Tokyo (VNA) – A high school exchange programme titled “Teenage ambassadors 2026” was held at the Vietnamese Embassy in Tokyo on June 18, bringing together students from Vietnam and Japan to foster friendship and cultural understanding.
The event forms part of a six-day exchange running from June 17 to 22, involving 32 Vietnamese and 32 Japanese high school students. The Vietnamese delegation includes students from Viet Duc and Thuong Cat high schools in Hanoi, and Tran Dai Nghia and Nguyen Thuong Hien high schools in Ho Chi Minh City, while the Japanese participants come from Sapporo Nihon, Yokohama Science Frontier, Ritsumeikan Moriyama, and Senri International schools.
Addressing the gathering, Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Pham Quang Hieu described the programme as a meaningful initiative that helps nurture lasting friendship between the younger generations of the two countries. He said people-to-people ties are the foundation of the Vietnam–Japan relationship, and that friendships and mutual understanding built by young people today will strengthen bilateral relations in the future.
He expressed his hope that the students would broaden their horizons through cultural exchange and remember the programme as the beginning of enduring Vietnam–Japan friendships.
Watanabe Hiroyuki, President of the AEON 1% Club Foundation, said the “Teenage Ambassadors” programme has promoted international friendship for 36 years by enabling Japanese students to interact with their peers abroad, including those from Vietnam. He described the Vietnam–Japan exchange as a testament to the close ties between the two countries and a platform for cultivating future “friendship ambassadors.”
As part of the programme, students from both countries performed cultural shows and sampled traditional Vietnamese cuisine.
Ngo Thi Diep Lan from the Hanoi Department of Education and Training said the exchange contributes to preserving and promoting the long-standing diplomatic tradition between Vietnam and Japan while encouraging younger generations to carry forward those ties.
Before the embassy event, participants visited Japan’s Prime Minister’s Office and the National Diet Building. They will continue exploring the country’s history and traditional culture in the coming days.
Established in 1990, the AEON 1% Club Foundation allocates 1% of AEON Group’s pre-tax profits to community initiatives focusing on youth development, international friendship, and sustainable communities. Around 2,700 students have participated in the programme to date. The 2026 edition marks the fifth Vietnam–Japan exchange under the initiative, with Japanese students scheduled to visit Vietnam from October 19–24 for the second leg of the programme./.
