An overview of the programme hemed “Preserving Vietnamese Culture – Preserving the Vietnamese Language in Japan,” on March 8 to celebrate the International Women’s Day. Photo: VNA  

The Vietnamese community in Japan’s Kyushu region marked International Women’s Day on March 8 with a programme themed “Preserving Vietnamese Culture – Preserving the Vietnamese Language in Japan,” creating a warm space that brought Vietnamese families together far from home.

The event took place on March 8 at the GAG Japanese Language Institute in Fukuoka, attracting a large number of Vietnamese women, families and children living, studying and working in the Kyushu region.

The programme was jointly organised by the Vietnamese Women’s Association in Kyushu, the Global Network for Teaching Vietnamese Language and Vietnamese Culture and the Association of Vietnamese in Fukuoka, under the patronage of the Consulate General of Vietnam in Fukuoka.

Speaking at the event, Nguyen Thu Huong from the Consulate General of Vietnam in Fukuoka extended greetings to Vietnamese women and commended the Kyushu Vietnamese community’s efforts to preserve national cultural identity. This was accomplished by promoting the Vietnamese language among families and younger generations born abroad. She noted that Vietnamese is not only a means of communication but also a vital link connecting overseas Vietnamese with their homeland and cultural roots.

Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet, Chairwoman of the Vietnamese Women’s Association in Kyushu, highlighted the role of Vietnamese women in protecting family cultural values and passing the language on to children, especially as many families live overseas.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Duy Anh, member of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee, Secretary-General of the Global Network for Teaching Vietnamese Language and Vietnamese Culture, and Honorary President of the Association of Vietnamese in Fukuoka, emphasised the family’s pivotal role in sustaining the Vietnamese language within overseas communities. For many children born and raised abroad, he said, the family serves as the “first and most important Vietnamese language classroom.”

Community activities such as the March 8 programme not only strengthen connections among Vietnamese families but also foster a love for the Vietnamese language and encourage younger overseas generations to preserve national cultural values, he told the Vietnam News Agency.

A highlight of the event was the talk show “Mother and the Vietnamese Language,” where speakers shared experiences of raising children in multilingual environments and discussed ways to help children born in Japan continue using Vietnamese at home.

The programme also featured a family “Ao Dai” performance showcasing traditional Vietnamese attire, along with interactive activities such as Vietnamese-language games for mothers and children and a “messages of love” corner dedicated to mothers./.