Monthly Reflections

January Monthly Reflections

As the victims of the Noto Peninsula earthquake continue to live in evacuation shelters, we continue to pray for the earliest possible recovery of the area. We are also accepting donations for the victims of the Noto Peninsula earthquake. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at any time.

January in Vancouver was generally warm, with some record high temperatures, although it snowed in the middle of the month.



○New Year's Events

All concerned parties were very active at the beginning of the New Year, and we took the opportunity to visit and greet them at the Nikkei Community New Year's Celebration, the Ohfukai New Year's Party, and other occasions this year. The annual meeting of the Japanese Business Council of Vancouver was also held, and we heard about their activities. I also visited “Kakizome” calligraphy event held at the Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre at the beginning of the year for the first time and demonstrated how to write calligraphy in front of everyone. I tried to write the words "Shunki hatsudou (puberty)" in several different styles of calligraphy. Although my brush skills were not very good, there were some questions about the raw materials of the brush and the choice of the seal, and the demonstration was a very enjoyable and valuable experience with such exchanges.

○Vancouver Asahi Day

On January 11, the 102nd birthday of Kaye Kaminishi, whom you all know, a "Vancouver Asahi Day" proclamation ceremony was held at Vancouver City Hall to honour him. Mayor Ken Sim and City Council members surrounded Kaminishi and read the proclamation. Team members and members of the Japanese Canadian community attended the ceremony, and I was a guest of honour and delivered a congratulatory speech. The ceremony was warmly received by Mayor Sim, and I felt that it was a tribute to the history of the Asahi Club and the Japanese Canadian community.

○Meeting of Heads of Embassies and Consulates in Canada

In January, I traveled to Ottawa for the first time in many years to attend the Heads of Mission Meeting at the Embassy. Together with officials from various diplomatic missions in Canada and business travelers from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, we exchanged information, opinions, and discussions on the future of Canada-Japan relations and initiatives at each diplomatic mission. Representatives of Japanese companies and the Japanese community were also invited to attend and speak at the relevant sessions. The results of the discussions will be put to good use in the future, and we would like to thank all those involved for their attendance.

In addition to the above, we welcomed business travelers from Tokyo and continued to meet with relevant organizations and companies on the Canadian side, and it seems as if January has passed in the blink of an eye. Rainy and cloudy skies continue, but I wish you all the best. Please feel free to contact the Consulate General at any time should you need anything.