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• YOU MAY BE THE FIRST VIETNAMESE PERSON THEY EVER MEET

Once, before a departure briefing, I asked the entire class a very simple question.

"Who will be the first person you meet when you arrive in Japan?"

Some answered, "My supervisor."

Others said, "My teacher."

A few replied, "My landlord."

I nodded and asked one more question.

"What if it is also the very first time they have ever met a Vietnamese person?"

The room fell silent.

Not because the question was difficult.

But because, at that moment, they realised something important.

For many people around the world, Vietnam does not begin with a map.

Vietnam begins with the first Vietnamese person they meet.

And that person... may be you.

The Japanese rarely judge a country by speeches or promotional campaigns.

Instead, they judge it through everyday encounters.

Someone who arrives on time.

A sincere "thank you."

A respectful bow.

A colleague who keeps their word.

A technical intern who finishes every task before leaving work.

These actions are so ordinary that those who perform them seldom realise they are representing anything beyond themselves.

Yet it is these small moments that gradually shape the image of an entire nation.

In recent days, many people have been deeply moved by stories of Vietnamese individuals rescuing others during earthquakes, saving lives at sea, or being recognised by Japanese authorities for their courageous actions.

I believe that, in those moments, none of them acted because they wanted to represent Vietnam.

They simply followed their conscience.

Perhaps that is exactly why their actions carried such power.

People may forget their names.

But they will remember one thing:

"The Vietnamese were there."

Sometimes, the reputation of a nation is built through moments that last only a few minutes.

After more than fifteen years of working with Japanese companies and supervising organisations, I have become convinced that a Vietnamese person's opportunities are determined not only by their own abilities.

They are also shaped by those who came before them.

A dedicated technical intern.

An honest engineer.

A responsible international student.

Each of them leaves behind trust.

And trust creates opportunities for those who follow.

Likewise, a few irresponsible actions can close those same doors much faster than we imagine.

When we travel abroad, we carry many things with us.

Our luggage.

Our dreams.

Our families' hopes.

But we also carry something invisible.

We carry the impression people will have of Vietnam after meeting us.

None of us can choose where we were born.

But every one of us can choose how we live.

So that when people think of Vietnam, they remember kindness, responsibility, integrity, and trust.

Abroad, many Vietnamese people are simply known by one familiar name:

Nguyen.

Over time, Nguyen becomes more than just a surname.

For many people, it becomes the name they associate with an entire Vietnamese community.

Every act of kindness makes that name shine a little brighter.

Every irresponsible action makes it a little heavier.

No school can truly teach this lesson.

Life does.

Before you board the plane, if I could leave you with only one thought, I would not talk about Japanese language proficiency.

Nor would I talk about salary.

I would simply ask you to remember the very first question.

If you are the first Vietnamese person they ever meet...

What would you want them to remember about Vietnam?

Years from now, they may no longer remember your name.

But perhaps that single encounter will lead them to tell their colleagues, their families, or their company:

"Vietnamese people are truly trustworthy."

If that happens, then the Vietnamese passport you hold today has done more than take you to a new country.

It has carried something far more valuable.

The pride of being Vietnamese.