The seminar discussed such topics as international relations, economics, sociology, anthropology, literature and Japanese language teaching. Japanese scholars had a chance to present the results of studies, share information and expand research networks.

Inoki Takenori, director of the International Research Centre for Japanese Studies in Kyoto, said that there were many researchers on Japan in Asia, Europe and America in the past but now many African scholars are also interested in studying Japan. The studies ranged from traditional culture to contemporary politics and economics. Foreign researchers want to discover the reality of Japan and draw lessons.

The first person to study Japan in Vietnam was professor Le Van Sang from the Institute of World Economy. He amassed documents on the Japanese economy and laid a foundation for other researchers to explore the issue. In the 1980s, Vietnam began to study Japan comprehensively and worked with Japanese scientists to excavate archaeological sites. In 1993 Vietnam set up the Centre for Japanese Studies, which is now an important part of the North East Asia Institute.

Dang Nguyen Anh, vice president of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences said that Japanese studies focus not only on economics and culture but also on newer fields such as social development, social, environments, advanced technologies and even problems that Japan has had to pay for during its development process.

The Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences plans to establish a Vietnam-Japan Centre for Exchange, Research and Co-operation to gather scientists who love to study Japan, expand relations with foreign researchers, and develop a research network between Vietnam and Japan as well as between Vietnam and other ASEAN countries.