Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Le Thanh Liem and Special Advisor to the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Alliance Tsutomo Takebe discussed the preparation for the event at a meeting in HCM City on January 11.

Liem said the festival has been organised over the past four years, leaving good impressions on local residents about Japanese land, culture and people. It has become an annual event much awaited by the city dwellers, he noted.

Local authorities will create the best conditions for the preparation of the festival while directing relevant agencies to coordinate with Japan to ensure the success of the event, helping enhance cultural exchange, mutual understanding, friendship and solidarity between the two nations, he affirmed.

The event will mark the start of a series of activities to celebrate the 45th anniversary of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic ties, Takebe said.

A number of cultural, sport and traditional art exchange programmes will be held as well as some events to promote the bilateral trade cooperation, he added.

He expressed thanks to the city’s administration for its support of the organisation of the Vietnam-Japan festival over the years.