The 14th Hoi An – Japan Cultural Exchange has just been taken place in An Hoi Statue Garden (Hoi An city, Quang Nam province). Present at the opening ceremony were Quang Nam provincial leaders and Japanese Ambassador to Viet Nam Hiroshi Fukada.

Quang Nam leaders and Japanese Ambassador Hiroshi Fukada at the opening ceremony.

The 2-day event (August 15 and 16) witnessed lots of recreational, cultural and sporting activities coming from two nations (including fine-art handicrafts and fashion exhibitions, dressing up in Yukata and Kimono, Japanese calligraphy classes, lanterns making, Origami and coco-leaf folding, street art exchange: Japanese dragon and Hoi An sacred dog dances, and Japanese – Vietnamese folk games for kids).

In addition, there were some other tourism activities and seminars organised in the event. Especially, the wedding procession of Ton Nu Ngoc Hoa and Japanese trader Sotaro Araki was firstly reappeared. A meat-free day for health and environment was simultaneously launched in Hoi An.

Art performances at the opening ceremony

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr. Hiroshi Fukada confirmed Hoi An as a symbol of the Vietnam-Japan long lasting relationship. In Hoi An, an over 400-year-old Japanese quarter built for trading purposes in the 17th century still exists. So the Hoi An – Japan cultural exchange, which is based on this bilateral relationship, is really necessary to deepen the relationship between the two countries, the two peoples. It helps the two parties have good mutual understanding, belief and respect in order to tighten the Vietnam- Japan relationship more and more.

Cotu’s tang tung-da da dances at the opening ceremony.

Japanese dragon dance.

Japanese Karate performances.

Hoi An sacred dog dance

The appearance of the wedding procession of Princess Ngoc Hoa and Japanese trader Araki Sotaro.

Picking Princess Ngoc Hoa up by boat.

The bride fetching group in Hoi An streets.

Musical performances by Japanese artists.

Japanese souvenir stalls.

By VINH LOC - MINH HAI