On October 16, the Japan Society had the honour of hosting H.E. Masashi Nakagome, Ambassador of Japan to Canada, for a luncheon in Toronto.
Ambassador Nakagome shared his perspective on the “next chapter” of the Canada–Japan relationship, highlighting three key priorities:
- Economic security, energy and critical minerals
– The strategic importance of LNG from Canada’s West Coast to Japan
– Building resilient supply chains for critical minerals from mining to recycling
- Innovation and advanced technologies
– Complementary strengths: Japan’s manufacturing and research capabilities, Canada’s AI and startup ecosystem
– Concrete examples of Canada–Japan collaboration, including Fujitsu’s partnership with a Canadian AI firm and joint projects between Japanese pharma and a Montreal-based drug discovery AI startup
- Security and defense cooperation
– Canada’s continued engagement in the Indo-Pacific
– Growing opportunities for collaboration between Canadian and Japanese defence-related industries
Ambassador Nakagome also delivered a strong, forward-looking message that economic security must be achieved through concrete economic activity and investment, and that Canada and Japan are natural partners in this effort.
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Ambassador Nakagome and to all participants for making this event a highly engaging discussion. The Japan Society will continue to provide a platform that connects business, policy and academia across Canada and Japan.
