Struck by her beauty at first sight, a young man from Nghe An wasted no time in getting to know a Japanese woman he had just met. Despite language barriers, he quickly won her heart.

An unexpected first date

Sometimes, love begins with a glance. That was the case for Phan Dinh Toan, born in 1993 in Do Luong District, Nghe An province, who fell for a Japanese woman named Yoshida Hinako.

Toan moved to Japan in 2015 as a labor export worker. A year later, at a company outdoor party, he met the woman who would change his life.

“From the first look, I was captivated by her gentle face and petite figure. I got her contact information through a friend and texted her to strike up a conversation. At first, I just wanted to chat for fun, but I didn’t expect to fall so deeply,” Toan recalled.

Hinako said she agreed to talk to him because she found it intriguing that he was a foreigner.

Their first private meeting left quite an impression. “I had just arrived in Japan and lived in a rented room, commuting by bicycle. When she showed up in a car to pick me up for our date, my roommates were shocked,” Toan said.

After discovering a shared love of sports, the two bonded over frequent conversations and get-togethers. Despite the language gap, they felt an undeniable connection.

“There were so many things I wanted to say but couldn’t because of my poor Japanese. Still, I somehow managed to win her over,” he laughed.

During a company party, slightly tipsy, Toan worked up the courage to confess his feelings. Hinako responded with a radiant smile.

At first, Hinako’s family opposed the relationship, concerned about the long distance and the fact that she was their only child. But during his first visit to her home, Toan won over her parents.

“My first visit coincided with the AFC U19 Championship final between Vietnam and Uzbekistan. Her dad asked me, ‘What’s your favorite sport?’ I said, ‘Football.’ The next day, he gave me a football as a gift, along with a warm smile,” Toan recalled.

A wedding that left the bride’s family stunned

Toan’s parents fully supported his relationship. After seeing Hinako through video calls and finding her sweet and gentle, they were more than happy with his choice.

In January 2018, with both families’ blessing, the couple registered their marriage in Japan. A year later, they held a traditional Vietnamese wedding back in Nghe An. It remains a memorable experience for Hinako and her family.

Hinako’s parents and five of her friends traveled to Vietnam for the wedding. They stayed at a hotel four kilometers from Toan’s home.

“It wasn’t easy to prepare for the wedding, especially since I was the first in my village to marry a foreigner,” Toan shared. “We made special arrangements for food. Besides traditional Vietnamese dishes, the bride’s table had a large bowl of pho to suit their taste. Many neighbors showed up just to catch a glimpse of the Japanese bride.”

The wedding festivities spanned three lively days. Locals danced joyfully, guests arrived in droves, and toasts were made enthusiastically. Hinako and her parents were overwhelmed by the vibrant energy of a Vietnamese wedding.

“People kept toasting my father-in-law with alcohol. He was stunned that every toast had to be finished in one go and that everyone shouted ‘1-2-3 dô!’ before drinking. To this day, he still recalls that day with surprise and amusement,” Toan said.

Today, the couple lives in Japan. Toan runs a small business, while his wife works in public service. They have three sons.

Their marriage, like any cross-cultural relationship, has faced its share of challenges - differences in culture, food preferences, and parenting styles - but they’ve overcome them through open communication and love.

“When we got married, we had nothing but love. Over time, we worked hard to build a happy family together. My wife is a devoted, caring woman who loves her husband and children,” Toan shared.

Toan says their secret to a happy marriage can be summed up in one word: love. “No matter the language barrier, cultural differences, or distance, if you truly love each other, you’ll get through anything.”

The couple regularly shares their family life on TikTok, where they document how they support and care for each other and raise their children. Their story has resonated with many, and their account has grown to over 400,000 followers.

Thanh Minh