Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc: Vietnam - Japan 'deep and lasting friendship'

Speaking at the festival, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc expressed his delight at joining the high-ranking delegation of the Vietnamese Government in visiting the beautiful and hospitable Wakayama Prefecture and attending the Vietnam-Japan Lotus Festival, a special event dedicated to the noble flower loved by both Vietnamese and Japanese people. The Prime Minister sincerely thanked Chairman of the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians' Union Nikai Toshihio, who proposed the lotus flower exchange initiative.

“It is even more special that at this Festival, we can admire the beauty of Vietnamese lotus flowers, which have traveled thousands of miles from the distant land of Vietnam to bloom together with Japanese Oga lotus flowers, flowers that bloom from seeds that have been dormant for two thousand years in the past. It is a vivid testament to the deep and strong spiritual connection between the people of our two countries.”

“The exchange between our two countries began more than 1,000 years ago, built and nurtured through people-to-people, cultural, trade exchanges and meaningful relationships,” said the Prime Minister. “The countries and people of Vietnam and Japan have many similarities, both have unique cultures, rich traditions, and respect for ethical standards; the people are industrious, hardworking and resilient.”

Since the 8th century, Buddhist monk Phat Triet of Lam Ap (now Central Vietnam) came to Nara, the capital of Japan to introduce the music of Lam Ap at that time and it is still performed today in the Japanese court music, with the harmony of sounds with the Hue court music of Vietnam today. From the 16th to the 17th century, many Japanese merchant ships docked at Hoi An port, a prosperous international trading port in Central Vietnam at that time, and a Japanese quarter was gradually built in Hoi An, which is now a favorite destination for thousands of Japanese tourists. The cooperative and friendly relationship between the two countries has continuously developed strongly, deeply, comprehensively and today, the relationship between Vietnam and Japan has matured to a new height of Extensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia (March 2014).

The Prime Minister stated that along with the development of bilateral relations, cooperation between Japanese localities, including Wakayama province, and Vietnam is developing well, complementing each other and achieving many practical results in tourism services, modern agriculture, and has succeeded in the sustainable development model. “We welcome and create favorable conditions for Wakayama province as well as Japanese localities to strengthen cooperation with Vietnamese localities.”.

Quoting a traditional Vietnamese folk song: “The lotus flower skillfully retains its color, the strong sunlight does not fade, the heavy rain does not fade”, the Prime Minister wished the Lotus Festival a great success and wished the extensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Japan, the relationship between Vietnam and Wakayama province to develop more and more strongly, the deep friendship will be colorful and not fade.

Thanking the Prime Minister, his wife and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation for attending this event, Mr. Nikai Toshihio wished to replicate this exchange model for the strong cooperation between the two countries, for peace and prosperity in the region and the world. Mayor of Kinokawa City, Mr. Nakamura expressed his belief that the fate of lotus flowers will connect Japan - Vietnam exchange and cooperation even more closely.

On this occasion, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc planted a memorial tree (cherry blossom tree).

In 2013, Mr. Nikai Toshihio, currently Secretary General of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Chairman of the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians' Union, initiated a cooperation project with Vietnam, whereby the Japanese side transplanted lotus from Vietnam to the nursery pond of Seisyu Village, Kinokawa City, a "fruit city" where many types of fruit can be harvested all year round. In 2015, the Japanese side brought Vietnamese lotus from the lotus village to the lotus pond of Hiraike Park.

Some photos of the Prime Minister, his wife and the Vietnamese delegation attending the Festival: