The Canada Japan relationship is warm, friendly, respectful, but under developed economically. In 2018 Canadian tourism to Japan tripled to 330,600 but Japanese tourism to Canada declined -50 percent from 507,844 in 2000. Importantly, the number of business trips that Canadians took to Japan decreased by -15 percent over that time to 21,917 in 2018.
Canada and Japan should be natural trading partners and the TPP and EPA may increase that level of trade but Canadians in general do not seem to appreciate the strategic importance of focusing on this.
Increasing bilateral tourism and cultural exchange will hopefully open minds and pave the way for an improved partnership.
What does the future hold for the JCCC in 2019 and beyond?
There are four million people of Japanese descent living outside of Japan with 110,000 in Canada. Of those living in Canada, more than half are fourth generation and of mixed heritage. The JCCC is focused on collaborating with all Nikkei centers globally to share the settlement history and success of the Japanese diaspora in each market that in part contributed to the globalization of everything Japanese.
The JCCC located in Toronto is the largest Japanese cultural center in the world and promotes cultural awareness and heritage history for all generations to come.
