Vietnamese people once again had the opportunity to admire Japanese cherry blossoms at the Genki festival in Hanoi on April 16.

The theme of the event this year was “For a Beloved Japan” and it was organised by the Vietnam-Japan Cultural Exchange Association in coordination with the Cherry Blossom Society. It aimed to share sentiments with Japanese victims of the recent earthquake and tsunami.

The two-day festival hopes to strengthen Vietnam-Japan cultural exchanges in the lead-up to the 40^th anniversary of friendly relations between the two countries (1973-2013).

The event featured many Japanese cultural activities such as Yosakoi dances, Cosplay and origami paper folding.

There were also traditional Vietnamese arts such as puppetry and popular opera represented to promote Vietnam-Japan diplomatic ties.