Vu Hong Nam, Vietnam’s Ambassador to Japan, speaking at a press conference in Tokyo on May 13.

Speaking at a press conference to announce the event in Tokyo on May 13, Vu Hong Nam, the Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan, highlighted the significance of the festival which provides an opportunity for overseas Vietnamese to remember their home country and for Japanese friends to learn more about Vietnamese culture.

The festival will be the 11th version of the event and is held annually with the aim of boosting cultural exchanges and mutual understanding between the two countries.

Aoyagi Youichirou, general secretary of the festival’s organising board, said Japanese and Vietnamese artists would take part in special art performances during the event, helping to strengthen friendship between both nations.

The festival provides an opportunity to boost cultural exchanges and strengthen bonds between the two countries.

The festival will feature more than 120 stalls across various categories of traditional cuisine and handicraft products.

According to the organisers, the Vietnam Festival 2019 is expected to draw about 200,000 visitors, matching the numbers at last year’s event.

The Vietnam Festival 2018 drew the participation of approximately 200,000 visitors.

The Vietnam Festival was first held in 2008 to commemorate 35 years since the founding of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic relations.