Celebrating Vietnamese New Year for the 7th time by a Japanese student named Khoe Manh

Okabe Chikara is currently studying at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi. Photo: Ngoc Bich.

On the afternoon of December 25, after Tet holiday, Okabe Chikara (28 years old) had time to go to Hang Ma street to admire the streets of Hanoi in the days before the Lunar New Year of Giap Thin 2024.
"Perhaps, I am a 'master' of Vietnamese Tet because this is the 7th year I celebrate Vietnamese Lunar New Year," Okabe shared with Tri Thuc - Znews.
He is a Japanese international student, currently studying at the Faculty of Vietnamese Studies and Vietnamese Language (University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi).
Vietnamese Tet also has many similarities with Japanese Tet.
In 2015, while studying at university in Japan, Okabe had the opportunity to meet Vietnamese international students through his part-time job. He said that young Vietnamese people were very kind and funny. They often talked about their homeland and cooked Vietnamese dishes for Okabe to enjoy.
“Since then, I have been interested in the country and people of Vietnam. In 2017, I had the opportunity to visit this country. But unexpectedly, it was a big turning point when I 'fell in love' with this place. I decided to postpone my studies in Japan, then study at the Hanoi University of Humanities in 2020," Okabe shared.
In Vietnam, Okabe has a very impressive name - Nguyen Khoe Manh. He explained that the Japanese name is "力 - Chikara", which translates to "Strength" in Vietnamese. Wanting to create closeness and familiarity, he took the name Khoe Manh.
Seven years in Vietnam is the same number of years Khoe Manh has celebrated Lunar New Year here. He said that Japan no longer has the traditional New Year, instead, they celebrate the solar New Year. However, Japanese and Vietnamese New Year have some similarities, people in both countries will have a long holiday during this time and spend most of their time with their families.
Like the Vietnamese, the Japanese also clean their houses to welcome the new year, go to pagodas and temples at the beginning of the year to pray for good luck. People will visit each other's houses, reminisce about the past year and wish each other a happy new year.
Japan has a custom of giving lucky money, but Khoe Manh said that Japanese people only give lucky money to children. In Vietnam, he was quite surprised that parents and grandparents also receive lucky money from young people. Friends also give lucky money to each other for more luck in the new year.
“Similar to the Vietnamese, the Japanese also avoid bad things during the first three days of the year. However, the difference is that many Japanese people - including me - do not spend money on the first day of the year, so the lucky money giving will be done from the second day,” Manh said.
In Japan, people do not display Tet dishes like in Vietnam. They prepare traditional Osechi ryori meals, which are served in jubako boxes - a type of lacquered tray designed like a bento box, containing many colorful, eye-catching foods. Each dish has a meaning of praying for good luck in the new year.
Manh remembers the first year he celebrated Vietnamese Tet, he was "shocked" to see Vietnamese people buying carp on Ong Cong, Ong Tao day but then releasing the fish after worshiping. He thought this was a waste of money.
It was only when he went to university, directly learned about Vietnam's traditional culture and had his friends explain it to him, that Manh understood that it was the customs and beliefs of the Vietnamese people.
"It turns out that on December 23, the Kitchen Gods will ride a carp to heaven to report to heaven," Khoe Manh was delighted.

Go to Hang Ma, learn to wish a happy new year
This year, after Tet holiday, Khoe Manh and his girlfriend went to Hang Ma to see the streets and buy Tet decorations. This is the second year he has done this because he likes the crowded, bustling atmosphere, where everyone goes shopping in Hanoi's Old Quarter in the days before Tet.
Having been in Vietnam for 6 years, traveling by motorbike is no longer strange to Manh. Joining the crowd on the street, Manh is as excited as if he were celebrating Tet in his hometown. Looking at the peach blossoms, kumquat trees, and the red and yellow colors of the decorations, Manh feels the Tet atmosphere is very close.
Walking along Hang Ma Street, he stopped by a few shops, both to look around and to check prices. Manh said that even though it was his second year here during Tet, he was still shocked by the high prices of items on the old street compared to the limited budget of international students. However, because they had been “Vietnamized”, he was not afraid to ask for prices and bargain before paying.
Manh said that on the second day of Tet this year, he plans to visit his girlfriend's family (of whom he has known for 3 years) in Phu Tho. Therefore, these days, he is learning many Tet greetings to confidently introduce them.
“I am quite worried because in contrast to Japan, Vietnamese people have many New Year wishes for a variety of people. For example, children are wished to grow up quickly, pregnant women are wished to have a safe pregnancy, and the elderly are wished to live a long life. I heard that my girlfriend's family has many relatives, so now I have to review the wishes," Manh shared that if he had time, he would go to Hung Temple on New Year's Day.

“Master" Vietnamese Tet but first time cutting Chung cake with bamboo strips
Although he loves Tet in Vietnam, because he lives alone, Khoe Manh has never prepared a Tet meal himself. During the first days of the year, he usually just sleeps, watches movies and calls his family.
The streets of Hanoi are also very quiet these days as everyone returns to their hometowns to celebrate Tet, just like Tokyo. Manh quite likes this, considering it a time to relax after a year of studying and working.
A few years ago, he was invited to dinner by friends and acquaintances at their homes on this occasion. Manh was very impressed and enjoyed traditional Vietnamese dishes, including banh chung.
“In the past, I was given a lot of banh chung by my students (Japanese learners). I liked it quite a lot and ate it continuously for many days. It was very delicious. But then, I got bored and scared. It was only when my students showed me many different ways to eat it, such as frying it and eating it with spices like chili sauce, that I started to love this type of cake again,” Manh shared.
This Tet, Manh said he was very happy to be invited to visit his home by Mr. Bui Van Tuan - lecturer of the Faculty of Vietnamese Studies and Language, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi. He also considered this an opportunity to express his gratitude to his close teacher for his wholehearted support during his time studying in Vietnam.
On the afternoon of December 25, after going to Hang Ma, Manh and his girlfriend went to the teacher's house early. He was excited because he would be able to prepare and enjoy some dishes on the Vietnamese Tet meal tray.
“In previous years, I only went to my acquaintances’ houses to eat. This year, I got to experience cutting and arranging the spring rolls into flower shapes, and most importantly, I learned how to cut banh chung with bamboo strips. I was taught to reuse dong leaves, arrange the bamboo strips on the cake, turn it upside down on a plate, and pull the strips up to cut,” Manh said.
He said that in previous years, he only knew how to cut banh chung with a knife, it was very sticky and difficult to wash. The male student did not expect Vietnamese people to have such a creative way of cutting banh chung.

Manh was also very happy when his teacher's family explained to him the meaning of the dishes on the traditional meal tray. His teacher also showed him how to choose beautiful peach and kumquat trees, and how to combine dishes to enhance the flavor, such as ham served with pickled onions, spring rolls served with herbs, etc.
For the first time experiencing knowledge outside of books, Manh found it much more attractive and interesting. He said that in the future, when he starts a family in Vietnam, he will imitate and apply these tips during Tet.
But even though he was happy, Manh also felt homesick. Especially when he saw his teacher's family gathering together, preparing a family meal.
“On these occasions, I often feel sad and miss my parents,” Manh said.
In 6 years, due to health reasons, Manh has only returned to Japan twice. This year, he hopes to be able to welcome his parents to Vietnam to attend his son's graduation ceremony, and he will also arrange to return to Japan to visit home.