At the beginning of the meeting, Minister Nguyễn Văn Hùng extended a warm welcome to Mr. Junichi Kawai and the Japanese delegation. He expressed his delight that the Japan Sports Agency was participating in the 8th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Sports (AMMS-8). The Minister affirmed his belief that, through responsible coordination and cooperation between Japan and ASEAN countries in general — and between Japan and Vietnam in particular — the two sides would continue to achieve fruitful results through the implementation of plans, projects, and the Memorandum of Understanding already signed.
Minister Nguyễn Văn Hùng and Mr. Junichi Kawai at the bilateral meeting
On behalf of the Japanese delegation, Mr. Junichi Kawai thanked the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for the warm and thoughtful reception. He emphasized that Vietnam is an important partner of Japan in many fields, especially in sports.
Acknowledging Japan’s achievements, Minister Nguyễn Văn Hùng noted that Japan is a country with a highly developed sports industry, home to many outstanding athletes who have achieved remarkable success at major international sporting events.
Building on the active sports cooperation between the two countries, Minister Nguyễn Văn Hùng proposed that in the coming years, both sides should further strengthen solidarity through sports exchanges and cooperation. He suggested that the two countries work toward organizing a regular “Martial Arts Exchange Festival,” send delegations to learn and share professional experience, and promote cultural exchange through sports activities.
The Minister added that cultural festivals such as “Vietnam Days in Japan” and “Japan Days in Vietnam” have great significance and attract wide public attention. Integrating martial arts exchange activities — focusing on each country’s traditional martial arts such as Judo (Japan) and Vovinam (Vietnam) — would enrich the content of these festivals while promoting traditional martial arts to wider audiences.
Leaders from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Department of International Cooperation, the Vietnam Sports Administration, and the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology pose for a commemorative photo
The Minister also expressed his hope that the Japan Sports Agency and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology would create more opportunities for Vietnamese coaches and athletes to participate in training courses and workshops to improve their expertise and gain international competition experience — particularly in preparation for the 2026 Asian Games to be held in Japan.
Responding to Minister Nguyễn Văn Hùng, Mr. Junichi Kawai affirmed that he would instruct the relevant departments to develop concrete plans and proposals to realize the discussed initiatives as soon as possible. He also expressed his hope that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism would soon provide guidance to further promote the outcomes of this meeting.
At the meeting, Minister Nguyễn Văn Hùng immediately assigned the Department of International Cooperation and the Vietnam Sports Administration to promptly include the agreed initiatives in their operational plans for implementation.
Overview of the bilateral meeting
Expressing his expectations that the meeting would mark a new chapter in sports cooperation between the two nations, Minister Nguyễn Văn Hùng stated:
“Vietnam and Japan share a comprehensive strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia and the world. Over the years, our two countries have achieved many remarkable results and milestones in economics, cultural industries, and people-to-people exchanges. Therefore, there is no reason why sports cannot develop just as strongly and deeply.”.
Ha Phuong