Fukuoka - Where the heart stays

As I write these lines, I am still filled with emotions from the morning at the end of November 2022, when I arrived in Fukuoka to begin my term as Consul General of Vietnam in Fukuoka, Japan.

Children, their families and artists participated in forming a map of Vietnam at the 2024 Homeland Spring Festival in Fukuoka. (Source: TLS Vietnam in Fukuoka)

The whole southwestern region of Japan welcomed me with the red leaves season, Fukuoka city was brilliant with tulips and chrysanthemums, sitting in the car from the airport to the agency headquarters, my emotions were hard to describe, both excited and worried with the great responsibility, I understood that every step, every word, every action program carried the image and prestige of the Fatherland.

Fukuoka is known as “The most livable city in Japan”, Kyushu region is the cradle of Japanese culture. Fukuoka is a port city, the gateway to the West of Japan, the capital of the Kyushu region, peaceful life, quiet, friendly and dynamic people. Fukuoka is home to the largest Vietnamese community in Kyushu, with more than 25,000 people living and studying.

I have begun a working term, which is not just a working period, where I and the agency have spent months of attachment, solidarity, dedication and maturity together. We are proud of every step we take to contribute to deepening the Vietnam - Japan relationship, connecting the Vietnamese community across Japan and nurturing love in the hearts of those who are far away from home towards their homeland.

From the early days to lasting faith

In the first month, I and the agency staff met, visited and worked with nearly 10 Vietnamese associations in Kyushu and Okinawa provinces. Every handshake and every daily story made me clearly feel the affection of the people for the Fatherland. Each face contained many stories of making a living, dreams for the future and nostalgia for the homeland.

I was moved when listening to the simple and sincere confidences from professors, doctors, students, engineers and skilled workers. They were all very young, their eyes shining with faith in the future ahead, and they gave me a new source of energy, giving me the motivation to work tirelessly, with a single wish: "How to make the common home of the Consulate General truly a support for overseas Vietnamese, a reliable bridge between Vietnam and Japan".

Consul General Vu Chi Mai speaks at the Workshop. (Source: Consul General of Vietnam in Fukuoka)

My colleagues and I at the Consulate General are determined to make efforts so that the Vietnamese community here can write glorious pages of history, so that the image and name of the Vietnamese people will be respected and honored. Whenever I meet with the Governor and leaders of the provincial governments on each working occasion, wherever I go, I always receive sharing and appreciation for the Vietnamese community as "intelligent, hard-working, humane and they want to expand human resource and student exchanges with Vietnam". These are not just polite compliments, but in fact, the Vietnamese people in Japan have made a significant contribution to the economic and cultural development of Japan. Somewhere there are still "a few bad apples that spoil the barrel", but these "bad apples" cannot overshadow the position of the Vietnamese people in the hearts of the local community and international friends working and living in Japan.

Diplomatic bridges

In the past 3 years, with the slogan "Trust - Efficiency - Sustainability", although there are only 5 of us, we have worked day and night to promote political , economic and cultural diplomatic activities, making efforts to expand cooperation with the Fukuoka government and the provinces of Kyushu, Okinawa, and Central and South Japan, promoting many bilateral investment and trade projects, supporting Vietnamese and Japanese enterprises to find partners for each other. In 2 years and 6 months, the Consulate General has welcomed and coordinated the organization of more than 100 delegations of all levels from Vietnam to Kyushu, Okinawa and Central and South Japan, including 3 high-level delegations.

The Consulate General has organized more than 40 events to promote investment, trade, culture and tourism; at the same time, promoting high technology transfer in fields such as semiconductors, renewable biology, agriculture, environment, clean water, along with hundreds of scholarships to train PhDs and engineers for Vietnam.

Consul General Vu Chi Mai, Governor of Fukuoka Prefecture and Hanoi City leaders visited booths at the Hanoi Festival in Fukuoka in November 2023. (Source: TLS Vietnam in Fukuoka)

Every Lunar New Year, the Consulate General in collaboration with the Vietnamese Association in Fukuoka organizes the Homeland Spring Festival, attracting thousands of participants. The bustling sound of Vietnamese drums in the heart of Japanese streets, the colorful Ao Dai under the cherry blossoms bring the atmosphere of Vietnamese Tet to the Japanese community and friends.

Notably, at the 2024 Homeland Spring Festival, more than 1,000 Vietnamese and Japanese people wearing Vietnamese Ao Dai formed a map of Vietnam in Fukuoka Central Park and sang the Vietnamese National Anthem together. I saw tears of pride that were hard to describe in words. Despite the hardships, staying up all night, and getting soaked in the rain, with the bright smiles and warm handshakes from the attendees, we understood that all the efforts were worth it.

Citizen Protection – Sleepless Nights

One of the areas of work that I am most passionate about is citizen protection. Over the past 2 years, the Consulate General has handled more than 500 cases related to the law, labor, and education of citizens. The phone rang late at night, reporting that a Vietnamese worker was in trouble, a Vietnamese person had committed a crime... TLSQ officers immediately contacted the local police and the host company to grasp the situation and ensure the rights of citizens.

In the middle of the cold winter, Consulate General staff and association leaders traveled thousands of kilometers to the epicenter of the earthquake to meet, encourage and deliver essential goods to the Vietnamese community and local people in shelters. There were some rainy afternoons in the middle of the August storm when we went to the Fukuoka police headquarters to support a group of young tourists who were having trouble with their paperwork.

Delegates attending the 2024 Homeland Spring Festival in Fukuoka. (Source: TLS Vietnam in Fukuoka)

But there were also heartwarming moments, many handwritten letters, emails and thank-you cards when the consulate staff helped translate documents for free as wedding gifts, when workers from far away came to do paperwork even though it was after working hours, they were still warmly received, or when a sincere thank-you was sent from people returning from the brink of despair after an accident, when students were protected when they were scammed, when workers were supported to reclaim their legitimate rights after a long period of exploitation.

Handwritten letters, tearful eyes, or just a sentence "Thank you, Consulate General, for not abandoning us", all become valuable sources of encouragement, helping us to continue steadfastly on our journey of citizen protection work. Sometimes the most important thing is not the great agreements, but the timely and humane support and protection for citizens. That is also the silent happiness of diplomats.

Representatives of the Consulate General, along with associations, companies, organizations, philanthropists, and the Vietnamese community, donated to support Japanese people in the earthquake area of Ishikawa Prefecture. (Source: Consulate General of Vietnam in Fukuoka)

The Home for Lasting Connections

The 2022-2025 term is coming to an end for me, but Fukuoka will always be in my heart. I am proud that we have contributed a small part to strengthening the Vietnam-Japan relationship and sowing cultural "seeds" in the hearts of international friends.

I would like to express my deep gratitude to the Japanese government and people, thank the Vietnamese and Japanese Ministries for their wholehearted support, and most of all, thank the warm feelings of the Vietnamese community in Fukuoka, Kyushu, Okinawa, and Central and Southern Japan for accompanying me. Each person, each story is a piece of the puzzle that creates the meaningful picture of this term.

Diplomacy is not only based on reason and responsibility, but also on sacred love and constant dedication. Fukuoka, the beautiful city where I work, will always be a deep impression, where I entrust so many passions and memories.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/fukuoka-noi-trai-tim-o-lai-323901.html