On 26 September in Toronto, The Japan Foundation, Toronto, International House of Japan, American Friends of the International House of Japan, and the Japan Society hosted a timely program on innovation, cultural understanding, and the future of North America–Japan relations. In her keynote, Dr. Roseann O’Reilly Runte, President and CEO of the Canada Foundation for Innovation, distinguished between “innovation” and “discovery,” underscoring that many breakthroughs emerge from long-term, curiosity-driven research and the contributions of immigrants to scientific progress. She argued that today’s complex challenges—from semiconductors to AI governance—demand international division of labour and strong partnerships rather than self-sufficiency, and stressed that language learning and studying abroad should be understood as tools for building practical intercultural competence, not merely as career credentials. Drawing on examples from UN diplomacy, post-disaster volunteering in Japan, and the Montreal Declaration on AI ethics, she concluded that economic benefits should be seen as a by-product of international cooperation whose true purpose lies in shared values, mutual understanding, and “small acts of kindness.”
The subsequent trilateral panel explored how Canada, the United States, and Japan can deepen their relationship over the next 50–100 years. Dr. Annika A. Culver (Director, Prince Takamado Japan Center at University of Alberta), Dr. Frank Feltens (Susan Brotman Chief Curator, Seattle Art Museum), Justin Rockefeller (Co-Founder and Chair, Avenera; Trustee, Rockefeller Brothers Fund), Dr. Phillip Y. Lipscy (Professor, Political Science and Director, Centre for the Study of Global Japan, University of Toronto), and Dr. Tom Mason (Executive Director, U.S.-Japan Bridging Foundation) highlighted the centrality of human encounters—through museums, study abroad, JET and Fulbright programs, tourism, and pop culture—in sparking lasting engagement with Japan. They discussed the need to invest in “cultural navigators” who can move fluently across languages and sectors, address severe leaks in the educational pipeline on both sides of the Pacific, and rebalance the financial burden of exchange by mobilizing governments, business, and individual donors. While noting the opportunities and risks posed by AI, the panelists agreed that trust built through face-to-face contact, long-term educational and cultural exchange, and individual agency—even small, local actions—will form the enduring foundation of Japan–U.S.–Canada relations in the century ahead.
We are honoured that newly appointed Ambassador of Japan to Canada, Mr. Nakagome who kindly provided a remark. The Japan Society is planning to invite Ambassador Nakagome to meet the community very soon. The Japan Society is deeply grateful to have been included in this important trilateral initiative and looks forward to continued collaboration.
