The opening ceremony saw the attendance of former Japanese Prime Minister Fukuda Yasuo, Chief Representative of the Komeito party Yamaguchi Natsuo, and Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Masahito Moriyama. The participants also included Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Pham Quang Hieu, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Thi Thuy, and representatives from associations, among others. In addition to more than 130 booths of Vietnamese and Japanese companies, organizations, and individuals, visitors also had a chance to see performances from the two countries’ popular art troupes and bands. Over the past 15 years, the festival has become the largest cultural event most awaited by the Vietnamese community in Japan and local residents. This year, the festival, which ran from June 1 – 2, attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors./.