Annual Vietnam Festival 2020

 Annual Vietnam Festival in Japan opens in Tokyo

The annual Vietnam Festival in Japan opened in Tokyo on November 7, making it the first large-scale event here since the city was included in the Japanese government's Go To Travel campaign.

Speaking at the festival, Vietnam's Ambassador to Japan Vu Hong Nam said he is responding to the Japanese Go To Travel and Go To Eat campaigns and showing Vietnam's support for hosting the Tokyo Olympics on next year.

Both campaigns are initiatives by the Japanese government to stimulate consumer spending and help the economy recover from losses caused by COVID-19.

Japanese Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Eiichiro Washio said the event was an opportunity for Vietnamese and Japanese to exchange as travel has been limited this year due to the pandemic.

He highlighted the growing relations between Vietnam and Japan in many political and socio-economic fields, mentioning Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide's visit to Vietnam last month on his first overseas trip since taking office.

Echoing this point of view, Japanese Minister of State for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Hideki Miyauchi, considered the festival a good opportunity for gastronomic exchanges.

He revealed that Japan wanted to export mandarin orange to Vietnam and import Vietnamese dried longan and lychee.

Until November 8, the festival offers traditional dishes and artistic performances, with visitors required to wear masks and have their body temperature checked upon entry.

The Vietnam Festival in Japan has become an annual event organized by the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan and the Japanese side since its first edition in 2008. It aims to promote mutual understanding between the two countries.

The two-day event is expected to welcome around 200,000 visitors./.