A study and job fair opened on November 3 in Ho Chi Minh City, offering a chance for Vietnamese students to explore information on study and employment in Japan.

The 2013 Japan Osaka Study and Job Fair, part of activities to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Vietnam-Japan diplomatic ties, draw the participation of 25 businesses and 18 education establishments from Japan’s Osaka prefecture.

Nakano Eriko, head of the cultural and information section of the Japanese Consulate General in the city, said over recent years, Vietnam has been an attractive destination for Japanese investors.

Economic relations between the two countries have also been developed robustly, she said, adding the number of enterprises joining the Japanese Business Association in Ho Chi Minh City has increased to 660.

Vietnam takes the lead in Southeast Asia in the number of students in Japan, with 4,400 students.

The number of Japanese language learners has also risen, with more than 10,000 taking part in Japanese speaking contests every year in the city, she noted.

Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Hua Ngoc Thuan said Japan is now one of the city’s five largest foreign investors, its third largest trade partner and top tourism market.

Ho Chi Minh City and Osaka have signed a number of cooperation agreements since 2007, facilitating delegation exchanges and investment and trade promotion and cooperation activities between the two sides, especially in human resources and water treatment, he said.

The two sides are focusing their cooperation on education and personnel training, he added.

A series of activities will be organised as part of the event, including a music show and an eloquence contest.

Osaka is the second largest economic hub of Japan after Tokyo. The locality is considered an ideal education centre with 380 universities.-VNA