The two-day China Festival 2024, which concluded in Tokyo on Sunday, garnered widespread attention and participation from people from all walks of life in both China and Japan.

The festival has been held at Yoyogi Park for many years. It has become an important platform for Sino-Japanese cultural exchange and cooperation, said Wu Jianghao, Chinese ambassador to Japan.

The goal of the festival is to showcase the rich, traditional Chinese culture and the country's achievements, allowing more people to experience and understand contemporary China up close.

"We are willing to work with various sectors in both countries to use the China Festival as a bridge, encouraging more people — especially the younger generation — to participate in friendly exchanges between China and Japan," Wu said at the opening ceremony of the festival in Tokyo on Saturday.

"We hope that through the two-day China Festival, more Japanese friends will get to know and understand China, and have the opportunity to visit and experience the real and vibrant China," he added.

This year's China Festival marks the largest in its history, featuring a record-breaking nearly 150 booths. In addition, the organizers successfully brought in a greater number of artists from China for stage performances than ever before, according to Yoichiro Aoyagi, a member of Japan's House of Representatives and secretary-general of the festival's executive committee.

Japan and China, as neighbors, have now become leading nations in Asia and globally, particularly in the economic sphere, said Aoyagi.

"Although there are indeed many challenges between Japan and China, I believe it is crucial to maintain dialogue and exchanges between the people of both countries. We play a key role in ensuring these connections continue," he said.

Former Japanese prime minister Yasuo Fukuda emphasized that mutual exchanges are crucial for sustaining good relationships between the two countries. It's not only about government-level interactions but also about fostering people-to-people exchanges.

He further highlighted that the festival aims to showcase the very best of China, with the hope of encouraging more people from Japan to visit and experience the country firsthand.

The China Festival plays a key role in promoting such exchanges. Since its launch in 2017, it has consistently attracted large crowds. Masahiro Komura, the parliamentary vice-minister for foreign affairs, said the event offers the Japanese people a valuable chance to experience Chinese culture, including tourism, the economy, regional interactions, and authentic Chinese cuisine.

Voicing hope

"I strongly hope that the exchange between the people of both countries will deepen and that mutual interest and understanding will grow even further," he said.

At this year's China Festival, 147 Chinese companies participated, nearly three times the number from last year, according to Wang Jiaxun, president of China Enterprises Association in Japan. "Currently, relations between China and Japan are not particularly ideal. Many Japanese citizens hold certain prejudices against China and Chinese people, while Chinese citizens also have some misunderstandings about Japan. These issues arise in part due to distorted media coverage. Events like the China Festival help foster mutual trust and understanding, promoting friendly exchanges between the two countries," said Wang.

People from Chinese provinces such as Shandong and Hunan also attended the China Festival 2024 to highlight regional interactions.

During the opening ceremony of the Shandong cultural exhibition at the festival, Cheng Shoutian, deputy head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee, noted that Shandong and Japan are separated by just a sea and have strong cooperation across various fields.

He expressed his hope that the event would provide an opportunity for more people to discover Shandong, establish a closer platform for cultural exchange, and enhance cultural interaction and collaboration between China and Japan.

Many people showed up at the festival. Hiroko Wada, a 38-year-old Tokyo resident, stopped by a booth offering panda-related souvenirs.

"I'm here for a panda-themed event because I'm such a big fan of pandas," said Wada, who also loves Chinese cuisine.

Nene, a 22-year-old woman who preferred not to share her last name, gave the festival's game of playing ping-pong with a slipper a try.

"I'm really interested in Chinese culture. I studied Chinese at university, but speaking it is quite challenging," she said.

"I'm also excited to enjoy some authentic Chinese flavors. There are so many delicious-looking foods here, and I can't wait to stroll around, eating and drinking along the way," she added.

Younger people are gradually taking over Japan-China relations, said Toshiyasu Ogawa, a participant of the Japan-China Friendship Association.

"Five years ago, people in their 70s and 80s were mostly the ones running the festival. But now, it's people in their 30s and 40s, and I feel hopeful that they are passing Japan-China relations on to the next generation," Ogawa said.