Japanese event-goers and politicians fell in love with pho after savoring bowls of the food in an airy and bustling space filled with the scent of the signature dish of Vietnam at Yoyogi Park in Tokyo on Saturday.

The Vietnam Phở Festival 2023, which kicked off at 11:00 am (Japanese time) on Saturday at Yoyogi Park, is aimed at enhancing the global recognition of Vietnamese culinary culture, particularly the Southeast Asian country’s popular beef noodle soup.

Over 50,000 visitors joined the fest on its first day in Japan to eat Vietnam’s most famous dish cooked by chefs from famed Vietnamese pho restaurants.

Apart from savoring such tasty bowls of pho, revelers can feel the strong connection between Japanese and Vietnamese culinary cultures during the Vietnam Phở Festival 2023.

The fest also brings together various types of pho and Japan’s renowned noodles, ramen and soba, delighting international tourists and Japanese.

Taking long journey to join Vietnam Phở Festival

Though it was not until 11:00 am that the festival opened, thousands of foreigners and Japanese crowded Yoyogi Park early in the morning, while pho stalls were preparing the food.

They were smitten by the scent of the Vietnamese pho lingering in the air.

Many Japanese families and young people were present at the park to try the savory pho.

Among them was Odekakechan, who was wearing ao dai, Vietnam’s traditional costume. The resident of Tokyo said that she came to the festival with her friends to enjoy the beloved dish.

“Pho is very yummy. It was not until May when I visited Vietnam that I knew and tasted pho bo, with broth cooked from beef bone and topped with beef, as I have just eaten pho ga, consisting of chicken broth and topped with chicken meat, before,” said Odekakechan.

“Pho here [at the festival] has the same flavor as that I ate during my Vietnam visit. The dish is tasty and nutritious."

Mariko Takeguchi, a teacher of Japanese, was beguiled by the ‘cuisine world’ at the Vietnam Phở Festival 2023.

Having a great love of the Vietnamese culture and pho, Mariko savors pho each month.

“The rice noodles of pho here [at the stall run by Pho Dau during the festival] are tastier than those I have ever eaten before,” she happily described the taste of pho.

Throngs of Japanese and Vietnamese gathered at the Tokyo-based park from near and far. They spent some hours on their weekend traveling to the Vietnamese cuisine fest.

Tuan and his wife arriving from Yokohama, nearly 40 kilometers from Tokyo, chose three pho brands to enjoy the food that awakened their nostalgic memories of homeland.

“On the weekend, we brought back the nostalgic scent. Pho is also popular in Japan. We must queue to get in a pho eatery for dining in the country,” Tuan said.

“Bowls of pho at the festival give us the familiarity of homeland."

Vietnamese pho greatly welcomed by Japanese

Despite traveling overseas for the first time, Vietnamese pho brands such as Pho Dau, Pho Thin, Pho Hai Thien, Pho Sam Ngoc Linh, Pho Sen SASCO, Pho Majestic Saigon Hotel, Pho Grand Saigon Hotel, and Pho VGCC are recognizable in Japan.

There were long queues in front of the stalls run by these brands for pho.

The Vietnam Phở Festival 2023 saw more fest-goers explore the cuisine space at the park in the afternoon, while chefs were busy serving the food to guests.

‘Hoa Hoi Vang’ (Golden Star Anise) award winner Nguyen Tien Hai from Pho’S said that 80 percent of customers at the booth are Japanese, with some of them eating two or three bowls of pho.

Seeing the way they tasted pho, he felt that they do love the iconic Vietnamese dish.

The 'Hoa Hoi Vang' award is granted each year at the annual 'Day of Pho' event to honor pho chefs from across Vietnam.

Ung Bich Hoang from the Pho Dau booth was glad to meet the brand’s pho fans. Phung, a Vietnamese who has lived in Japan for over 50 years, expressed his pleasure to see the famous Pho Dau brand to arrive in Japan.

My Ha and her family members decided to divert their weekend trip to the festival.

“After hearing about the entry of Pho Dau into Japan, my two children were eager to join the festival. We often visit Pho Dau restaurant to eat the dish every time we return to Vietnam,” she shared.

Japanese policians love Vietnamese pho

On the opening day of the Vietnam Phở Festival 2023, Chief Representative of Japan's Komeito Party Yamaguchi Natsuo ate three bowls of pho cooked by three different brands. He also remained in the festival for long to talk to pho lovers.

He was impressed by pho at his first taste 32 years ago during his visit to Vietnam, said Natsuo.

He believes that any Japanese falls in love with pho after savoring the dish.

The flavor of pho is good and suitable for Japanese. Any pho taste makes the food a special and unique dish, the Japanese politician told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

“Via pho, we can see the similarity and familiarity between Vietnamese and Japanese cultures,” he said.

He also underlined the festival contributes to deepening the Vietnam - Japan friendship.

Aoyagi Yoichiro, a member of Japan's House of Representatives, said that many Japanese asked him on the opening day of the fest whether the Vietnam Phở Festival would be held in Japan next year.

“Today, I savored three bowls of pho. The flavor at the festival is similar to that I earlier tasted in Vietnam,” Aoyagi said.

Vietnam Phở Festival expected to travel to many countries

Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Pham Quang Hieu said that any cuisine festival acts as an ideal cultural exchange point.

Among them, the Vietnam Phở Festival 2023 highlights its role in connecting people to people and the two nations’ cultures.

Nguyen Trung Khanh, head of the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, affirmed that pho is not only a popular dish in Vietnam but it also acts as a spreader of Vietnamese culture and history.

Making the Vietnam Phở Festival global will be taken into account to attract international tourists to Vietnam.

The Vietnam Phở Festival 2023 is co-hosted on Saturday and Sunday by Tuoi Tre and Saigontourist Group, with backing from the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Vietnam-Japan Friendship Association, Japan’s Mainichi newspaper, and Japanese partners.

The festival serves as a tangible commemoration of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan.

It features many chefs and winners of the Hoa Hoi Vang award Nguyen Tien Hai, Nguyen Tu Tin, and Pham Quang Duy.

Participating restaurants include Pho Dau, Pho Hai Thien, Hotel Majestic Saigon, Pho Phu Gia, Pho’S, Sen SASCO, Pho Ta, Binh Tay Food, Pho VGCC, and Pho Thin Bo Ho, among others.

The festival was launched in association with national carrier Vietnam Airlines, Suntory Beverage & Food, Southern Airports Services Joint Stock Company (SASCO), Dai-ichi Life, and Pho’S.

Miss Intercontinental 2022 Le Nguyen Bao Ngoc is this year’s ambassador for the festival.

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