The contest was organized to mark the 81st anniversary of the August Revolution (August 19, 1945-August 19, 2026) and National Day (September 2, 1945-September 2, 2026). The final round was attended by Vietnamese Consul General in Osaka Nguyen Truong Son, representatives of associations, artists, teachers, parents, and members of the Vietnamese community in the Kansai region.

Vietnamese Consul General in Osaka Nguyen Truong Son with the Organizing Committee of the “I Love My Mother Tongue” Contest 2026. (Photo: Organizing Committee)

From the preliminary selection rounds, the organizers chose 12 contestants for the final. Each contestant had up to four minutes to complete two competition segments. The performances were presented in Vietnamese through various formats, combining language use with artistic expression. They assessed the contestants’ Vietnamese proficiency, presentation skills, content, and ability to convey emotions.

Speaking at the event, Consul General Nguyen Truong Son said the contest helped create an additional environment for using Vietnamese in Japan, particularly for children and young people who were born and educated in Japanese-speaking environments. He emphasized that preserving Vietnamese requires coordination among diplomatic missions, associations, schools, and, especially, individual families.

Representatives of the organizing committee present the First Prize to contestant Hoang Van Hoa from Osaka. (Photo: Organizing Commitee)

Le Thuong, head of the organizing committee, said one of the challenges facing the Vietnamese community in Japan today is the growing number of children born and raised entirely within Japan’s education system. Without regular opportunities to use Vietnamese, their language skills may gradually decline across generations. Therefore, activities aimed at preserving Vietnamese need to be diverse and engaging, rather than being limited to classroom learning.

According to Le Thuong, the “I Love My Mother Tongue” contest also seeks to connect Vietnamese with culture and history, helping young people better understand the values conveyed through the language. It is also a way for community organizations to put the spirit of Resolution No. 23-NQ/TW into practice at the grassroots level by identifying practical issues facing overseas Vietnamese and developing specific programs that can be sustained over the long term.

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