An opera is currently being jointly produced by Japan and Vietnam to commemorate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The opera, titled "Princess Anio," is based on a true love story involving a Japanese man and a Vietnamese princess about 400 years ago.

Japanese merchant Araki Sotaro met the princess while visiting Vietnam on a trade mission. The couple married and returned to Nagasaki in southwestern Japan where she was known as Princess Anio.

Japanese opera singer Oyama Daisuke wrote the story and Japanese lyrics for the performance, while Ha Quang Minh wrote the Vietnamese lyrics. Vietnamese composer Tran Manh Hung composed the music.

Organizers held an event on Friday at the Japanese ambassador's residence in Hanoi to introduce the opera and the actors.

Japan's Ambassador Yamada Takio said the real-life couple represented an equal partnership, adding that it is what the two countries are hoping for in their bilateral relations in the future.

Vietnamese Standing Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Vu noted that 2023 will be a special year for Japan and Vietnam and he hopes the opera will lead to a further deepening of political, economic and human relations between the two countries.

The singer who will play the lead role of Princess Anio then performed a song in which the princess expresses how much she misses her homeland.

The opera will be staged in Hanoi in September 2023.