Tokyo (VNA) – Governor of the Japanese centralprefecture of Gunma Ichita Yamamoto committed all possible support toVietnamese living and working there ,during a local reception for VietnameseAmbassador to Japan Vu Hong Nam on October 4.

Yamamoto said foreigners and the Vietnamese community inparticular have become an important part of the province’s socio-economicdevelopment.

Ambassador Nam, for his part, expressed his hope that tiesbetween Vietnamese localities and Gunma will keep growing under his leadership.

He told his host that the Vietnamese embassy in Japan plansto establish a Vietnamese association in Gunma in support of the Vietnameseliving in need.

The diplomat lauded Gunma for holding the Gunma – Vietnam exchangefestival, thus improving mutual understanding between the peoples of the twocountries and opening up a new period for ties between Gunma and Vietnameselocalities.

As of the late October 2018, there were over 5,900Vietnamese people living in and working in Gunma, accounting for 0.3 percent ofthe local population. More than 3,400 of those are trainees, or 41.5 percent ofthe total foreign ones in Gunma.

The same day in Maebashi, the capital city of Gunmaprefecture, the second Gunma – Vietnam exchange festival was held.

Visitors to the event had a chance to enjoy Vietnamesetraditional food, play folk games and wear traditional Vietnamese long dress.

Earlier, Ambassador Nam visited Koganei Seiki Co. Ltd inGunma’s Kitagunma district where about 40 Vietnamese trainees are working.

He also held a working session with Mayor of Gunma’s Tomiokacity Yoshinori Enomoto and visited Tomioka silk factory./.