Monthly Reflections

May Monthly Reflections

Just when I thought spring in Vancouver was finally in full swing, the temperature rises like summer, and then it returns to brisk weather again. I was a bit bewildered by the May weather in Vancouver, which I experienced for the first time. Nevertheless, the beauty of the fresh greenery and flowers was dazzling to the eyes, and I felt that a wonderful season had arrived.
This is the first time for me to experience the sky being bright until after 9:00 p.m., which is a little exciting. How do you plan to spend the coming season?

・Meeting with the Premiers of BC and Yukon
 
Strengthening relations with provincial, territorial, and municipal governments is one of our most important tasks. I was fortunate to welcome BC Premier Eby and Yukon Premier Pillai, at my official residence at the end of April and beginning of May, respectively, and had a renewed exchange of views with them. In particular, I met with Premier Eby just prior to his official visit to Japan, and heard about his strong aspirations. I also saw Premier Eby off at the airport upon his departure for Japan and had a friendly conversation with him. I commend the efforts of all those involved in making his visit to Japan a success. It seems that there has never been an opportunity for the premiers to visit the official residence. It was a strong indication of their sincere desire to strengthen relations with Japan, and I renewed my determination to further materialize this desire in the future.

・Events Hosted by the Province of BC
 
In May, I attended a luncheon hosted by Lieutenant Governor Austin and a briefing by BC Provincial Ministers for the Consul General's delegation in Vancouver organized by the BC government. This was my third visit to Victoria, but it was the first time during bright and beautiful sunny weather, and I realized that this is a beautiful city with a strong British cultural influence. I visited the Lieutenant Governor Austin at the official residence (Government House), which is a magnificent building with an expansive garden. She expressed her deep interest in Japanese art and I asked for hero further interest in the Nikkei and the Japanese communities. I also took this opportunity to visit the City of Nanaimo, where I met with the Mayor and the President of Vancouver Island University, both of whom we had interesting and meaningful discussions with.

・Meetings with BC Dignitaries
 
This month, I was also fortunate to invite the Hon. Raj Chouhan, Speaker of the BC Legislative Assembly and the relevant provincial Ministers to exchange views on strengthening the relationship between British Columbia and Japan. Minister Malcolmson of Social Development and Poverty Reduction, and Minister Alexis of Agriculture and Food, are Canadian women, and Speaker Chouhan and Trade Minister Brar are immigrants from India. This exchange of views gave me a strong impression of the status of women’s advancement in society and ethnic diversity in Canada, which are not yet common in Japan.

・The Japanese Canadian and Japanese Communities
 
This month, I also had the opportunity to meet with the board members of the Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre and the steering committee of the Vancouver Japanese School, and attended the annual General Meeting of Konwakai (the Japanese Business Association of Vancouver) . As spring arrives, there has been a change of board members. I would like to commend all those who have worked so hard and wish for a smooth transition to the new structure. This month I attended the the Mitsuo & Emmie Hayashi Hall Unveiling Ceremony at the Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre, a charity event at Nikkei Home, and the graduation ceremony of the Gladstone Japanese Language School. It was an opportunity to deepen my understanding of the history of the Nikkei community in this region and their efforts to learn the Japanese language, and more.