Xin chao! Kataura here, back from Ho Chi Minh once again.
My aim this time was visiting the Japan Vietnam Festival.
The Japan Vietnam Festival celebrated the 45th anniversary of Japan and Vietnam’s diplomatic relations, an event that brought an estimated 300,000 people over the course of two days.
The event was held in the center of Ho Chi Minh City at September 23rd Park.
What a strange name for a park.
How did the park get its name?
“In every district, there are parks and streets named something like ‘September 23rd’, but in this case the park was named to commemorate the day of a large, local rebellion that had taken place during the Southern rebellion. It is said to symbolize the indomitable spirit of the Vietnamese people.”
Reference from VIETJO LIFE.
http://life.viet-jo.com/howto/basic/438
“September 23rd Park got its name from a brief but brutal rebellion against the reinstatement of French control in Saigon, just three weeks after Ho Chi Minh had declared independence on September 2nd 1945.”
Reference from Vietnam Coracle.http://vietnamcoracle.com/saigons-parks-open-spaces/
...as it’s told. The open-air event held at the historical park was lively and bustling with crowds of people. Many Japanese companies and travel agencies promoting tourism to Japan were exhibiting at the event.
In Vietnam, retail businesses are developing and expanding remarkably, so companies that want to exhibit to test marketing, for instance, to those from all types of industries were able to communicate with visitors at this event.
This time, especially, many people from the local government organizations participated. Representatives from each region’s tourism department, for example, were appealing their sightseeing areas’ special characteristics and easy work environments.
When Doreamon, who is extremely popular in Vietnam, appeared, everyone’s attention went to the stage.
In the karaoke corner was a Vietnamese youngster enthusiastically singing Fist of the North Star. Japanese characters are quite a hit.
An abundance of cosplayers gathered at the event too and I really felt the love for Japanese culture.
Besides that, there were things like an Obon dance, the PR idol group from Tohoku, photo spots, etc. set everywhere that seemed to capture the hearts of the Vietnamese youth.
Although this event was a 2-day affair, in the afternoon on the first day the venue was pretty empty. The reason for that was... the Vietnam vs. Uzbekistan Soccer Finals.
After the relays, the city was chaotic, a noisy festival until late at night.
Vietnam’s enthusiasm for soccer should be feared.
So that’s that. Beginning with representatives from the tourism boards and government bodies to people from industries like food and beverage, travel, daily necessities, sports gyms, sportswear, nursing, and anime, I was able to speak in-depth with people from Japan, each boldly aiming to create the future as a company.
I got so excited it made my heart beat so fast... I snorted.
Writer: Nuoc Mam Kataura After entering the company, Kataura handled B2B-industry advertising, WEB, and events as an Account Executive. In 2016, he won the All-Japan DM Bronze Prize. During his early childhood, he lived in Connecticut, USA becoming bilingual in English and Japanese. Currently, he is putting effort into supporting exhibitions in Southeast Asia, focusing on Vietnam. He is the vocalist for Bigbeat’s rock band, “The Nuoc Mams.”
*Bigbeat has a Rock Music Club, with about 4 bands as members. Started in 2006, more than 10 live shows have been performed. “The Nuoc Mams” is currently on break with rumors that the vocalist (Nuoc Mam Kataura) and guitarist (Pakuchi Hamaguchi) have differing views on the direction of the music.
The Japan Vietnam Festival celebrated the 45th anniversary of Japan and Vietnam’s diplomatic relations, an event that brought an estimated 300,000 people over the course of two days.
Many Japanese companies and travel agencies promoting tourism to Japan were exhibiting at the event. 
In Vietnam, retail businesses are developing and expanding remarkably, so companies that want to exhibit to test marketing, for instance, to those from all types of industries were able to communicate with visitors at this event.
This time, especially, many people from the local government organizations participated. Representatives from each region’s tourism department, for example, were appealing their sightseeing areas’ special characteristics and easy work environments.
When Doreamon, who is extremely popular in Vietnam, appeared, everyone’s attention went to the stage.
In the karaoke corner was a Vietnamese youngster enthusiastically singing Fist of the North Star. Japanese characters are quite a hit.
An abundance of cosplayers gathered at the event too and I really felt the love for Japanese culture.
Besides that, there were things like an Obon dance, the PR idol group from Tohoku, photo spots, etc. set everywhere that seemed to capture the hearts of the Vietnamese youth.
Although this event was a 2-day affair, in the afternoon on the first day the venue was pretty empty. The reason for that was... the Vietnam vs. Uzbekistan Soccer Finals.
So that’s that. Beginning with representatives from the tourism boards and government bodies to people from industries like food and beverage, travel, daily necessities, sports gyms, sportswear, nursing, and anime, I was able to speak in-depth with people from Japan, each boldly aiming to create the future as a company. 
After entering the company, Kataura handled B2B-industry advertising, WEB, and events as an Account Executive. In 2016, he won the All-Japan DM Bronze Prize. During his early childhood, he lived in Connecticut, USA becoming bilingual in English and Japanese. Currently, he is putting effort into supporting exhibitions in Southeast Asia, focusing on Vietnam. He is the vocalist for Bigbeat’s rock band, “The Nuoc Mams.”
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