Japanese Prime Minister to pay official visit to Viet Nam this week

This is Takaichi Sanae's first visit in her capacity as the head of the Japanese Government.

At a press meeting in Ha Noi on April 28, Japan's Ambassador to Viet Nam Ito Naoki, said the visit reflects the fact that Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae personally and her Government attach importance to the relations between Viet Nam and Japan.

It also demonstrates their recognition and high regard for Viet Nam's role on the international stage.

The Ambassador noted that the visit aims to strengthen and build trust between the leaders of the two countries. Both sides will discuss key areas of cooperation in the coming period, such as the economy, energy, and people-to-people exchanges.

Viet Nam and Japan established diplomatic relations in 1973 and upgraded their ties into a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2023. Japan is Viet Nam's largest provider of ODA, biggest labor cooperation partner, third-largest investor, and fourth-largest partner in tourism and trade.

Bilateral trade value reached over US$51.43 billion last year. The Japanese Embassy in Viet Nam reported that in the first quarter of this year, the figure increased by 12.7 percent compared to the same period last year, with expectations reaching US$60 billion by 2027.

As of January 31, 2026, Japan had 5,722 valid investment projects in Viet Nam with a total registered capital of US$78.9 billion, ranking third among 153 countries and territories investing in the Southeast Asian nation.

In the semiconductor sector, Viet Nam aims to train 500 PhD researchers by 2030, and Japan has announced it will accept about half of them through international joint research programs.

There are more than 680,000 Vietnamese people living in Japan, making them the second-largest foreign community in the country./.