Notice and Invitation (2nd) — 80th Anniversary Memorial for Phan Boi Chau

Dear compatriots,

The image below is taken from a Japanese-language article by the blogger Chinchikopapa, translated by the Phan Boi Chau Academic Committee of the Vietnamese Association in Japan. (The full translation will be distributed at the upcoming 80th anniversary memorial for Phan Boi Chau.)

The article is short, but it speaks clearly to the deep interest Japanese readers have in the Dong Du movement led by Phan Boi Chau, and to the respect and sympathy felt for the heroes of our country during that historical moment.

Unlike Vietnamese communities in other countries around the world, the Vietnamese community in Japan is fortunate to inherit an extraordinarily valuable spiritual and material legacy left here by Phan Boi Chau and the Dong Du movement. The spiritual legacy is a luminous example of patriotism and the struggle for national independence. Material highlights include the grave of the patriot Tran Dong Phong, the stele Phan Boi Chau erected in gratitude to Dr. Asaba Sakitaro, the letters exchanged between Phan Boi Chau and Japanese and Chinese statesmen, and many other historical documents and sites (some discovered, some still to be uncovered) that Phan Boi Chau and the young members of the Dong Du movement left during their time in Japan.

If we treasure and make use of these legacies, our spiritual life will become richer and more meaningful, and the bonds and solidarity within our community will deepen — so that the Vietnamese community in Japan can grow sustainably and flourish far into the future.

This year, October 29 marks exactly 80 years since the passing of Phan Boi Chau. To create an occasion to remember his legacy, to remind one another of the responsibility of following in our forebears’ footsteps and continuing his and the Dong Du movement’s vision of national independence and renewal, the NPO Vietnamese Association in Japan will hold the “80th Anniversary Memorial for Phan Boi Chau” with the following details:

– Date and time: Saturday, October 31, 2020, from 5:00 PM

– Venue: Rokugo Chiikiryoku Suishin Center (六郷地域力推進センター), 5th floor, Room 1

東京都大田区仲六郷 2-44-11 (Ohta-ku, Naka-Rokugou 2-44-11)

2 minutes’ walk from Zoshiki Station (雑色駅) on the Keikyu Line

– Program:

(1) The 80th anniversary memorial ceremony

(2) Introduction to Phan Boi Chau’s vision for national independence and renewal

(3) Roundtable discussion on the Dong Du movement — past and present

(4) Introduction to the formation and work of the Phan Boi Chau Academic Committee

The Vietnamese Association in Japan warmly invites you to join us. We hope as many compatriots as possible will attend, so that together we can renew our commitment to live up to the example of Phan Boi Chau and the founders of the Dong Du movement.

Tokyo, October 27, 2020

NPO Vietnamese Association in Japan