Japanese painting collector receives Vietnamese FM’s certificate of merit
Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Vu Hong Nam presented a certificate of merit from the Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs to Japanese collector Toyokichi Itoh and his wife for their contribution to promoting cultural exchange between the two countries at a ceremony on November 12.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Vu Hong Nam (right) presented a certificate of merit from the Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs to Japanese collector Itoh Toyokichi. (Photo: VNA)
Tokyo (VNA) - Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Vu Hong Nam presented a certificate of merit from the Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs toJapanese collector Itoh Toyokichi and his wife for their contribution to promoting cultural exchange between the two countries at a ceremony onNovember 12.
Toyokichi Itoh was born in 1941 in Tokyo. He came to Vietnam in 1986 and was impressedby paintings displayed in museums in Hanoi. Since then, Itoh began tocollect paintings by Vietnamese artists.
His collection has been gradually completed after his many visits to Vietnam. He named the collection "Houei" (prosperity) with the hope of "opening up a new eraof prosperous development".
Since 2005, Itoh has organised exhibitions of paintings in his collection at museums inJapan and abroad to introduce Vietnamese painters' works to people around the world.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Vu Hong Nam presented a certificate of merit from the Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs to Japanese collector Itoh Toyokichi and his wife. (Photo: VNA)
In 2020, he contacted Ambassador Namto announce an intention to present his collection of 238 painting works byVietnamese famous painters to central Da Nang city.
Speaking at the ceremony to present the certificate of merit, Ambassador Nam thanked the Japanese collector and his family for giving the valuable collection to Da Nang, saying that the Da Nang Fine Arts Museum will gradually introduce the paintings to the public.
In his speech, Itoh said he is deeply moved when the paintings return to the place where they belong to. He added that he still owns100 another works of art by Vietnamese artists and is considering donating them to the Vietnamese side./.
An exhibition of 22 paintings in a collection of works by Vietnamese artists titled “Houei” (Prosperity) of Japanese collector Itoh Toyokichi opened in the central city on March 29, on the occasion of the 46 years of the liberation day of Da Nang city (March 29).
