On the morning of March 15, the Hai Phong Department of Foreign Affairs, in coordination with the Japan Business Association in Vietnam – Hai Phong Branch, organized the Final Round of the 10th Japanese Speech Contest – Hai Phong 2026.
The event was attended by Ms. Tran Thi Quynh Trang, Member of the Hai Phong Party Committee and Director of the Hai Phong Department of Foreign Affairs; Mr. Utsumi Shinichi, Chairman of the Japan Business Association in Vietnam – Hai Phong Branch; along with representatives from Japanese organizations and businesses, schools, teachers, parents, and a large number of students across the city.
In her opening remarks, Ms. Tran Thi Quynh Trang emphasized that Japan is one of Vietnam’s key partners, including for Hai Phong City. In recent years, cooperation between Hai Phong and Japanese localities, organizations and enterprises has continued to expand across many fields such as investment, trade, education and training, cultural exchange, and people-to-people connections.
Against this backdrop, the annual Japanese Speech Contest in Hai Phong has become a meaningful cultural exchange activity, providing an engaging platform for students and Japanese language enthusiasts to practice their language skills and express their ideas. The contest also contributes to enhancing mutual understanding and strengthening people-to-people ties between Vietnam and Japan.
The year 2026 marks the 10th edition of the contest in Hai Phong, representing an important milestone in the development of this cultural exchange activity. Over the years, the contest has attracted growing interest and participation from schools, training institutions, and the Japanese business community operating in the city.
Speaking at the event, Mr. Utsumi Shinichi expressed his appreciation for the support and close coordination of the Hai Phong People’s Committee, the Department of Foreign Affairs, and relevant agencies in maintaining and developing the contest over the past decade.
This year’s contest attracted 115 contestants, including 30 contestants in Category B (lower secondary school level) and 85 contestants in Category A (upper secondary school level and above). After the preliminary rounds consisting of a written test and interviews, 10 outstanding contestants were selected to compete in the final round.
In the final round, contestants delivered speeches in Japanese on two themes: “Your Dream” and “Circle of Friendship.” Their presentations, rich in emotion and creativity, reflected the aspirations of the younger generation while conveying meaningful messages about friendship, connection, and mutual understanding among people from different countries and cultures.
At the end of the competition, Ngo Duc Trong, a student from Class 7B8 at Chu Van An Secondary School (Gia Vien Ward), won the First Prize in Category B, while Nguyen Mai Duyen, a student from the Japanese-major class at Tran Phu High School for the Gifted, won the First Prize in Category A.
Through the contest, participants had the opportunity to further improve their Japanese language proficiency, develop presentation and international communication skills, and contribute to strengthening cultural exchange and cooperation between Hai Phong City and its Japanese partners in the future.