The Embassy of Japan in Vietnam has announced the production of the musical project “Princess Anio” and the creative team, as well as the artists who will play the main roles.

Accordingly, on the Vietnamese side, actress Do Phan Gia Han was chosen to play the role of Princess Anio; on the Japanese side, female artist Oto Kurisu played the role of Princess Anio, and male artists Tashiro Mario and Onoda Ryunosuke played the role of merchant Araki Sotaro.

The Embassy of Japan in Vietnam and the production team announced the musical project "Princess Anio".

The opera takes its motif from a true story in the history of exchange and friendship between Vietnam and Japan from ancient times, describing the mutual respect between the two countries that has existed since this era.

Araki Sotaro was a Goshuin-in-ship merchant from the Azuchi Momoyama period to the Edo period. He traveled from Nagasaki to Dang Trong (now Central Vietnam). Receiving the trust of Lord Nguyen Phuc Nguyen, Sotaro was agreed to marry Princess Ngoc Hoa. Sotaro brought Princess Ngoc Hoa to Nagasaki. The princess was affectionately called "Anio-san" by the people of Nagasaki. She lived the rest of her life in Nagasaki. Today, the palanquin procession to welcome Princess Anio continues to be recreated in the "Goshuin-in-ship" scene, held every 7 years at the "Nagasaki Kunchi" festival in Nagasaki.

“We are in the process of making efforts to produce a musical and an opera that are unique in the world , where the audience, having seen one, will want to see the other,” said General Director, Production Director, and Screenwriter Ohyama Daisuke.

According to the General Director, when producing the opera in 2023, thanks to the great support of both countries, deep understanding of each other, and the production process itself, the work has become a symbol of the intersection between the two cultures.

General Director Ohyama Daisuke.

“Since ancient times, the two countries have always accompanied each other, closely connected, and maintained friendly exchanges both culturally and economically . The story of “Princess Anio” is a typical representative of that connection. A love story that we hope to introduce to many audiences through this stage with the message “No matter how many distances and differences there are, humanity can still accompany and live together”, General Director Ohyama Daisuke emphasized.

Selected after many rounds of auditions, young actress Do Phan Gia Han plays the role of Princess Anio. She expressed: “I feel very honored and happy to be chosen to participate in the musical “Princess Anio”, this is a story symbolizing the exchange between Japan and Vietnam during the period of the Goshuin ship trade - the trading ship connecting Nagasaki and Hoi An in the 17th century”.

Image from the opera "Princess Anio" performed in 2023.

Gia Han is currently a first-year student at the Vietnam National Academy of Music. She has many outstanding achievements such as: Silver Medal for Vocal Music at the 2023 Asian Arts Festival (Singapore); participating in Shrek the Musical National Tour 2024 (as Teen Fiona), and appearing in the concert The Road I Took by artist Philip Quast.

The production crew also hopes that the musical “Princess Anio” will be spread to the world with the aim of passing the story on to future generations as a testament to the good diplomatic relationship between Vietnam and Japan.

HA ANH

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/van-hoa/doi-song/chuyen-tinh-yeu-cua-nang-cong-nu-viet-nam-va-chang-thuong-nhan-nhat-ban-len-san-khau-nhac-kich-1012055