The 11th Japan Vietnam Festival in Ho Chi Minh City kicked off on Saturday in the heart of the city, drawing large crowds eager to experience a vibrant showcase of tourism, culture, cuisine, performances, and sports from both countries.

Around 9:30 am, lines of excited festivalgoers had already formed at 23/9 Park in Ben Thanh Ward as people eagerly waited to enter before the event opened.

The festival, at its largest scale ever, features 300 booths run by businesses from the two countries and carries the theme 'Holding Hands Together – Children – Earth – Future.'

Vo Van Minh, member of the Party Central Committee, deputy secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee and chairman of the municipal People’s Council, said this year’s festival carries special significance as it enters its second decade of development, opening a new chapter with greater expectations and broader opportunities for deeper cooperation between the two countries.

He noted that this is the first Japan Vietnam Festival held after Ho Chi Minh City’s administrative restructuring, as the city positions itself to expand international cooperation, including with Japan, one of Vietnam’s leading partners.

This year’s festival not only continues the event’s long-standing traditions but also delivers a strong message of companionship, cooperation, and jointly shaping the future of the two nations.

“The Japan Vietnam Festival will create a vibrant and emotional cultural space where people of the two countries, especially the younger generation, will have more opportunities to meet, share, better understand one another, and work toward a sustainable future together,” Minh stated.

“I believe that through cultural experiences, sincere encounters, and meaningful exchanges at the festival, the friendship between the people of Vietnam and Japan will grow stronger, deeper, and spread even further.”

In his remarks at the festival’s opening ceremony on Saturday morning, Shimada Tomoaki, Japan’s Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, said the festival stands as a testament to the long-standing friendship that Japan and Vietnam have built by “holding hands together” across generations, while also serving as a valuable opportunity and foundation to connect the hearts of people from both countries toward the future.

“Japan and Vietnam have built and continue to develop close partnerships across a wide range of fields, including economic, political, social, and cultural cooperation,” he said.

“The Japanese government will continue to promote friendship and cooperation with Vietnam based on the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.”

Tsutomu Takebe, special advisor to the Japan-Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Alliance, said that building on the foundation of the Japan Vietnam Festival, the two countries will continue to grow together through cultural exchange and cooperation in human resource development, while spreading new values across Asia and the world.

Cooperation between the two countries, he added, holds great significance for peace and prosperity in the Asian region.

“The Japan Vietnam Festival is not merely a cultural exchange event but has steadily developed into a hub of connection, where the cultures and people of the two countries meet, share, and resonate with one another,” Takebe emphasized.

“Vietnam and Japan have their own histories and identities but are connected by shared values such as diligence, love for family, and the aspiration for peace,” he added, calling the Vietnam – Japan friendship an “alliance of cherry blossoms and lotuses.”

Ao dai meets kimono

According to Hashimoto Seiko, member of Japan’s House of Councillors and head of the festival’s organizing committee, around 160 organizations and 300 booths are taking part in the exhibition this year, while about 45 groups are performing on stage.

Various other activities are also being held, creating a richer and more practical space for Vietnam – Japan exchanges across fields including culture, sports, and business.

This year’s festival, taking place on Saturday and Sunday, features 13 main activities: trade, culinary, and tourism exchange programs; exhibitions promoting Vietnamese and Japanese products; Vietnam – Japan cultural and artistic exchanges; a seminar on tourism trends between the two countries; a seminar on human resource development for a sustainable future; sports exchanges; a friendship cycling event; and community networking activities.

New highlights also include an ao dai design contest for students from fashion schools in Japan that attracted more than 100 entries, a kimono design workshop held at three fashion training institutions in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam–Japan court music performances and exchanges, and a ramen fest featuring well-known ramen brands in Ho Chi Minh City, among others.

At the opening ceremony, the top prize of the ao dai design contest was awarded to Lantern by Momomi Miyazaki, with the jury praising the design for respecting tradition while subtly incorporating a modern sensibility.