Ambassador’s Lecture: “Japan and Canada: Where we are and where we go?”

On October 31, 2019, Ambassador Kimihiro Ishikane gave a lecture entitled “Japan and Canada: Where we are and where we go?” at the University of Ottawa. The lecture was attended by faculty members and students from the University of Ottawa’s Graduate School for Public and International Affairs.

Mr. Jeffrey Simpson hosted the event and introduced Ambassador Ishikane.

Ambassador Ishikane began his presentation by discussing the history of Japan-Canada relations and commenting on the current state of relations between the two countries, emphasizing the need to further enhance the relationship. He remarked that while Japan-Canada relations are good overall, more can and should be done to further enhance and strengthen the relationship.

In the second part of his lecture, Ambassador Ishikane introduced Japan’s vision of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific and briefly explained Japan’s relations with neighboring countries.

Following the lecture, Ambassador Ishikane took questions from the audience. The questions touched on a variety of topics including relations with China, protection of the rule of law, Japan-Canada trade relations and climate change. Mr. Jeffrey Simpson concluded the event by thanking Ambassador Ishikane for his lecture.