Students from the calligraphy club of Ehime Prefectural Mishima High School in Japan showcased their skills to Vietnamese students during a calligraphy performance at Le Quy Don High School in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 3 on Friday afternoon.

The meeting between the Vietnamese and Japanese students, themed 'Children - Earth - Future,' took place as part of the 10th Vietnam-Japan Festival, jointly organized by the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee and the Japanese Festival Committee.

The festival is held on Saturday and Sunday at 23/9 Park in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, featuring a range of cultural, artistic, culinary, and sports exchange activities.

During the meeting, Hibiki Kondo, a student from Ehime Prefectural Mishima High School, proudly introduced their school to the Vietnamese students. 

“My school is about 3,600km from here, and it celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2023,” Kondo said. 

“Our motto is ‘autonomy and creativity,’ so we strive to be independent and create something new every day. 

“The school is also a pioneer in calligraphy, which blends with music to create beautiful works of art.”

The Japanese students demonstrated their calligraphy skills at Le Quy Don High School, captivating hundreds of students from both Le Quy Don Middle and High Schools.

Their performance conveyed the meaningful message, ‘Holding hands together until tomorrow.’

Following Kondo, Maaya Shiomi shared her dream of becoming a designer focused on local communities, a goal inspired by her involvement in her school’s calligraphy club.

In response, the Vietnamese students expressed their enthusiasm for the interaction. 

Le Quy Don Middle and High Schools students confidently utilized their Japanese language skills and proudly discussed their school’s 150-year history. 

When Hai Anh, a Le Quy Don High School student, inquired, “I know the traditional costumes of Japanese men and women. Do you know what the traditional costumes of Vietnamese people are?”, the Japanese students answered, “ao dai.”

Tsutomu Takebe, special advisor to the Japan-Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Alliance and honorary chairman of the 2025 Vietnam-Japan Festival Organizing Committee, addressed the students, emphasizing the importance of future cooperation between Vietnamese and Japanese students. 

“The changes in the world will happen quickly, and some challenges, like COVID-19, cannot be faced alone,” he said. 

“I hope Vietnamese and Japanese students will continue to strengthen their bond and look toward the future together.”

Nguyen Bao Quoc, deputy director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, called the meeting “an opportunity for students from both countries to learn about each other’s culture, people, and the special relationship between Vietnam and Japan, with the goal of fostering shared dreams and future actions to strengthen bilateral relations.”

Like us on Facebook or follow us on X to get the latest news about Vietnam!