It is a pleasure for me to bring you New Year greetings on behalf of the Embassy of Japan.
Steps toward recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake were undertaken in 2012. The Reconstruction Agency was established in February and a full-scale framework for the reconstruction has been put into place. To express our gratitude for the support received from Canada, the Embassy of Japan in Canada, in collaboration with its Consulates-General, organized photo exhibitions depicting the reconstruction progress, screened films related to affected areas, and staged concerts which facilitated expressions of solidarity with the people in affected areas. Through these activities, we have described progress made in the reconstruction process.
In March Prime Minister Stephen Harper, along with Minister of International Trade Edward Fast, Minister of International Cooperation Beverley Oda, Minister of Foreign Affairs John Baird and Minister of Agriculture Gerry Ritz, visited Japan and the regions affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake. While accompanying them, I was moved to see them praying for the victims and the recovery of the disaster area.
In January and March of this year, approximately 100 Canadian high school students will visit areas affected by the disaster and about 100 Japanese high school students from those areas will visit Canada as part of a youth-exchange program. I believe that the "Kizuna (bonds) Project", and others like it, will contribute greatly to deepening the ties between Japan and Canada and will be a long-term cornerstone for disaster recovery.
Looking back on Japan-Canada relations, when Prime Minister Harper visited Japan he and former Japanese Prime Minister Noda agreed to launch negotiations toward a bilateral Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) and to accelerate negotiations toward a bilateral Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA). The first round of negotiations toward a Japan-Canada EPA was held in Tokyo in November. I sincerely hope that the successful conclusion of an agreement will greatly enhance mutually beneficial economic ties between Japan and Canada.
In October, Professor Shinya Yamanaka was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of iPS cells (induced pluripotent stem cells), further reinforcing Japanese strength in science and technology. In the field of iPS cell research, Japan and Canada have a long history of cooperation. In January, the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) signed a new research partnership framework in Ottawa. I believe this to be the first of many future collaborative ventures between the two countries in advanced science and technology.
On the cultural front, Japan-related exhibitions were held in several cities across Canada. As always, the Embassy actively provided support of the promotion of Japanese culture throughout the year. At the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, the much anticipated Van Gogh Exhibition attracted two hundred and seventy thousand visitors. Approximately 20 Japanese woodblock prints showing the influence of Japanese culture on Van Gogh’s style were part of this exhibition. Two Samurai exhibitions are ongoing in the province of Quebec – one at the Museum of Civilization in Quebec City and the other at the Pointe-à-Callière Museum of Archaeology and History in Montreal - where valuable collections of Japanese armor can be seen.
This year will mark the 25th anniversary of the historic Redress Agreement made by the Government of Canada to restore the honour of Canadians with Japanese ancestry. I would like to reiterate my deepest admiration for the Japanese Canadian community for their tremendous perseverance and successes over the years.
In the year ahead, we will continue with efforts to promote the friendship and cooperation between our two countries.
I hope that 2013 brings you good health and I wish you a wonderful new year.
Sincerely,
Kaoru Ishikawa
Ambassador of Japan to Canada
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