Ambassador Ishikane’s Official Visit to Newfoundland and Labrador

H.E. Kimihiro Ishikane, Ambassador of Japan, and his spouse, Mrs. Kaoru Ishikane, paid an official visit to the province of Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) from September 25th to 27th, 2019. NL is 400,000 square kilometers in area, slightly bigger than Japan, and the population was about 525,000 in 2018. There are around 100 Japanese-Canadians in addition to about 80 Japanese nationals living in NL. Japan imports its rich fishery resources (ex. smelt and shrimp) as well as iron ore pellets and maintains a good relationship with the province.
 
This time, Mr. Osamu Izawa, Consul-General of Japan at Montreal, also paid an official visit to NL with the Ambassador and attended meetings with government officials.
 
On September 26^th, in St. John’s, Ambassador Ishikane paid a courtesy visit to the Honourable Dwight Ball, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, Mr. Scott Reid, Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly of NL, Ms. Sarah Stoodley, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation, Ms. Lori Anne Companion, Deputy Minister, Department of Fisheries and Land Resources, and His Worship Danny Breen, Mayor of St. John’s. He also met with the Honourable David M. Wells, Senator from NL. During the meetings, they exchanged views on how to further strengthen cooperation between Japan and Canada/NL on the occasion of the 90^th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, especially the promotion of business exchange with the CPTPP entering into force, as well as their cultural and economic relations.
 
In addition, Ambassador Ishikane met with Japanese nationals living in NL and with JET Alumni, and visited the Memorial University of NL and its Marine Institute.