Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae begins official visit to Vietnam

Prime Minister of Japan Takaichi Sanae arrived in Hanoi on the evening of May 1, beginning her official visit to Vietnam from May 1 to May 3 at the invitation of Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung. This is her second visit to Vietnam. At Noi Bai International Airport, she was welcomed by: Minister, Chief of the Government Office Dang Xuan Phong; Acting Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Vu; Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Pham Quang Hieu; along with officials from the Foreign Ministry and the Government Office. Accompanying PM Takaichi Sanae on the official visit were: Mr. Sato Kei, Deputy Chief of the Cabinet Office; Mr. Ichikawa Keiichi, Secretary General of the National Security Council; Mr. Uno Yoshimasa, PM’s aide; Mr. Iijima Isao, Special Advisor to the Cabinet Office; Mr. Ito Naoki, Japanese Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Vietnam; Mr. Saiki Kozo, Secretary in charge of Public Relations; Mr. Iida Yuji, PM’s Secretary; Mr. Namazu Hiroyuki, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Mr. Matsuo Takehiko, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry; Mr. Watanabe Yoichi, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; Mr. Terada Yoshimichi, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism; Mr. Kano Koji, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Defense; Mr. Imagawa Takuo, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. PM Takaichi Sanae was born on March 7, 1961 in Nara, earned a BA in Business from Kobe University. In 1993 she was first elected to the House of Representatives. Since 2006 she has held several senior positions in government and the Liberal Democratic Party, including Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications, Minister in charge of economic security, science–tech, and innovation. From October 4, 2025, she has served as the 29th President of the Liberal Democratic Party, and on October 21, 2025 became Japan’s 104th Prime Minister. This visit underscores Japan’s continued emphasis on the Vietnam–Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership as the two countries enter a new development phase. It provides an opportunity to strengthen political trust, deepen bilateral cooperation in a meaningful and effective way. The visit is expected to focus on economic, science-and-technology, innovation, energy security, food security, cooperation in semiconductor production, artificial intelligence, green transition, development of a high-quality workforce, tourism, local cooperation, cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and coordination on regional and international issues of mutual interest. Japan hopes to continue coordinating with Vietnam’s senior leadership to advance the bilateral relationship within the framework of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, contributing to regional peace, stability, and development.