Japan-Vietnam ties to enter era of ‘co-creation:’ parliamentary friendship alliance chief

Obuchi, a member of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and former Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, made the remarks during Vietnamese Party General Secretary and State President To Lam’s official visit to Japan from November 8 to 11.

She was among the Japanese lawmakers who attended Party chief and President To Lam’s policy address to the Diet, Japan’s parliament, on Monday.

On the same day, the top Vietnamese leader met Obuchi and the alliance’s 20 key leaders in Tokyo, including Japanese Finance Minister Katayama Satsuki and Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Takebe Arata.

Obuchi said she felt honored that both she and her late father, former Japanese Prime Minister Obuchi Keizo, had been able to contribute to the development of bilateral relations across two generations.

In 1998, when Japan and Vietnam marked the 25th anniversary of their diplomatic relations, her father visited Vietnam in his capacity as prime minister and chairman of the Japan-Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Alliance. During the visit, he delivered a policy speech titled ‘Toward the Creation of a Bright Future for Asia.’

In that address, he expressed his deep admiration for Vietnam’s Doi Moi (Renovation) journey, while praising the country’s education standards, which he said were underpinned by its longstanding educational traditions and had provided a foundation for contemporary development.

Nearly three decades later, Obuchi visited Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Can Tho in August 2025 as chairwoman of the alliance.

During the trip, she held discussions on strengthening bilateral ties with Party chief and President To Lam, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung, who was then chairman of the Vietnam-Japan Parliamentary Friendship Group, and other Vietnamese leaders.

During Party chief and President To Lam’s visit to Japan this month, she also exchanged views with Nguyen Duy Ngoc, head of the Vietnamese Party Central Committee’s Organization Commission and chairman of the Vietnam-Japan Parliamentary Friendship Group.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to expanding cooperation across various fields, alongside exchanges between the two countries’ legislatures and parliamentary friendship groups.

From ODA assistance to strategic economic partners

Reflecting on how Japan’s political establishment now views Vietnam compared with 30 years ago, Obuchi said the country’s image had undergone a significant transformation.

“Thirty years ago, Vietnam was primarily seen by Japan as a country receiving support for economic recovery, largely through official development assistance (ODA),” she said.

Japan provided ODA funding to help Vietnam develop strategic infrastructure and strengthen its legal framework, laying the groundwork for economic growth.

Japanese companies, which began investing in Vietnam in the 1990s, also contributed to the development of the country’s supporting industries through technology transfers and workforce training.

Today, however, Obuchi said she was deeply impressed by Vietnam’s remarkable economic progress and growing international standing.

She cited Vietnam’s reported economic growth of 9.96 percent in the third quarter of 2026, which she described as the highest in ASEAN.

Vietnam has now become a major manufacturing hub in the global market, with its economy increasingly interconnected with Japan’s, she said.

“I believe that Japan-Vietnam relations will now enter an era of ‘co-creation’ of the future,” Obuchi said.

“As partners built on decades of mutual trust, I firmly believe that Japan and Vietnam will join hands to achieve sustainable growth and even stronger development.”

People-to-people exchanges at the heart of bilateral ties

Asked about the common ground among lawmakers from different political parties within the Japan-Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Alliance, Obuchi said strengthening mutual understanding and trust was a shared priority.

She described people-to-people exchanges as the foundation of friendship between the two countries, adding that closer ties between their citizens were essential to further consolidating bilateral relations.

Following Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae’s visit to Vietnam in May this year, Party chief and President To Lam’s visit to Japan marked reciprocal visits by the two countries’ top leaders within the same year, she added.

Parliamentary exchanges have also gained momentum.

After the Japan-Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Alliance delegation visited Vietnam in August 2025, an approximately 60-member delegation from the LDP Youth Division traveled to Hanoi later that month.

The delegation held constructive discussions with Vietnam’s Young National Assembly Deputies Group and the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee.

People-to-people exchanges have continued to expand as well.

Last year, around 810,000 Japanese visitors traveled to Vietnam, while around 680,000 Vietnamese visitors went to Japan, with both figures recording increases.

“I truly believe that the goal of reaching two million visits in both directions by 2030 is not far away,” Obuchi said.

She also welcomed the growing popularity of Japanese destinations among Vietnamese travelers, saying that social media users from Vietnam had been helping showcase the country’s diverse attractions.

Beyond popular landmarks such as cherry blossoms and Mount Fuji, Vietnamese visitors have increasingly shared images of Hokkaido’s snowy landscapes, Japanese hot spring culture and other regional attractions.

Technology, workforce development as future priorities

Aside from political and cultural exchanges, Obuchi emphasized the importance of developing young human resources to sustain bilateral cooperation in the years to come.

She highlighted the Vietnam-Japan University as a symbol of educational cooperation between the two countries.

The university is expanding its education and research programs, particularly in semiconductor technology, with the aim of becoming a human resource development hub serving Japan, Vietnam and the broader Indo-Pacific region.

Developing highly-skilled personnel is also a priority for both governments, she said.

Joint research and workforce training in advanced fields such as semiconductors are being accelerated through Japan’s Strategic Science and Technology Innovation Initiative for ASEAN.

Obuchi reaffirmed that the alliance would continue to actively support and promote these long-term investments in the future of both countries.

“I sincerely hope that Party General Secretary and State President To Lam’s visit to Japan will further strengthen trust between the leaders of our two countries,” she said.

“I also hope that people-to-people exchanges between Japan and Vietnam will be further promoted, creating a solid foundation for bilateral relations in the future.”