One hundred young Vietnamese people and students will leave for Japan on June 17 to join an exchange programme between Japanese and East Asian youth.

During their 10-day exchange in Japan, the young delegates will visit Tokyo, some provinces and schools in addition to joining exchange activities and meeting local people and students.

National Committee for Young People General Secretary Nguyen Viet Phat said the programme will help boost Vietnam-Japan relations and increase mutual understanding among young people in regional countries.

Between late June and mid-July, Vietnam will send 200 more young people to Japan to join the programme, he said.

The exchange visits are run through the Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youth, known as JENESYS programme.

JENESYS was initiated by former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the second East Asia Summit which took place in the Philippines in early 2007.

Under the programme, which began in 2008 and will last for five years, 6,000 young people and students in East Asia will be invited to visit Japan annually.