The event also seeks to promote cultural ties and people-to-people exchange. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Nguyen Thi Anh Thi, Vice Chairwoman of the Da Nang People’s Committee, emphasized that Da Nang’s partnerships with Japanese counterparts have flourished across various sectors, including investment, trade, tourism, culture, and education, thanks to the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries. She noted that this collaboration has enhanced Da Nang’s international profile.

She also highlighted the festival’s significance in the context of Da Nang’s recent administrative restructuring, officially merging the former Da Nang city and Quang Nam province on July 1. The unification, she said, brings together a shared historical and cultural heritage, including Hoi An,the origin of Vietnam-Japan trade ties over 400 years ago, creating a foundation for future festivals to grow in scale and meaning.

Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Ito Naoki expressed his pleasure at attending the event, noting that this marked his third visit to Da Nang in just one month. He described the Vietnam-Japan Festival as the most important event of his recent visits and expressed confidence that it would support the coastal city's continued development.

A key feature of this year’s festival was a conference on advancing the Vietnam-Japan comprehensive strategic partnership, with sessions focused on local cooperation, investment, science and technology, innovation, and tourism. The conference served as a platform for Da Nang and Japanese partners to review progress over the past five years and chart a course for more comprehensive and sustainable co-operation.

The festival also features a wide array of activities, including an arts exchange programme with more than 100 performers from both countries, friendly sports events, and an exhibition of children's paintings and cooperation milestones between Da Nang and Japanese localities.

In addition, over 100 booths are showcasing distinctive cultural elements, products, and services from both Vietnam and Japan, offering visitors an immersive experience into the bilateral relationship.

Traditional Japanese puppeteers to perform in Hanoi

Japanese artists will come to Hanoi to perform bunraku, a traditional form of puppetry, at Cong Nhan (Worker) Theatre on July 5 and 6.