According to VNA, at the reception, General Secretary To Lam emphasized that Kanagawa Prefecture is the first locality in Japan to organize festival events and annual investment and labor seminars in both Japan and Vietnam.
The General Secretary said that these events will continue to be a place to connect the people of the two countries, contributing to enhancing understanding and friendship between the two peoples, promoting cultural exchange, tourism and economic cooperation; emphasizing that cultural cooperation is an important factor in creating depth, creating a solid foundation for the friendly cooperation between Vietnam and Japan.
Governor Kuroiwa Yuji expressed his honor to welcome the General Secretary; reported to General Secretary To Lam about the 6th Kanagawa Festival being held in Hanoi, as well as a series of activities to promote trade investment, connect businesses and localities held in Da Nang City and Ho Chi Minh City during this visit.
Governor Kuroiwa Yuji said that after 10 years since the first Vietnam Festival in Kanagawa Prefecture was held in 2015, Vietnamese enterprises have begun to invest in the province and currently have 22 Vietnamese enterprises operating in the province and 32 provincial enterprises investing in Vietnam.
Governor Kuroiwa Yuji affirmed that Kanagawa province will further promote cooperation with Vietnam in the fields of labor, people-to-people exchanges, culture as well as encourage the province's businesses to invest in Vietnam; be ready to share experiences in health care, responding to social aging through the MEBYO initiative (Initiative on maintaining a healthy and long-lasting life for people) being implemented in the province and has been included in the signing of a cooperation document with the Ministry of Health of Vietnam.
Agreeing with the proposals of Governor Kuroiwa Yuji, the General Secretary expressed his confidence that in the coming time, Kanagawa province will continue to promote the province's strengths, promote investment cooperation, cultural exchanges and enhance cooperation in human resource training with Vietnamese localities; and suggested that Kanagawa province continue to organize Vietnam - Japan cultural festivals.
The General Secretary suggested that Kanagawa province continue to provide practical support to the community of 40,000 Vietnamese people living, studying and working as well as the activities of Vietnamese enterprises in the province; promote increased exchanges and sharing of experiences of the province in responding to population aging and health care.
At the meeting, Governor Kuroiwa Yuji reported to General Secretary To Lam about the project to build the musical "Cong Nu Anio" with the plot based on the real love story between the working woman Ngoc Hoa and Japanese businessman Araki Shotaro in Nagasaki prefecture more than 400 years ago, saying that the musical is expected to be first released in Kanagawa prefecture in September 2026.
