According to Ta Duc Minh, Vietnam Trade Counselor in Japan, the trade office has used the occasion of the Vietnam Festival and coordinated with Bac Giang, a major litchi growing province in northern Vietnam, and export companies to introduce Vietnamese agricultural products, including fresh litchi, to Japanese consumers and overseas Vietnamese in Japan.

Japan has allowed the import of a number of fresh Vietnamese fruits such as banana, mango, dragon fruit, litchi and coconut, Minh said.

He added that litchi started entering the Japanese market in June 2020 and immediately became popular with Japanese and OVs living here, and more than 400 tonnes of Vietnamese litchi were consumed in this market last year.

Minh said that as the Japanese government is expected to continue to grant import permits for Vietnamese longan this year, the trade office will organise programmes to introduce fresh longans to Japanese consumers.

First held in 2008 on the occasion of the 35th founding anniversary of the Vietnam - Japan diplomatic ties, the Vietnam Festival in Japan is one of the biggest annual festivals in Tokyo. It not only helps to promote Vietnamese culture and cuisine to Japanese people, but also contributes to strengthening mutual understanding between the people of the two countries.