Final of 'I loves Vietnamese' contest: A cultural rendezvous, connecting Vietnamese identity

Aiming to commemorate the 81st anniversary of the successful August Revolution (August 19, 1945 – August 19, 2026) and the National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (September 2, 1945 – September 2, 2026), the program was organized to create an environment for using Vietnamese for the Vietnamese community in Japan, especially the younger generation born and raised in the host country. It encourages families to maintain their mother tongue and provides opportunities for the younger generation to learn more about Vietnam's history, culture, and traditions. The activity also contributes to concretizing the orientations of Resolution No. 23-NQ/TW dated August 2, 2026, on the work of overseas Vietnamese in the new situation.

Attending the program were Consul General of Vietnam in Osaka Nguyen Truong Son; Consul Nguyen Dang Hoang; representatives of Vietnamese organizations and associations in the Kansai region; artists, teachers, parents, and a large number of Vietnamese living, studying, and working in Japan.

On the side of the Organizing Committee and the Jury were Ms Thanh Hoa, Head of the Jury; Ms. Le Thuong, Head of the Organizing Committee; Mr. Le Cong Trinh, Deputy Head of the Organizing Committee, along with members participating in organizing the program. From Vietnam, Mr Dang Hung participated online, sending greetings and sharing with the contestants.

Speaking at the program, Consul General of Vietnam in Osaka Nguyen Truong Son highly appreciated the significance of the competition in creating an additional environment for using Vietnamese in Japan, especially for children and the younger generation born and studying in a Japanese-speaking environment.

The Consul General emphasized that Vietnamese is not only a means of communication but also embodies values of history, culture, and national identity. It serves as a bridge between generations of overseas Vietnamese and their families and homeland.

Therefore, preserving Vietnamese requires the coordination of many entities, from representative agencies, associations, schools to each family. Creating opportunities for children to use Vietnamese in daily activities, participate in classes, cultural activities, and community playgrounds will help the language be maintained naturally and sustainably.

The Consul General also acknowledged the efforts of associations, teachers, parents, and those directly maintaining Vietnamese activities in the Kansai region. He expressed a desire for more practical models to help the younger generation integrate well into Japanese society while maintaining connections with their homeland.

According to Ms. Le Thuong, Head of the Organizing Committee, one of the issues facing the Vietnamese community in Japan today is the increasing number of children born and raised entirely in the Japanese educational environment. Without a regular usage environment, their Vietnamese proficiency may gradually decline over generations.

Therefore, activities to preserve Vietnamese need to be organized diversely, creating interest for learners rather than being limited to classroom settings.

"To bring the policy to life, we need to start with specific actions that meet the community's needs. A Vietnamese class, a competition, a cultural program, or a historical exploration activity can all help children use Vietnamese more. The important thing is to create an environment where Vietnamese is regularly present in the lives of the younger generation," Ms. Le Thuong shared.

According to the Head of the Organizing Committee, "Toi yeu Tieng nuoc toi" also aims to link language with culture and history, so that young people not only speak Vietnamese but also understand the values conveyed through the language.

This is also how community organizations can implement the spirit of Resolution 23-NQ/TW from the grassroots level, by selecting practical issues of the overseas Vietnamese community to build specific, sustainable programs.

The unique aspect of "Toi yeu Tieng nuoc toi" is that the competition not only tests Vietnamese knowledge but also combines language with expressive arts. Through the competition rounds, contestants have the opportunity to showcase their Vietnamese language skills, talents, and perceptions of family, homeland, culture, and Vietnamese people.

From the selection rounds, the Organizing Committee chose 12 contestants for the final, including: Vuong Thi Toan, Nguyen Thi Diem Phi, Nguyen Thi Ngoc Hiep, Bui Hoang Gia Bao, Hoang Van Hoa, Nguyen The Vinh, Tran Thi Ngan, Ho Cong Vinh Khang, Doan Duc Phuc, Le Trung Tin, Vo Duy Phuong Linh, and Ngo Thanh Tam.

In the final round, each contestant had a maximum of 4 minutes to perform two competition contents. The performances were constructed in Vietnamese in various forms, thereby assessing language usage ability, presentation skills, content, and emotional impact.

The award categories included Encouragement Prize, Third Prize, Second Prize, Impressive Performance Prize, and the title of Champion of the "Toi yeu Tieng nuoc toi" competition in 2026. The Organizing Committee also awarded commemorative medals acknowledging the participation of contestants in the final round.

In the program's space, the flag-raising ceremony, performances in Vietnamese, stories about family and homeland, along with the presence of multiple generations, created a community cultural activity rich in Vietnamese identity.

For the overseas Vietnamese community, the country's major holidays are also opportunities for the younger generation to learn about history and strengthen connections with their homeland through activities suitable to living conditions in the host country.