On 22 June 2026, Consul General of Vietnam in Osaka Nguyen Truong Son paid a working visit to Nara Prefecture, during which he paid courtesy calls on Governor Yamashita Makoto, Chairman of the Nara Prefectural Assembly Tanaka Tadamitsu, and Chairman of the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians’ Alliance of Nara Prefecture Yamamoto Nobuaki. The Consul General also held a working session with the Nara Chambers of Commerce and Industry and met with representatives of the Vietnamese Association in Nara Prefecture.
During his meetings with the prefectural leaders, Consul General Nguyen Truong Son expressed his pleasure at the positive development of cooperative relations between Nara Prefecture and Vietnamese localities, particularly with Hue City and Phu Tho Province.
The Consul General expressed his appreciation to the Nara Prefectural Government for its practical support to the Vietnamese community through various initiatives, including providing Vietnamese-language information on the prefectural website and recruiting Vietnamese staff to work in local administrative agencies. He also expressed his hope that Nara Prefecture would continue supporting Vietnamese residents, particularly in facilitating their access to public services, enhancing their understanding of Japanese laws and regulations, and promoting their integration into local society.
Governor Yamashita Makoto noted that, amid Japan's rapidly aging population and increasingly serious labor shortages, Vietnamese human resources have become indispensable to the socio-economic development of Nara Prefecture. He highly appreciated the contributions of the Vietnamese community, which has now become the largest foreign community residing in the prefecture.
Chairman of the Prefectural Assembly Tanaka Tadamitsu likewise commended the Vietnamese community for its diligence, dynamism, and strong aspiration for self-improvement. He observed that the growing number of Vietnamese-owned businesses in Nara has helped bring Vietnam closer to residents and further deepen mutual understanding between the two peoples.
Governor Yamashita reaffirmed his commitment to further strengthening cooperation with Hue City based on existing cooperation agreements, particularly in the fields of culture, youth exchanges, education and training, and people-to-people exchanges. He noted that the internship programmed for students from Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology in Nara has achieved positive results, and that the prefectural government is considering extending the programme to students of Hue University from 2027 onward.
On this occasion, Governor Yamashita also announced his plan to attend the Second Vietnam-Japan Local Cooperation Forum, tentatively scheduled to take place in Hue City in the third quarter of 2026.
Welcoming Nara Prefecture's participation, Consul General Nguyen Truong Son affirmed that the Consulate General of Vietnam in Osaka would closely coordinate with the prefectural authorities in preparing for the delegation's visit. He also expressed his belief that the visit would create new opportunities for cooperation among local governments, businesses, and educational institutions of the two countries.
During his meeting with the Nara Prefectural Assembly and the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians’ Alliance of Nara Prefecture, the Consul General encouraged the Alliance to continue organizing regular fact-finding and goodwill visits to Vietnam, thereby enhancing mutual understanding and generating more practical initiatives to promote bilateral local cooperation as well as support the Vietnamese community in the prefecture.
Consul General Nguyen Truong Son and Governor Yamashita Makoto
Consul General Nguyen Truong Son presents commemorative gifts to Chairman of the Nara Prefectural Assembly, Vice Chairman of the Assembly,
and Chairman of the Japan–Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians' Alliance of Nara Prefecture
During the working session with the Nara Chambers of Commerce and Industry, representatives of the Federation stated that it currently supports around 10,000 member enterprises, the majority of which operate in the service, tourism, retail, accommodation, and restaurant sectors. Amid the prefecture's growing demand for human resources, the Nara side expressed its desire to further strengthen cooperation with Vietnam in the fields of labor and economic exchanges.
Consul General Nguyen Truong Son highly appreciated the cooperation potential between businesses in Nara Prefecture and Vietnam. He noted that the number of Vietnamese visitors to Nara has increased significantly in recent years, creating new opportunities to further promote economic and tourism exchanges between the two sides.
The Consul General also encouraged Nara Chambers of Commerce and Industry to continue cooperating with the Consulate General in disseminating information on conferences, forums, and investment and trade promotion events organized or endorsed by the Consulate General, thereby facilitating greater participation by local enterprises and helping them gain a better understanding of Vietnam's investment and business environment. In addition, the Consul General expressed his hope that Nara Prefecture would further expand imports of Vietnam's competitive products to meet the needs of the local tourism industry and consumers, while diversifying the supply of Vietnamese products to better serve the growing Vietnamese community in the prefecture.
Consul General Nguyen Truong Son and officials of the Consulate General, including the Head of the Commercial Section, hold a working session with the Nara Chambers of Commerce and Industry
During his meeting with the Vietnamese Association in Nara Prefecture, Consul General Nguyen Truong Son acknowledged the efforts made by the Association's Executive Committee in bringing together and connecting the Vietnamese community despite the Association having been established only recently.
The Consul General encouraged the Association to continue serving as an effective bridge between the Vietnamese community and the Consulate General. He also suggested organizing more community activities, including celebrations of the Lunar New Year (Tet), the Mid-Autumn Festival, sports tournaments, and cultural exchange programmes, with a view to strengthening solidarity among Vietnamese residents while creating more opportunities for local people to learn about Vietnam, its culture, and its people, thereby contributing to the further development of the Vietnam-Japan friendship.
On the same day, Consul General Nguyen Truong Son visited Todai-ji Temple, one of Japan's most significant Buddhist temples and a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. During the visit, the Consul General was briefed on the temple's history as well as its cultural and religious significance in the development of Japanese Buddhism.
Of particular interest, Todai-ji is also associated with Master Butsutetsu, a distinguished Buddhist monk originating from Lam Ap (present-day central Vietnam), who participated in the Great Buddha Eye-Opening Ceremony in 752. According to Japanese historical records, Master Butsutetsu made important contributions to the introduction of Lam Ap Buddhist music to Japan and to Buddhist exchanges between the two peoples, leaving a legacy in the formation and development of Japanese Gagaku (classical court music).
Consul General Nguyen Truong Son and the Consulate General's delegation visit Todai-ji, together with representatives of the Vietnamese community in Nara Prefecture and Todai-ji monk who guided the visit on 22 June