The festival will be sponsored by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs as it is one of the activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic ties this year, heard a press conference held at the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan on August 2.

The festival, the first of its kind held in Saitama, will showcase star lanterns, lion dance performances, and the flavors of mooncakes. More than 60 booths will be set up to introduce the unique Vietnamese cuisine, including popular dishes that have become an integral part of Japanese culinary culture, such as pho, banh mi (baguette), noodle, spring roll, banh xeo (crispy rice pancake) and coffee.

There will be games such as shuttlecock kicking and traditional ethnic art performances, including the first-time appearance of "chau van" singing at the event.

At the press conference (Photo: VNA)

Chairman of the Vietnamese Association in Saitama prefecture Pham Dinh Thuong said the success of the festival will pave the way for it to become an annual event for the Vietnamese community in Saitama in the coming years.

The event is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of Japanese and Vietnamese people in Japan.

Saitama is home to one of the biggest Vietnamese communities in Japan with over 40,000 people.