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Each year, more and more annual cultural exchanges are held in each country, creating a climate for people of both sides to learn about the other culture with more depth and understanding. In Vietnam, Japanese comics have long been a part of childhood memories, with the love of Japanese culture and people going back generations. 

Yosakoi dance performance at Japanese cultural festival in Hanoi.

Nguyen Thuy Huong, 25, said she was familiar with Japanese culture via comics and movies when she was a child. Therefore, she decided to learn the Japanese language by applying to the Japanese Faculty at the Hanoi University. At first, she found it quite difficult to grasp because of the unfamiliarity with non-Roman characters. Thanks to the support of Japanese lecturers, she became more hardworking and confident, striving to master a language considered one of the most challenging for learners.

Le Mai Phuong, 28, a graduate of economics at Osaka University, said she hopes to work as a university lecturer teaching economic subjects in Japanese upon returning home, adding that she wants to instill what she knows about the country and people into students as she believes that language and culture will be the most lasting and effective cooperation.

Nguyen Anh Xuan, a Vietnamese student in Japan, speaks about Japanese people with respect and appreciation. He said they generally live low-key lifestyles, but are quite friendly and sociable with foreigners. In particular, they have special sentiments towards Vietnamese people, lauding Vietnamese students as hardworking, smart, and kind.

In recent years, it is not only more Vietnamese people living and working in Japan, but also more Japanese people traveling to Vietnam, thus expanding the Japanese-speaking community in the country. While they may come to Vietnam for different purposes, for study or leisure, they have one thing in common: experiencing something interesting in Vietnam and understanding Vietnam better.

Uchida Chikage, a Japanese language collaborator from the JF’s Asia Centre, worked for several secondary and high schools in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue in 2015. Returning to Vietnam in 2016 under the Vietnam-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement, she taught Japanese to Vietnamese nursing staff in Hanoi. During her two years in Vietnam, she said she was inspired by their diligence, politeness, and openness.

According to the JF’s Centre for Cultural Exchange, established in Hanoi in March 2008, the number of Japanese firms in Vietnam and Vietnamese people or students in Japan is rising, proving stronger impacts on politics-diplomacy, economy, academics, and art.

The number of Japanese language learners in Vietnam surged from 44,272 in 2009 to 64,863 in 2015, while the total of those taking Japanese language proficiency tests soared five-fold to 71,242 in 2017 from 13,856 in 2008.

Director of the centre Ando Toshiki said the JF has launched many activities to raise mutual understanding between Japan and various countries worldwide – including in culture-arts, Japanese language teaching, and promoting Japanese studies and intellectual exchanges – thus fostering connectivity between Japan and the world.

Vietnam’s major projects in Mekong-Japan cooperation framework

 

 

Vietnam-Japan health examination centre inaugurated in HCM City

A health examination centre was put into operation at Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City on October 14 as part of activities to mark the 45th anniversary of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic ties.

 

Strengthening cooperative ties between Bac Giang province and Japanese partners

(BGO)- A working delegation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) headed by Deputy Minister Vu Hong Nam, Ambassador of Vietnam to Japan for the period of 2018-2020, paid a working visit to Bac Giang province on 16 October about strengthening foreign affairs and developing cooperative ties between Bac Giang and Japanese partners. The delegation was welcomed by Duong Van Thai, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee (PPC) and leaders of some related agencies. 

 

Late historian awarded with Japan’s certificate of merit

The late historian and People’s Teacher Phan Huy Le has been posthumously awarded the Certificate of Merit from the Japanese Foreign Minister Kono Taro, in recognition of his great contributions to the promotion Vietnam-Japan academic exchange.

 

Vietnam - Japan relations record big development across fields

 

 

Source: VNA