Vietnam to expand cultural, sports cooperation with Aichi Prefecture

The proposals were made by Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Dao Cuong during his meeting with Aichi Governor Hideaki Ohmura in Hanoi on July 10.

The meeting reflected growing momentum in bilateral cooperation following the upgrade of Vietnam-Japan ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World in 2023.

Vietnam seeks broader cultural and creative partnerships

Deputy Minister Cuong highlighted the success of long-running Vietnam Festivals held in Tokyo, Kanagawa and Hokkaido, which have become annual cultural events, attracting hundreds of thousands of Japanese visitors and Vietnamese expatriates.

Building on those experiences, he proposed organising a Vietnam Festival in Aichi, describing it as an opportunity to showcase Vietnamese culture, strengthen people-to-people exchanges and serve the large Vietnamese community living in the prefecture.

The Vietnamese side also proposed expanding cooperation in the creative industries by connecting UNESCO Creative Cities in both countries.

Nagoya, Aichi's capital, is a UNESCO Creative City of Design, while Vietnam currently has four Creative Cities—Hanoi, Da Lat, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City. Cuong suggested promoting exchanges among design centres, creative hubs, educational institutions and cultural enterprises, alongside encouraging joint projects, innovation and creative entrepreneurship.

Support sought for Vietnam’s ASIAD 2026 participation

Sports cooperation was another major focus of the meeting. Cuong congratulated Aichi and Nagoya on being selected to host the 20th Asian Games (ASIAD 20) and the 5th Asian Para Games in 2026, expressing confidence that Japan's experience in staging major sporting events would ensure the success of both competitions.

Cuong revealed that Vietnam would send more than 470 athletes, coaches, experts and officials to compete in 31 sports at ASIAD 20. Meanwhile, its Asian Para Games delegation is expected to comprise around 18 to 20 athletes, along with coaches and officials, competing in four sports.

To facilitate Vietnam's participation, the Deputy Minister called on Aichi authorities and the organising committee to continue supporting registration procedures, accreditation, immigration formalities, accommodation, transportation and competition arrangements.

Beyond the Games, Cuong also proposed expanding long-term sports cooperation through athlete and coach exchanges, training programmes, knowledge sharing on hosting international sporting events, and collaboration in high-performance and para sports.

Aichi welcomes deeper cooperation

Governor Ohmura, for his part, welcomed Vietnam’s proposals and expressed his willingness to expand cooperation with Vietnam's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as well as localities across the country.

He said the two sides could consider signing a memorandum of understanding to provide a long-term framework for cooperation.

Regarding preparations for ASIAD 20, Ohmura said Aichi expects to host around 15,000 athletes from across Asia and pledged to provide every possible support to facilitate Vietnam’s participation.

The governor also welcomed Vietnam's proposal to organise a Vietnam Festival in Aichi, recalling the success of the Vietnam Festival held in the prefecture in 2025.

With approximately 71,000 Vietnamese residents currently living in Aichi, he said expanding cultural exchanges would help bring the peoples of the two countries closer together and further strengthen bilateral friendship.

Vietnam-Japan Festival 2026 opens in Da Nang

The Vietnam-Japan Festival 2026 kicked off in Da Nang on July 9, aiming to strengthen cultural exchanges and promote cooperation between the central city and Japanese localities, businesses and partners across multiple fields.