Beautiful and hospitable Land of the Rising Sun

In the early days of December, in the chilly weather, along many large, clean streets in the capital city of Tokyo, rows of trees with yellow and red leaves bloom brilliantly under the sunlight.
National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man and his spouse met with representatives of the Vietnamese community in Japan. (Photo: VNA)
National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man and his spouse met with representatives of the Vietnamese community in Japan. (Photo: VNA)

The members of National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man's delegation witnessed a very dynamically developing economy, a clean and friendly environment, and people who are refined, enthusiastic, and disciplined.

Vietnamese and Japanese people share many similarities in East Asian culture, upholding social ethics, family traditions, valuing humanistic ideology, the desire for peace, and keeping trust in work and business.

The National Assembly chairman and his spouse had many talks, meetings, and working sessions with leaders of the National Assembly and the Government, leaders of neighbouring localities; organisations, representatives of the business community, Japan-Vietnam friendship parliamentarians' organisations, and the Vietnamese community abroad.

A special highlight in the working schedule was the National Assembly chairman and his spouse meeting with Emperor Naruhito and the Empress of Japan at the Imperial Palace. In recent days, Japanese press and media agencies such as Kyodo News, NTV, and TBS have reported prominently on the meeting.

The neighbouring press reported that the Emperor and Empress expressed their joy at welcoming the National Assembly chairman and his spouse on an official visit to Japan. Emperor Naruhito thanked the Vietnamese leaders and people for their warm welcome during his official visit to Vietnam in 2009 when he was still Crown Prince.

The National Assembly chairman affirmed that the Vietnamese National Assembly is actively perfecting a favourable legal corridor, improving the investment environment, and helping foreign enterprises, including Japanese enterprises, to increase stable and long-term investment in Vietnam.

Through important meetings in the spirit of openness and friendship, the leaders of the two countries expressed their determination to promote economic, investment and trade cooperation as well as encourage Japanese enterprises to expand investment cooperation in energy infrastructure, manufacturing industry, and high-quality agriculture along with Japan's support for Vietnam to participate in the global semiconductor supply chain.

The two sides agreed to increase exchanges and contacts between parliamentarians of the two countries, especially young parliamentarians and female parliamentarians; further promoting the important bridging role of the Japan-Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Alliance in promoting people-to-people exchange and business cooperation between localities; coordinate to perfect institutions and policies, build a legal corridor to support businesses.

Before his first official visit to Japan as chairman of the National Assembly, Chairman Tran Thanh Man met with outstanding experts from the Vietnam-Japan Experts' Society (VJS) who are working at universities, research institutes, and large corporations.

The delegates proposed that the NA chairman, the National Assembly, and the Government pay more attention to strengthening cooperation with Japan in areas where Japan has strengths and Vietnam has needs, such as digital transformation, energy transformation, application of high-tech agriculture, biotechnology, healthcare, artificial intelligence, semiconductors.

The Chairman of the National Assembly asked experts with high professional qualifications and enthusiasm for their homeland to make efforts to promote investment from Japanese enterprises in Vietnam, especially focusing on technology transfer, cooperation in training high-quality human resources, and expanding the network of innovation connecting scientists and experts.

Investors and businesses all appreciate and look forward to the new wind from the major decisions recently passed by the Vietnamese National Assembly, which are in line with practical requirements, with many preferential policies to encourage investment and promote business development.

Many experts believe that the Vietnam's Semiconductor Industry Development Strategy clearly orients the development of the semiconductor industry and the new generation of electronics industry. This will help businesses, investors and management agencies to conveniently organise plans to implement investment, research and develop this economic sector with great potential.

Leaders of large Japanese corporations and business owners recognise that Vietnam will become an attractive destination.

On the day of arrival in Tokyo, nun Thich Tam Tri, President of the Vietnamese Buddhist Association in Japan, and members of the community arrived early to welcome the the National Assembly chairman and his spouse. The nun has devoted many years to Buddhist affairs, regularly supporting and connecting the Vietnamese community with love, spreading beautiful images of the country, Buddhism, people, and culture of Vietnam in the land of cherry blossoms.

Through the conversation, nun Thich Tam Tri shared that cultural similarities, sharing many values ​​and common interests, provide the basic foundations to promote the strong development of the relationship between the two countries, truly connecting them as sincere, close and long-lasting friends.

When talking about the special connection between the province and Vietnam 400 years ago, Governor Oishi Kengo of Nagasaki Province emphasised that this originated from the relationship between Princess Ngoc Hoa and Japanese merchant Sotaro Araki. That good relationship is respected, preserved, and developed by the people of the province to this day, as expressed in the unique traditional dance "Nagasaki kunchi" that captivates people's hearts.