Ambassador Pham Quang Hieu visits Okinawa Prefecture | Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in Japan

Ambassador Pham Quang Hieu visits Okinawa Prefecture

On July 11, 2025, Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Pham Quang Hieu visited Okinawa, the prefecture closest to Vietnam. During the visit, Ambassador Pham Quang Hieu met Governor Denny Tamaki, spoke at the Workshop “Vietnam - Japan Towards the Future”; visited and worked with a nursing home, and had an exchange with the Japan - Vietnam Friendship Association of Okinawa Prefecture. Accompanying and participating in the Ambassador's activities were Vietnamese Consul General in Fukuoka Vu Chi Mai, representatives of the Vietnam Digital Transformation Association in Japan, the Startup Association, and the Vietnamese Association in Okinawa.

At the meeting, Governor Denny Tamaki expressed his joy and appreciation for Ambassador Pham Quang Hieu's visit and work in Okinawa Prefecture, saying that this visit would open up great opportunities to develop multifaceted cooperation and friendship between Vietnam and Okinawa Prefecture. Okinawa Prefecture and Vietnam have many similarities in climate, culture and customs. The Vietnamese community in Okinawa Prefecture is young, dynamic and makes up the majority of the foreign community in the province. Governor Denny Tamaki believes that this community will continue to grow and become a bridge of friendship to promote cooperation and people-to-people exchange between Okinawa Prefecture and Vietnam.

Ambassador Pham Quang Hieu thanked the Governor for his warm and sincere welcome and said that on his first official visit to Okinawa Prefecture, the Ambassador felt the friendliness and closeness of the Okinawan people in general. That closeness and friendliness, along with the similar scenery to Vietnam, are important factors contributing to the development of the friendly relationship between Okinawa Prefecture and Vietnam.

The Vietnamese community in Okinawa Prefecture always wants to contribute to the socio-economic development of the province. Thereby, developing themselves, their careers and becoming a bridge of friendship between Okinawa Prefecture and Vietnam. The Ambassador requested the government and people of Okinawa Prefecture to create favorable conditions for the Vietnamese community to live and work, support the Vietnamese Association in the province to organize activities to connect, promote relations, exchange people ... to make Okinawa a safe, secure and happy island for the Vietnamese people in particular.

Ambassador Pham Quang Hieu respectfully invited the Governor and businesses of the province to visit Vietnam in 2025, attend the local conference, international fair on industry and food.

In the afternoon of the same day, the Ambassador spoke at the "Vietnam - Japan Towards the Future" Workshop, exchanging opinions with people and businesses of the province that are receiving Vietnamese students and workers, businesses that are looking to invest and do business in Vietnam. At the Workshop, the Ambassador introduced and provided the latest information on Vietnam's socio-economic situation, and the relationship between the two countries. The Ambassador affirmed that the Vietnam - Japan relationship is at its best, Vietnam is entering a new stage of development. Accordingly, the opportunities and potential for cooperation between businesses of the two countries, including businesses of Okinawa province, are huge and need to be exploited more strongly.

Visiting and working with the nursing home that is receiving Vietnamese nurses, Ambassador Pham Quang Hieu sincerely thanked the care and support of the facility's leaders for Vietnamese workers and asked the facility to continue to care for and create conditions for workers to study and improve their Japanese language skills, ensuring and improving welfare regimes to help workers feel secure working long-term at the facility. A1: Ambassador Pham Quang Hieu with the Governor of Okinawa Prefecture.