Vietnam art show in Japan to explore peace

The programme in Japan follows the success of two earlier shows held in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi on March 20.

The show centres around the theme "the light of peace" and uses images of the transformation of light to create another image of an ideal intellectual in the modern day.

“We have used images of the lotus and cherry blossom to represent the friendship between two countries. The show’s aim is to highlight the spirit of peace and harmony between Japan and Vietnam,” a member of the organising board said.

Japanese and Vietnamese artists and singers such as Oguri Kumiko, Maiko Bikkey Mizubayashi, Hong Nhung and Phương Thanh, as well as Ha Anh Tuan, Phuong Linh, Uyen Linh and Hoang Quyen are part of the programme. Vietnamese songs in the show will be translated into Japanese and vice versa.

In particular, four Japanese songs -- Sekai ni hitotsu dake no hana (Be the only bloom), Genki wo dashite (Cheer up!), Voluntary and the theme song "The Love Of Peace" -- have been translated into Vietnamese by engineer Hoang Minh Hiep, who will also sing the songs. 

The programme is co-organised by the Vietnamese Students Association, the Vietnamese embassy in Japan and the Mainichi daily newspaper.

Another exhibition, titled Viet Nam hoa binh (Peaceful Vietnam), opens on the same day an hour before the main programme.

Sixty photos were selected by the Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper editorial board from the photo contest Tan huong ban sac Viet (Indulging in Vietnamese national character), which aimed to record cultural, economical, sports activities between Vietnam and Japan.

The photos were selected for embodying the message of peace, which is presented under three major themes: Ve đep bat tan (Endless Beauty), Cuoc song thanh binh (Peaceful Life) and Bien troi Vietnam (Vietnam’s Sea and Sky). Other photos address the insecurity of world peace, migration issues, war and terrorism.

"We will seek ways other than through music to talk about peace, patriotism, and the will to protect the peace of the Vietnamese," said Tang Huu Phong, editor-in-chef of Tuoi Tre newspaper. "Through this story, we hope our Japanese friends will come to Vietnam to feel the hospitality of a beautiful and developing country.”

Vietnam Youth – The Story of Peace is a public art brand founded by the Vietnamese Students Association and Tuoi tre newspaper. The show will be broadcast by Vietnam Television (VTV).