Union of Vietnamese associations in Japan established

The 9-member standing board of the union consists of those prestigeous in the Vietnamese communities and representatives of associations in areas with large Vietnamese communities.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Quang Hieu, who is also Chairman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, sent a congratulatory letter to the union, expressing his hope that the union will become a core factor to support the Vietnamese people in Japan to develop and integrate more deeply into the host society, help maintain the teaching and learning of the Vietnamese language, preserve and promote the Vietnamese cultural identity, and become a bridge connecting the two peoples.

Nguyen Duc Minh, Interim Chargé d'affaires of the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan, said that besides the increasing number of Vietnamese people in Japan, many Vietnamese associations and unions have been formed and developed in the host country but they lack connection with each other.

Therefore, Minh emphasised that the establishment of the union is an important milestone in the development of the Vietnamese community in Japan.

Nguyen Hong Son, Chairman of the union, said that with the slogan "One community, connecting two cultures", the union will coordinate with other Vietnamese associations to build a growing Vietnamese community in Japan that actively contributes to the national construction and defense and building up the friendship between Vietnam and Japan.

Currently, there are about 500,000 Vietnamese working, studying and living in Japan.