Karatedo: a bridge between Vietnam and Japan

On the evening of 28 February 2025, representatives of the Ho Chi Minh City Karatedo Federation (HKF) attended the celebration of Emperor Naruhito’s 65th birthday, held at Lotus Hall, Royal Hotel Saigon.

Organised by the Vietnam–Japan Friendship Association of Ho Chi Minh City, the ceremony brought together a large number of guests from organisations, businesses, consular offices and the Japanese community living and working in Ho Chi Minh City. Beyond its significance as a friendship exchange, the event provided a space for Vietnam–Japan connections across a range of fields, including culture and sport.

For HKF, participation in the event carried particular significance. Karatedo originated in Japan and has become a widely practised sport in Vietnam. In Ho Chi Minh City, the Karatedo movement continues to grow, attracting a large number of practitioners of all ages.

In this process, HKF plays an important role in organising tournaments, specialist training programmes and international exchange activities. These efforts help raise the technical standards of practitioners, coaches and referees while preserving the core values of the martial arts spirit.

Expanding cooperation opportunities with Japanese partners

During the ceremony, HKF representatives had the opportunity to engage with a number of Japanese organisations and businesses active in education, sport and culture.

These meetings opened further opportunities for HKF to strengthen ties with Karatedo associations, clubs and organisations in Japan; promote exchanges of experience in coaching and tournament organisation; develop exchange programmes; and explore the possibility of inviting Japanese experts to contribute to training activities in Vietnam.

The ceremony took place in a formal yet warm atmosphere, featuring congratulatory activities, exchanges among guests and programmes reflecting Japanese cultural traditions. It also created opportunities for the Vietnamese and Japanese communities to meet, share and deepen mutual understanding.

Towards an increasingly strong Karatedo community

Participation in this event marked another step in HKF’s direction to expand its external relations activities.

In the period ahead, the Federation will continue to strengthen training programmes and professional exchanges with Japanese organisations and dojos, while creating further opportunities for Ho Chi Minh City practitioners, coaches and technical personnel to access international experience.

HKF recognises that Karatedo is not merely a sport or a system of competitive techniques. Its values of discipline, respect, self-improvement and the martial arts spirit also form a distinctive cultural foundation, making Karatedo one of the natural bridges between Vietnam and Japan.

Through international exchange activities, HKF hopes to continue building a Ho Chi Minh City Karatedo community that is increasingly professional, united and internationally integrated, while spreading the positive values of Karatedo among younger generations and the wider community. The Federation also identifies exchanges with Japanese organisations and improvements in training quality as directions it seeks to continue advancing.