Friendship between Khanh Hoa and Japan

Over the past years, the friendly relationship between Khanh Hoa Province and Japan has always been fostered. Many Japanese businesses, investors and citizens have chosen Nha Trang-Khanh Hoa as their long-term destination. 

Good sentiments towards each other

During his chance visit to Nha Trang City, Khanh Hoa Province over four years ago, Sakae was so impressed by the beauty of the natural landscape of the land and the friendliness of local people that he decided to live in Khanh Hoa. Sakae is working at a seafood processing company specializing in exporting to Japanese market in Cam Ranh City. Before coming to Nha Trang-Khanh Hoa, Sakae had looked for opportunities in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Lat (Lam Dong Province); but the coastal province with its attributes really attracted him. “As far as I can see, Nha Trang-Khanh Hoa people in particular and Vietnamese people in general have good sentiments towards Japan," said Sakae.

Khanh Hoa and Japanese people posing for photo at the meeting celebrating the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic relations

Kyoko, who was born and raised in Niigata City (Niigata Province, Japan), has lived in Nha Trang City for nearly 10 years and acknowledged the sentiments of local people towards Japanese people living in Nha Trang. She is working in remote for a company based in Japan. As said by Kyoko, there are many similarities between Nha Trang City and her hometown, for example rice fields and mountains. She enjoys the beauty of the sea in Nha Trang and appreciates the help, kindness and politeness of local people.

Chung Thi Lien, Japanese language teacher at Amy Japanese Language and Cultural Exchange Center (59 Le Thanh Phuong Street, Nha Trang City), returned to Nha Trang half a year ago after more than eight years of studying and working in Japan. She has maintained relationships with many people in Japan as well as Japanese people living and working in Vietnam and Nha Trang. The cultural similarities between the two countries make it easier for her to communicate with and understand Japanese people.

Vietnamese children performing Japanese traditional dance

According to Huynh Phuong Minh, vice-chairman of Khanh Hoa Province’s Union of Friendship Organizations, since Vietnam and Japan established diplomatic relations on September 21, 1973, the friendship and cooperation between the two countries has continuously developed in many sectors such as politics, economics, culture, sports, from national level to grassroots level. Currently, there are nearly 30 Japanese citizens living and working in Khanh Hoa. Recently, many meetings, investment promotion activities; exchange of delegations; activities promoting the images, cultures, mages of the two countries and their peoples have been organized in Japan and Vietnam. The Provincial Union of Friendship Organizations has organized some exchange activities with Japan on the occasion of important anniversaries of the two countries and upon the visits of Japanese delegations to the province.

Cooperation in many sectors

According to Khanh Hoa Provincial Department of Foreign Affairs, the cooperative relationship between Khanh Hoa and Japan is increasingly being promoted through delegation exchange activities and cooperation in the sectors of economics, trade, investment, education and training, culture, etc. 

Sumitomo Group of Japan has invested in Van Phong 1 Thermal Power Plant in Khanh Hoa, with a total registered capital of USD2.58 billion, which started in December 2019 and will come into commercial operation at the end of 2023. The province has also organized and attended many investment promotion conferences to further introduce Khanh Hoa's images to Japan, including Meet Japan, Southern Central Vietnam (2017); investment promotion conferences in the cities of Osaka and Tokyo (2017); Nha Trang-Khanh Hoa investment, tourism and trade promotion conference in Osaka Province (2018). An investment promotion and connection conference between Khanh Hoa and Japan will take place in Khanh Hoa next October.

In a working session in last June with Nguyen Hai Ninh, Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of Khanh Hoa Provincial Party Committee, Yamada Takio, Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam, expressed his appreciation for the good sentiments of Khanh Hoa people towards Japan and Japanese people. This will help to attract Japanese tourists to Nha Trang-Khanh Hoa. Yamada Takioalso pledged to act as a bridge between Khanh Hoa Province and Japanese partners and investors.

Currently, Khanh Hoa Province has 6 Japanese FDI projects, with a total registered capital of more than USD2.65 billion. In 2022, more than 5,000 Japanese tourists visited Nha Trang-Khanh Hoa; the first 6 months of 2023, Khanh Hoa received more than 3,800 Japanese visitors. Export turnover to Japan in the first 6 months of 2023 was USD14,516 million. The cooperation in education-training, culture, and sports between Khanh Hoa and Japan have also been regularly organized and achieved positive results. The Japanese Government has supported Khanh Hoa in implementing some ODA projects in the sectors of education, health, aquaculture, and so on.

Giang Dinh
Translated by H.N