The visit, Takaichi’s first to Vietnam since taking office in October 2025, will be made at the invitation of Prime Minister Le Minh Hung.

Takaichi, born in 1961, is the first female prime minister in Japanese history. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business from Kobe University. She has previously held ministerial positions in areas such as internal affairs, communications, economic security, science and technology policy, space, and intellectual property.

Vietnam and Japan established diplomatic relations in 1973 and became Comprehensive Strategic Partners in 2023. Japan is Vietnam’s largest ODA donor, a key labor cooperation partner, and the fourth-largest partner in tourism and trade.

Vietnam-Japan import and export turnover exceeded US$51.43 billion in 2025.

The Japanese Embassy in Vietnam reported that trade turnover from January to March this year increased by 12.7% compared to the same period last year and is expected to reach $60 billion by 2027.

As of Jan. 31, 2026, Japan had 5,722 active investment projects in Vietnam with a total investment of $78.9 billion, ranking third among 153 countries and territories investing in Vietnam.

In the semiconductor sector, Vietnam aims to train 500 doctoral students by 2030, and Japan has announced it will accept approximately half of them through international collaborative research programs.

There are over 680,000 Vietnamese people living in Japan, making them the second largest foreign community in the country.