The program was attended by Governor of Kanagawa Prefecture (Japan) Kuroiwa Yuji, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ho An Phong, Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Pham Quang Hieu; along with representatives from agencies, organizations, and businesses of both countries, and a large number of Kanagawa residents and international tourists.
Speaking at the festival's opening ceremony, Kanagawa Prefecture Governor Kuroiwa Yuji emphasized that 2025 marks the 10th anniversary of the festival being held in Kanagawa.
When the festival was first held in 2015, there were only about 10,000 Vietnamese people living in Kanagawa, but today, that number has increased to about 40,000, ranking second only to the number of Chinese citizens living in Kanagawa.
According to Mr. Kuroiwa Yuji, this cultural event connects the people of the two countries not only through culture but also economically . After nine editions, the festival's effectiveness and appeal have become clearly evident.
From a time when there were no Vietnamese businesses in Kanagawa, by 2025 there were 34 Vietnamese businesses investing and operating in Kanagawa, and many more Vietnamese businesses intend to invest in Kanagawa Prefecture. More importantly, the Festival has further strengthened the bond between the people of Kanagawa and Vietnam, as well as between Vietnamese friends and Kanagawa Prefecture.
According to Governor Kuroiwa Yuji, in November 2025, Kanagawa Prefecture will hold the Kanagawa Festival in Hanoi, further highlighting and strengthening bilateral relations in the fields of culture, trade, tourism , investment, and commerce.
For his part, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ho An Phong affirmed that the Vietnam Festival in Kanagawa is a special event, not only creating opportunities for the people of the two countries to exchange and introduce the beauty of their culture, cuisine , and art to each other, but more importantly, it is an occasion to strengthen the friendship between the people of Vietnam and Japan, and a meeting point for Vietnamese people living far from home to meet in the festive atmosphere.
Deputy Minister Ho An Phong affirmed: "Culture is an important bridge that helps us get closer and understand each other better. Culture has no hierarchy, no superiority or inferiority; it only has diversity, color, uniqueness, and difference."
Over the past 10 years, the Vietnam Festival in Kanagawa has continuously grown, becoming one of the most anticipated large-scale Vietnamese cultural events in Japan. The event connects people, brings communities together, and strengthens the friendship between Vietnam and Japan. The artistic and culinary activities not only bring the essence and identity of Vietnam to Japan, but also create a space for exchange, learning, and mutual complementarity between Vietnamese and Japanese cultures.
Expressing deep gratitude and thanks to Governor Kuroiwa Yuji, who has shown great affection for the people and country of Vietnam and initiated the Vietnam Festival in Kanagawa for many years, former Vietnamese Ambassadors to Japan and Deputy Minister Ho An Phong hoped that the Kanagawa provincial government and the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan would continue to work closely with the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, contributing together to the sustainable development of Vietnam-Japan relations.
Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Pham Quang Hieu expressed his belief that the Vietnam Festival in Kanagawa is a comprehensive cultural and economic event; a model with great influence; and a connecting link between Vietnamese and Japanese people in Kanagawa.
The festival also contributes to promoting the image of Vietnam, its people, and its fine traditional values to the people of Japan, especially in Kanagawa province, thereby strengthening friendship between the people of the two countries and continuing to open up new opportunities for economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.
The Vietnam Festival in Kanagawa 2025 is an annual cultural exchange event, taking place from September 13-14, attracting a large number of Vietnamese people and Japanese friends in Kanagawa Prefecture.
The event serves as an important forum for promoting Vietnamese culture, tourism, and economy, including cuisine, folk art, and investment promotion programs. Over the two days of the festival, hundreds of booths showcased Vietnamese food, handicrafts, and products.
Alongside these will be art performances, water puppetry by the Vietnam Puppet Theatre, Quan Ho folk singing, and other unique cultural activities; tourism promotion programs, introducing destinations and tourism policies of Vietnam; seminars and forums on investment and tourism cooperation between Vietnam and Japan; a Japanese language public speaking competition for international students…
That evening, the Vietnamese delegation attended a reception hosted by the Governor of Kanagawa Prefecture.
In his opening remarks, Governor Kuroiwa Yuji expressed his deep gratitude to the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for coordinating the organization and sending the puppet troupe to participate and perform at the Festival. This event not only strengthens cultural exchange between the two countries but also brings traditional Vietnamese folk art closer to the Japanese people.
In his response, Deputy Minister Ho An Phong expressed his confidence that with the support and cooperation of Kanagawa Prefecture, the Vietnam Festival in Kanagawa in 2025 will continue to be a special event, contributing to the friendship and effective cooperation between Vietnam and Japan, as well as symbolizing the model of cooperation and cultural exchange between Vietnam and localities in Japan.
At the reception, the Vietnam Puppet Theatre's art troupe performed many outstanding acts, creating a unique cultural and artistic space that was both familiar and close to the Japanese people, further strengthening the friendship between the people of Vietnam and Japan.
Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/cau-noi-giao-luu-nhan-dan-viet-nam-nhat-ban-168003.html
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