“Japan Night” with the Ottawa Titans
2023/8/26
On Saturday, August 26, “Japan Night” was organized alongside an Ottawa Titans baseball game at the Ottawa Stadium. This year’s event celebrated the 95th anniversary of Japan-Canada diplomatic relations. The Ottawa Titans currently have two Japanese players and one Japanese-American player on their team: Mr. Mitsuki Fukuda, Mr. Kanta Kobayashi and Mr. Kenny Williams.
Prior to and during the game, different Japanese cultural performances, martial arts demonstrations and activities enlivened the atmosphere at the stadium. Performances included yosakoi dancing by the Kochi Yosakoi Ambassador KIZUNA International Team, karate and kendo demonstrations by TKC Ottawa and Tateyama Kendo and Iaido Club respectively, and a joint musical performance by Oto-Wa Taiko (Japanese drums) and Ambassador Kanji YAMANOUCHI’s band J-Titans. The first pitch was thrown by Ms. Naomi Katsumi, President of the Ottawa Japanese Cultural Center.
Ambassador YAMANOUCHI, and His Worship Mr. Mark Sutcliffe, Mayor of Ottawa, gave brief remarks before the game. Ambassador YAMANOUCHI and Mayor Sutcliffe celebrated the strong and lasting ties between Japan and Canada, notably through sports.
Mr. Mathias Séror and Mr. Yoan Théophile, local singers and high school students in Ottawa, performed the national anthems of Japan, Canada and the United States. Osaka Gakugei Senior High School students, who are currently studying in Ottawa, carried the flags of Japan, Canada and the United States during the national anthems.
Throughout the event, the Embassy of Japan and the Ottawa Japanese Cultural Centre (OJCC) had booths with various cultural activities, including origami and fan decoration, and information about Japan.
The Ottawa Titans won the game against the Empire State Greys 4-2. Over 2,300 people attended the event.
Prior to and during the game, different Japanese cultural performances, martial arts demonstrations and activities enlivened the atmosphere at the stadium. Performances included yosakoi dancing by the Kochi Yosakoi Ambassador KIZUNA International Team, karate and kendo demonstrations by TKC Ottawa and Tateyama Kendo and Iaido Club respectively, and a joint musical performance by Oto-Wa Taiko (Japanese drums) and Ambassador Kanji YAMANOUCHI’s band J-Titans. The first pitch was thrown by Ms. Naomi Katsumi, President of the Ottawa Japanese Cultural Center.
Ambassador YAMANOUCHI, and His Worship Mr. Mark Sutcliffe, Mayor of Ottawa, gave brief remarks before the game. Ambassador YAMANOUCHI and Mayor Sutcliffe celebrated the strong and lasting ties between Japan and Canada, notably through sports.
Mr. Mathias Séror and Mr. Yoan Théophile, local singers and high school students in Ottawa, performed the national anthems of Japan, Canada and the United States. Osaka Gakugei Senior High School students, who are currently studying in Ottawa, carried the flags of Japan, Canada and the United States during the national anthems.
Throughout the event, the Embassy of Japan and the Ottawa Japanese Cultural Centre (OJCC) had booths with various cultural activities, including origami and fan decoration, and information about Japan.
The Ottawa Titans won the game against the Empire State Greys 4-2. Over 2,300 people attended the event.
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| Ambassador YAMANOUCHI and Mayor Sutcliffe with Japanese players from the Ottawa Titans and Empire State Greys | First pitch thrown by Ms. Katsumi, President of OJCC |
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| The flag bearers during the national anthems |
Mr. Séror and Mr. Théophile singing national anthems |
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| Music performance by J-Titans |
Embassy of Japan booth with volunteers from Osaka Gakugei Senior High School |
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| Yosakoi performance | Kendo demonstration | Karate demonstration |