On September 12 and 13, at Tenjin Central Park in Fukuoka, Japan, the Consulate General of Viet Nam in Fukuoka, in coordination with Vietnamese localities including Bac Ninh, Ninh Binh, Thai Nguyen, Dak Lak and Dong Thap, along with Vietnamese agencies, organisations, associations and business communities from both countries, organised “Viet Nam Day 2026 in Kyushu - Okinawa” under the theme “Discover Viet Nam - Connect Kyushu”.

Fukuoka Governor Hattori Seitaro together with delegates exploring Dak Lak agricultural products.

This large-scale event featured a range of economic diplomacy, cultural diplomacy combined with trade promotion activities, bringing together leaders of local authorities from the Kyushu - Okinawa region of Japan, friendship organisations, numerous enterprises, as well as thousands of Vietnamese expatriates and local residents.

The venue attracted large numbers of visitors to food together with OCOP agricultural product stalls representing Vietnamese localities. Residents of Fukuoka and international visitors sampled distinctive traditional dishes while learning about OCOP products and high-quality processed agricultural products.

In particular, Dak Lak’s OCOP stall drew strong interest from Japanese visitors, showcasing high-quality processed agricultural products such as coffee, dried jackfruit alongside processed fruit products. Thousands of visitors, including leaders from the local authorities in Fukuoka, Saga and Kagoshima prefectures, as well as diplomatic representatives from the United States, China, India and Thailand, visited the stall, sampled the local specialities and highly appreciated the quality of Dak Lak’s products.

Notably, the Consulate General of Viet Nam, in coordination with Trung Nguyen Legend Group, organised a Coffee Meditation programme at the Consulate General’s premises, attended by leaders of local authorities, organisations, enterprises and the diplomatic corps, thereby contributing to promoting Vietnamese coffee culture among international audiences.

The Coffee Meditation session led by representatives of Trung Nguyen Legend Group.

Alongside the food area, the Organising Committee held a range of distinctive cultural exchange activities, including Ao Dai experiences, with 500 Ao Dai sets presented to visitors; traditional games; art performances; the “Viet Nam Through My Eyes” programme, featuring Japanese young people sharing their perspectives on the land along with people of Viet Nam; and the “Viet Nam in Me” programme, in which Vietnamese children shared stories about their homeland.

The success of “Viet Nam Day 2026” provides an important springboard for Dak Lak’s key agricultural brands to gain direct access to distribution networks in the Kyushu region, promote economic diplomacy and expand agricultural exports to the Japanese market.

Translated by KHUONG THAO