We thoroughly enjoyed "Vietnam Festa in Kanagawa 2016" over two days, and learned to love Vietnam!

Check the event timetable!

The event will be held on Saturday, October 29th and Sunday, October 30th. First, check the Vietnam Festa in Kanagawa 2016 website to see the details and timetable of the events taking place around the venue.

After getting off at Kannai Station, we cross Yokohama Stadium, which has been a huge success this year thanks to the Baystars' success, and head to Nihon Boulevard in the main area.
During the event, the street was closed to vehicles and many stalls were already set up. There was a special stage in the middle of the street where various music and performances were held.

The Kanagawa Prefectural Government Conference Hall will host a piano recital and a speech contest for international students, while Zo-no-hana Park will host a stage performance of Vietnamese folk art, water puppetry. After dark, there will be a "Moving Lantern Night" where people will light and carry around colorful Vietnamese lanterns...!

There was so much to see that it was hard to decide where to focus my attention, but I was so drawn to Lantern Night that I decided to head over to the venue on Saturday evening.

There were many people walking their dogs.

The ginkgo trees along Nihon Boulevard, with their faint scent of ginkgo in the air, are starting to turn a little yellowish. The best time to see them is probably late November to early December.

I walked leisurely down Japan Boulevard in late autumn, looking at the products at the food stalls. However, as the sun went down, a sudden heavy rain started to fall!
Unfortunately, the "Moving Lantern Night" has been cancelled...

I wanted to see the fantastic scenery of many lit lanterns, but I think I'll save that for next year. There was a display of lit lanterns in front of the prefectural office, so I'd like to introduce it to you today.

Vietnamese lanterns are so colorful and beautiful!

It was really unfortunate that it was raining, but we managed to see the Asuka II leaving Osanbashi Pier. The sound of the steam whistle echoing through the port scenery as night fell was a truly Yokohama scene.

The view of the ship sailing is romantic.

The second day starts with a Vietnamese lunch

On the second day, it was cloudy again but it didn't look like it was going to rain. However, it was a very cold day.

Vietnam has an image of a tropical country, but the general goods stores had a selection of warm items for the season, so I bought some gloves straight away. There were also lots of felt pouches, all of which were very cute!

Well, there are so many delicious looking dishes on offer that it's hard to decide where to have lunch.

Speaking of Vietnam, it's probably pho, isn't it? I can't leave out spring rolls either. I also want to try Vietnamese coffee, which is sweet and delicious with condensed milk.

Whether it's a food stall or a dried food store, Vietnamese food is super popular and there are long lines everywhere!

The fried chicken smells good!

The very popular Vietnamese sandwich

The top right corner is Acecook's character, Kobuta (Copyright © 2016 Acecock Co., Ltd.)

We went back and forth along Nihon Boulevard several times, looking at miscellaneous goods here and there, encountering mascot characters, and buying snacks, before heading to Zou-no-hana Park.

First, we went to see a water puppet show, a Vietnamese folk art. This is a form of entertainment that has been performed by Vietnamese rural people to pray for a good harvest and is said to have a thousand years of history.

A special stage was set up at Zo-no-hana Park.

Many people already!

It's hard to see ahead, so we went up to the railway track to watch from above. Various dolls and dragons appear and move on the water to the music of traditional Vietnamese instruments.

Even from a distance, the doll's expression was humorous and cute.

Finally, enjoy the live performance!

After this, we will return to Nihon Boulevard and watch live performances on the main stage.

The final stage of the event will feature MTV Band , a popular male group in Vietnam.

In addition, future musical star students from Magcal Performing Arts Academy will be collaborating with them on stage to dance and liven up the show, which is also something to look forward to!

At the Nippon Boulevard Stage, a performance by the Vietnam Contemporary Theatre had just started. First, a dance by women in colorful costumes.

The dance was slow, graceful and soft, just like a dance. It was elegant and beautiful!

Next, two men come out carrying large acupressure pots. They look quite heavy, but they balance them on their heads, pass them to each other, and catch them on their backs to the tune of Chinese-style music - it's amazing!

Next up was a female singer who sang Mayumi Itsuwa's hit song "Koibito yo" in Japanese with great emotion.

The Ao Dai, the traditional costume worn by the dancers, is very beautiful. I feel like there are a lot of Vietnamese women who are very stylish. Is it because you can't wear the Ao Dai without a good figure?

Before long, it began to get dark, and the MTV band special concert with Magcal Performing Arts Academy, which marked the end of this event, began!

The stage was lively with three vocalists, harmonizing and rapping. There were a lot of fans in the audience! Everyone was dancing to the music.

As the event became more heated, Governor Kuroiwa, who was in the guest seats, was pulled up onto the stage!

Then, everyone sang "Ue o Muite Arukou" with great enthusiasm. Governor Kuroiwa is actually a good singer.

In addition, students from the Magcal Performing Arts Academy, who were already getting into the rhythm and excited from the wings of the stage, joined in! They will further liven up the stage with their dancing!

The hot dance will liven up the venue even more!

On stage with the MTV band! So energetic!

Before we knew it, there were a lot of people around the stage. This year's Vietnam Festa ended with a lot of excitement. It was a really fun and wonderful stage!!

In his closing remarks, Governor Kuroiwa declared to Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Nguyen Quoc Cuong , "We will make this Vietnam Festa an annual autumn event!" ( See Governor Kuroiwa's blog )

Anticipation is building for next year's event! I'm looking forward to it!

This was a report on two days in which we were able to experience Vietnamese food, culture, traditional arts and music, as well as current events such as a live performance by a popular band, and feel that Vietnam is a very familiar and friendly country.