National Day Reception for the 83rd Birthday of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan, November 23, 2016

 

On November 23, prior to the birthday of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan on December 23, Ambassador Kenjiro Monji and Mrs. Monji hosted a reception to celebrate the birthday of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan. The reception was attended by distinguished guests including The Honourable Stephan Dion, Minister for Foreign Affairs as well as Co-Chairs of the Canada-Japan Inter-Parliamentary Group, namely The Honourable Paul Massicotte, Senator and Mr. Terry Sheehan, M.P. About 470 guests attended the reception from a variety of fields including Canadian federal government officials, senators, members of parliament, heads of diplomatic missions, Japanese nationals, representatives from the local Japanese-Canadian community, academia, cultural groups, media and local businesses.

Following the Canadian and Japanese national anthems, Ambassador Monji delivered his opening remark which overviewed advancing bilateral relations in various fields between Japan and Canada over the past one year from the perspectives of economy, security, and cultural, educational, and youth exchanges, highlighting “the new era for cooperation between Japan-Canada” launched by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in May 2016.  Ambassador Monji also noted the 150th Anniversary of Confederation of Canada in 2017, the 90th Anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Canada in 2018, and the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2020 as further opportunities to enhance bilateral relations. A series of photos from bilateral VIP visits in both directions was also exhibited at the ballroom.  

As the guest of honour, Foreign Minister Dion also made his remarks. At the outset, Mr. Dion, using the Japanese language in parts, expressed his heart-felt congratulation on the birthday of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan on behalf of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the government and people of Canada, referring to the past two visits to Canada by His Majesty the Emperor of Japan and quoting a poem composed by His Majesty the Emperor of Japan. He also stated that Prime Minister Trudeau visited Japan in May 2016 as the destination of his first bilateral visit in Asia and that both nations, sharing fundamental values, had been on the steady path to strengthen cooperation in a variety of areas. Mr. Dion also underlined the importance of further cooperation between Japan and Canada towards “a world free of nuclear weapons” in accordance with the G7 Hiroshima Declaration, as well as based on his visit to Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum in April 2016.   

Ambassador Monji, together with Foreign Minister Dion, Senator Massicotte and Mr. Sheehan then celebrated “the new era for cooperation between Japan and Canada” by Kagami-biraki, a ceremony often performed in Japan to celebrate the start of a new departure in life or business.

At the reception, many kinds of sake from different regions in Japan selected by Ambassador Monji himself as Sake Samurai were served, together with Nigiri-sushi and shrimp tempura prepared by Ambassador’s chef. A sampling booth for newly-harvested Japanese rice and pear, as well as booths by some Japanese companies and tourism corner, in cooperation with Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), Japanese airlines and travel agent were also set up at the Reception venue.

 Presented on the stage, an ikebana arrangement by Mr. Mitsugu Kikuchi, Sub-Grand Master of the Ohara School, graced the reception.