The Japanese capital of Tokyo will celebrate Vietnamese culture with the second “Hello!Vietnam” festival on September 19 and 20.
Kitajima Gendo, head of the festival organizing board, said last year’s event attracted 150,000 participants including Japan’s Crown Prince Naruhito.
At the festival, Vietnamese restaurants from Tokyo and the Kanto region will introduce Vietnamese delicacies, such as pho (beef noodle soup) and goi cuon (fresh spring rolls).
The cultural highlights of the festival in Tokyo’s Yoyogi Park include a fashion parade of ao dai (traditional Vietnamese long tunic) and performances by Vietnamese and Japanese artists, including Japanese artist Kumiko Oguri, who will perform with T’rung, a bamboo instrument from Vietnam’s ethnic minorities.
Some areas in the park will be dedicated to promoting Vietnam’s culture, trade and tourism and made-in-Vietnam products.
The two countries are hoping to turn the festival into an annual event to celebrate the Vietnam-Japan cultural relationship.