The festival, the 16th of its kind, will also offer an opportunity for the Vietnamese community in Japan and Japanese friends interested in the country to interact and gain a greater understanding about each other, said Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Pham Quang Hieu at a press conference held on May 20.

Yoichiro Aoyagi, head of the festival’s organising board, noted that the Vietnam Festival in Japan is one of the main foreign festivals which has won the hearts of many Japanese people as it helps to introduce Vietnamese culture and actively contributes to the development of mutual relations in many fields such as economics, politics, and citizen exchanges.

This year’s festival will feature traditional cuisine, as well as cultural and music performances by artists from both nations.

Most notably, Vietnamese artists will perform water puppetry pieces for the second time to showcase the country’s rich traditional culture.

Music galas featuring the participation of Vietnamese and Japanese artists are also expected to enthrall locals and tourists at the event.

The festival will draw the participation of 130 booths run by Vietnamese companies and organisations, displaying local handicrafts and food delicacies, including Banh Mi (baguette) and Pho (noodles).

Around 180,000 participants are expected to come to the event this year.

VOV