In the evening on March the 23rd, the Japanese Cultural Exchange Festival 2018 officially opened in the space filled with colorful flowers in Ly Thai To monument flower garden. Attended the opening ceremony were the Member of Ministry of Politics cum the Chairman of National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan; Mr. Iijima Isao, the Special Advisor to the Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo-Abe; Mr. Umeda Kunio, the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Embassy of Japan in Vietnam; the Member of Party Central Committee cum Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee cum the Chairman of the City People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung. This is the third time the People’s Committee of Hanoi city has held the Japanese Cultural Exchange Festival, in collaboration with the Embassy of Japan. The opening ceremony was an important event in the series of activities commemorating the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan (from Sept. 21, 1973 to Sept. 21, 2018).
In his speech at the opening ceremony, the Chairman of Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung said that the Japanese Cultural Exchange Festival 2018 is one of the most robust activities to introduce Hanoian people and visitors the culture of Japan – the Land of Rising Sun. Every people will have opportunity to learn about the unique culture of a traditional but modern Japan right in Hanoi capital – our one-thousand-year city of culture. Hanoian people and tourists not only enjoy the beauty of sakura blossoms, but also access to the multidimensional aspects of culture when participating in traditional cultural exchange activities between Vietnam and Japan.
Chairman Nguyen Duc Chung hopes that the Japanese Cultural Exchange Festival 2018 would be a bridge for the people of the two countries to enhance mutual understanding, contributing to the development of Vietnam-Japan strategic relationship in an intensive, substantive and effective manner.
The Japanese Ambassador Umeda Kunio also shared that this Japanese Cultural Exchange Festival had a new look with many differences compared to the Sakura Blossom Festival held in previous years. The Ambassador desires that through this Festival, people in Hanoi city will understand more about Japan, and the relationship between Japan and Hanoi city will be increasingly consolidated.
At the opening ceremony, a person holding the title of sakura blossom princess gave Hanoi’s authority sakura blossoms as a nominal gift from Japan to Hanoi city. Besides, numerous Japanese and Vietnamese cultural and artistic performance items were also introduced to the people in Hanoi and visitors during the ceremony.
On the opening day, thousands of local people and visitors came to enjoy the beauty of sakura blossoms. Hundreds of flower vases, miniature landscapes, and dozens of sakura trees become brighter under the light. In addition to sakura blossoms exhibition, Japanese Cultural Exchange Festival 2018 features a variety of cultural activities such as tea ceremony, Go, Shogi, Kendama traditional game, Yosakoi dance, hiphop – dance, kimono show, etc.
Earlier, at 6:00 PM on March 23rd, Japanese-Vietnamese cuisine festival opened in Hanoi Children’s Palace. With 21 stalls, the organizing committee introduced some typical dishes of Japan such as Takoyaki, Soba noodle, Ramen noodle, sushi, etc. and of Vietnam, especially of Hanoi capital like Pho, Banh Chung, Bun Thang, Xoi Che, Banh Cuon, etc.
Also in the framework of the Japanese Cultural Exchange Festival 2018, the ceremony of donation and growing of 172 Sakura Trees was held in Hoa Binh park in the afternoon March 23rd with the attendance of the Vice Chairman of Hanoi People’s Committee Ngo Van Quy, the Japanese Ambassador Umeda Kunio, and the person holding the title of Sakura Blossoms Queen.
Japanese Cultural Exchange Festival 2018 will end on March 26, 2018.
By Thanh Mai