The first Pho Festival in Japan marks a significant milestone.

Over 85,000 Japanese diners and members of the Vietnamese community attended the Vietnam Pho Festival 2023. The event was even more significant as it marked the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries (1973-2023).

Diners line up to enjoy pho. (Photo: Quang Dinh)

Yoyogi Park in Tokyo was filled with the aroma of Vietnamese pho on October 7th and 8th. Long lines of Japanese people waited to eat pho, demonstrating the appeal of this Vietnamese food festival in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Speaking to TG&VN, Mr. Tran Xuan Toan - Vice Chairman of the Vietnam-Japan Friendship Association of Ho Chi Minh City, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Tuoi Tre Newspaper, and Head of the Organizing Committee of the Vietnam Pho Festival 2023, expressed his joy at witnessing the love of the Japanese people for Vietnamese cuisine, as well as the desire of many politicians and event participants to hold this festival annually in Japan.

Choose the "shortest path to the heart".

The Vietnam Pho Festival 2023 continues the series of events for Pho Day on December 12th, which has been organized for many years in Vietnam by Tuoi Tre Newspaper in collaboration with various organizations. The aim is to promote pho not just as a traditional dish, but also as a reflection of the rich heritage and flavors of Vietnamese cuisine.

For the first time taking this festival abroad, the organizers chose Japan because this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. According to Mr. Tran Xuan Toan, "the two countries share a close cultural and culinary relationship. Based on assessments from many travel companies and search services, the first dish that Japanese tourists most want to try when they come to Vietnam is pho."

Mr. Tran Xuan Toan said that the event was attended by Golden Star Anise chefs from previous years such as Nguyen Tien Hai, Nguyen Tu Tin, Pham Quang Duy... along with chefs from famous pho restaurants, such as Pho Dau, Pho Hai Thien, Pho Hotel Majestic Saigon, Pho'S, Pho Sen SASCO, Pho Thin Bo Ho, Pho restaurant at Thu Duc Golf Course, Pho Ta - Binh Tay Food...

Besides directly showcasing the flavor of pho, the Vietnam Pho Festival 2023 also organized many promotional activities such as pho noodle making demonstrations; a talk show titled "Love for Vietnamese Pho" featuring artisans, experts, and celebrities from Vietnam and Japan; a competition for Japanese people to create Vietnamese pho; exhibitions and video screenings providing information and history of pho...

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Pham Quang Hieu said he was very proud to participate in organizing the Vietnam Pho Festival. According to the Ambassador, food festivals have long been the ideal cultural exchange points where participants can easily find compatibility and closeness despite coming from many countries.

The ambassador stated that Vietnamese cuisine has always held a strong appeal for Japanese people. Japanese dishes typically have delicate, subtle flavors that complement the natural atmosphere of each season, and Vietnamese pho shares these similarities.

Notably, at the Vietnam Pho Festival 2023, Japanese politicians delivered very moving speeches about Vietnam, its people, and its cuisine.

Mr. Aoyagi Yoichiro, a member of the Japanese Parliament, shared: “The Vietnamese have a saying, 'The shortest path to a person's heart is through their stomach,' so the Vietnam Pho Festival has contributed to connecting and spreading the love of cuisine between the people of the two countries.”

Emphasizing the significant importance of the Vietnam Pho Festival, Mr. Yamaguchi Natsuo, Chairman of the Komeito Party of Japan, said that he had the opportunity to return to Vietnam last August after 32 years. For him, Vietnam has changed a lot with modern buildings and a more dynamic pace of life, but one thing remains unchanged: the flavor of pho is still as authentic as ever.

According to Chairman Yamaguchi Natsuo: "Through cuisine, specifically pho, we see cultural similarities between the two countries, a close connection. In particular, pho originates from rice, and in daily life, rice products are widely used by people in both countries."

We've all heard of the pho-flavored symphony. Through this festival, the friendship between Vietnam and Japan, along with this pho symphony, will create the most wonderful music."

The organizers and delegates at the closing ceremony of the Vietnam Pho Festival. (Photo: Quang Dinh)

A flavor that evokes fond memories.

As can be seen, the Vietnam Pho Festival 2023 has become a meeting point for pho lovers from all over Japan. Many Japanese people and Vietnamese expatriates from all corners of Japan, including distant prefectures like Shizuoka, took advantage of the weekend, traveling for hours on the subway to come to Yoyogi Park.

Ms. Bich Hoang, owner of Pho Dau in Ho Chi Minh City, said that many customers claim to be regulars from her time in Vietnam.

As part of the event, participants also had the opportunity to explore the history and culture of Vietnamese pho through the talk show "Discovering Pho".

Sharing her experience here, MC Phuong Chi said that she was born in Japan, so it wasn't until she returned to Vietnam that she encountered a different flavor of pho compared to the pho she had eaten in Japan since childhood. Culinary expert Matsuo Tomoyuki encouraged diners to try different pho flavors to find their favorite. According to him, this is an opportunity for them to experience authentic, original Vietnamese cuisine.

During the festival, numerous videos capturing moments and reviews from Japanese people participating in the festival, using the keyword "Vietnam Pho Festival" in Japanese, also appear on the social media platform TikTok.

Many Vietnamese people currently living and working in Japan shared moments from the event, expressing their joy and excitement at being able to enjoy the quintessential national dish of their homeland in a foreign country.

Pho acts as a catalyst, connecting trade.

Beyond promoting cuisine, the Vietnam Pho Festival aims for a broader goal: to boost trade and investment.

Mr. Tran Xuan Toan said that the Organizing Committee, in collaboration with the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade, organized a delegation of businesses in the food, beverage, and spice sectors to participate in networking activities within the framework of the festival, such as coordinating with Saigon Tourism Corporation to promote Vietnamese destinations to Japanese tourists.

Mr. Toan emphasized: "It can be said that pho is the catalyst, connecting new cooperation opportunities. Through pho, we hope to introduce Vietnamese rice-based products. For example, Binh Tay Food's rice-based products have received very positive feedback from Japanese supermarkets."

Speaking about the success of the event, the Head of the Organizing Committee of the Vietnam Pho Festival 2023 said that the affection of the Japanese people for Vietnam contributed to the very positive ripple effect of the festival.

Along with effective media promotion efforts such as press conferences to inform agencies and associations in Japan, hundreds of news articles about the festival (including major media outlets like NHK and Mainichi Shimbun), and strong support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Vietnam National Tourism Administration, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, relevant agencies, and the business community, all contributed greatly to the success of the event.

The organizers hope that the Vietnam Pho Festival will be held in other countries such as South Korea, the United States, and European countries to further spread Vietnamese culinary culture and brand recognition, because food is the fastest and closest bridge to international friends, as well as promoting friendly relations between Vietnam and other countries.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/dau-an-le-hoi-pho-dau-tien-tai-nhat-ban-245928.html