culture, traditional cuisine and regional specialties. Water puppetry, traditional music and other cultural performances have drawn strong interest from local residents and visitors.

Despite heavy rain before the opening ceremony, large crowds turned out to enjoy Vietnamese food, cultural experiences and performances, creating a vibrant Vietnamese cultural space in Yokohama.

Running through September 13, the festival is expected to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors and strengthen the growing bonds between the people of Việt Nam and Japan.

The festival has been jointly organised annually by the Kanagawa prefectural Government and the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan since 2015. — VNA/VNS