A bridge for Vietnam-Japan exchange

Opening on Saturday morning, the two-day festival is organized by Vietnamese industrial property developer Shinec JSC in coordination with the Hai Phong Department of Foreign Affairs, the People’s Committee of Thien Huong ward, and related units.

Over the years, relations between Vietnam and Japan have continued to grow strongly across many fields. The two countries currently maintain a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World.

Japan is one of Hai Phong’s largest investors. To date, the city has attracted 216 FDI projects from Japanese investors, with total investment capital of more than $6.6 billion. Alongside economic cooperation, cultural exchanges and people-to-people interactions have increasingly expanded and achieved many positive results.

Hai Phong and Kitakyushu are a typical example of this relationship, with more than 10 years of close twinning ties. The two sides have worked together in many areas, from environmental protection and urban development to human resource training and cultural connection.

Hiromatsu Mitsutaka, Third Secretary of the Embassy of Japan, stated at the opening ceremony that organizing the Vietnam-Japan Cultural Exchange Festival at a place with deep connections to Japan such as Nam Cau Kien Eco-Industrial Park will certainly make a great contribution to promoting friendship and mutual understanding between the two countries.

He said he hopes this festival will become a bridge that further strengthens the vibrant exchange between Japan and Vietnam in the city, while deepening the interest of Vietnamese people in Japan.

The Nam Cau Kien Cherry Blossom Festival, first held in 2025, left a special impression on the business community and residents of Hai Phong. In 2026, the event has been expanded into the Vietnam-Japan Cultural Exchange Festival, featuring a larger scale and a wider range of activities.

A cultural meeting point at Nam Cau Kien Eco-Industrial Park

Within Nam Cau Kien Eco-Industrial Park becomes cultural bridge for Vietnam-Japan cooperation, the organizing committee has created a festival space rich in Japanese cultural colors, where visitors can experience Hanami space for cherry blossom viewing, Japanese tea ceremony (Chanoyu), Yosakoi traditional dance performances, experiences with traditional costumes such as Kimono and Yukata, a Japanese street food village, and Vietnam-Japan cultural exchange booths.

A special highlight of the festival is the cherry blossom garden at Nam Cau Kien Eco-Industrial Park. The trees, which were gifted by Japanese partners, are now growing well and serve as a symbol of friendship between the two nations.

At the same time, the Kyosei-no-Niwa Japanese Garden in the park continues to be a cultural exchange, sightseeing, and relaxation space for workers, international experts, and visitors.

More than just a cultural event, the festival also helps introduce the image of Nam Cau Kien Eco-Industrial Park, one of Vietnam’s most notable eco-industrial park models.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Tran Thi Quynh Trang, director of the Hai Phong Department of Foreign Affairs, said she highly appreciates the initiative and cooperation of Shinec Company in organizing the festival at Nam Cau Kien Eco-Industrial Park.

"Pioneering the creation of an international cultural exchange space right within an industrial park not only demonstrates a vision for sustainable development but also helps transform Nam Cau Kien into a new “hub for cultural exchange and international cooperation” of Hai Phong," she noted.

This also serves as a vivid example of how businesses can work alongside local authorities in people-to-people diplomacy and further strengthen the friendship between Vietnam and Japan.

Speaking at the event, Shinec chairman Pham Hong Diep, said: “We believe that an industrial park of the future is not only a place for production but also an ecological space, a cultural space, and an international community where people live and develop together.”

According to him, the cooperation between Nam Cau Kien and Japanese partners has helped shape an eco-industrial park model based on the development philosophy: “Doing business on the land - giving back to the land.”

As global supply chains are being restructured and sustainable development trends are becoming increasingly important, cooperation between Vietnam and Japan in the field of green industry is expected to continue growing strongly.

Through this festival, the organizers hope to strengthen connections between the business communities of the two countries while spreading the values of culture, cooperation, and sustainable development between Vietnam and Japan.

At the same time, the event aims to attract more Japanese investors to join in developing eco-industrial parks initiated or co-developed by Shinec based on circular economy models, emission reduction, and efficient resource use, in line with global trends toward sustainable industrial development.