Japanese and Vietnamese businesses join an investment promotion event in Osaka, Japan during the four-day tour of the Đà Nẵng City's leadership in Chiba, Osaka, Yokohama, Kisarazu, Kanagawa, Japan. Photo courtesy of Đà Nẵng City's Investment Promotion Agency

ĐÀ NẴNG — The central city of Đà Nẵng has been calling for stronger and deeper investment from Japanese businesses in seaport, infrastructure, hi-tech industry, education, healthcare, supportive industries, information and technology during a four-day investment promotion event in Kisarazu, Yokohama, Osaka, Chiba and Kanagawa, in Japan.

Japanese investors have poured US$1.04 billion into 228 projects in Đà Nẵng to rank first in the list of 40 foreign direct investment (FDI) sources in the city.

The city’s party secretary Nguyễn Văn Quảng also urged Sumitomo Group to foster investment plans in Đà Nẵng after Sumitomo Corporation Việt Nam and local partner BRG Group began implementing pre-feasibility surveys on infrastructure development of seaports, airports and industrial parks.

During the investment promotion tour in Japan last week, local Thành Đạt Group inked Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with Japanese partner Magos company (under Metran Group), Heisei medical welfare Group, and Minatomirai Group in launching healthcare for elderly and rehabilitation and beauty care service in Đà Nẵng.

Nakagawa Tetsuyuki, general director of Aeon Mall Việt Nam, said the group has built six trading centres in HCM City, Bình Dương, Hải Phòng, Hà Nội and Thừa Thiên-Huế, and Đà Nẵng would be the next destination for a new trading centre.

A Japanese technology company, Pasona Tech Việt Nam, has been building an Information Technology (IT) LAB in Đà Nẵng for training human resources in digital transformation needs, and the LAB would open in the second quarter of this year.

Earlier, Pasona had set up its Awaji Đà Nẵng centre in Awaji, Japan in boosting IT manpower education and training.

Mikazuki Hotel Group of Japan was seen as one of the successful investment projects in Đà Nẵng in 2022-23 when it officially opened the VNĐ3.9 trillion ($168.16 million) Đà Nẵng Mikazuki Resort&Spa after overcoming difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fujikin International Incorporated from Japan also introduced an R&D centre at Đà Nẵng High-Tech Park at a cost of US$35 million.

Tokyo Keiki Precision Technology Inc and Niwa Foundry from Japan had already operated factories at Đà Nẵng hi-tech park.

Japanese Daiwa Việt Nam company began building its third factory in the city’s Hòa Khánh Industrial Zone with an investment of $40 million, bringing its investment in Đà Nẵng to $90 million in 2005-20.

Đà Nẵng had inked friendships and cooperation deals with Kisarazu, Kawasaki, Sakai and Yokohama, and the city has hosted the annual Việt Nam-Japan cultural Exchange Day since 2014.

Vietnam Airlines has resumed its direct air route from Narita, Tokyo and Đà Nẵng, boosting tourism and investment from Japan to central Việt Nam.

Japan promoted its Consulate Office in Đà Nẵng City to General Consulate just a year after it was founded to boost ties between Japan and the central city.

The first Japanese language studies and culture research faculty in the central and Central Highlands region was set up at the city’s Đông Á University.

Eight cities in Japan including Yokohama, Maebashi, Chiba, Fukuoka, Shizuoka and Nagasaki and more than 80 businesses from Japan have inked agreements on the recruitment of students from central Việt Nam to work and study in Japan.

The city’s party secretary, Quảng said successful investment projects from Japan would mark the 50th anniversary of Việt Nam-Japan diplomatic ties, boosting friendly diplomatic ties between the two nations as well as Đà Nẵng and cities of Japan.

The investment promotion tour in Japan followed the city’s events seeking investment opportunities organised in the United Arabia of Emirates and Qatar last month.