Beautiful Vietnam
Vietnam - Japan cultural space to open in Hoi An
  • | VET | November 05, 2017 04:27 PM
A Vietnam-Japan cultural space is set to open at the UNESCO-recognized town of Hoi An on November 10.

The opening of the space is in celebration of 45 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries and to welcome the APEC Leaders’ Week held in nearby Da Nang city.



Cau Pagoda, a popular site in Hoi An. Photo: Dulichvietvui.com.vn


The space will cover the entirety of Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street and the area surrounding the Japanese Covered Bridge.

The space is designed in a Japanese spirit and activities on the opening day include recreations of daily life, the introduction of traditional costumes seen in Hoi An in the early 19th century - the ao dai and ao ba ba from Vietnam and the Japanese costume of Yukata - and lessons in cooking Hoi An and Japanese food.

The highlight of the event is a ceremony to receive a red seal ship model - a gift from the Japanese prefecture of Nagasaki. The model is of the ship that carried Vietnamese Princess Ngoc Hoa to her husband’s home in Nagasaki. Ngoc Hoa was a princess of the Nguyen Dynasty, who married Araki Sotaro, a Japanese businessman in Hoi An nearly 400 years ago. Their marriage became a symbol of friendship between the two localities and countries.

Visitors to the cultural space will be able to experience Japanese and Vietnamese culture through historical records, archaeological finds on Vietnam-Japan trade in the 17th century, traditional attire, tea ceremonies, and exhibitions of calligraphy, lanterns, traditional music instruments, books, handicrafts, and folk games.

According to organizers, the house at 6 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street will become a Japanese cultural house from 2019, where exhibitions, film screenings, and other cultural exchange activities will be held by Japan.

The Vietnam - Japan cultural space is expected to promote cultural exchange between the two countries, helping to honor the bilateral relationship and diversify tourism products in Quang Nam province.

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