Longstanding connection in culture'

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan (1973 - 2023), Kansai Television Japan cooperated with Voice of Vietnam (VOV) and VTC Digital Television to produce the reality television documentary Vietnam - Japan: A long-standing connection in culture.

The 60-minute film uses culture to tell the story of friendship between Vietnam and Japan.

When watching the film, the audience will join model Mai Ngo and MC Niimi Shohei of Kansai TV to explore famous landscapes and cultures of Vietnam, admire famous Japanese landmarks in the cities of Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka; especially the Gion festival, a famous cultural festival that connects the cultures of the two countries.

At each filming location, the audience will clearly see the close relationship between Vietnam and Japan in both culture and life and trade.

Mr. Ngo Minh Hien - Deputy General Director of Voice of Vietnam (VOV) said: "Voice of Vietnam and Kansai Television Japan have cooperated on many projects over the years. However, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan (1973 - 2023), we thought we should do something special to demonstrate the close connection between the cultural identities of the two countries".

After much discussion, the production team decided to choose the option of having artisan Vu Van Gioi - one of the leading artisans in the art of royal embroidery - make a curtain with dragon images of the Tran and Ly dynasties to present to the Gion Festival - a festival that has been held for thousands of years in Japan.

Broadcasting the documentary 'Vietnam - Japan: A long-standing connection in culture' - 3

Production crew of the documentary "Vietnam - Japan: A long-standing connection in culture".

After 6 months of design and implementation, the curtain, which is more than 2 meters long, was completed. When it was given to Japanese friends, they were very pleased. Japanese friends really appreciate Vietnamese cultural products. They held a press conference in Kansai to introduce the product and how to bring traditional Vietnamese products into the Gion festival.

During the festival, when the curtain was raised, the attendees applauded and cheered. They were fascinated and gave many compliments to the product from Vietnam.

This curtain was donated to the Gion Festival by Mr. Ngo Minh Hien and artisan Vu Van Gioi.

“Through this work, we hope that the cultural flow of Vietnam blends with the cultural flow of Japan and will be preserved and passed on to future generations,” said Mr. Ngo Minh Hien.

From the story of the curtain, the story of Vietnam and Japan friendship is vividly and clearly portrayed in the documentary Vietnam - Japan: A long-standing connection in culture.

Sharing about this cooperation project, Ms. Tran Thi Hoai Thu, Director of VTC9 channel, VTC Digital Television Station said: "The project is an opportunity for me and the film crew of VTC Digital Television Station to approach and learn about the people and country of Japan.

During the days of production and filming, my colleagues from Japan and I had a great time exchanging expertise and experience.

Although we did not get to visit the land of cherry blossoms in person, when we witnessed the moment when the curtain of Vietnamese artist Vu Van Gioi was hung on the palanquin during the Gion festival in Japan, we were very moved.

The curtain represents the cultural connection between Vietnam and Japan. It is also a bridge for us to promote works of art made by Vietnamese artisans."

Deputy General Director of the Voice of Vietnam (VOV) Ngo Minh Hien presented a Royal Dragon Embroidered Curtain to the Ofunehoko Preservation Association of Shijo City, Kyoto, Japan.

Mr. Akihito Kimura - Japanese producer of the film said: "I love the country, people and culture of Vietnam. I hope that through this program, many Japanese people will learn about the beauty of Vietnam. They will be surprised to discover the similarities between the two countries and more and more Japanese people will want to visit Vietnam.

The political and diplomatic relations between the two countries have been established for 50 years, but in fact the Japanese people have a long history of trade exchanges with Vietnam dating back 400 years. I imagine that the Japanese people at that time loved Vietnam as much as I did.

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, I wanted to create a “link” that would last for thousands of years, or forever into the future, instead of looking back at the past and celebrating through a special television program for the people of the two countries.

The secret is hidden in the Gion Festival in Kyoto. It is a combination of traditional Vietnamese culture and traditional Japanese culture. Like a Vietnamese princess marrying a Japanese prince, sounds romantic, right?

During the festival, when the curtain was raised, the attendees burst into applause.

MC Shohei Niimi shared: “I am very happy to participate in this wonderful program as a bridge between Vietnam and Japan.

During my trip to Vietnam to produce this program, I was very impressed by the youth and strength of your country. This was also an opportunity for me to learn about the strong relationship between Vietnam and Japan, both present and past.

I hope that I can help the Vietnamese people understand more about Japan. Together with Ms. Mai Ngo, Mr. Gioi and the embroidered curtain on the palanquin, we will continue to make efforts to build a close relationship between the two countries."

Director Shigeo Sasaki shared : " I am very happy to participate in the program celebrating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan. I would like to share that this year I also turn 50 years old, so for me, this coincidence is very meaningful as I can introduce the two countries from the perspective of someone who lived during this period.

I am embarrassed to say that I did not know much about the connection between Vietnam and Japan until I participated in the production of this documentary. So MC Niimi's feeling of surprise was similar to mine. That is exactly what I was looking for when producing a Vietnam-Japan film: a long-standing connection in culture.

The film is not a simple information introduction. As the director, I hope the audience will accompany MC Niimi and Mai Ngo to explore and be surprised. I will be very happy if the film can attract great attention in both countries."

The film Vietnam - Japan: Long-standing cultural connection will be broadcast in September on all channels of Voice of Vietnam: VTC1, VTC9 and VOVTV.

Le Chi

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