Hosted by the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan, the event is one of the major celebrations for the 50th founding anniversary of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic ties.

In his remarks at the opening ceremony, Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Yoshimasa Hayashi affirmed the effective cooperation between the two countries in recent years, reflected in regular exchanges at all levels. Of these, the most notable one was Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's attendance at the expanded G7 summit in May this year.

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang said that as the largest-ever of its kind, the Vietnam Festival 2023 shows the wishes of governments, localities and people of the two countries to join hands towards the future, entering a new stage of development.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Pham Quang Hieu said that the annual festival in Tokyo offers an opportunity for the Vietnamese community in Japan and Japanese friends to exchange and enjoy Vietnamese music, arts and cuisine, thereby understanding more about each other.

The two-day festival features 140 booths run by Vietnamese companies and organisations, which showcase a wide range of traditional Vietnamese foods and products.

Visitors to the event will also be able to enjoy cultural and music performances by artists from both nations./. VNA