Hanoi (VNA)ꩲ – The Vietnam-Japan Friendship Association (VJFA) of Hanoi celebrated its 30th anniversary on September 11, celebrating a journey of advancing bilateral people-to-people diplomacy, ahead of its official founding date on September 18.

From a modest start with three chapters and roughly 50 members, the association has grown to 12 chapters and over 400 members from walks of life. Nguyen Ngoc Ky, President of the Hanoi Union of Friendship Organisations (HUFO), said Vietnam - Japan relationship is now at its best in history. In 2023, the two countries upgraded ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, bolstered by robust political trust and substantive cooperation across trade, national defence-security and people-to-people exchange. Ky praised the association’s steady and practical contributions to fostering mutual understanding, describing people-to-people diplomacy as a pillar of Vietnam’s modern diplomacy, alongside Party and State diplomacy. To mark the milestone, the association hosted a series of cultural exchanges showcasing Japanese culture, including photo exhibitions, performances by Japanese artists, Haiku poetry seminars, cherry blossom care, calligraphy displays, Shogi chess promotion and a Vietnam–Japan friendship family model. Many chapters also published Haiku poetry collections and took on the upkeep of cherry trees donated by Japanese partners, bringing Japanese culture closer to the Vietnamese public. Ky expressed hope that the association would build on its 30-year legacy by modernising its operations, engaging more young members and actively joining activities hosted by HUFO, VJFA’s Central Committee and the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam. Kanikawa Wakana, First Secretary and head of the Press and Culture Section at the Japanese Embassy in Hanoi, said Japan remains committed to accompanying Vietnam in its renewal and development as an irreplaceable partner, stressing Japan’s role as Vietnam’s largest provider of official development assistance and one of its top partners in trade, investment and technology. Beyond Tokyo, the association has expanded cooperation with other Japanese localities, including Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Osaka and Okinawa, forming a broader network for people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. Looking ahead, the association aims to broaden exchanges across culture, education and sci-tech, solidifying its role as a bridge between the two peoples while contributing to Vietnam’s comprehensive, modern diplomacy./.