JAPANESE CULTURAL FESTIVAL TO OPEN ON MARCH 23 HA NOI — As many as 30 sakura trees and 10,000 sakura branches will be exhibited in downtown Ha Noi between March 23 and 26 as part of the Japanese Culture Exchange Festival. The event, which will take (1) ……………………… at Ly Thai To Garden by Hoan Kiem Lake, aims to celebrate the 45th anniversary of Viet Nam–Japan diplomatic ties this year. The event also includes various (2) ……………………… exchanges, such as the introduction of the Japanese tea culture, chess, Kendama folk games and Japanese cuisine at nearby Ha Noi Children’s Palace, besides a Yosakoi dance (3) ……………………… by 15 teams on Đinh Tien Hoang and Ly Thai To streets. The event will also host various Vietnamese traditional arts such as ca trù (ceremonial singing), hát xẩm (blind busker’s singing) and folk dances. Further, the Ha Noi authorities and Japanese partners will hold a meeting to discuss tourism, health, education and economic (4) ………………………. More than 20 food stalls will be installed at nearby Ha Noi Children’s Palace to introduce Vietnamese and Japanese food between March 23 and 25. Japanese (5) ……………………… will demonstrate the preparation of traditional food, including ramen noodles, soba noodles, takoyaki cake and sushi. The traditional handmade (6) ……………………… of the two countries will also be available for sale.