•  Colourful Vietnam Festival in Japan

The event, co-organized by the Vietnam-Japan Friendship Association and the Japan-Vietnam Peace and Friendship Promotion Council, celebrated the 39^th year of diplomatic ties between the two countries (September 21) and served as preparation for the Vietnam-Japan Friendship Year in 2013.

At the event, Nghiem Vu Khai, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, also President of the Vietnam-Japan Friendship Association, thanked the Japan Vietnam Peace and Friendship Promotion Council, Meiji University, particularly Mandolin orchestra, for staging the concert.

He confirmed that the friendly and cooperative relations between Vietnam and Japan have developed strongly since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1973.

He noted that since their top leaders signed the Vietnam-Japan joint communiqué on the strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia in 2009, Japan has remained in the leading position in trade relations, direct investment and provision of official development assistance (ODA) for Vietnam. 

Bilateral cooperation in culture, education and training, and science and technology is rapidly developing, he added.

At the concert, Mandolin orchestra performed well-known and favourite pieces of  Japanese and Vietnamese composers such as the songs ‘Shubaru’ and ‘potpourri on Tsugaru’ from the soft TV opera series Oshin.

Mandolin orchestra was founded in 1923 with 60 members. In 2008, it performed in a Vietnam-Japan friendship concert in Ho Chi Minh City.

During their stay in Vietnam this year, the orchestra, in co-ordination with the Vietnam-Japan Friendship Association, visited handicapped children and Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin victims of Nguyen Dinh Chieu School and Vietnam Friendship Village in Van Canh village, located in Hanoi’s outlying district of Hoai Duc.