This morning (September 7), in Yokohama city, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in collaboration with Kanagawa Prefecture and the Vietnam Embassy in Japan opened the 5th Vietnam Festival in Kanagawa (Viet Nam festa in Kanagawa 2019) with the theme "Discover Vietnam". Attending the opening ceremony were Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Vu Hong Nam; Kanagawa Prefecture Governor, Mr. Koiruwa Yuji, together with representatives from agencies, organizations, associations and thousands of visitors in the Kanto region.
Vietnam Festival in Kanagawa is held annually starting from 2015 to enhance the exchange of cooperation between Vietnam and Kanagawa province through introducing and promoting the cultural beauty, tourism potential and cuisine in Vietnam to local people.
Speaking at the ceremony, Vietnam Ambassador to Japan Vu Hong Nam believed that this year's festival will continue the success of previous years, the relationship between Vietnam and Kanagawa province will be further strengthened to Vietnamese people are closer to Kanagawa city and people here have more opportunities to exchange and learn about Vietnamese culture and people, thereby opening up new cooperation opportunities for both sides.
Kanagawa Prefecture Governor Koiruwa Yuji said that since the festival was held in Kanagawa, the Japanese have come to know Vietnam better, especially Vietnamese enterprises and enterprises of Kanagawa Prefecture have strongly promoted cooperation, contribute to the mutual development of both sides. The Vietnam Festival in Kanagawa will promote cooperation between Kanagawa and Vietnamese localities, as well as contribute to the development of the Vietnam-Japan relationship.
At the festival, people not only enjoy many performances of Vietnamese culture, art, music, fashion, and cuisine, but also are attracted to the water puppetry show - a traditional art form and unique art only in Vietnam. Especially this year, for the first time, introducing a new water puppet show titled "The well of village", this is the image of water wells, communal courtyards, village ponds with green bamboo ramparts from ancient folklore is a typical symbol of the village. Vietnamese countryside in the hearts of many expatriates, with the desire to introduce to Japanese audiences the typical features of the cultural life of the people of the Northern Delta through the language of puppetry.
During the festival, many seminars related to economics, tourism, cultural exchanges ... are also held to connect and promote the development of the above fields between the two sides.
The organization of the Vietnam Festival in Kanagawa Prefecture, marking a new development of cultural exchange activities between the two countries, is no longer confined to Tokyo, but also developed in localities throughout Japan, with the purpose of bringing Vietnamese culture more deeply introduced to the people of the rising sun, contributing to the general development of the relations between the two countries.
Mr. Vo Truong An - Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
