Yokohama stands as Japan's largest municipality, with a population of approximately 3.77 million and an urban GRDP exceeding USD 100 billion (equivalent to 14 trillion Yen). Boasting one of the busiest international seaports in the Tokyo Bay area, the city's economy is firmly positioned as a maritime logistics and advanced manufacturing hub. The locality's strengths focus on two high-tech spearheads: future-oriented engineering industries, including information technology, semiconductor microcircuits, and biotechnology, and a modern mechanical ecosystem encompassing the automotive industry and clean energy. Notably, Yokohama prides itself as a global leader in sustainable Smart City models and ecological environmental management, holding a supreme domestic AAA credit rating and an international AA+ rating, underpinned by its robust public financial governance.
Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee and the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) sign a Memorandum of Understanding.
- Photo: Government News Portal
Over more than a decade, cooperation between the two localities has yielded highly practical results, focusing on two main pillars: infrastructure management and digital trade connectivity. In urban governance, Yokohama has actively supported Ho Chi Minh City in upgrading its infrastructure by transferring advanced technical solutions for wastewater and drainage system optimization, waste management, and emission reduction toward building a green, carbon-neutral city. Concurrently, driven by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), a powerful wave of digital transformation has turned Yokohama into a strategic springboard for major Vietnamese IT enterprises to establish offices, attract high-quality talent, and directly penetrate the Japanese market.
Looking toward the future, particularly within the framework of the 3rd Ho Chi Minh City Friendship Dialogue in 2026 (FD 2026), the City is widening its corridors to attract direct investment (FDI) and foster strategic alliances with partners from Yokohama City in five key sectors:
Smart Urban Governance and Green Infrastructure: Attracting technology and digital solutions for water supply and drainage systems, environmental treatment, and the development of smart public transit networks.
Information Technology and Digital Industry Cooperation: Facilitating a two-way corridor by attracting Yokohama's IT firms to invest in Ho Chi Minh City, while supporting Vietnamese software enterprises in expanding their digital supply chains in Japan.
High-Tech Manufacturing and Semiconductors: Welcoming investments in electronic components, automotive manufacturing, and the application of next-generation automation solutions within Ho Chi Minh City's high-tech zones.
Biotechnology and Smart Healthcare: Promoting academic exchanges and transferring solutions in biological research, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and high-quality community healthcare equipment.
Maritime Logistics and Multimodal Transport: Leveraging expertise from Yokohama's international seaport system to upgrade warehousing solutions, cold chain logistics, and smart port management in Ho Chi Minh City.