Japanese violists Masakazu Saito, Shunichiro Sato, Kumiko Nakagawa and Tetsuya Osawa are set to perform in Vietnam’s central city of Da Nang on June 26-27 to mark the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Japanese violists Masakazu Saito, Shunichiro Sato, Kumiko Nakagawa and Tetsuya Osawa (left to right) (Source: Tomo Usuda)

Usuda Reiko, a member of the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Association in Kawasaki, said the quartet will take the stage at the city’s Nguyen Hien Dinh Theatre from 7.30pm to 9.30pm on June 26, and from 9am to 11am on June 27 at the city library.

The Japanese artists will also play a live show at the city’s oncology centre from 3.30pm to 4pm on June 27, Reiko said.

It’s part of a series programmes that will be held in the city and central Vietnam to promote friendship between Japan and Vietnam.

The non-profit concert has been endorsed by the Japanese Embassy, the Da Nang Union of Friendship Organisations, and the Japan Business Association in Da Nang.

Reiko said she used inheritance money from her mother to bring the JPO quartet to Vietnam to build future cultural and arts exchange between the countries.

The concert has been supported by musicians Le Cat Trong Ly and Nguyen Thanh Tu, Tetsuji Honna (Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra music director and head conductor), Saeko Ando (Japanese lacquer artist), and Le Ly Hayslip, a Vietnamese-American writer. The quartet will also perform in the ancient city of Hoi An.

Japanese donors from Kawasaki have handed over 12,000 second-hand bikes to underprivileged school children in Da Nang and Quang Nam since 2003.

Da Nang and Hoi An hosted the first annual Vietnam-Japan Culture Exchange Festival in 2012.

Japan plans to open a Consulate General in Da Nang to boost tourism.

Japanese lessons have been offered at some junior secondary schools as part of the city’s foreign language teaching programme for 2012-2020.

Da Nang has also reserved a 1.2ha area for developing the Japan-Vietnam Culture Centre in Ngu Hanh Son district.

Japanese businesses have opened 27 restaurants in the city, and a large Japanese community has also settled in Da Nang and Hoi An.-VNA/VNS