On the afternoon of October 18, 2020, the Vietnamese Women’s Museum in collaboration with the Ikebana House and Kulsimi launched the opening of the Vietnam – Japan Cultural Exchange Center to introduce the features and special art of Japanese culture alongside the traditional crafts of Vietnam.

In recent years, the Vietnamese Women’s Museum has organized or co-organized many events related to the cultures and people from Asian countries, including Japan. These events, such as the “Japan Doll Exhibition” in 2012 and the “Fukushima Festival” in 2013 and 2014 were well received by the public. Because of these events and exchanges, the Vietnamese Women’s Museum has always been a top destination for the wives of Japanese leaders who visit Hanoi.

The Vietnam – Japan Cultural Exchange Center is a place not only to learn about Vietnamese and Japanese cultures but also to actually experience them. The center highlights the intersection between Ikebana, the Japanese art of arranging flowers, and the creative beauty of Vietnamese traditional embroidery.

At the “Vietnam – Japan Cultural Exchange Center,” visitors will experience  an elegant and relaxing space to learn more about Ikenobo, the school of floral design considered to be the “origin of Ikebana” and the oldest type of art handed down to this day. Nearby is the tranquil but radiantly beautiful Vietnamese craft embroidery space. Here, interesting stories about Vietnamese culture and Vietnamese traditional crafts are told through the displays. Visitors can feel the spirit of “Relaxation Embroidery” as a fun walk of the needle line to understand and love the quintessential female values passed down through the generations.

We hope the new center at the Vietnamese Women’s Museum will become a favorite destination for the public, especially for women who can share these traditional arts and customs with families and communities.

Some pictures from the ceremony: