National Day Reception for the 66th Birthday of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan
2026/2/11
On February 11, 2026, Ambassador Kanji Yamanouchi hosted the National Day Reception, prior to the 66th birthday of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan on February 23 at the Fairmont Château Laurier.
Approximately 700 guests attended the reception, including the Rt. Hon. Richard Wagner, Chief Justice of Canada; the Hon. Stan Kutcher, Senator and Co-Chair of the Canada-Japan Inter-Parliamentary Group; and the Hon. Mona Fortier, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs; as well as many other Canadian federal government officials, senators, members of Parliament, judicial officials, heads of diplomatic missions, members of the Japanese-Canadian community, academics, cultural groups and local businesses.
Prior to the opening of the reception, a making-of video of the Japan-Canada collaboration cuisine was screened. After the opening of the reception, a Jingle Dress Dance by Indigenous artists was performed, followed by a taiko drumming performance by five members of Oto-Wa Taiko. Then, members of the National Arts Centre Orchestra (NACO) performed the national anthem of Canada, “O Canada”, as a string duo, and Ms. Noriko Hashimoto, a Japanese soprano singer living in Ottawa, sang the national anthem of Japan, “Kimigayo”, as a solo.
Prior to his opening remarks, Ambassador Yamanouchi expressed his deepest condolences to the victims of the tragic incident that occurred in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, and observed a moment of silence with guests.
In his opening remarks, Ambassador Yamanouchi extended his heartfelt congratulations to His Majesty the Emperor of Japan for his birthday. He then noted that amidst various severe situations occurring around the world and the daily increase in uncertainty, the bilateral relationship between Japan and Canada, which share fundamental values such as freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, has further developed through opportunities such as the G7 in 2025. He also welcomed the progress of concrete cooperation and exchanges in the fields of economy, security, and people-to-people exchanges.
He also invited representatives from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Asahi Kasei, All Nippon Airways (ANA), UNIQLO, IACE-Canada, Allseas Fisheries, Yaesen Shuzo, and Kumamoto City, who all had booths at the reception, to come up on stage, and he introduced each of them to the audience.
Finally, as a new form of cooperation between Japan and Canada, a collaboration dish, which was introduced in the opening video, was presented as the highlight of the reception. Great praise was given on stage to both chefs who were involved in its preparation: Chef Yasuhiro Shima, chef at the Embassy of Japan, and Chef Phil Cameron, who served as the chef for the Canada Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai.
Next, the Rt. Hon. Richard Wagner, the Hon. Stan Kutcher, and the Hon. Mona Fortier each expressed their deep condolences to the victims of the aforementioned incident, followed by congratulations on the holding of this reception and remarks on the progress of cooperation between Japan and Canada in various fields. Subsequently, a kagami-biraki ceremony was held with dignitaries from various fields, and, finally, MP Fortier offered a toast.
At the reception, Chef Shima prepared sushi and served them to guests, while Chef Cameron offered dishes made as part of the Japan-Canada collaboration. Additionally, there were booths introducing the activities of Japanese companies and Japanese tourism as well as tasting booths for awamori, shochu, and sake, and for Japanese seafood, Kumamoto City specialties, and Japanese fruit. Furthermore, Ikebana, Japanese flower arrangement, by Ms. Claire McCaughey, President of the Ikebana International Ottawa Centennial Chapter, and Ms. Anne Breau, former President, were displayed in the venue and videos introducing Japanese sake were shown throughout the evening, which added a festive touch to the reception.
Approximately 700 guests attended the reception, including the Rt. Hon. Richard Wagner, Chief Justice of Canada; the Hon. Stan Kutcher, Senator and Co-Chair of the Canada-Japan Inter-Parliamentary Group; and the Hon. Mona Fortier, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs; as well as many other Canadian federal government officials, senators, members of Parliament, judicial officials, heads of diplomatic missions, members of the Japanese-Canadian community, academics, cultural groups and local businesses.
Prior to the opening of the reception, a making-of video of the Japan-Canada collaboration cuisine was screened. After the opening of the reception, a Jingle Dress Dance by Indigenous artists was performed, followed by a taiko drumming performance by five members of Oto-Wa Taiko. Then, members of the National Arts Centre Orchestra (NACO) performed the national anthem of Canada, “O Canada”, as a string duo, and Ms. Noriko Hashimoto, a Japanese soprano singer living in Ottawa, sang the national anthem of Japan, “Kimigayo”, as a solo.
Prior to his opening remarks, Ambassador Yamanouchi expressed his deepest condolences to the victims of the tragic incident that occurred in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, and observed a moment of silence with guests.
In his opening remarks, Ambassador Yamanouchi extended his heartfelt congratulations to His Majesty the Emperor of Japan for his birthday. He then noted that amidst various severe situations occurring around the world and the daily increase in uncertainty, the bilateral relationship between Japan and Canada, which share fundamental values such as freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, has further developed through opportunities such as the G7 in 2025. He also welcomed the progress of concrete cooperation and exchanges in the fields of economy, security, and people-to-people exchanges.
He also invited representatives from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Asahi Kasei, All Nippon Airways (ANA), UNIQLO, IACE-Canada, Allseas Fisheries, Yaesen Shuzo, and Kumamoto City, who all had booths at the reception, to come up on stage, and he introduced each of them to the audience.
Finally, as a new form of cooperation between Japan and Canada, a collaboration dish, which was introduced in the opening video, was presented as the highlight of the reception. Great praise was given on stage to both chefs who were involved in its preparation: Chef Yasuhiro Shima, chef at the Embassy of Japan, and Chef Phil Cameron, who served as the chef for the Canada Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai.
Next, the Rt. Hon. Richard Wagner, the Hon. Stan Kutcher, and the Hon. Mona Fortier each expressed their deep condolences to the victims of the aforementioned incident, followed by congratulations on the holding of this reception and remarks on the progress of cooperation between Japan and Canada in various fields. Subsequently, a kagami-biraki ceremony was held with dignitaries from various fields, and, finally, MP Fortier offered a toast.
At the reception, Chef Shima prepared sushi and served them to guests, while Chef Cameron offered dishes made as part of the Japan-Canada collaboration. Additionally, there were booths introducing the activities of Japanese companies and Japanese tourism as well as tasting booths for awamori, shochu, and sake, and for Japanese seafood, Kumamoto City specialties, and Japanese fruit. Furthermore, Ikebana, Japanese flower arrangement, by Ms. Claire McCaughey, President of the Ikebana International Ottawa Centennial Chapter, and Ms. Anne Breau, former President, were displayed in the venue and videos introducing Japanese sake were shown throughout the evening, which added a festive touch to the reception.
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| Opening remarks by Ambassador Yamanouchi |
Representatives of Japanese companies and others on stage |
Chefs Shima and Cameron, who were involved in the Japan-Canada collaboration cuisine |
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| Remarks by the Right Hon. Richard Wagner, Chief Justice of Canada |
Remarks by the Hon. Stan Kutcher, Senator |
Toast by the Hon. Mona Fortier, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs |
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| Performance by Indigenous artists |
Performance by Oto-wa Taiko players |
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| National anthem of Canada by members of NACO (string duo) | National Anthem of Japan by Ms. Noriko Hashimoto (solo) |
Kagami-biraki ceremony |
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| Sushi by Chef Shima |
Japanese-Canadian Collaborative cuisine (Smoked Arctic Char Tempura) | Booths | |
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| Booths | Booths | The event venue | |