The third Vietnam-Japan Culture and Trade Exchange is taking place in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho from November 3 to 5, drawing the participation of nearly 100 businesses from both Vietnam and Japan.
The three-day event, co-organised by the Can Tho chapter of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and the Consulate General of Japan in Ho Chi Minh City, is part of the activities to celebrate 45 years of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic ties in 2018.
The festival offers an ideal platform to promote the beauty of the country and people of Japan to Can Tho citizens and vice versa, as well as to strengthen exchange activities between the two countries’ companies and attract more Japanese investment in the Mekong Delta region as a whole and Can Tho in particular, thus contributing to tightening the fine relationship between Vietnam and Japan.
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According to Deputy Director of VCCI Can Tho, Nguyen Phuong Lam, this year’s Vietnam-Japan festival promises to be an interesting destination, accommodating a scale of 120 pavilions imbued with cultural and festive features of both Vietnam and Japan, showcasing products of various types in an array of industries, including technology, electric machinery, household electric appliances, fashion, handicraft and fine arts, cosmetics and trade.
In addition, the programme also features unique performances by traditional and modern arts troupes coming from the two countries. Visitors will have a chance to enjoy artistic firework displays and moving films of Vietnam and Japan, alongside learning Origami and the art of Japanese tea, dress themselves in a Kimono or Yukata, and disguise themselves as a Samurai or a Ninja.
Kazunori Hosoya, Deputy Consul General of Japan in HCM City, expressed his optimism about the outlook of the Vietnam-Japan relationship, stating that the increasing number and efficiency of trade promotion and cultural exchange activities between the two countries are a vivid evidence for his belief.
In 2016, Vietnam welcomed over 740,000 Japanese tourist arrivals, while Japan received around 230,000 Vietnamese visitors to the country.
In Can Tho alone, four Japanse-financed projects have been completed since 2013, with a total capital of more than VND7 billion (US$308,000).
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PSNews - "We have always affirmed that the greatest strength lies in the people, and the greatest creativity also comes from the people. When millions of positive stories are shared and spread simultaneously, we are not only promoting the image of our country, but also helping to strengthen social trust, enhance consensus, elevate national prestige, and proactively counter false and distorted information about Vietnam in the international arena", said Trinh Thi Thuy - Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Head of the Organizing Committee of the award.