Viet Nam’s Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung received and had a working session with Japanese Ambassador to Viet Nam Ito Naoki on August 15.
Deputy Director of the Sports Authority of Viet Nam Le Thi Hoang Yen also took part in the reception.
Minister Nguyen Van Hung thanked Ambassador Ito Naoki for contributions to the outstanding achievements made in the fields of culture, sports and tourism of Viet Nam.
He said throughout the history of diplomatic relations, culture played a key role in connecting the people of the two countries. Cultural similarities became a solid foundation for exchange and cooperation activities to develop stronger.
Events such as "Viet Nam Cultural Days in Japan" and “Japan Cultural Week in Viet Nam”, art exchange programs, and film weeks not only helped people of the two countries understand each other's cultural identity deeply but also contributed to support their friendship and solidarity.
A highlight to prove the strong cultural connection was the successful Viet Nam Exhibition Hall at the World Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai. After nearly four months of opening, the Hall welcomed nearly 900,000 visitors, being one of the most favorite places of the Expo.
In particular, the Vietnamese space received many high-ranking delegations from various countries and enthusiastic attention of the Japanese government and people. It affirmed the position and attractiveness of Vietnamese culture in the international arena.
He said the sports sector also witnessed effective and practical cooperation. With great support from Japan, many quality experts and coaches of key sports such as karate, judo, football and swimming landed in Viet Nam and contributed to improving the quality of local athletes and creating a solid foundation for the development of Vietnamese sports.
Japan’s strong support for Viet Nam sport delegation during the Tokyo Summer Olympic Games 2020 and youth exchange programs JENESYS were clear demonstrations of friendship and mutual trust.
A silver medal of power-lifter Le Van Cong in the Tokyo Paralympics 2020 was not only a pride of Viet Nam but also a sweet result of a close and effective cooperation between Viet Nam and Japan.
In addition, the ASEAN-Japan workshop on promoting physical education teacher education and sport for people with disabilities and the "Football4SDGs" program initiated by Japan all aimed at the goal of sustainable development and spread a noble sportsmanship.
Tourism promotion activities took place vividly in both countries.
On the Vietnamese side, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MoCST) continuously organized tourism promotion programs in different major provinces and cities of Japan.
Viet Nam and Japan agree to promote their bilateral relationship in term of sports and physical training to a higher level
In particular, the MoCST closely coordinated with airlines and tourism businesses to organize the "Vietnam Tourism Introduction Program" in Tokyo and Osaka, widely promoting the country's images in Japan.
In the first 7 months of 2025, the number of Japanese visitors to Viet Nam reached 449,265, an increase of 17 per cent over the same period in 2024. Meanwhile the number of Vietnamese visitors to Japan in the first 5 months of the year reached 312,000, an increase of 10 per cent over the same period last year.
Minister Nguyen Van Hung affirmed that the above results were an important premise to substantially and effectively elevate the cultural, sports and tourism cooperation between the two countries.
The Minister also expressed his hope that the cooperation would not only be limited between the two ministries but also be expanded to other levels, deepening the cooperative relationship.
To realize these goals, the Minister requested the Japanese side to cooperate and effectively implement activities in 2025.
Accordingly, a delegation led by a Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister would have a visit to Japan and take part in the National Day at the EXPO 2025, Minister Nguyen Van Hung said and sent an invitation to Ambassador Ito Naoki.
To ensure a successful event Minister Nguyen Van Hung asked Ambassador Ito Naoki to grand visas to Vietnamese artists and artisans of different localities, especially those from the Southern region to perform in Japan.
In term of tourism, Minister Nguyen Van Hung emphasized the need to push promotions and advertising in a practical way as it was time to strengthen the connection between the Viet Nam National Authority of Tourism, the Korea Tourism Organization and the twinned localities of the two countries.
The Minister also invited Japanese tourism businesses to attend the International Travel Expo Ho Chi Minh City (ITE HCMC) 2025 -- a golden opportunity to promote bilateral trade and cooperation.
In the field of sports, Minister Nguyen Van Hung proposed that Japan support Viet Nam in training athletes and coaches, and send good experts to help Viet Nam develop sports which were Japan's strong points.
Responding to the goodwill of Minister Nguyen Van Hung, Ambassador Ito Naoki expressed his confidence in the potential for cooperation in culture, sports and tourism between the two countries.
The Ambassador fully agreed with the Minister Nguyen Van Hung’s proposals, affirming that the two sides still had a lot of room for cooperation.
He pledged to closely coordinate with the Vietnamese partners and concretize action programs to enhance tourist exchanges and push cultural introduction activities as well as accompany the sports sector.
Ambassador Ito Naoki added that in the upcoming period, the Embassy of Japan will organize many cultural and tourism events in Viet Nam and respectfully invite Minister Nguyen Van Hung to attend.
He believed that strengthening cooperation in the fields of culture, sports and tourism would bring great benefits to both countries, contributing to further deepening the Viet Nam - Japan relationship.
Thanh Ha