The Vietnam Festival in Kanagawa Prefecture has attracted thousands of Japanese and international visitors.
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Addressing the opening ceremony, Kuroiwa Yuji highlighted the scale of the 2017 festival, expressing his hope that the annual event will contribute to deepening the relations between Vietnam and the Japanese prefecture.
Minister Thien spoke highly of the traditional friendship between Vietnam and Japan, affirming that Japan is a long-term and important partner of Vietnam. Therefore, the relationship between Vietnam and Kanagawa prefecture will continue developing strongly in all fields in the future, Thien said.
According to the minister, Vietnam welcomed over 700,000 Japanese tourists in 2016, while more than 200,000 Vietnamese holiday-makers visited Japan. He expressed his hope that the two nations will continue sharing values of the traditional cultures to bring their people closer to each other.
The festival featured over 100 stalls showcasing cultural products, food, handicrafts and specialties of Vietnamese localities. An exhibition space affirming Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos was also organised during the festival. The event attracted an estimated 500,000 visitors and contribute to the enhancement of the Vietnam - Japan friendship while expanding economic and tourist exchanges.
Established in 2015, the Vietnam Festa is the biggest Vietnamese festival in Japan jointly held by the Vietnam Embassy and Kanagawa prefecture.
Meanwhile, on July 15 “Feel Japan in Vietnam 2017” festival opened in Ho Chi Minh City. The 3rd festival of its kind in Vietnam promoted Japanese standards in Vietnam with various activities including Japanese drums performances, beauty arts, and tourism road shows. Thousands of Japanese products was on display at the festival.
