Sugi Ryotaro appointed Viet Nam-Japan Special Ambassador for 2026–2029
VGP - General Secretary and President To Lam attended a ceremony in Tokyo on November 10 to confer the title of Viet Nam-Japan Special Ambassador for the 2026–2029 term on renowned Japanese artist Sugi Ryotaro in recognition of his longstanding contributions to advancing friendship and cooperation between the two countries.
General Secretary and President To Lam (R) and Viet Nam-Japan Special Ambassador Sugi Ryotaro in Tokyo, Japan, November 10, 2026
The ceremony was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as part of General Secretary and President To Lam's ongoing official visit to Japan. At the event, Politburo member and Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung presented the certificate of Special Ambassador Sugi.
Born in 1944 in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, Sugi is a singer and actor, widely known for his performances in historical television dramas. For nearly 40 years, he has maintained a strong attachment to Viet Nam and made sustained efforts to promote friendship and cooperation between the two countries.
His contributions to Viet Nam-Japan relations have been particularly notable in promoting cultural exchanges on a large scale and providing practical humanitarian assistance to disadvantaged children, especially those living in remote and mountainous areas of Viet Nam. Through these initiatives, he has helped foster mutual understanding and strengthen people-to-people exchanges between the two nations.
In recognition of his contributions, Sugi has received numerous prestigious Vietnamese honors, including the Friendship Medal, the third-class Labor Order, the title of Honorary Citizen of Ha Noi, the Insignia for Peace and Friendship among Nations awarded by the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations, and the Insignia for the Cause of Fatherland Security conferred by the Ministry of Public Security.
Addressing the ceremony, Sugi expressed his profound honor and gratitude for the appointment, reaffirming his enduring affection for the country and people of Viet Nam.
He pledged to continue working closely with relevant agencies in both countries in advancing practical cooperation initiatives on cultural exchanges, healthcare, and assistance for disadvantaged children.
Sugi further committed to promoting a fair and favorable environment for the Vietnamese community in Japan to live, study and work, enabling them to contribute actively to Japan's socio-economic development and further strengthen friendship between the two countries./.