General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam (fourth from left, first row) and his spouse, Ngo Phuong Ly, attend the Vietnam-Japan Friendship Concert in Kanagawa Prefecture on November 10 evening. (Photo: VNA)
 

A special Vietnam-Japan Friendship Concert was held in Kanagawa Prefecture on November 10 evening with the attendance of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam and his spouse, along with a high-level Vietnamese delegation, who are on an official visit to Japan.

Jointly organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan, Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and Kanagawa authorities, the event drew Kanagawa Governor Kuroiwa Yuji, and a large number of Vietnamese and Japanese friends.

In his welcoming remarks, Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Pham Quang Hieu said the concert brought together talented musicians from the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra and artists who are current or former members of renowned Japanese orchestras, including the NHK Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, New Japan Philharmonic and Kanagawa Philharmonic.

The special artistic gathering was led by conductor Honna Tetsuji, who has devoted decades of dedication to Vietnamese music. The convergence of experienced artists, each with their own style and artistic journey, not only created a distinctive programme featuring many fresh elements but also opened up opportunities for exchanges, learning and joint creativity.

Ambassador Hieu expressed his confidence that the Vietnam-Japan Friendship Concert, together with the fashion exchange and the sculpture exhibition held during General Secretary and President Lam and his spouse’s official visit to Japan, will help promote joint performances, professional exchanges and the nurturing of young talent between the two countries.

These activities aimed to further deepen and strengthen cultural diplomacy cooperation between Vietnam and Japan in a practical manner, in line with the framework of their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, he said.

Speaking at the concert, Kanagawa Governor Kuroiwa Yuji highlighted the special friendly and cooperative relationship between Japan and Vietnam.

In 2015, Kanagawa hosted the Vietnam Festival, followed by the Kanagawa Festival in Hanoi in 2018. Such events have continued to be held ever since, he noted, affirming that by building on cultural exchanges, the two sides have steadily expanded cooperation in other areas, including economic development, bringing tangible benefits to the people of both countries.

VNA