Tea ceremony and Vietnamese-Japanese culture through a lecture by two representatives from Urasenke, Japan.

Students majoring in Japanese Studies received certificates of completion for the Introduction to Tea Ceremony course, signed directly by Mr. Umeda Kunio, the Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam and advisor to the Urasenke Tea Ceremony Association.

Mr. Yamakawa Kaoru's lecture, themed "Tea and Zen," discusses the origins and essence of the Tea Ceremony as a unique part of Japanese culture, deeply ingrained in the hearts of the Japanese people. The Tea Ceremony is not simply a set of rules for drinking tea, but also an effective means of purifying the soul by harmonizing with nature, thereby cultivating one's character and achieving enlightenment. The four fundamental principles of the Tea Ceremony—Harmony, Respect, Purity, and Tranquility—are also the philosophies of life embedded within it.

Dr. Vo Minh Vu - Head of the Japanese Studies Department, Faculty of Oriental Studies, presented a letter of thanks from Rector Pham Quang Minh to Mr. Funayama Tetsu - President of the Urasenke Tea Ceremony Association of Hanoi, General Director of Mitsubishi Vietnam, for his contributions to Japanese-Vietnamese cultural exchange and teaching Japanese culture at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities.

Mr. Funayama Tetsu's lecture on "Strengthening Vietnam-Japan Relations" not only discussed the beauty of the spiritual world reflected in the Tea Ceremony but also shared valuable information on the cultural and economic development comparisons between Vietnam and Japan throughout history. From this, the talk highlighted the similarities and close ties between the two countries' cultures, the results of their historical cooperation, and offered suggestions for overcoming limitations and further promoting comprehensive Vietnam-Japan cooperation in the future.

Dr. Vo Minh Vu - Head of the Japanese Studies Department, Faculty of Oriental Studies, presented a letter of thanks from Rector Pham Quang Minh to Mr. Yamakawa Kaoru - Director of the Urasenke Tea Ceremony Association in Hanoi, for his contributions to Japanese-Vietnamese cultural exchange and teaching Japanese culture at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities.

At the end of the 3-day course, 33 students majoring in Japanese Studies received Certificates of Completion for the Introduction to Tea Ceremony course, signed by Mr. Umeda Kunio, the Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam and advisor to the Urasenke Tea Ceremony Association.

Urasenke is the largest tea ceremony school in Japan, with 111 branches in 37 countries.