The Việt Nam-Japan Friendship Association of Đà Nẵng City, in co-operation with the Consulate General of Japan in Đà Nẵng, discuss on the Japanese teaching programme as the second foreign language lessons at schools in Hội An ancient town. — Photo courtesy of Việt Nam-Japan Friendship Association of Đà Nẵng City

HỘI AN — Schools in the ancient town Hội An will begin teaching Japanese as their second foreign language under a programme from the Việt Nam–Japan Friendship Association of Đà Nẵng City, in cooperation with the Consulate General of Japan in Đà Nẵng.

Chair of the friendship association Trần Văn Nam said the programme would start at two junior secondary schools in the near future.

The lessons are also assigned to two other high school classes, but they must wait to recruit more students of Japanese, according to Nam.

He said the programme would begin soon in Hội An, although the schedule was previously delayed to allow for the merger of the former Quảng Nam Province with Đà Nẵng City.

A representative of the Việt Nam–Japan Friendship Association of Đà Nẵng City presents scholarships to Vietnamese students at Japanese classes in Nguyễn Lương Bằng Junior High School in Đà Nẵng. — Photo courtesy of Trần Thắng OneDana

The Culture and Sports Centre of Hội An, in cooperation with the Tokyo Shirubakai Art Troupe, previously started a Japanese language and culture education project for primary school students.

Earlier this year, Đà Nẵng City’s Education and Training Department, in cooperation with the Japanese Consulate General Office in Đà Nẵng, officially launched two Japanese language study classes at Nguyễn Lương Bằng junior high school.

According to overseas education consultant Onedana JSC, at least 5,000 students at 25 primary and junior high schools in Liên Chiểu Ward have studied the Japanese language, but the programme was temporarily suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

A procession by the Japanese community living in Hội An and Đà Nẵng. Hội An and Đà Nẵng have held annual Việt Nam-Japan Culture Festivals since 2012. Photo courtesy of Hội An Cultural Heritage Conservation Centre

Head of the Consulate General of Japan in Đà Nẵng Mori Takero said at least 60 elite students from central Việt Nam have been educated in Japan.

Đà Nẵng City and Japan are enhancing cooperation in investment, education, cultural exchanges, tourism, manufacturing and high-tech industries.

The central city currently has 30 Japanese language training centres and 25 companies operating in education enrolment in Japan.

Đà Nẵng and Mitsuke City in Japan's Niigata prefecture have maintained an annual homestay exchange programme for Vietnamese and Japanese students since 2005.

Hội An and Đà Nẵng are the first towns in Việt Nam to offer Japanese language education in primary schools.

A Japanese artist demonstrates calligraphy at the Việt Nam-Japan Cultural Exchange Space in Hội An. Photo courtesy of Hội An World Cultural Heritage Conservation Centre

Residents of Cẩm Châu Commune in Hội An have preserved three ancient tombs of the families of Japanese traders who died in the town in the 17th century.

A stone stela in a cave in Ngũ Hành Sơn (Marble Mountains) in Đà Nẵng holds an inscription containing the names of five Japanese-Vietnamese families who donated to build pagodas at the site.

Hội An's ancient Japanese quarter includes 60 houses built in the late 16th century, when the first Japanese traders arrived and settled in town. — VNS