Hello everyone!
This time, I’d like to share a rather special story with you.

The other day, our important partners from Vietnam, Mr. Chung and Ms. Linh, visited our Nagoya office.
Mr. Chung is the president of Haposoft, an IT development company based in Hanoi. His wife, Ms. Linh, is an entrepreneur who runs Mio, an organization that provides education and career support for Vietnamese people.

Truly, they are a power couple representing Vietnam ✨

🔹haposoft – An IT development company based in Hanoi, Vietnam.
🔹Mio – Provides education and career support for Vietnamese people.

Mr. Trung is actually the one who built the very website where I’m writing this blog.
Ms. Linh has been in charge of supporting Japanese visa applications for Vietnamese travelers, always helping us with translations, document checks, and detailed support that we truly rely on.
They are the dependable partners who quietly support our inbound business behind the scenes.

I thought, “This is something I absolutely have to share on the blog,” so I asked for their permission to post about it and share some photos—and they gladly agreed. (Thank you so much!)

We started with greetings and an exchange of information at the office.
Even while discussing serious matters, the atmosphere quickly turned warm and full of laughter.
They even brought us thoughtful gifts all the way from Vietnam—thank you as always!

While Mr. Trung has visited our office several times before, this was the very first time for Ms. Linh.
So of course, we made sure to capture the moment with a commemorative photo together in the office.

At the Pokémon Center, the CEO Becomes a Kid Again

After that, we headed over to one of Nagoya’s most popular spots — the Pokémon Center in Sakae!
It might sound like a sudden jump to Pokémon, but it turns out their children are huge Pokémon fans. So of course, we thought: we just have to take them there! And off we went on a little souvenir hunt.

Apparently, Pokémon is also very popular in Vietnam, but they don’t have an official Pokémon Center like this.
Even before entering the store, the couple’s excitement was obvious — the photo session started right at the entrance (lol).

Inside the store, the couple carefully examined the Pokémon plushies with serious looks on their faces.
They bustled around from one spot to another, full of excitement (and a little hectic too, haha).

In the end, the chosen ones were the classic Pikachu and the mysteriously charming Gengar.
And here’s Mr. Trung, beaming with a big smile as he proudly holds his newly “caught” plushies 👇

He looked absolutely overjoyed—as if the plushies were his own!
His love for his children really shone through, and it warmed our hearts just watching him ☺️
At the same time, I felt so happy knowing that they were truly enjoying themselves.

Nagoya Gourmet King: Experiencing Hitsumabushi!

After shopping, we headed to savor Nagoya’s soul food — hitsumabushi — at the renowned restaurant Sumiyaki Hitsumabushi Unagi Munagi in Sakae.

At the entrance, an impressive display of eel knives from different regions greeted us, each with its own unique style.

Nagoya, Osaka, Kyoto, Edo… each region has its own unique knife style with a rich history.
Mr. Chung gazed at them with great interest, almost like a swordsmith studying his craft.

The couple had mentioned beforehand that they absolutely love eel, so they sat down with great excitement.
When they were unsure about what to order, I quickly recommended Nagoya’s famous specialty, hitsumabushi.

The first thing that appeared was fresh wasabi, ready to be grated. (Quite authentic!)

Since it was their first time experiencing fresh wasabi, I showed them how to grate it.
The couple happily took turns, enjoying the wasabi-grating time together.

While everyone was enjoying the wasabi-grating time together,
the star of the show — the premium Hitsumabushi — made its grand appearance!

Since it was their first time trying Hitsumabushi, the couple looked a bit puzzled, asking, “How do we eat this?”
I explained: “First, enjoy it as is. Next, add condiments. Finally, pour in the broth.”

“Wow… this is really interesting!” (Mr. Trung)

“Delicious!!” (Ms. Linh)

Their reactions were a perfect mix of surprise and delight! Once again, I was reminded of the true potential of Hitsumabushi.
They also praised the freshly grated wasabi!

Could Hitsumabushi make its way to Vietnam…!? (Maybe it already has…)

To wrap up the experience, the couple posed for a commemorative photo in front of the restaurant 📷.
It was a delicious finale to a wonderful day of cross-cultural exchange.

A day like this, experiencing the charms of the Tokai region together with our guests from Vietnam, is also a great source of learning and joy for us.

We will continue to share the appeal of Tokai with the world through the power of food, fun, and people.
And with heartfelt gratitude to all our partners who support us every day—

Please look forward to our next travel report!

For any inquiries regarding inbound travel to Japan, please feel free to reach out!