President attends Vietnam-Japan martial arts exchange in Tokyo

Also present at the exchange were high-ranking Vietnamese officials, leaders of several Japanese ministries, along with students of martial arts sects of the two countries.

President Thuong was introduced to the origins of Japanese martial arts in Kashima of Ibaraki Prefecture that trained martial artists to protect Japan in the past. He also enjoyed outstanding swordsmanship and Việt Võ Đạo (Vovinam) performances put on by Vietnamese and Japanese martial artists demonstrating the strength of the sects and the spirit of the martial arts.

Vovinam was founded by the late master Nguyen Loc in 1938 in Hanoi. It has been preserved, promoted, and developed strongly by generations of martial art masters. It was officially included on the list of national intangible cultural heritages.

The traditional martial arts form has been introduced and developed in Japan since 2012 through efforts by Japanese wrestler Fujisaki Tadahiro, also known as Fugo.

Currently, the traditional martial arts form is practiced by more than 2.5 million martial artists from about 70 countries and territories worldwide.