Tokyo, May 12 -- The Vietnam Festival in Japan, set to enter its 18th edition on May 30-31 at Yoyogi Park in Tokyo, is expected to attract over 180,000 visitors, up from about 140,000 last year.

The event will serve as both a showcase of Vietnamese culture, cuisine and traditional arts and a vivid symbol of friendship and close bonds between the two nations, said Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Pham Quang Hieu.

Speaking at a May 12 press conference, Hieu called the event the largest annual Vietnamese festival in Japan, designed to promote the country's image and foster people-to-people exchanges.

Since its launch in 2008, the festival has grown into one of the biggest and most prestigious Vietnam - Japan cultural exchange platforms in t...