“Vietnam-Gunma Cultural Exchange Festival 2026”

          In Gunma Prefecture, home to a large Vietnamese community living, studying, and working, the Vietnamese community organized a Lunar New Year celebration for 2026 in a warm and culturally rich atmosphere. The event, titled “Vietnam-Gunma Cultural Exchange Festival 2026,” took place over two days, February 21-22, at the auditorium on the first floor of the Gunma Prefectural Government headquarters. It was a collaborative effort between the prefectural government, Vietnamese associations, and cultural exchange organizations. The program was honored to welcome Gunma Governor Yamamoto Ichita and Counselor Nguyen Sau.

          The festival space was vibrant with red flags, New Year couplets, and stalls showcasing traditional customs. Lion dances, Ao Dai (Vietnamese traditional dress) performances, spring songs, and artistic dances performed by the Vietnamese community created a lively atmosphere, evoking memories of Tet (Vietnamese New Year) in their homeland. In addition, food stalls featuring pho, banh mi, spring rolls, banh chung (Vietnamese sticky rice cake), etc., attracted a large number of participants, giving Japanese people the opportunity to experience Vietnamese culinary culture.

The program also organized many experiential activities such as calligraphy writing, trying on ao dai (traditional Vietnamese dress), and folk games, helping the younger generation of Vietnamese in Japan better understand their national traditions. The event was not only an opportunity for the Vietnamese community to reunite but also contributed to strengthening cultural exchange between Vietnam and Japan, while demonstrating the local government's concern for the Vietnamese community in Gunma./.