A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE OF THE CANADIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN JAPAN | SUMMER 2015 | VOLUME 15 | ISSUE 01

* WILF WAKELY ON REWORKING THE CCCJ TO BE MORE OPEN AND DEMOCRATIC

Wilf Wakely | Changing Lanes

TheCanadian

WE HAVE A VOICE AND WE’RE LEADING THE WAY FOR CANADA-JAPANRELATIONS*

The Canadian / 03

The Canadian

Get The Canadian in digitalGet it for free at bit.ly/thecanadian

SUMMER 2015 VOLUME 15 ISSUE 01

Chairman Wilf WakelyWakely Foreign Law Officewilf@wakelylaw.com

Vice-Chairman Marc BolducHitachi High Techmarc.bolduc@hitachi-hightech-awc.com

Executive Director Andrew Lambertandrew.lambert@cccj.or.jp

Operations AssociateHikaru Hashimotoadmin@cccj.or.jp

7F Parkside Sepia3-13-10 Nishi-AzabuMinato-ku, TokyoJapan 106-0031

Tel: +81 (0)3 5775-9500Fax: +81 (0)3 5775-9507

www.cccj.or.jpLinkedIn: http://bit.ly/cccjaponFacebook: www.facebook.com/cccjaponTwitter: @cccjaponYouTube: cccjapon

Canadian Chamber of Commerce in JapanLa Chambre de commerce du Canada au JaponThe Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Japan is a private sector, not-for-profit business organization that has, since 1975, promoted the development of commerce between Canada and Japan.

CONTENTS

Member Profile 022 / Event Report 024 / Timeline 026

Datebook 028 / New Members 031 / Business Directory 032

Chamber Voices 034 / Retrography 035

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On the cover: Wilf Wakely, chairman of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Japan (CCCJ) as photographed by Benjamin Parks at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo’s Oak Door restaurant.

05 Chairman’s Perspective 05 Executive Director’s Note

07 Ambassador’s Message09 Brandspotting

010 Advocacy 012 Chamber Insights014 Consumer Trends

016 Cover Story 020 Asia Pacific View

The Canadian / 05

Chairman’s Perspective

CCCJ CHAIRMAN

WE TRULY REPRESENT THE CANADIAN & JAPANESE BUSINESS COMMUNITIESThe Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Japan faces a milestone. This year, myself and Vice-Chairman Marc Bolduc, as well as other members of your board, come to the end of our constitutional limit and will step down. Please take part in our upcoming election in October to maintain the momentum this leadership has developed and the near doubling of our membership over this period.

Over the past four-year term, we’ve truly come to represent both the Canadian and the Japanese business communities.

Your past several boards have worked to include more members in our Chamber and ensure we’re sustainable as an organization by reforming our constitution, bylaws and institutional practices. We’ve removed the citizenship requirement and in many other ways further embraced our absolutely essential Japanese members. Our membership now hovers near 500, representing close to 40 industries—more than half of them Japanese. And we’ve done so strategically, attracting organizations such as jogmec, the Japan ppp/pfi Association, the Overseas Construction Association of Japan and the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry—the last of which represents a membership in excess of 80,000. These groups have in return worked with us on events like the P3 symposium and our energy round-up, and have put us in strategic positions for appealing to new members. We’re proud of the reputation the cccj has earned through initiatives such as as our hosting of the Economic Partnership conferences starting in 2011, our energy events and our public-private partnership projects.

Much of our connectivity is owed to our Honorary Board of Advisors, and on behalf of our Chamber, I would like to personally thank them. We hugely benefit from their support and are grateful for their assistance.

Finally, my message now comes to you in a new format: our magazine, The Canadian, is available in both analog and digital versions, and is soon to be interconnected with the full range of our social media channels.

It gives me a great pleasure to welcome members to the first issue of our Chamber’s revamped and forward-facing quarterly publication, The Canadian. Available in both print and digital formats, it will feature relevant and topical Canada-Japan business content for our members, as well as being an important showcase for CCCJ initiatives, events and advocacy. We hope it will encourage both Canadian and Japanese readers alike to become involved with our Chamber and the Canadian-Japanese business community at large.

As membership for the Canadian Chamber of

Commerce in Japan continues to grow, I’d like to thank all of our associated companies and colleagues, new and old, for their continued support. Also, I would like to extend a special welcome to a new corporate sustaining member, AIU Insurance Company.

I encourage everyone to get active and get involved with the CCCJ this summer. Please engage with our new look publication, our social media groups and attend our events, lectures and seminars. Together, we can help our Chamber continue its growth—and its positive influence on the Canada-Japan business relationship.

Executive Director’s Note

CCCJ EXCECUTIVE DIRECTOR

ANDREW LAMBERT

WILF WAKELY C

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The Canadian / 07

Ambassador’s Message

JULY 1 2015

EFFECTIVE PARTNERS

Dear friends of Canada, I would like to take this

opportunity to congratulate the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Japan (cccj) on the re-launch of The Canadian as a modern print and digital magazine. The cccj is a key partner of the Embassy in advancing Canada’s trade, investment and science and technology interests in Japan and The Canadian is an important resource to deepen these commercial ties. Most appropriately, the inaugural issue of The Canadian is on July 1—Canada Day.

Canada’s economic prosperity, as well as that of Japan, depends on international trade and investment. History has shown that trade and investment are the best ways to create jobs, growth and long-term prosperity. To that end, Canada has successfully concluded negotiations on free trade agreements with 43 countries, including the European Union, South Korea, Mexico and the United States. Canada now enjoys preferred market access to approximately one billion people. In addition, Canada and Japan are also partners in negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement and a bilateral Economic Partnership Agreement, which together will improve market access, enhance cooperation and facilitate trade and investment between our two counties. The cccj has played a key role in advocating for an ambitious and timely conclusion to these negotiations.

One of the key areas of growth in the Canada-Japan relationship has been investment. Traditionally, Japanese companies have invested in Canada’s automotive sector, with Honda and Toyota both having large production facilities in Ontario.

However, recently we have seen significant growth in other areas, including gaming, retailing, agri-food and, perhaps most significantly,

energy. Japanese companies have recognized Canada’s potential to be a stable and economical supplier of energy and have made significant

investments in both the natural gas sector and the oil sands. In fact, Japanese companies have invested over C$6.5 billion in this sector and Canada looks forward to being a partner in helping Japan meet its energy needs.

These companies have chosen Canada because we are a great place to invest. We have a welcoming business environment with many competitive advantages, including strong economic growth, a highly educated workforce, unparalleled access to global markets and low corporate taxes. Furthermore, Canada is also a great place to work and live—it is one of the most multicultural countries in the world, with first-class universities, a universal health care system and clean and friendly cities.

Similarly, numerous Canadian companies have chosen to establish a presence in Japan. They are attracted by the reinvigoration of the Japanese economy through “Abenomics,” its business friendly infrastructure and its sophisticated consumer market. In Japan, Canadian businesses benefit from one of the world’s largest, most dynamic economies, as well as easy access to the Asia-Pacific region. As you can see, the Canada-Japan commercial relationship is strong and vibrant and will only grow further in the years to come.

In closing, I would like to thank the cccj for being such a strong and effective partner as we continue to strengthen the Japan-Canada relationship.

Happy Canada Day! Bonne Fête du Canada!

Yours sincerely, Mackenzie Clugston Ambassador

AMBASSADOR OF CANADA TO JAPAN— Mackenzie Clugston

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The Canadian / 09

Brandspotting

BY VIVIAN MORELLI

FASHION FORWARD

TOKYO TUNDRA— Canada GooseIn the past few years, Tokyoites have been keeping toasty in their down-filled Canada Goose jackets. The different styles of the über warm parkas (named after cities such as Montebello, Whistler or Banff) can be found in Japanese trend meccas such as Tomorrowland and United Arrows Beauty & Youth—who even created a special capsule collection for the Canadian brand. While the industry-leading insulation technology and natural protection provided by its coyote fur-lined hoods may be better suited to the Canadian arctic than mild Tokyo winters, Canada Goose is the ultimate cold weather fashion statement for winter in Japan.

ON LOCATION— Muji Lucky Torontonians finally got to experience the beauty and simplicity of Japanese lifestyle store Muji, which opened in late 2014. The “no brand, quality goods,” store sells items ranging from kitchen appliances, bedding and furniture to clothing, skin care products and a line of food and sweets—all with minimal packaging and stylish design. Muji Toronto is the first Canadian location of the now ubiquitous Japanese chain, and while the nearly 410 square metre space in the Atrium on Bay Street is tiny compared to its Japanese counterparts, it still carries a nice selection of clothes, beauty products, shelf organizers, stationery and linens.

WILDS OF HARAJUKU— Arc’teryxIf you thought Harajuku was only about neon-coloured press-on nails, deconstructed denim and platform sandals, think again. Arc’teryx, the outdoor clothing and sporting goods company founded in North Vancouver, British Columbia in the late ’80s, opened a flagship store in the popular district last May with a sleek storefront on busy Meiji dori. The prime location is an epicentre for fashion brands and the shoppers who love them.

While Arc’teryx previously had small shops in Japan along with sections in larger sporting goods retailers, the Harajuku flagship store is making a strong impact and amplifying the brand’s exposure, sales growth and engagement with local customers. The gear, emblazoned with the earliest known bird logo, produces high-performance outerwear and equipment and is renowned for its unique in-house manufacturing centre.

Who says the Harajuku crowd can’t enjoy a bit of outdoorsy fun?

FASTFASHION— UniqloThe Uniqlo brand of Japan’s Fast Retailing chain is set to open for business in Toronto next autumn—though opening day may not be arriving fast enough for money-conscious Canadian consumers.

The Uniqlo flagship stores are set to open in the Eaton Centre and the Yorkdale Shopping Centre. While we’re confident its Heattech line will do wonders in those Canadian winters, Torontonians will have to be patient and survive one more winter sans Uniqlo.

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010 / The Canadian

POWER HUNGRY JAPAN’S NEW ENERGY TARGETS PAVE THE WAY FOR MORE COOPERATION WITH CANADA

FOUR YEARS AFTER the triple tragedies of March 2011—and following intense deliberation and introspection in Japanese energy circles—the country’s Ministry of Economy, Trade & Industry (meti) cleared its 2030 energy mix targets in May. This is expected to create more certainty around investment decisions by the private sector that could benefit Canada-Japan trade in energy and fuels.

With the third-largest power

sector in the world behind the United States and China, Japan generates revenues of C$185 billion per annum—consuming almost twice as much power as Canada while occupying 25 times less space.

The Japanese power sector spent approximately C$86 billion per annum in fuel procurement in the aftermath of the Fukushima nuclear accident—mainly coal, liquefied natural gas (lng) and oil—when all of

Japan’s 48 nuclear power stations were switched off. This moved Japan’s trade position into deficit for the first time in decades and necessitated electricity rate increases of up 30 per cent and made Japanese power rates among the most expensive in the world. Now targeted for extensive deregulation as part of the “third arrow” of the Japanese prime minister’s far-reaching “Abenomics” program to stimulate the economy after decades of stagnation,

Advocacy

ENERGY TARGETSBY TOM O’SULLIVAN

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The liquid natural gas tanker Golar Frost. Photo: Lens Envy via Flickr

The Canadian / 011

Advocacy

ENERGY TARGETS A

JAPAN’S NEW ENERGY TARGETS PAVE THE WAY FOR MORE COOPERATION WITH CANADA

the sector is expected to be completely deregulated by the time Tokyo hosts the 2020 Olympics Games.

NUCLEAR POWERAs part of the 2030 plan, Japan is planning to reintroduce nuclear power and may seek to restart four or five nuclear reactors in 2015. Reactors in Sendai in Kyushu Prefecture and Ikata in Shikoku Prefecture have recently been cleared for restart by Japan’s Nuclear Regulatory Authority.

Nuclear power, however, is a very contentious issue following the Fukushima accident in 2011. There is significant local opposition to the restarts, some of which have been challenged successfully through the courts and are now subject to appeal. As well, Japan’s seismic vulnerability makes siting power facilities particularly problematic—several of its existing nuclear plants have been reassessed and found to be sitting on active seismic faults.

RENEWABLE ENERGYIn its new mix, Japan plans to increase its renewable energy targets to 25 per cent of overall power requirements and to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 26 per cent. Meanwhile, the European Union is looking to decrease its co2 emissions by 40 per cent versus 1990 levels. Japan’s targets represent only an 18 per cent cut from 1990 levels and some environmental groups don’t consider them aggressive enough—targets that were discussed at the recent g7 meeting in Germany in which Canada and Japan both participated.

PNW LNGSignificant progress, however, has been made on the development and export of cleaner lng from British Columbia and a further strengthening of coal trade as Japan seeks to diversify its fuel sources in this regard. In recent months, b.c. Premier Christy Clark (pictured, below) enacted favorable

tax legislation in the province and signed an agreement with the Pacific Northwest (pnw) consortium—led by Malaysia’s Petronas—to develop an lng export facility at Lelu Island near Prince Rupert.

One of Japan’s premier oil and gas companies, Japan Exploration Petroleum co. (japex), is an early and significant investor in the pnw lng project that is expected to cost roughly C$47 billion.

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONMeanwhile, increased international penetration of renewable energy, cheaper coal and lower global oil prices have brought down lng prices, affecting the commercial returns on

those investments. Russia and China are currently planning to build two new gas pipelines to transport Russian gas into China, reducing the Asian need for North American lng. And one of Japan’s largest gas companies is proposing the construction of a pipeline from Russia’s gas-rich Sakhalin Island to the islands of Hokkaido and Honshu, a move that could also weaken demand.

Canada’s share of the global lng trade is currently zero, so its federal and provincial governments are making every effort to build out their international gas business beyond exports to the United States. Japan remains the world’s largest importer of lng and hosts one of the most extensive lng receiving infrastructures on the planet. It’s not hard to envision the benefits for both countries.

OTHER OPTIONSOther possible areas Canada-Japan energy investments include hydropower (Canada is the world’s largest producer), biomass, carbon capture and storage (ccs), solar power, onshore and offshore wind power and more. We may also see significant Japanese interest in the exploration and development of oil and gas resources in the Canadian Arctic in the years ahead.

Tom O’Sullivan is the founder of Mathyos Energy Japan, an independent energy consultancy. www.mathyos.com

Japan consumes almost twice as much power as Canada while occupying 25 times less space”

B.C. Premier Christy Clark signed an MOU with the Japan Oil Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC) at the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo on May 16, 2012.

012 / The Canadian

Beyond The BilateralCANADA & JAPAN SHOULD LEAD IN A REVITALIZED G7

Chamber Insights

TRADE AGENDABY CAM VIDLER

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That was the message from the recent g7 meeting in Germany, where leaders presented a united front on wide-rang-ing issues—from trade and economic growth to climate change and the crisis in Ukraine. It was a rare moment of opti-mism amid an otherwise steady erosion of the international order to which our policymakers and business leaders have grown accustomed.

As rising powers expose cracks in the system and develop institutions of their own, the g7 will only grow in importance. The countries in this privileged club will need to think less about what they can get from each other, and more about how they will work together to stay relevant and manage the enormous challenges ahead.

Canada and Japan are a case in point. A lot of ink has been spilled on the poten-tial for oil and gas exports to Japan and the status of the two countries’ bilateral trade negotiations—both of which have

yet to really get off the ground. Yet there are many other ways to align interests and collaborate towards common goals.

Take the Trans-Pacific Partnership, for instance. Involving 40 per cent of the world economy, this is the biggest op-portunity for global trade liberalization in over twenty years. With u.s. Congress poised to pass a trade bill granting Pres-ident Obama the authority he needs to conclude a final deal, all eyes are on Can-ada and Japan, which share sensitivities in the agriculture sector. How Canada responds will affect the ambition of the agreement, and ultimately, its value as a template for future trade arrangements in the Pacific and around the world.

Energy and climate change is anoth-er promising area. Canada and Japan both committed to the g7’s goal of being carbon-free by the year 2100. However, as Japan’s leading energy exporter in the group, Canada adds nuance to the dis-cussion. Canada should be cooperating in the un climate process to help set am-bitious targets for greenhouse gas reduc-tions, encouraging other nations to boost energy efficiency and put a price on car-bon—but it should also seek guarantees

for the sustainable production and trade of fossil fuels in the interim.

Canada should be at the forefront of efforts to bridge the infrastructure invest-ment gap in Asia. Japan has announced new funds for the Asian Development Bank, while Canada is set to launch its own development finance initiative that can support projects in the region. Cana-da’s pension funds and insurance compa-nies are co-investing with their Japanese counterparts, as seen with the joint ven-ture between the Ontario Municipal Em-ployees Retirement System (omers) and the Japan Government Pension Invest-ment Fund last year. By sharing expertise and ensuring responsible financing prac-tices, we can both tackle the development challenges and position our businesses to compete in the region.

The bilateral trade agenda that Can-ada and Japan have set out over the past few years has its merits and should con-tinue to be a top priority. But Canada’s cooperation should also extend to pro-tecting and strengthening the interna-tional system it built together with its g7 allies. If Canada doesn’t work to shape the rules—other countries will.

In uncertain times, it’s your friends

that count.

Business leaders from G7 countries stand united at the B7 Summit in Berlin. Monique Leroux (centre), CEO of Desjardins Group, headed the Canadian Chamber of Commerce delegation. Sadayuki Sakakibara, chairman of Nippon Keidanren, represented Japan. Photo Credit: BDI / Christian Kruppa

Sadayuki Sakakibara, chairman of Nippon Keidanren.Photo Credit: BDI / Christian Kruppa

Cam Vidler is the director of international policy for the Canadian Chamber of

Commerce. www.chamber.ca

Sadayuki Sakakibara, chairman of Nippon Keidanren.Photo Credit: BDI / Christian Kruppa

The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada recently released the 2015 version of its National Opinion Poll, a study that cov-ers Canadian public opinion towards trade and investment with various na-tions in the region.

This year’s study showed that Cana-dians were very favourable to increased trade and investment with Japan. Japan received approval from 78% of respond-ents. This result places Japan one point above the United States’ 77%, making

Japan the most favourable Asia Pacific country with which Canadians want to further develop economic ties.

Respondents had the opportunity to select reasons for optimism or pes-simism for all the states covered in the study. Canadians chose 65% of the time to value Japanese economic ties because they believed it would lead to “new tech-nologies.” Additionally, many respond-ents believed a strong relationship with Japan could “increase trade”, provide

“economic growth”, lead to “job creation, and “improve competitiveness” of the Canadian economy.

All Japan-related responses are worth exploring further, but the revelation that Canadians overwhelmingly believe that Japan could provide Canada with new technologies is particularly important. The admiration of Japanese technolo-gy falls much in line with the findings of FutureBrands’ Country Brand Index 2014-15.

SMARTPHONES & INTUITIVE HOMES

JAPAN SHOULD CAPITALIZE ON ITS TECHNOLOGICAL BRAND STRENGTH IN CANADA

Consumer Trends

INPUTBY TREVOR KENNEDY

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014 / The Canadian

Connect

FutureBrand found that Japan was the top national brand in the world be-cause of a perception that it is a leader in advanced technologies. In response to the question, “What is Japan most expert at?” the Country Brand Index had 78% of respondents answering that Japan’s strength is “technology.” The following five most common answers—out of 15 possible answers—were, “consumer electronics,” “automotive,” “household appliances,” “transportation,” and “inter-net services.” It is not until the 7th most common selection that you find an an-swer unrelated to technology—“fashion.”

Officials within the Japanese gov-ernment must be pleased with such positive results in the aforementioned studies. They demonstrate success in efforts to create synonymy between Jap-anese products and quality. The results also vindicate the often-criticised “Cool Japan” initiative.

Japan’s strength is even more impres-sive when considering how strong it has performed against its peers in the Asia Pacific. In the National Opinion Poll, Ja-pan enjoys a sizable lead over South Ko-

rea with an approval of 67%, India with 59%, and China with 42%. In the County Brand Index, the gap between these Asia Pacific states is even more pronounced. South Korea placed 20th, China 28th, and India 50th.

The policy opportunities for Japan in light of its positive perception are plenti-ful. For one, the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada report shows that the Cana-dian public has an appetite for more Japanese products and for more invest-ment in Canada. This is a timely result, as in recent years, many Japanese firms have reinvented themselves, by shift-ing away from consumer electronics, to more transportation, infrastructure, and more lucratively, household products. Panasonic, Toto, etc. have developed smart home product lines for domestic consumers that could prove to be a hit in Canada and elsewhere if they take advantage of Japan’s recent brand popu-larity in tandem with aging populations in the west—in need of comfortable, consumer-friendly, quality household goods. Western consumers are also in-

creasingly interested in smart applianc-es, with smart phone connectivity and energy saving properties. Apple’s recent HomeKit line is intended to situate Ap-ple ahead of the forthcoming smart home trend—an area where Japanese firms already have a significant leg up over non-Japanese rivals.

A new trade and investment boom between Canada-Japan could help the Japanese government in its efforts to rebuild its economy. Japan should take full advantage of the strength of its brand in Canada and elsewhere in the world. Canadians could likewise benefit from household energy saving technol-ogies and with homes better fit for an era when appliances, automobiles, and consumer electronics will be expected to be connected and integrated to own-ers’ smartphones. Japan—with a strong perception of the quality of its technol-ogies—is well positioned to benefit from coming consumer trends.

Consumer Trends

OUTPUT C

JAPAN SHOULD CAPITALIZE ON ITS TECHNOLOGICAL BRAND STRENGTH IN CANADA

Trevor Kennedy is an M.A. candidate in Asia Pacific policy studies at the University of British Columbia. He writes on various policy-related issues in Northeast Asia on his blog, Asia Pacific Policy (asiapacificpolicy.wordpress.com). Follow him on Twitter: @TreverPKennedy

The Canadian / 015

13%

78%43%

49%

25%

3%

12%

2%

9%

1%

8%

1%

77%

67%

59%

42%

14%

22%

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Japan NewTechnolo-

gies

IncreasedTrade

EconomicGrowth

JobCreation

ImprovedCompeti-tiveness

Oppose In Favour Mean Estimate Statscan

UnitedStates

SouthKorea

India China JapanUnitedStates

SouthKorea

IndiaChina

66%

39% 39%

30%28%

Base: All respondents (n=1.548)Q3: If a foreign company wanted to make an investment in Canada, would you favour or oppose investment if the company were from...

Canadians support foreign direct investment, under the right circumstances

13%

78%43%

49%

25%

3%

12%

2%

9%

1%

8%

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67%

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42%

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22%

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Japan NewTechnolo-

gies

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EconomicGrowth

JobCreation

ImprovedCompeti-tiveness

Oppose In Favour Mean Estimate Statscan

UnitedStates

SouthKorea

India China JapanUnitedStates

SouthKorea

IndiaChina

66%

39% 39%

30%28%

Base: All respondents (n=1.548)Q4: Which are the top three terms or phrases you would use to describe investment from Japan?Please select three, placing them in the order of how strongly you associate the term or phrase with investment fom Japan. For example, your first choice is the term or phrase you most strongly associate with investment from Japan.

Canadians associate investment from Japan with positive terms

13%

78%43%

49%

25%

3%

12%

2%

9%

1%

8%

1%

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67%

59%

42%

14%

22%

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Japan NewTechnolo-

gies

IncreasedTrade

EconomicGrowth

JobCreation

ImprovedCompeti-tiveness

Oppose In Favour Mean Estimate Statscan

UnitedStates

SouthKorea

India China JapanUnitedStates

SouthKorea

IndiaChina

66%

39% 39%

30%28%

Base: All respondents (n=1.548)Q2: Many foreign companies make investments in Canada’s economy. In your best estimate, what percentage of foreign direct investment in Canada is owned by companies that come from each of the following countries.Source: Official foreign direct investment data adapted from the Statistics Canada CANSIM database. Year displayed 2013. Date accessed: 15-05-2015.

Canadians overestimate how much foreign direct investment in Canada is owned by companies from China

016 / The Canadian

The Canadian / 017

ChangingLanes

HOW A KID FROM VANCOUVER FOUND FAME, FORTUNE AND A HOME IN THE LAND OF THE RISING SUN.

I first met Wilf Wakely at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Japan (cccj) Maple Leaf Ball in 2012. I was standing at the back of the room. I didn’t really know anyone at the time and I was keeping to myself. A gentleman walked over, thanked me for coming and introduced himself. Within two minutes we were laughing and joking as if we were old high school chums. A larger-than-life character who has an uncanny way of connecting with people. As I think back to that first meeting, these are the quintessential characteristics that have allowed him to not just make a life here in Japan, but to flourish.

He’s a person the Japanese would call a “mood maker,” and his story in Japan is an epic one. Those that know him, of course, will have heard it all before. But as with all good tales—and as he gets ready to pass the torch after four years as chair of the cccj—it may be worth telling again.

Kieron Cashell sat down with Wakely to revisit the yarn, learn more about his goals with the Chamber and why he champions public-private partnerships in Japan.

PICTURE PERFECTWilf Wakely was 15 years old when he made his way to Japan with five other friends aboard a 4,000 tonne Showa shipping line freighter. It was 1965 and he and his companions were to spend a summer at a ymca camp in Lake Nojiri

in the town of Shinano, Nagano Prefecture. “Back then, Japan looked like a story

book,” Wakely recalls. “It was enchanting, and it enchanted the hell out of me—and it has continued to enchant me ever since.”

He returned to Vancouver after and completed high school. Upon graduating, he decided to travel once again. He booked passage with a friend on another freighter and steamed back to Japan—only this time the intention was to live and work there. It was just one year before Expo ’70, the first world’s fair held in Japan. The plan? Simple: He was going to learn a few phrases of Japanese and apply to work at the Canada pavilion. Unfortunately, Ottawa rejected his mail-in application, so he settled in Osaka and—like many Canadians who land on these shores—began to teach English.

Wakely was fascinated with the Japanese. He absorbed the local dialect and the culture. He mingled.

When a date rang one night and cancelled on him because of work, he offered to pick her up after she finished. She said ok and gave him directions to her job at a radio station.

“I thought it would be like in Canada: one room, a DJ and a technician,” he says. “But it turned out to be the Mainichi Broadcasting System radio station, a huge building with massive sound studios and 2,000 people working there. I walked in and started opening

GoingNationalWilf Wakely, known as “The Canadian Gaijin,” did a series of comedic television commercials for Matsushita to advertise its brand of National refrigerators in the early 1980s. Check out some classic clips at the CCCJ website. www.cccj.or.jp

Cover Story

BY KIERON CASHELL • PHOTOS BENJAMIN PARKS

CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD C

018 / The Canadian

doors looking for my date. I opened one door and there was a live show happening with a full studio audience.”

HIS OWN WORDS“On the stage was the famous comedian, Katsura Sanshi. He saw me—the foreigner standing in the doorway—and called me onto the stage and started speaking to me in really strong Osaka-ben (dialect). I guess they thought it would be funny. At that time not many gaijin (foreigners) spoke Japanese—certainly not the local dialect—but I understood perfectly. I’d learned in my neighborhood: everyday I would visit my local sento (public bath house) and met

other regulars and we would go out afterwards to the local bars. I didn’t understand that this was a regional thing—I just thought this was how people spoke in Japan.

“When I got on stage Sanshi said to me something like, ‘Mo sabu narimashita na? (It’s become very cold, hasn’t it)?’ I answered, ‘Seiya, seiya. Keito no pachi naeiharumuka? (Yes, are you wearing long underwear)?’ which is what the locals used to say to each other as a winter greeting. The whole studio erupted. They were clapping and howling—they loved it.

“Then came the commercial break. I went to walk out and keep searching for my date,

but the producer ran up and asked me to come back next week. ‘We’ll pay you!’

“I was fairly broke at the time, so I said ok and I did the show the next week—and then every week after. So, when 1970 and the expo came around, I was pretty well-known in Japan. Anyway, the our government came to me and asked if they could get a Canadian celebrity on the show. I said, ‘Well, I’d like to work at the pavilion so maybe we can make a deal.’”

BIG IN JAPANAfter the expo and the radio show, Wakely moved to tv. He was approached to star in a series of commercials for Matsushita to advertise the latest National refrigerators.

“Usually a ‘housewife’ would be better suited for this,” he says. “Not a long-haired foreigner speaking Osaka-ben, pulling frozen fish from the icebox and making gags.” Unexpectedly, the series of commercials went viral and overnight—quite literally—everyone in Japan knew “The Canadian Gaijin.” The series won a nationwide advertising festival award and made Wakely a household name.

DID YOU HEAR THE ONE ABOUT THE LAWYER AND THE AMBASSADOR?With the money he earned, Wakely put himself through university. His father, and then his shisho (mentor), Yokoyama Nok, a very famous comedian-turned-politician at the time, advised him to get out of show business and “make something of his life.”

He studied at the Law School of the University of British Columbia where he acquired a lifelong interest in Japanese law and legal sociology. After graduating, he was hired by a local Vancouver firm but once again felt Japan calling. He convinced them that he needed to go back to Japan to really experience “what it was like to have Japanese clients.” He talked his way into working with a practice called Nishimura Sanada (later to become tmi Associates).

“I spent two years there until one day the Embassy of Canada called. They were supposed to have a public affairs guy start who spoke Japanese, but he had let them down, so they thought given my media background that I’d be a good fit.”

He took the job and became the first secretary running public affairs, press and media. Wakely went on to act as in-house counsel to the embassy redevelopment project that resulted in the present-day Canadian Embassy complex in Aoyama Itchome.

Cover Story

One time, I really didn’t know how to translate

the ambassador’s joke, so I turned to the crowd and said in the thickest

Osaka accent I could muster: ‘Ladies and

gentleman, the ambassador has just said something

incredibly funny, so please laugh your heads off!”

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“One of my responsibilities was to interpret for the ambassador. In my case, I was warned not to use my Osaka dialect, so I would try very hard to speak proper, neutral Japanese. One ambassador was a big, impressive man. At the end of every speech he would tell a joke—I never knew what it was going to be—and I found it really difficult to translate Canadian humour about Newfoundland or other nuances. One time, I really didn’t know how to translate his joke, so I turned to the crowd and said in the thickest Osaka accent I could muster: ‘Ladies and gentleman, the ambassador has just said something incredibly funny, so please laugh your heads off!’ The audience exploded and clapped and the ambassador turned to me and said, ‘Great, we’ll use that one next time!’”

PITCHING INWakely returned to Canada to work as a lawyer, until the British Columbia government asked if he would represent the province in Japan. “They asked me if I would like to go to Osaka or Kobe and I chose the latter—it being a nice safe place.” It was not even mid-way through the decade. Shortly after he arrived—on January 17, 1995—the Kobe, or Great Hanshin, earthquake occurred.

Witnessing the fires and the devastation first hand left its mark. Wakely started thinking about the Canadian aerospace company Bombardier and its water bombers used back

home to battle large forest fires. “If Japan had even six of those planes, they

could deliver as much water as 600 regular fire trucks to any site that would ordinarily be inaccessible after an earthquake,” he says. “One of the things we want to do as a chamber is promote public-private partnerships (ppp,) a style of finance that helps governments get the funding they need for projects from the private sector. It’s something that I would personally love to introduce as an insurance policy for all prefectures in this situation.” To that end, Wakely has just published an article in the journal of the Kokusai Shojiho Kenkyusho (Japanese Institute of International Business Law) on p3 strategies. There will also be an event at the Embassy of Canada (itself a ppp project) in the first week of October this year.

Cover Story

Q&AWill you stay involved with the Chamber after your term is up?

- Yes. One of the great things we introduced was an honorary board of advisors. We have 12 members now and there is no organization or person that we can’t reach between us. So I would like to join the board of advisors and help make sure that this resource is properly used and available to the next chairperson and the Chamber.

What kind of person would you like to see succeed you?

- We need someone who is truly dedicated and who will invest themselves into the Chamber. It’s a demanding position—particularly of time—but the Chamber experience is a very worthwhile one. I would also like to see a strong first chair come forward and help the chairperson lead the CCCJ into its next chapter. I see these candidates coming from chairs of the various committees we have, people who already have that experience in leadership.

What advice would you give to members to get the most out of their Chamber membership?

- Get past the idea that it’s just a place for social events. Sign-up for a committee and get involved. Participate and volunteer—inevitably you will grow your network and your own wealth of experience. Get noticed! As the chamber expands and you interact with the community at large, they will notice you, too. The more you put in, the more you’ll get out!

Anyone interested in standing for the election can do so by contacting the CCCJ office and lodging a candidacy. More details available here: www.cccj.or.jp/en/resources/constitution-and-laws

020 / The Canadian

Asia Pacific View

BY JOSEPH CARON

PROACTIVE PACIFISM

MR. ABE GOES TO WASHINGTON

CANADIANS SHOULD PAY ATTENTION TO JAPAN’S NEW DEFENCE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE U.S.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s three-day visit to Washington in May will be seen as one of the more consequential diplomatic events of 2015.

Its results, in matters of defence, ex-pand the effective scope of the United

States-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooper-ation and Security. As a reset imposed by new geopolitical realities, it deserves a great deal of attention. As Asia Pacific tectonic plates continue to shift, their import needs to be understood by Cana-

dians and their government.Canadian and Western attention to

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s three-year-old government has focused on efforts to revitalize a lagging domestic economy. There has been somewhat less attention

A

President Barack Obama talks with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe prior to an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) working lunch at the International Convention Centre in Beijing, China, Nov. 11, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

The Canadian / 021

paid to Abe’s foreign policy, except when disputes with China and Korea over con-tested islands are seen to be getting out of hand.

In fact, since retaking power, Abe has been Japan’s diplomat-in-chief as he pur-sues a fundamental shift in the country’s place in the world. While the u.s. -Japan alliance was the guarantor of Japanese defence and security, Japan’s diplomacy was often described as omni-directional, meaning that it followed Japan’s econom-ic interests, seemingly wherever they led.

Abe, however, is taking sides. The new language and direction is “proac-tive pacifism,” which commits Japan to a policy of “proactively contributing to peace based on the principle of interna-tional co-operation,” as a cabinet paper puts it. This has multiple implications.

Now, in a new world defined by a ris-en China, an obstreperous Russia, an uncertain Europe and a u.s. that sees its great power increasingly matched by oth-er large players, Japan’s government has concluded that the post-war period is in-deed over and fundamental change to its foreign policies is in order.

It is in Japan’s National Security Strat-egy that change is most evident. Abe and his cabinet have chosen to adopt the United Nations principle of the right to collective self-defence.

This is the game changer for Japan and, arguably, for the Asia Pacific region, because it opens the possibility of direct Japanese engagement in support of its allies and friends, starting with the Unit-ed States. Until this change, Japanese naval vessels at sea and in areas of con-flict could not defend u.s. vessels under attack; Japanese peacekeepers could not return fire against those shooting non-Japanese peacekeepers; and, Japa-nese missile defence systems provided by the United States could not attempt to destroy missiles aimed at u.s. assets.

Abe is giving substance to the princi-ple of collective security by introducing several institutional changes. But it is in its defence and security relationship with the United States that all of these matters take on new geopolitical dimensions.

On April 27, in tandem with Abe’s visit, u.s. and Japanese foreign and defence ministers formally signed a new set of defence co-operation guidelines, direct-ly anchoring Abe’s foreign and security policy to President Obama’s “rebalance” towards Asia.

Under the new remit, the u.s. and Japan will establish new, whole-of-gov-ernment, alliance co-ordination and planning mechanisms; expand mandates for peacekeeping operations, maritime security, and logistic support; introduce new ones on the security of cyberspace and outer space, and so forth. In most respects, this is consistent with expected modernization of bilateral security co-op-eration that serves to protect the Japanese islands and surrounding seas.

Whereas the 1997 guidelines ex-panded the co-operative security zone to “areas surrounding Japan,” their new iteration is much more expansive. As u.s. Secretary of State John Kerry said, the new guidelines, “open new areas of military co-operation, both in the Asia-Pacific and around the globe.”

Abe’s revolution in defence and se-curity policy has met with unease and some opposition within Japan, and in-deed, would have gotten nowhere were it not for the in-your-face impact of Chi-na’s muscle-flexing in the East and South China seas.

A deeper game is also at play. For the United States, however much it val-ues Japan’s commitment to expanded

co-operation on matters of defence, what it most wants to see is a Japanese “Asia strategy” that includes effective and ongoing working arrangements with the governments of China—Amer-ica’s geostrategic competitor—and Ko-rea, that other significant u.s. ally in northeast Asia.

All the military power in the world won’t guarantee peace and security in East Asia if China’s rise is not acknowl-edged and accepted or the trip-wires in the Korean peninsula are not effectively managed.

The same goes with the management of “history,” the short-form reference to 70 post-war years of debate within Ja-pan’s elite—for the average Japanese, there is no debate—of the true legacy of Japan’s conquest and brutal colonization of Korea, its aggression against China by an out-of-control military, and its post-war treatment of its victims. However small in number, too many well-known figures, some with close ties to Abe, con-tinue to deny indisputable facts about the history of Japan’s war on Asia.

Abe’s speech to Congress on April 29 addressed the issue, but using very mild language: “Our actions brought suffer-ing to the peoples in Asian countries. We must not avert our eyes from that.” That he did not include code words such as “aggression,” “colonial rule” or “remorse” did, as expected, provoke the Chinese and Korean governments.

In both geophysics and geopolitics, tectonic shifts, which never entirely cease, are not noticed—until they are. The new u.s. -Japan security posture will not be visible to most people until cir-cumstances and perceived threats bring them to the fore. But this shift is real and redefines the strategic environment in the Asia-Pacific region.

This should interest Canadians and their government. As a country wide-ly engaged in the region, we should ask ourselves if a comprehensive Asia-Pa-cific strategy with clear security dimen-sions would not better place us to judge the impact of strategic evolution in the region on our national interests.

Joseph Caron is the former Ambassador of Canada to Japan, an honorary professor with the Institute of Asian Research at the University of British Columbia and a

distinguished fellow with the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada.

Asia Pacific View

Abe’s revolution in defence and security policy has met with unease and some opposition within Japan”

022 / The Canadian 022 / The Canadian

That wasn’t part of her job description. “I wanted to please my boss,” she says, recounting the early days of her nearly decade-long career at the Japanese sub-sidiary of Ottawa-based company Te-chInsights Inc. She reluctantly decided to make it a routine after he had asked her a few times to bring him a cup of coffee. At the time, she was the only fe-male employee at the six-person office in Tokyo, where she worked as a sales and marketing coordinator. What irritat-ed her even more than being a personal barista was the degrading expression he repetitively used to scold his male sales staff about their performance.

“You aren’t a woman or a child. You are a man. So you should do a better job,” Sudoh recalls him saying. She sup-pressed her anger and said nothing.

Eventually, though, she reached her breaking point.When he uttered those words again one day to his salesman during after-work drinks with colleagues and implicated women as inherently inferior than men, she could no longer hold back.

“You say you don’t need any women. You don’t think women are competent. But look at yourself,” she lashed out at

Member Profile

BY YUMI OTAGAKI

WOMEN IN BUSINESSM

Leaving The Java

BehindSERVING A CUP OF COFFEE TO HER

JAPANESE MANAGER EVERY MORNING MADE YUKO SUDOH GRUMPY.

The Canadian / 023The Canadian / 023

her boss. “You are depending on me!”“Why are you so angry?” He couldn’t

immediately understand why she was upset. “I’m just an old-school man.”

Although he later apologized to her, he kept using the expression in the of-fice. And each time Sudoh called him out and told him to stop using it. It took her five years to finally rid him of his bad habit. Needless to say, she no longer serves him coffee every morning.

Even though Japanese female em-ployees may no longer be required to serve coffee or more traditional tea to male managers and coworkers, Japan’s persisting gender prejudice is still hin-dering women’s success in business. For instance, Sudoh’s company head-quarters suggested she become the sales manager in Japan, but at the same time, she says: “The Japan head office was concerned that female sales managers may not be well received by its Japanese manufacturing clients.”

Still, the Japan subsidiary where she worked—where all employees were Jap-anese—operated based on traditional values and hierarchy. Although she cor-responded with the Canadian headquar-ters daily and visited Ottawa once a year, she hoped for a more international of-fice environment, one where she could have face-to-face communication with foreign co-workers every day.

By chance, she happened to pick up an envelope from the Canadian Cham-ber of Commerce Japan (cccj), which her manager had discarded. Inside was a letter soliciting membership. It piqued her interest and she asked her manager if she could join, he told her to get approval from their Canadian headquarters.

With the headquarters’ permission, TechInsights Japan joined the cccj about five years ago. Sudoh became an active member of the chamber and served on the event committee. In 2014, she was elected to be a governor repre-senting the chamber.

Her motivation for involvement with the cccj was to gain understanding of Canadian corporate culture by inter-acting with Canadian members, which

would help her do her job. As sales and marketing coordinator, she is in regular contact with Ottawa-based engineers to arrange quotes and reports on patents for her Japanese clients.

Sudoh also wanted to become a con-fident communicator in an environment where information was not passed along based on hierarchy.

“I call our company’s president on a first-name basis. And I can talk to him directly,” she says.

And since her Japan office received visitors from Canada every couple of months, she wanted to feel at ease with meeting with them, she adds.

While she spent six months in Toron-to in her early 20s to study English and worked at a seafood trading company as a secretary for six months in Campbell River, British Columbia, her business interaction with the locals was limited. At the office, she mostly acted as a trans-lator between the company’s Japanese owner and the community fishermen.

Meanwhile, the cccj has also ena-bled her to expand her business network and meet people she would never have otherwise had the chance to meet. For instance, once she was introduced to Ja-pan’s Ambassador to Canada and visited him with her company’s vice-president while on a business trip to Ottawa.

“I had never met the Japanese am-bassador. I am glad we have joined thecccj,” the executive said to her.

As a cccj governor, Sudoh has made it her mission to recruit new Japanese members. She actively networks and maintains contact with prospective members who come to the cccj’s many events. She is currently in talks with two companies to have them join the cham-ber, she says.

At the cccj events, Sudoh has met many Japanese who expressed a passion and love for Canada. One of them even introduced her to the Japan Association for Canada Certification (jacc), a To-kyo-based npo that developed Canada Kentei, or Canada Certification. This is the organization that created the exams that test knowledge about Canada such as politics, history, economy, geography

and culture in order to promote under-standing of Canada among Japanese.

On a previous test, for example, one of the challenging questions included naming the first Canadian recipient of a Nobel Prize, she says. (It was Sir Fred-erick Banting, who won the Nobel Prize in medicine, 1923, for the discovery of insulin.)

Sudoh herself has so far earned the grade three and plans to pursue the grade two, the highest grade available to date, this year. She took the test to bet-ter understand her Canadian colleagues through learning about the environment and culture in which they grew up. Many of those who take part in the exam are enthusiasts of Canada, who have stud-ied or worked in Canada, she says. The association also organizes certification presentation ceremonies followed by an after-party where participants can min-gle with fellow certificate holders.

Besides working to level up on the tests, she also attends the association’s meetings. “I go and try to recruit new members for the chamber,” she con-cedes. “I enjoy work that connects me with people.”

I call our company’s president on a first-name basis. And I can talk to him directly”

Member Profile

YUKO SUDOH M

024 / The Canadian

Report

PHOTOS CONAN MORIMOTO

Jeffrey SimpsonThere was an atmosphere of good humour at the cccj’s Roppongi Hills Club luncheon on April 16 when Jeffrey Simpson, national affairs columnist at The Globe and Mail and recipient of several prestigious awards including the Governor-General’s award for non-fiction book writing, took the stage for an informal talk.

Among the cccj members present were Murase Haruo (Chairman, Committee on Canada, Keidanren) and Sadaaki Numata, former Japanese Ambassador to Canada and Chairman, h.b.a., cccj. Other prominent figures included government officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Japan (mofa) and the Embassy of Canada to Tokyo, as well as representatives from the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta and Quebec.

The event started with a brief introduction by cccj President Wilf Wakely, followed by a few words by Ambassador Numata. Simpson then proceeded with his address, beginning with a friendly anecdote concerning Numata’s unusual music ability.

“How many Japanese can actually sing 18th and 19th century French Canadian folk songs in impeccable French?” he asked, in a near-native Quebec accent. Although on vacation, the media icon happily agreed to discuss Canada’s foreign, trade and energy policies and forthcoming election.

On Canada-Japan relations, Simpson stressed that,

as consistently shown by Pew Research Center surveys, “attitudes in Canada towards Japan have been very positive for a long period of time.” This bodes well for further cooperation between the two countries and the currently unfolding Economic Partnership Agreement (epa) negotiation. As Simpson put it: “If a Canadian government wanted to do something forcible and aggressive with Japan in a positive way, the wind [...] would be at that government’s back.”

He warned, however, that despite Canada’s strong ties with Japan, the Canadian government would need to pay more attention to the country—and its particular attitudes—if it wishes to expand its Asian trade and market opportunities.

Conversely, too much attention is paid to China, though prevailing Canadian public attitudes towards the People’s Republic are generally unfavourable, as revealed by Pew surveys. So it comes as no surprise, said Simpson, “that our government’s attitude towards China has waxed and waned.” When the Chinese proposed the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (aiib) initiative, “the Americans were quick to lobby their traditional allies not to join.” Japan declined, but Canada still hasn’t issued a clear opinion, which in Simpson’s view means “no”—without actually meaning no in a formal way.

NATIONAL AFFAIRSR

LUNCH WITH THE AWARD-WINNING CANADIAN JOURNALIST

The Canadian / 025

Report

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

On the free-trade agreement with Korea, brought into force last January, Simpson maintained Canada was “late for the party,” owing to the auto industry’s lobbying against its implementation. The Americans got there first, he said, though Canada did eventually strike a deal with South Korea, now the country’s seventh biggest trading partner and its third largest in Asia.

Simpson also touched on the signing of other agreements, such as the Canada-European Free Trade Association (efta) and the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (ceta)—the latter of which has yet to be ratified.

A more serious negotiation, according to Simpson, is the Trans-Pacific Partnership (tpp). Despite the u.s. push for a tpp conclusion, Simpson believes the Canadian

government’s tactic in the lead-up to the October election is to “rag the puck.” He mentioned that the similar challenges Japan and Canada are facing with regards to supply management are attributable to the sensitivity of a few agricultural products, namely rice (for the Japanese) and dairy products and poultry for Canadians.

“Whether we’re able to carve these exemptions out within the tpp is something I’m sure is desired by both governments.” He added he doesn’t know whether the tpp will come to a head or not before the election.

Simpson also identified some of the energy challenges facing our government and explained that, while finding markets isn’t a problem, satisfying environmental regulations and aspirations is a major national issue. With the onset of climate change, the matter has taken on an international dimension.

If the country’s natural resources abound, Simpson asserted “[interest and environmental] groups can make life very difficult for any project to go forward.” So, while there may not be a supply shortage, getting bitumen oil to the coasts or building liquefied natural gas (lng) pipelines to the coast of b.c. remains a challenge.

Even as more chiefs are opening up to the idea of building coastal pipelines, Simpson cautioned that many still would rather lead a more traditional way of life and subsist on a marginal economy. He added that, notwithstanding strong political support, potential lawsuits and injunctions from aboriginals, environmental groups and others rebuffing development are bound to decelerate progress in the energy sector. Nevertheless, out of 19 projects, a couple are forecast to commence in 2021 and 2023, though no final investment decisions have been made yet by the principals.

“The question for us is: Do we have time?” he asked, pointing out that there are other keen suppliers, like Australia and Russia. “The world isn’t sitting there waiting for Canada to decide; the world will decide. And then, we’ll see whether Canada has decided if it’s time to be part of the decisions.”

When asked to divulge his winning predictions about Canada’s 42nd general election coming up on October 19, with a hint of humour Simpson declared: “I can summarize the situation very simply by saying: I haven’t got a clue who’ll win.” While he the Conservatives currently hold a majority, he thinks they’ll need about 40 per cent of the vote to win. He also believes the Liberals are likely to make gains, though perhaps not substantial enough to become the number two party.

From his perspective, if the Conservatives are re-elected to a minority government, they’ll have to give careful consideration as to how they’re going to engage with other parties. He said our current political system doesn’t encourage opposition parties to discuss how to work together to form a coalition government.

“That,” he concluded, “adds an element of uncertainty to the situation.”

R

LUNCH WITH THE AWARD-WINNING CANADIAN JOURNALIST

The world isn’t sitting

there waiting for Canada to

decide. The world will decide”

026 / The Canadian

PAST EVENTSCHAMBER GOINGS ON AND BEYOND

Timeline

LOOKING BACKT

APRIL MONTHLY MIXER @ LAS CHICAS— April 23Over 250 CCCJ members and guests mingled at the joint chamber young professionals networking event at Las Chicas in Aoyama.

CREATING STRONG NATIONAL ECONOMIES— April 28The Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE) President and CEO, the Honourable John Manley, and CEO of Canadian auto-parts manufacturer Linamar, Linda Hasenfratz, joined CCCJ Chairman Wilf Wakely for an armchair discussion on how local regional business associations can work with government to strengthen national economies.

SPEAKER SESSION ON TRIPADVISOR IN JAPAN— May 25CCCJ members were invited to hear Michael Stobo, APAC market development team leader at TripAdvisor, speak about the crowdsourcing travel site’s history and growth in the U.S. and internationally as well as its mission for Japan ahead of the 2020 Olympic.

MAY MONTHLY MIXER @ WHISTLER CAFE— May 28The CCCJ hosted a very casual monthly mixer at Whistler Café, a cozy “Canadian dining”-themed restaurant tucked away behind Jimbocho station. Around 50 members and non-members packed the small bar enjoying an assortment of imported Canadian wines and brews.

THE GREAT INTERNATIONAL CHAMBERS’ WINE-OFF 2015— April 1A new flagship event, The Great International Chambers’ Wine-Off, at the Roppongi Hills Club brought together over 300 members of the CCCJ and eight other international chambers of commerce and the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Young Entrepreneurs Group (Japan YEG) for an evening of networking, food and, of course, top-notch wines.

CHAMBER GOINGS ON AND BEYOND

028 / The Canadian

Calendar

The CCCJ will host its annual formal Maple Leaf Gala, in the presence of Her Imperial Highness Princess Takamado and His Excellency, Ambassador of Canada to Japan Mackenzie Clugston. The Maple Leaf Gala is the flagship Canada-Japan community event in Tokyo and 2015 marks its 37th year. The theme is “Energizing Synergies,” celebrating the longstanding and vibrant connectivity of Canada-Japan businesses, and recognizing that our membership represents more Japanese organizations and individuals with an affinity for Canada than ever before. This is the third consecutive year to host at the Tokyo American Club, and the CCCJ events committee is planning a festive evening of prizes and entertainment, as well as excellent Canadian wine and food.

Date: Nov 13 Time: 6:30 - 11:45 p.m.Location: Tokyo American Clubwww.cccj.or.jp

Study Abroad FairJointly sponsored by embassies of English-speaking ountries.

Meiji University, Tokyohttp://kbunsha.com/embassy

2015 Maple Leaf Gala Feuille D’érable 2015

18JULY

Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale 2015Niigata, Tokamachi, Tsunanwww.echigo-tsumari.jp/eng

26JULY–SEPTEMBER 13

Goodies, Beasties & Sweethearts by Théâtre des Confettis

Jul 29 – Aug 2: Saitama Arts Theatre Aug 6 – 9: Mini Theater of Aichi Prefectural Arts TheatreAug 13 – 17: Kanagawa Arts Theatre

29JULY– AUGUST 17

DATEBOOK

Events/SUMMER-AUTUMN 2015

C

13NOVEMBER

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Calendar

2nd Annual CCCJ Canadian Energy Round-upCanada, the world’s fifth-largest natural gas producer, has real potential to become a significant supplier to Japan—the world’s largest LNG importer. As a possible source for the Japanese market, Canada can be a reliable and stable supplier with convenient market access from across the Pacific basin. This event will focus on recent developments in the Japan-Canada energy relationship, including a status update on various projects, work with the First Nations, impact of lower global oil prices and recent government announcements.

Date: Sep 15Time: Seminar 2 - 4 p.m., reception 6:20 - 8:30 p.m. Location: TMI Associates, Roppongi Hills

For registration please send an email to admin@cccj.or.jp

Yousuf Karsh: PortraitsThe Embassy of Canada is pleased to present an exhibition of 15 portraits by the legendary photographer Yousuf Karsh.

Embassy of Canada Prince Takamado Gallery, Tokyo

Mercedes-Benz Cole Haan CupWe are pleased to announce that the global lifestyle brand Cole Haan has signed up as co-title sponsor with Mercedes-Benz for the event from 2015 for at least three years. Consequently the event has been re-branded and is now the Mercedes-Benz - Cole Haan Cup, The 2015 event will be played on Friday, 9 October, at the same venue as in previous years, the Atsugi Kokusai Country Club in Kanagawa Prefecture. The organizing task-force and Mercedes Benz Japan and Cole Haan Japan are working hard to make the event a memorable one for all participants. Also this year we will have an After-Party held on Wednesday, 14 October at Mercedes-Benz Connection. Free for the players and their significant other.

Date: Oct 9Time: 8:30 a.m.Location: Atsugi Kokusai Country Club

www.dccgolf-japan.com/index.htmlw

15SEPTEMBER

9OCTOBER

31AUGUST

WildA chronicle of one woman’s 1,100 mile solo trek undertaken as a way to recover from a recent catastrophe.

Toho Cinemas Chanter and other cinemas nationwide

Exhibition:The Alcuin Society Awards for Excellence inBook Design in Canada

Embassy of Canada E.H. Norman Library, Tokyohttp://bit.ly/alcuinsociety

28AUGUST

25SEPTEMBER

DATEBOOK C

Photo Courtesy the estate of Yousef Karsh

030 / The Canadian

The Canadian / 031

New MembersDirectory

AIU Insurance Company JapanStarting business as a general insurance company in Japan in 1946, AIU Insurance Company, Japan Branch is locally incorporated and started business as AIU Insurance Company Ltd. in April 2013. AIU accesses the worldwide network and overseas market experience of American International Group (AIG), as well as its long proven track record in Japan, to provide customers with reliable insurance products and services.

HQ VancouverThe Business Council of British Columbia (BCBC), the Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia have entered into a partnership and funding agreement to establish HQ Vancouver. With a focused approach, this initiative will leverage Canada’s and British Columbia’s strategic location, high-quality infrastructure, sound government, and diverse and well-educated population to attract expanding medium-to-large sized Asian corporations to establish their North American head offices in the province.

Nakai Immigration ServicesAs a boutique immigration law firm with over 20 years of experience, we provide one-stop professional legal services to obtain visas for Japan. Our team includes gyoseishoshi (immigration) lawyers, a US attorney at law, a former supervisor at the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau and a labor and social security attorney. Our multilingual staff speak native English, Spanish, native German, Chinese and Korean apart from Japanese. Correspondence is available in all of these languages.

Tokyo Counselling ServicesTokyo Counseling Services mental health counseling professionals are qualified JSCCP clinical psychologists licensed to practice in Japan. Counseling services are available in English, Chinese, French, German, Korean, Japanese and Portuguese. In addition, Tokyo Counseling Services founded and supports the non-profit organization Allied Psychotherapy Relief Initiative for the Children of Tohoku (APRICOT).

YPS InternationalYPS International is a patent and technical translation firm in Japan. Handling over 1,000 cases a year, our native bilingual and technical translators with expert knowledge and considerable experience will ensure you reliability and high-quality services.

Nakagawa Japan Co. Ltd. Tower KnivesLocated in the heart of Osaka, Nakagawa Japan Co. Ltd. is a small trading company specialized in facilitating business relations between Japanese and international companies. Founded in 2012 with a focus on the export of Japanese-made knives, the company has since grown in volume and expanded its product ranges.

Solar Power Network K.K.Solar Power Network (SPN) is a wholly employee-owned Canadian power company founded with the goal of bringing Ontario into the renewable future. By installing high-yield, low-angle solar panels on unused commercial, institutional and industrial rooftops; SPN generates green energy locally—for local consumption. In addition to eliminating the losses associated with long-distance energy transportation, these installations provide peak power at times of peak consumption, thus reducing the province’s reliance on fossil fuewwls. SPN uses regional installation and operation teams for all sites, resulting in local jobs and commerce.

Scotia Securities Asia LimitedScotia Securities Asia Limited is an invest-ment banking arm of Scotiabank and pro-vides financial services such as fixed income, equities and M&A advisory.

Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG)Borden Ladner Gervais is a pre-eminent full-service, Canadian law firm focusing on business law, commercial litigation and intellectual property solutions for our clients. BLG are experts in business and corporate commercial areas, electricity markets, public-private infrastructure projects as well as being a charities and not-for-profit solicitor.

D

Corporate

Corporate Sustaining Corporate Non-Resident

Small Business & Professional

Directory

Full Members Directory

032 / The Canadian

Accounting & Tax

KPMGwww.kpmg.com

Manulifewww.manulife.co.jp

Nagamine & Mishimawww.nagamine-mishima.com

Solid Japan K.K.www.solidjapan.com/global

Takahashi Tax & Accounting Officehttp://tk-tax-accounting.com

Advertising & Marketing

HQ Vancouverwww.bcbc.com/hq-vancouver

Southwestern Ontario Marketing Alliancewww.somasite.com

Airlines & Aerospace

Air Canadawww.aircanada.jp

Avcorp Industries Incwww.avcorp.com

Bombardier Aerospacewww.bombardier.com

Associations & Foundations

The Board Director Training Institute of Japan (BDTI)http://bdti.or.jp/english

Canadian Chamber of Commerce/ La Chambre De Commerce Du Canadawww.chamber.ca

Canada’s Research-Based Pharmaceutical companieswww.canadapharma.org

The Canada-Japan Societywww.canadajapansociety.jp

Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association of Canadawww.jama.ca

Japanese Canadian Cultural Centrewww.jccc.on.ca

The Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industrywww.jcci.or.jp

Japan PFI/PPP Associationwww.pfikyokai.or.jp

The Japan Societywww.japansocietycanada.com

The Overseas Construction Association of Japan Inc.www.ocaji.or.jp

Tokyo American Clubwww.tokyoamericanclub.org

Audio, Visual & Media

Vanten K.K.www.vanten.com

Vega Projecthttp://vega-global.co.jp

Automobiles & Auto Parts

Toyota Motor Corporationwww.toyota.co.jp

Banking, Investment & Financial Services

CIBC World Markets (Japan) Inc.www.cibcwm.com

Manulifewww.manulife.co.jpRBC Royal Bankwww.rbccm.com/japan/jp

Regalia Financial Groupwww.regalia-financial.com

Scotia Securities Asia Limited (Tokyo Branch)www.scotiasecurities.jpn.scotiabank.com

TSI International Groupwww.tsi-international.comwww.tsi-direct.com

Tokyo Investment Research Services Inc.

Building Products & Construction

2x4 Applied Technologieshttp://2x4appliedtechnologies.com

Canada Woodwww.canadawood.jp

Icynene Asia Pacific Inc.www.icynene.co.jp

TSI International Groupwww.tsi-international.comwww.tsi-direct.com

Tsuda Sangyowww.tsuda.co.jp

Xypex Chemical Corporationwww.xypex.com

Consulting

Apex K. K.www.apexkk.com

Ashton Consultingwww.ashton.jp

C-Mach Internationalwww.cmach-int.com

Currie & Brow nwww.curriebrown.com

Focus Cubed Inc.www.focus-cubed.comSlate Executive Search Groupwww.slate.co.jp

Strategic Consulting Japan G.K.www.consulting-japan.com

Consumer Products

GaiaWorks Inc.www.gaiaworks.com

Toys “R” Us, Japanwww.toysrus.co.jp

Tower Knives Osakawww.towerknives.com

Education

Eurocentres Canada / Oxford International Education Group www.languagecanada.com

Hello Kids Myogadaniwww.hellokids-myogadani.jp

MacEwan Universitywww.macewan.ca/asiapacific

McGill MBA Japanwww.mcgillmbajapan.com

Energy

Canadian Solarhttp://canadiansolar.co.jp

Daruma Energyhttp://en.darumaenergy.com

FortisBCwww.fortisbc.com

Solar Power Network K.K.http://solarpowernetwork.co.jp

Engineering

Avcorp Industries Inc.www.avcorp.com

JGC Corporationwww.jgc.co.jp

Linamar Japan Inc.www.linamar.com

Directory

Members DirectoryMEMBERSD

The Canadian / 033

Directory

West Nippon Expressway Companyhttp://global.w-nexco.co.jp

Food & Beverage

KMDI Internationalhttp://kmdi.co.jp

Maple Leaf Foods Japan Inc.www.mlfj.jp

Royal Canadian Water Company Ltd.www.royalcanadianwater.com

Forestry

Interexhttp://interexfp.com

TimberWest Forest Corp.www.timberwest.com

General Trading Houses

Hitachi High-Technologies Corporationwww.hitachi-hitec.com

Mitsubishi Corporationwww.mitsubishicorp.com

Government Representatives

Alberta Japan Officewww.albertacanada.com/japan

British Columbia Trade and Investment Office, Japanwww.britishcolumbia.ca

Délégation générale du Québec à Tokyowww.mri.gouv.qc.ca/tokyo

Embassy Of Canadawww.canadainternational.gc.ca/japan-japon

Ontario International Marketing Centrewww.investinontario.com

Yukon Government Economic Developmentwww.economicdevelopment.gov.yk.ca

Health & Wellness

Inaba Dental Clinicwww.ireba-inaba.jp

High Technology

TechInsights Japan K.K.www.techinsights.com

Thaleswww.thalesgroup.com/en

Hotels & Accommodation

Grand Hyatt Tokyohttp://tokyo.grand.hyatt.com

New Otani Co. Ltd.www.newotani.co.jp

Holding Companies

Lixil Group Corporationwww.lixil-group.co.jp

Human Resources & Training

Pasona Canada Inc.www.pasona.comwww.pasonagroup.co.jp

Randstad K.K.www.randstad.co.jp

Insurance

AIU Insurance Companywww.aiu.co.jp

Bridges International Insurance Servicewww.biis.ca

Manulifewww.manulife.co.jp

Interpretation & Translation

Office M-Brains

Thomas Consultants International Co. Ltd.www.thomasconsultantsintl.com

YPS Internationalwww.yps-international.com

IT & Software

Emissary Computer Solutions www.emissary.co.jp

Lawyers & Legal Services

Borden Ladner Gervais LLP www.blg.com/en

Bull Housserwww.bht.com

Davis LLP – Davis & Takahashiwww.davis.jp

Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLPwww.gowlings.com

Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLPwww.osler.com

Nakai Immigration Services LPCwww.tokyovisa.co.jp

TMI Associateswww.tmi.gr.jp

Torys LLPwww.torys.com

Transfer Canada Pacific Management Ltd.www.tcpm-21.com

White & Case LLPwww.whitecase.comwww.whitecase.co.jp

Management

North Plainswww.northplains.com

Marketing and CommunicationsAkuntsuwww.akuntsu.com

Thomson Reutershttp://thomsonreuters.com

Minerals & Metals

Canpotex (Japan) Limitedwww.canpotex.com

Rio Tintowww.riotinto.com

Movers & Relocation

Asian Tigers Mobilitywww.asiantigers-japan.com

Petroleum Products

Chevron International Gas Inc.www.chevron.com

Idemitsu Kosan Co. Ltd.www.idemitsu.com

Pharmaceuticals

Sato Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. www.sato-seiyaku.co.jp

Real Estate & Property

Century 21 Sky Realtywww.century21japan.com

Colliers Internationalwww.colliers.com

Showa Sangyowww.showa-sangyo.co.jp

TSI International Groupwww.tsi-international.com

www.tsi-direct.comTransportation & Freight

Fednavwww.fednav.com/en

Testing and Certification

CSA Group Japanwww.csagroup.org

Disclaimer:

As this list will be made public, no information regarding individual members will be available. Individual membership information and member representative contacts will be made available to the general CCCJ membership in the Annual Membership Directory.This information is also available—for members only—on the CCCJ website. www.cccj.or.jp

034 / The Canadian

Chamber Voices

BY ERIC DEGROOT

RIGHT TO VOTEC

DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’VE GOT ‘TIL IT’S GONE

CANADIAN EXPATS SHOULD EXERCISE THE RIGHT TO VOTE—OR RISK LOSING IT

The right to vote is a fundamental—if not the fundamental—right underpinning our democratic values as Canadians. Over the past 150 years, it is a right Canadians have struggled mightily to gain and to retain. And yet it is also one that for 15 years was denied to Canadians who chose to pursue a life in a foreign country for five years or more.

Prior to a change in Section 222 of the Canada Elections Act, all Canadian citizens, regardless of duration of offshore residence, had the right to vote in federal elections provided they had visited Canada during the five years prior to the election. But in 2000, the Chretien government changed the law to effectively disenfranchise Canadians who ventured to foreign shores in search of opportunity or—for whatever perfectly legitimate reason—moved outside Canada and had the poor taste (some would say “questionable loyalty”) to remain there for five years or more.

While five years may be long enough for some to forget which way to hold a hockey stick, in the Internet age of instant access to any major Canadian news outlet, the government’s concern that we’d forget which party stands for what makes patently less sense than it did even back in the mid-1990s, when most search engines ran on steam.

However, through a legal challenge in the Ontario Supreme Court, brought by two Canadian long-term residents of the United States, this injustice has been righted and an estimated 1.4 million non-resident Canadians are now eligible to vote in the next federal

election, to be held October 19, 2015.This upcoming election already

looks like it will be one of the most important—and potentially divisive—in recent memory. We owe it to those who have helped us recover this right to take the time to vote. We effectively comprise the Canadian diaspora: a group that’s real, vibrant and growing. This is our chance to give it the political

voice it so clearly deserves—as stated clearly in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms: “Every citizen of Canada has the right to vote in an election of members of the House of Commons or of a legislative assembly and to be qualified for membership therein.”Note the period at the end. There is no qualifier. No “so long as they’ve not been outside Canada for five years or more,” or “unless they have a criminal record” or “provided they’ve paid their taxes” or any other such conditions.

The legal challenges to the five-year rule were based on this section of the Charter and brought to light the fact that as the law stood, Canadian citizens with felony convictions, and even those convicted of high treason, enjoy the right to vote. Indeed, they have the same Charter rights as any other Canadian, so isn’t it absurd to target Canadian citizens living abroad for disenfranchisement?

The Harper government seems intent on challenging the Ontario court’s ruling and re-imposing residency requirements on this most fundamental right of citizenship. This is consistent with their recent changes to the Citizenship Act through Bill c-37, which limits citizenship to only those children of Canadian citizens who were themselves born in Canada.

There may be valid arguments in the minds of some for limiting the automatic granting of citizenship or putting residency restrictions on the right to vote. The problem is that no consideration was given during the crafting of these laws to Canadians with long-established ties to home who inadvertently find themselves tarred with offensive epithet “citizen of convenience.”

There will most certainly be an ongoing need to defend our right to vote, as well as other rights of citizenship. It’s my hope that the cccj will do its best to inform you of these challenges to the rights of offshore Canadians and how we can all work together to limit their impact.

This is our chance to give

the Canadian diaspora the

political voice it so clearly

deserves”

Eric DeGroot is the president of Icynene Asia Pacific Inc. and and former chairman of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in

Japan. He can be reached at ed.groot@icynene-ap.com.

The Canadian / 035

Retrography

REARVIEW MIRROR R

The Canadian / 035

START ME UP— Toyoda AAProduced in 1936, the Toyada AA sedan was the company’s first car exported to Canada along with the G1 truck. The AA used a 3,389 cubic centimetre, six-cylinder engine that produced 62 horsepower with a three-speed, column-shift manual transmission.

TSI International Group

CREATING LAND VALUEFOR OUR CUSTOMERS

Proud corporate member of the CCCJ since 2004 TSI International congratulates the Canadian Chamber of Commerce for a great 2014

including its pivotal role in the Economic Partnership Agreement talks between Japan and Canada, its charitable work, and its largest membership increase in chamber history.

CANADA for the WORLD; for our CUSTOMERS, our BEST