Attending the event were Vice Secretary of the HCMC Party Committee Nguyen Phuoc Loc, Consul General of Japan to HCMC Ono Masuo, and leaders of departments and businesses of the city.
Speaking at the event, Vice Secretary of the HCMC Party Committee Nguyen Phuoc Loc said that the diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan were officially established on September 21, 1973, and have currently seen significant development.
Currently, Japan is the third largest export market and investor of HCMC. As of November 2023, the southern metropolis attracted 1,657 Japanese projects with a total capital of over US$5.7 billion, accounting for 10 percent of the total foreign investment capital in the city.
In 2023, Vietnam and Japan solemnly celebrated the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations under the theme "Vietnam - Japan: towards the future, reaching out to the world". Many programs and exchanges of delegations at all levels, seminars, dialogues, cultural exchanges, and festivals were organized in various localities of both countries to introduce the land, people, and cultures of the two nations.
Mr. Pham Huy Binh, chairman of Saigontourist Holding Company said that the number of Japanese tourists visiting Vietnam has incessantly increased in recent years. Saigontourist serves more than 200,000 Japanese visitors a year.
