In fall 2022 Quoc Vinh, 28, traveled to Japan for official work and visited a shrine with colleagues. He prayed for his career and for finding the love of his life. He works for a Japanese architecture firm in HCMC and has strong interest in Japanese culture.
A year later he noticed a Japanese woman at a gym in Thu Duc City. “The first time I saw her, I felt something very special,” he says.
Quoc Vinh during a business trip to Japan in 2022. Photo courtesy of Quoc Vinh
He then often saw her at the gym but did not have the courage to approach her. He later learned her name was Yuko Inoue. After finding her on Facebook, he decided to send her a message.
She recognized him from the gym, and replied after seeing his Facebook filled with posts about architecture and interior design, a past passion of hers.
Their first meeting, planned as a short coffee date, lasted a full day. Vinh says: “The conversation never stopped. I wanted to ask her to dinner but felt it was too soon so we parted ways.”
Inoue says: “It was the first time I could talk to someone without getting bored. His eyes lit up when he spoke about his work and passion. That impressed me.”
Their bond grew after watching the movie Elemental, which showed two opposite characters finding harmony and reminded them of their own differences.
After the film he confessed his feelings for her and she reciprocated. Inoue had had a difficult youth. She wanted to be an architect and studied hard for university but peer pressure plunged her into depression. At 18 she gave up on her dream.
A turning point came during a trip to Vietnam with her father. The energy of Saigon, the kindness of its people and the Vietnamese language inspired her. “When I felt lost, Vietnamese was a beacon of light,” she says.
She enrolled for an economics degree at Osaka Metropolitan University in Japan and studied Vietnamese.
In 2020 she moved to Vietnam to manage her family’s business, but faced challenges at work and adapting to a new culture.
It was then that Vinh entered her life. He would often bring her food despite working late shifts or bad weather.
With his experience at a Japanese workplace, he understood the pressures she faced and the difficulties of adjusting abroad.
Their relationship grew stronger through trips across Vietnam where he introduced her to the country’s history, culture and people. “He rarely uses sweet words but his actions show he is mature and dependable,” she says.
Yuko and Vinh at their wedding in HCMC in 2024. Photo courtesy of the couple
During the 2024 Lunar New Year she went with him to visit his family in Quang Nam Province, seeing it as the final test of their relationship.
The house, where his parents and three brothers also lived, was filled with laughter during the holidays. Family meals, New Year’s Eve ceremonies and the custom of giving lucky money were unfamiliar to her but quickly made her feel welcome.
She joined her future mother-in-law in the garden to pick vegetables, and learned to make spring rolls and banh xeo (Vietnamese pancake).
On the last day of the lunar year Vinh picked herbs from the garden to prepare a traditional bath for his girlfriend. These were experiences she had not had in the city.
Before returning the couple asked his parents for permission to marry. A few months later, during a trip to Kyoto, Japan, Vinh proposed at the Imperial Palace. He surprised her with a heart-shaped bouquet of roses.
Inoue wears the Japanese ceremonial kimono furisode for her wedding in 2024. Photo courtesy of the couple
In April 2024 the couple held a wedding in Quang Nam and another in HCMC. On her wedding day Inoue wore a furisode, a traditional kimono for unmarried women. “My parents gave me this on my 20th birthday, and my wedding day was the last time I can wear it,” she said.
During the wedding, she thanked her parents-in-law for their support. “I am still adjusting to the language and culture, but we will learn from both countries and build a happy family.”
Vinh says cultural differences were never a barrier in their relationship. “What matters is that we sit down and listen to each other so two fitting pieces become an unbreakable bond.”
AloJapan.com