The Japan Vietnam Festival in Ho Chi Minh City kicked off on Saturday morning, attracting a large number of locals, expats and tourists.

The event, which is in its eighth edition, celebrated big this year as it honors the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan. 

Speaking at the opening ceremony, chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Phan Van Mai expressed the city’s honor to host the cultural exchange event which held great significance in the relationship between the two countries.

Mai also expressed his hope that this year’s festival will contribute to deepening the strategic partnership between Vietnam and Japan.

Takebe Tsutomu, representative for the festival’s organizing board from the Japanese side, highlighted this year’s theme of “hold hands together, towards the future, reach out to the world.”

He also hopes to see the festival to be a proud historical and traditional event that the people of the two countries have joined hands to create, and this bond will continue to develop further.

Distinguished guests shake hands on stage at the opening ceremony of the Japan Vietnam Festival in Ho Chi Minh City on February 25, 2023. Photo: T.T.D / Tuoi Tre

The two-day festival taking place at 23/9 Park in District 1 gathered around 150 booths featuring the two countries’ tourism, local specialties, cuisine, culture, education, music, sports and technology.

A visitor looks for information about Ho Chi Minh City tourism’s products at a booth at the Japan Vietnam Festival in Ho Chi Minh City on February 25, 2023. Photo: Dong Nguyen / Tuoi Tre News

A Vietnamese northern folk song is performed on stage at the Japan Vietnam Festival in Ho Chi Minh City on February 25, 2023. Photo: Dong Nguyen / Tuoi Tre News

A performance of Japanese music and dance at the Japan Vietnam Festival in Ho Chi Minh City on February 25, 2023. Photo: Dong Nguyen / Tuoi Tre News

Children learn to play baseball at the Japan Vietnam Festival in Ho Chi Minh City on February 25, 2023. Photo: Dong Nguyen / Tuoi Tre News

The Japanese vibes of the festival drew the attention from anime and comic fans, with many of them coming in well-prepared costumes.

“We traveled from Da Nang,” a pair of cosplayers who go by the nicknames Nanami Giang and Kobayashi Kane told Tuoi Tre News.

They were in Ho Chi Minh City to attend the final round of the nationwide Cosplay Vietnam Cup after winning the qualifying round in central Vietnam.

Cosplayers Nanami Giang (right) and Kobayashi Kane pose for a photo while attending the Japan Vietnam Festival in Ho Chi Minh City on February 25, 2023. Photo: Dong Nguyen / Tuoi Tre News

The Japan Vietnam Festival also welcomed foreign tourists who made their trip to Vietnam after COVID-19. 

“We’ve been staying in a hotel opposite here for the last four days, and were curious seeing this being built up, so we came to see what’s happening,” John Mathews from Ireland and his wife told Tuoi Tre News.

“It’s fantastic,” Mathews said. 

The couple was on their first trip ever to Vietnam and had planned to head north to discover Vietnam in nearly three weeks, before going to Thailand and back home eventually. 

“This is our major trip after COVID-19,” Mathews said.

“We really like it here, nice people, food, interesting history.”

Festival-goers look at a puzzle from the famous Japanese comic series Detective Conan at the Japan Vietnam Festival in Ho Chi Minh City on February 25, 2023. Photo: Dong Nguyen / Tuoi Tre News

An ice-cream booth at the Japan Vietnam Festival in Ho Chi Minh City on February 25, 2023. Photo: Dong Nguyen / Tuoi Tre News

Visitors buy grilled food at a booth at the Japan Vietnam Festival in Ho Chi Minh City on February 25, 2023. Photo: Bao Anh / Tuoi Tre News

The first Vietnam - Japan Festival was organized in Ho Chi Minh City in 2013 on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The seventh edition had been postponed several times before being able to take place in April 2021 due to COVID-19.

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