Japan highly values Vietnam ’s support for victims of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, said a former Japanese senator.

A sentimental string has been formed to connect people of the two countries, former Japanese Senator Iwao Matsuda told a press briefing on the Vietnam Festival 2011 in Tokyo on Aug. 24. He added that Japan has received a lot of messages and valuable aid from the Vietnamese people over the past five months.

The festival, to take place at Yoyogi park in Tokyo from Sept. 17-18, is held annually by the Vietnamese Embassy in partnership with the Japanese side.

The first festival was organised in 2008 on the occasion of the 35 th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Japan and Vietnam .

Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Nguyen Phu Binh said the organising board will devote one booth to sell products made in the areas seriously hit by the disasters such as Asahi city of Chiba province and Fukushima prefecture in northeastern Japan .

In furtherance of the festival, there will be a fund-raising campaign for Japanese disaster victims./.