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Consul General of Viet Nam in Fukuoka Trinh Thi Mai Phuong delivers opening remarks at the event. |
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Governor of Fukuoka Prefecture Hattori Seitaro delivers a speech at the event. |
The large-scale event focused on economic and cultural diplomacy as well as trade promotion, attracting the participation of local government leaders from the Kyushu-Okinawa region, friendship organizations, businesses, overseas Vietnamese, and local residents.
On the opening day, hundreds of visitors came to experience booths showcasing cuisine and OCOP (One Commune One Product) agricultural products from Vietnamese localities. Fukuoka residents and international visitors had the opportunity to enjoy distinctive traditional dishes and learn about high-quality processed agricultural products and OCOP products from Viet Nam.
The organizing panel also introduced a variety of interactive cultural exchange activities. The “ao dai” (Vietnamese traditional long dress) experience area helped international friends gain a deeper appreciation of the elegance of Viet Nam’s traditional attire. By September 13, more than 300 sets of “ao dai” had been presented to visitors.
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Local government leaders from the Kyushu-Okinawa region, friendship organizations, businesses, overseas Vietnamese, and local residents attend the event. |
The folk game area attracted enthusiastic participation from local people through activities such as tug-of-war, skipping, and bamboo dancing. Meanwhile, an art performance by young overseas Vietnamese featured songs about their homeland, helping strengthen connections among the Vietnamese community in the Kyushu region.
Notably, the “Zen Cafe” program held at the headquarters of the Consulate General, with the participation of leaders of localities, organizations, businesses, and diplomatic missions, helped introduce Viet Nam’s distinctive coffee culture to international friends.
The event also featured special programs such as “Viet Nam in my eyes,” where Japanese youths shared their perspectives on Viet Nam and its people, and “Viet Nam in me,” which provided an opportunity for second- and third-generation Vietnamese children to express their feelings about their homeland in simple and sincere voices.
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Guests experience the Zen Cafe program. |
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Vietnamese localities introduce OCOP products at the event. |
Consul General of Viet Nam in Fukuoka Trinh Thi Mai Phuong affirmed that the Viet Nam-Japan relationship is currently at its best stage of development. She stated that the event not only promoted the image of Viet Nam’s country, people, culture, and cuisine, but also served as a practical bridge to enhance mutual understanding and further promote economic, trade, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges between Vietnamese localities and Fukuoka prefecture as well as the Kyushu-Okinawa region.
Representing the Fukuoka Prefectural Government, Governor Hattori Seitaro emphasized that the Vietnamese community plays an important role in the province’s socio-economic development. He expressed his belief that the event would further strengthen the traditional friendship and open up new, broader, and more effective cooperation opportunities between Fukuoka and Vietnamese partners.
The event also contributed to increasing the presence of Vietnamese high-quality brands and products in the Kyushu distribution system and the wider Japanese market.
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An experiential activity at the event |
The success of the program once again affirmed the active bridging role of the Consulate General of Viet Nam in Fukuoka in strengthening friendship and promoting practical cooperation opportunities in economy, trade, and culture between Viet Nam and the Kyushu-Okinawa region.
It also provided an opportunity for the Vietnamese community in the region to look toward their homeland and proudly introduce the beauty of traditional culture, cuisine, local specialties, and the hospitality of the Vietnamese people to Japanese friends.
Translated by Minh Anh