Hanoi, Kanagawa set new model for local Vietnam-Japan collaboration

THE HANOI TIMES — Hanoi and Kanagawa will deepen cooperation across all sectors and create a new model for local level partnership between Vietnam and Japan.

The view was shared during a meeting between Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Duong Duc Tuan and Governor of Kanagawa Prefecture Kuroiwa Yuji on November 14.

At the meeting, Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Duong Duc Tuan said the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Japan has continued to expand with many meaningful activities, creating a strong foundation for Hanoi to receive support from Japan in its development process.

According to Tuan, Hanoi has established sister city relationships with several Japanese localities, including Kanagawa, a province with a large economy, a sizable population and strong industrial, commercial, service and healthcare sectors.

He said these strengths, together with the large Vietnamese community in Kanagawa, provide considerable potential for the province to expand cooperation with Vietnam.

“Hanoi values and firmly believes in the potential for effective cooperation with Kanagawa,” Tuan said, while proposing that Kanagawa leaders work with Hanoi to advance five key areas of collaboration in the coming period.

The first priority is to continue organizing the annual Kanagawa Festival in Hanoi and study the possibility of expanding it into a cultural week that includes cuisine, film, fashion and other tourism products of both cities.

The second priority is to strengthen cooperation in the economy, science and technology, innovation and high-tech services.

Tuan noted that Hanoi has strong potential in industrial parks and high tech zones.

“The city is prioritizing green foreign direct investment, data center development, digital economy growth, green infrastructure, smart cities, urban rail systems and advanced waste treatment,” he continued.

The third priority is to promote the establishment of a Kanagawa Representative Office in Hanoi to support closer cooperation between the province and Hanoi’s agencies and businesses.

The fourth aims to enhance business exchanges and investment promotion and support stronger supply chain cooperation between companies from both sides.

The fifth priority is to advance capacity building programs for Hanoi’s technical officials, particularly in urban management and digital government.

Tuan expressed confidence that Hanoi and Kanagawa will deepen their cooperation across all sectors and create a new model for local-level collaboration between Vietnam and Japan.

Thanking the Vice Chairman for his remarks, Governor Kuroiwa Yuji expressed appreciation for Hanoi’s consistent support in hosting the Kanagawa Festival.

He said the annual event plays an important role in connecting the cultures of Vietnam and Japan and he believes the 2025 edition and future festivals will continue to strengthen ties between Japan and Vietnam as well as between Kanagawa and Hanoi.

Yuji also expressed hope that cultural exchanges will lead to deeper economic cooperation. He noted that when the festival was first held in 2015, economic cooperation was still modest, but Kanagawa now hosts 22 Vietnamese companies, mainly in information technology.

Meanwhile, Kanagawa has 32 enterprises investing in Vietnam and the province has put in place support mechanisms to encourage businesses to expand into the Vietnamese market.

He said Kanagawa is giving high priority to digital transformation and praised the size and quality of Hanoi’s information technology workforce.

He expressed confidence that cooperation in this field will help both localities address development challenges.

Yuji affirmed that this visit will help create new momentum and bring cooperation between Hanoi and Kanagawa to a new level.

The Kanagawa Festival in Hanoi is a cultural event organized to introduce the distinctive features of Kanagawa Prefecture (Japan) to the public, with Yukata experiences, cuisine, cultural products, and tourism information from Kanagawa. The event was first launched in 2018 at the Ly Thai To Monument area in the heart of Hanoi. This year, the Kanagawa Festival in Hanoi will take place on November 15–16 at Thong Nhat Park – Tran Nhan Tong pedestrian street.