The sixth Vietnam-Japan Festival kicked off at the September 23 Park in Ho Chi Minh City’s district 1 on January 19 with the theme “Holding Hands Tightly”.

The sixth Vietnam-Japan Festival kicked off at the September 23 Park in Ho Chi Minh City’s district 1 on January 19 with the theme “Holding Hands Tightly”

The festival features more than 140 pavilions of businesses from Vietnam and Japan, helping visitors explore cultural traits of the two nations.

Speaking at the event, Tsutomu Takebe, special advisor to the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Alliance who is co-head of the organizing board, said the through the years, the editions of the festival have enhanced cultural exchanges and linkages between Vietnam and Japan.

They also opened cooperation opportunities in the spheres of agriculture, education, and tourism between the two countries, he added.

To Huy Rua, President of the Vietnam-Japan Friendship Association and co-head of the organizing board, said last year’s festival drew nearly 200,000 visitors.

This year, the two-day festival includes a range of activities such as seminars and cultural-artistic programmes.

Rua also spoke highly of Takebe’s efforts in the successful organisation of the festival over the past years, expressing his hope that he will further contribute to the Vietnam-Japan friendship.-VNA