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| Director of the Japan Foundation Center for Cultural Exchange in Vietnam Doi Katsuma. |
Goethe of Germany, L'Espace of France or the British Council of the UK..., the Japan Foundation Center for Cultural Exchange in Vietnam has become a trusted cultural address for the public in Hanoi. What makes this success, sir? Established in Hanoi in 2008 as an overseas representative office of the Japan Foundation, we operate in three main areas: cultural and artistic exchange, Japanese language education, Japanese studies and international dialogue. Over the past 15 years, we have collaborated with many organizations and individuals in Vietnam to carry out many programs, from exhibitions, concerts, stage performances, film screenings, lectures, to promoting connections between artists and cultural figures from the two countries and other countries. In particular, since its establishment, the Center has made significant contributions to supporting Japanese language education activities, including supporting Japanese language education at general education institutions in Vietnam. To meet the increasing demand for learning Japanese, we have increased support at various levels such as: sending Japanese language experts to Vietnam, inviting Vietnamese teachers and students to Japan, providing Japanese language teaching materials, organizing seminars or training courses for teachers, providing teaching consulting services, organizing Japanese language proficiency tests in Vietnam... In the field of Japanese studies and international dialogue, we support the organization of conferences and seminars for research institutions on Japan. We also invite researchers to Japan to promote a deeper understanding of Japan in Vietnam; Organize intellectual exchange programs such as collaborative research projects and dialogue programs to enhance understanding of common bilateral, regional and global issues.
With the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, what are the key activities of the Center this year? Our goal this year is to promote the attractiveness of Japan to all classes of Vietnamese people. The key activity is to organize exhibitions with themes ranging from traditional to modern, lasting from three weeks to one month.
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| Japanese doll exhibition. |
Since the beginning of the year, we have successfully organized a number of exhibitions such as Japanese pottery, Japanese landscape photos by a Vietnamese photographer, Japanese dolls in Da Nang city, Bac Giang province... From September onwards, in addition to maintaining exhibitions, we have organized the Japan Hour Japanese Film Show - a cultural event that is of great interest to the public in Vietnam, and sponsored the opera "Princess Anio" taking place from September 22-24 - a key activity to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan. In October, we plan to organize a J-Pop and Anime concert at the Youth Theater and Complex01 with a famous Japanese singer as guest.
Vietnamese people are increasingly fond of and close to Japanese culture. What are your impressions of this cultural exchange? I myself increasingly realize the similarities and closeness between the people, as well as the cultures of Vietnam and Japan. It is gratifying that Vietnamese people always pay attention and have deep trust in Japanese products and services. In addition, the number of people interested in different fields, from popular culture such as comics, animation, fashion to art and literature is increasing, especially among the younger generation.
According to you, in the coming time, in which direction should the promotion of cultural exchange between the two countries develop? With the foundation of regular and active exchange as it is today, we need new directions. As an agency working to promote Japanese culture in Vietnam, we have the following orientations for exchange levels. The first level is through artifacts containing the thoughts, feelings and culture of the Japanese people. The second level is the exchange between people, which is increasingly expanding and going into depth. The third level is social exchange - we have not done much in this area and hope to promote it further in the coming time.
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| Mr. Doi Katsuma and Vietnamese students at an exhibition on Japanese pottery. |
On the basis of the increasingly expanding and developing relationship between Japan and Vietnam, we wish to further strengthen the exchange, information sharing and cooperation in many fields to create new values. Looking back at the 50 years of establishing diplomatic relations, we can clearly see the achievements of cultural exchange between the two countries. However, in the next 50 years, we should not simply "look" but also reflect on this exchange. We must do something so that Vietnamese people not only love but also understand the cultural and historical context behind it to gain a deeper understanding of Japanese culture, just as Japanese people when enjoying Vietnamese food not only find it delicious but also understand the history and meaning of that dish.
Báo Quốc Tế•03/12/2023
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