Monthly Reflections

June Monthly Reflections

With all the news of the rainy season in Japan, I am very thankful for the invigorating climate in Vancouver. I understand the desire of many people to get outside and spend time in the sun. However, I wish that there was some way to deliver the heavy rain clouds of the rainy season in Japan to the areas affected by serious wildfires. Please be careful of natural disasters and have a great season.

・Training Fleet Port of Call
 
One of the major events in June was the port call of the Maritime Self-Defense Force training fleet to Victoria. The training ships "Kashima" and "Hatakaze" arrived at Esquimalt with about 560 Maritime Self-Defense Force officers on board as part of their 2023 training voyage. The group attended various events including a reception on board, a tour of the ships, a music and sports exchange, meetings with Canadian military personnel and provincial and municipal officials, and a dedication to the war dead cenotaph. The group left Japan at the end of May, and after resupplying at Dutch Harbor in the U.S., they came to Victoria as their first official port of call. After Victoria, the ships will call at Mexico, then Peru, Chile, Argentina, and other ports, continuing its training voyage for more than five months until their return to Yokosuka in late October. I wish them a safe voyage and wonderful exchanges at each port of call.

・Discussions with Mayors

In June, I had the opportunity to meet with the mayors of Burnaby, Whistler, and Richmond respectively. All of these cities have deep connections with Japan, and it is expected that such relations will be further expanded in the future. The mayors of these cities provided me with valuable insights. Kushiro's sister city, Burnaby, honours citizens who have contributed to volunteer activities with the "Kushiro Cup," a trophy presented by Kushiro City. I heard that Whistler and Karuizawa have been sharing various kinds of know-how and expertise with each other as part of their sister city exchange, since both are resort municipalities that emphasize public relations. The mayor of Richmond and city council members, who had just visited Wakayama City, told me their visit to Japan was a great success, and we were able to discuss ideas on how to expand our relations further.

・The Japanese-Canadian Community

I was invited to the Steveston Japanese-Canadian Pioneer Reunion in honour of the survivors of Japanese-Canadian Internment in Steveston. It was an opportunity for me to gain a renewed awareness of the history of hardship of the Japanese Canadians and their efforts to contribute to Canadian society. The presence of the mayor of Richmond, members of the Legislative Assembly, city councillors, and others also made me realize the wonderful relationship that exists today between the local community and the Japanese-Canadian community. The Japanese words "okagesama de (thanks to you)" displayed in the centre of the venue was very impressive.

・Exchange with Students

In June, I had another opportunity to interact with the young generation. I attended the graduation ceremony of the Vancouver Japanese Language School and was refreshingly impressed by the young people who are becoming bridges between Japan and Canada, and Canada and the world. I was also invited to David Thompson Secondary School, where I watched a presentation on the results of a project to decipher and organize primary historical documents, such as letters and records left by Japanese-Canadian soldiers during the First World War. After the presentations, I had a conversation with the students, and teachers who participated in the project.