Tokyo (VNA)♎ – Near Kita-Sakado station in Saitama prefecture, a small bookstore, run by a young Vietnamese entrepreneur, has become a rendezvous for the Vietnamese community in Japan.
The Macaw bookstore is operated by Ngo Ngoc Khanh, a Hanoi native who moved to Japan in 2015 to pursue university studies. As an enthusiastic reader with a lifelong love for books, Khanh continued his reading habit abroad with three to four books each week.
His family regularly sent him books from Vietnam, gradually filling his dorm room with Vietnamese literature works.Reluctant to part with the books he had already read, Khanh began sharing them via social media.
The enthusiastic response from the Vietnamese community in Japan encouraged him to consider a more permanent solution: opening a Vietnamese-language bookstore.
After completing his studies, Khanh turned that idea into reality. Today, his 90-square-metre shop, located on the ground floor of a residential building, is home to around 10,000 book titles. The selection spans Vietnamese novels, essays, cookbooks, and Japanese-language materials including photo books, reference guides, and works by celebrated Japanese authors.
The Macaw bookstore serves both walk-in customers and online buyers, catering not only to Vietnamese residents across Japan but also to Japanese companies that employ Vietnamese interns and seek to build Vietnamese-language libraries in the workplace.
With more than 400,000 followers on its Facebook page, the bookstore maintains an active online presence. Khanh regularly updates its website and social media with new arrivals, making it easy for readers to explore and order books from anywhere in Japan.
Despite higher prices due to import costs and the store’s focus on distributing only officially licensed books, Macaw continues to attract a steady stream of visitors. Its open, well-organised layout, along with designated reading corners and a cosy atmosphere, has made it a favourite destination for young readers. Light snack and drinks, especially its signature coconut milk coffee, add to its attraction.
Khanh in an interview with Japan's NHK broadcaster. (Photo: NHK World)
Speaking with Japan’s national broadcaster NHK, Khanh shared that many Japanese visitors, particularly teachers and educators, visit the shop in search of books on the Vietnamese language and culture. To further promote reading and cultural exchange, he has also set up a free mini-library outside the store, inviting passers-by to donate or take books freely.
Khanh’s journey has not been without challenges, but support from friends and customers, along with his deep-rooted passion for reading, has kept him going.
For Khanh, Macaw is more than a bookstore - it’s a space to nurture a love of Vietnamese literature and foster deeper understanding between cultures.
🅷 Looking ahead, he hopes to open a second branch and continue bringing the richness of Vietnamese culture to more readers across Japan./.
Today, the school runs two classes in Hakata district -one for children over five years old and another for younger learners. Despite financial constraints, all teachers continue to work on a volunteer basis, relying on community support to sustain and expand the programme.
Contestants included university students majoring in Vietnamese, translators, and professionals working in Vietnamese-related fields, as well as those with a keen interest in Vietnam, its people, and especially its cuisine.
The Centre for Vietnam Studies in Japan, in collaboration with the Vietnamese Language Department of Osaka University and the Cay Tre (Bamboo) Vietnamese Language School, organised the Vietnamese Culture Day in Japan programme in Tokyo on February 4.
The Vietnamese team will gather on June 26 in Ba Ria-Vung Tau, where they will train until July 14 before departing for Indonesia for the ASEAN U23 Championship 2025, which runs from July 15 to 29. Vietnam will face Laos on July 19 and Cambodia on July 22 in the group stage.
The exhibition showcases more than 100 valuable documents and artifacts, divided into two main parts: “Journalist Nguyen Ai Quoc – Ho Chi Minh” and “President Ho Chi Minh – Founder and Mentor of Vietnamese Revolutionary Press.” This is an opportunity to recall the late leader’s journalism journey and affirm his exceptional role in founding and guiding the revolutionary press in Vietnam.
For the first time, the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) has granted Vietnam hosting rights for the two championships, including the Asian women’s solo category, which debuts this year as an officially recognised event.
Eight teams will join the tournament, divided into two groups. Group A features Vietnam, the Philippines, Sichuan Club (China), and Australia, while Group B consists of Vietnam U21, Korabelka Club (Russia), Taiwan (China), and U21 Thailand.
Despite strong home support and high expectations, Vietnam were unable to overcome the defending champions, who secured their third consecutive win over Vietnam in a regional final, following previous victories in 2014 and 2023.
The event, part of Vietnam’s cultural diplomacy strategy through 2030, was jointly organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in Venezuela and USM’s Faculty of International Relations. It attracted thousands of students from universities across Venezuela.
For the first time, Vietnamese audiences will have the opportunity to experience the ballet masterpiece "Don Quixote" in its original version by renowned choreographer Marius Petipa.
The contest carried deep meaning as it was the first time the life of Vietnamese women abroad had been highlighted as the central theme, said poet and writer Nguyen Quang Thieu, Chairman of the Vietnam Writers’ Association.
The event formed part of Vietnam’s ongoing campaign to seek UNESCO World Heritage status for the complex at the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, scheduled to take place in Paris in July.
Creative cultural festivals are fast emerging as a new catalyst for tourism development in Vietnam, as localities increasingly invest in these vibrant events on a more systematic and larger scale.
This marks the first time Vietnam has hosted a continental-level Muay event which will feature competitions across 28 weight categories in combat and eight performance categories.
Coming to the Vietnamese booth, visitors had the chance to take part in a bamboo dance, a workshop on painting woven bamboo or rattan, or quizzes about Vietnam.
These are impressive achievements, not only showing the efforts and prowess of Vietnamese paddlers but also serving as proof of the sports sector’s strategic and systematic investment.
The cultural event in Canberra not only fostered cultural exchanges between Vietnam and Australia but also contributed to promoting Vietnam’s image internationally
The U23 competition will run from June 16 to 22, followed by the U17 event from June 23 to 28, while athletes competing in the U23 category will undergo weight and skill checks ahead of the matches starting June 18, while similar checks for U17 athletes will take place before June 23.
Vietnam continues to sit just behind continental powerhouses Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, China, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
