The Vietnamese custom of taking food home when leaving a wedding ceremony in many rural areas fascinates many people. For foreign guests, this custom is novel and intriguing.

The Japanese woman posted a video on the internet recently. She was confused when her husband gave her a plastic bag and told her to put some food into the bag and she asked, "What is this?" When encouraged to take food home, she appeared to be astonished, asking, "Are you serious?"

People put a lot of food, from steamed sticky rice to pork pie into the plastic bag, and told her to take the food home. Initially hesitant, the young Japanese homemaker soon laughed, enjoying this unique Vietnamese custom.

The video was posted in November 2024, but it is still viral across TikTok, attracting 1.9 million followers, 44,000 likes, and thousands of comments.

The Japanese woman, Sakata Kanako, 27, is from Fukuoka in Japan. Her husband is Vu Khac Linh, 25, from Bac Ninh. The video was shot when she followed her husband to a rural area to attend a wedding ceremony.

Recalling the moment, Linh said when he gave a plastic bag to his wife, she was surprised.

“After people enthusiastically packed food for her, and when they saw her bewildered holding the bag, they laughed. Later, she told me that the custom is quite peculiar,” Linh said.

He was surprised that the short video has attracted millions of views on TikTok. The couple has a TikTok channel where they share videos about their daily life, including Kanako experiencing Vietnamese customs.

At least once a year, Linh and his wife go to Vietnam to visit family. During these trips, Kanako has the opportunity to experience his hometown’s unique culture and traditions.

Linh and Kanako have been married for four years. They operate a company that provides Japanese language teaching courses to Vietnamese, and also do business in other fields.

The couple met in 2019 when Linh applied for a job at Kanako’s company and became colleagues.

“Kanado likes me because I look good, while I like her because of her gentle personality, mature thinking, and especially her ability to get along with everyone,” Linh said. “She agreed to marry me because she saw that I could shoulder responsibilities and cared for family."

Throughout the years, they’ve never had major arguments. Even when they were far from each other, they nurtured their bond. Kanako often took advantage of holidays to visit Linh in Fukuoka.

After 1.5 years of dating, they decided to marry officially. They took wedding photos in Vietnam and are awaiting a wedding ceremony.

Linh and his wife return to Vietnam at least once a year. During the visits, Kanako has opportunities to experience Vietnamese culture and customs in Linh’s hometown.

Linh said: "My wife has integrated well with Vietnamese culture."

Kanako eats nearly all Vietnamese dishes, including special ones that don’t fit many people, such as bun dau mam tom (vermicelli with tofu and shrimp paste) and bun oc (vermicelli with snail). She’s curious about durian but has yet to muster the courage to try it. For her, this particularly pungent fruit remains a black box waiting to be explored.

Kanako has even accompanied Linh to visit his ancestral graves. Each time they visit his hometown, she offers incense at the ancestral altar, performing every task with familiarity.

"She even wore ao dai (Vietnamese traditional long dress) to visit Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum, One Pillar Pagoda, and many other famous spots in the capital. However, she hasn’t experienced the traditional Vietnamese Tet yet,” Linh said.

Their marriage is peaceful. Although they occasionally face work-related disagreements, they manage to complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

“Kanako is a wonderful wife. She's nurturing, considerate, and accommodating. To me, she’s perfect,” Linh remarked.

Thanh Minh