Embassy of Japan in Canada

Embassy of Japan in Canada Welcome to the page of the Embassy of Japan in Canada

While we are a part of the Embassy of Japan, please understand that this page exists specifically to promote Japanese culture. If you have any questions about visas or other Embassy-related issues, please visit our main website at: http://www.ca.emb-japan.go.jp/index.html.

08/18/2026

It was a fantastic day to make some noise and share our enthusiasm with Blue Jays fans, thanks to Mr. Mark Shapiro, Okamoto san and their excellent colleagues!

Awa Odori (阿波踊り), held annually on Aug. 12-15 as part of Obon in Tokushima is one of the greatest dance festivals in Jap...
08/18/2026

Awa Odori (阿波踊り), held annually on Aug. 12-15 as part of Obon in Tokushima is one of the greatest dance festivals in Japan. 💃🕺 This fun dance festival dates back over 400 years and draws over 1 million people each year. In the evening, much of the city centre is turned into a giant dance stage. Various dance groups, casual and professional, perform the "fool's dance" - the nickname comes from the lyrics of a common dance song, "Fools dance and fools watch, if both are fools, you might as well dance"! Food stalls, activities and more add to a fun-filled summer festival atmosphere!

Have you ever attended Awa Odori?

📷: PhotoAC, "Awa Odori Tokushima" (c) Stemu2000 (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0), Tokushima Prefecture

The Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF) block party, kicking off the festival's 50th anniversary, will be hel...
08/17/2026

The Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF) block party, kicking off the festival's 50th anniversary, will be held on August 20. It'll feature a live set by Killjoy, a local J-rock and anime cover band, as well as a cosplay showcase. There'll be several Japanese films at the OIAF from September 23 to 27 this year. If you're a fan of Japanese anime and culture, keep an eye on the Embassy of Japan's calendar and social media for any Japan-related events!

Block party info: https://www.ottawafestivals.ca/post/you-re-invited-to-the-ottawa-international-animation-festival-block-party-on-august-20th
OIAF info: https://www.animationfestival.ca/

Gozan no Okuribi (五山送り火, roughly 'The Five Mountainous Send-Off Fires'), also known as Daimonji ('big letter'), is an an...
08/16/2026

Gozan no Okuribi (五山送り火, roughly 'The Five Mountainous Send-Off Fires'), also known as Daimonji ('big letter'), is an annual bonfire festival 🔥 in Kyoto on August 16 that is the culmination of the Obon festival, a 'sending-off fire' for the spirits of deceased family members returning to the spirit world. Bonfires are lit on the mountains to help the spirits find their way back. Three kanji characters and two shapes are successively lit up, starting with 大 (large/big) on Mt. Daimonji, made up of 75 fires and 160 m long/100 m wide. 🔥

Did you know about Gozan no Okuribi?

📷: PhotoAC

The Lake Suwa Fireworks Festival in Nagano Pref., held annually on August 15, is a massive fireworks show 🎆 with over 40...
08/15/2026

The Lake Suwa Fireworks Festival in Nagano Pref., held annually on August 15, is a massive fireworks show 🎆 with over 40,000 fireworks lighting up the summer night sky, with the sound echoing around the surrounding mountains. The festival was created in 1949 to hope for a bright future and recovery following the end of the war.
Have you ever been to summer fireworks in Japan? 🎆

📷: PhotoAC

08/14/2026

Thank you, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi 高市　早苗.

Japan 🇯🇵 needs secure, affordable energy from a stable democracy and there is no better supplier in the world than our province.

Alberta’s oil is reaching Asian markets and we are prepared to send a great deal more.

Every cargo that leaves for places like Japan means jobs here at home and energy security for an ally abroad.

08/14/2026

This week, a tanker carrying Canadian crude oil arrived in Japan—the first since tensions in the Middle East escalated. To our Canadian friends: thank you.
Canada is an essential partner in the economic security agenda my government is advancing. When Prime Minister Mark Carney visited Tokyo on March 6, we elevated our relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and signed the first-ever Japan–Canada Leaders’ Joint Statement. Procuring Canadian crude—discussed at our summit—is a concrete result of that partnership.
This delivery follows our collaboration on LNG and small modular reactors, and it strengthens Japan’s energy security. Working with the private sector, we are diversifying routes outside the Strait of Hormuz and, for August, expect to secure around 100% of last year’s oil import levels without releasing strategic reserves. Alongside supplies from the Middle East, the United States, Latin America, the Asia‑Pacific, Central Asia and Africa, Canada now plays a key role.
Japan will continue to secure the volumes our economy needs while minimizing reserve drawdowns—protecting people’s lives, livelihoods and economic activity. We look forward to deepening cooperation with Canada, a trusted partner in promoting a Free and Open Indo‑Pacific.


https://www.facebook.com/takaichisanae/posts/pfbid0raSvH92vFhrwxPpvkK7Tc59owoVyKHpqDggpFpYypKDAUgZ3w2SWcMCn33KLQg92l?rdid=1FU7hOWFaoZVJR1m #

Everyone deserves a second chance 🌱✨ And few do more—quietly, every day—than Japan’s “Hogoshi” (volunteer probation offi...
08/14/2026

Everyone deserves a second chance 🌱✨ And few do more—quietly, every day—than Japan’s “Hogoshi” (volunteer probation officers). 🇯🇵
Who are they? 👩‍🏫👨‍🍳🧑‍💼 Stay‑at‑home parents, retired teachers, small business owners—neighbours from all walks of life—officially appointed by the Minister of Justice. 🏛️
What do they do? 🤝
Meet regularly with parolees and probationers
Listen without judgment 🫶
Help find jobs 💼 and housing 🏠
Navigate paperwork 🧭📄
Celebrate small wins 🎉
It’s person‑to‑person support that builds trust, reduces reoffending, and makes communities safer for everyone. 🕊️🏘️
Know a mentor like this? Drop a thank‑you below 🙏💬 or share to spread the word.

One of the highlights of the Obon festival is Bon Odori (盆踊り), a traditional folk dance which is over 600 years old 💃. I...
08/14/2026

One of the highlights of the Obon festival is Bon Odori (盆踊り), a traditional folk dance which is over 600 years old 💃. It was originally a folk dance to welcome the spirits of the dead. Today, it has many variations according to local traditions. A common style involves people lining up in a circle around a stage (yagura), which may also be a bandstand for performers and musicians. Dancers move around the stage, clockwise or counter-clockwise. The dances and music vary across regions, with famous styles and songs like Sōran Bushi (Hokkaido), Awa Odori (Tokushima) and Tankō Bushi (Kyushu).

Have you ever participated or seen a bon odori dance before?

📷: “Bon Odori … (04)” © jinkemoole (CC 2.0); “Higashiyama onsen bon odori 01” © Yochiro Akiyama (CC 2.0); “Bon Odori … (03)” © jinkemoole (CC 2.0); “The BON Festival dance” © MIKI Yoshihito (CC 2.0); Tsukiji Honganji Bon Dance Festival © Guilhem Vellut (CC BY 2.0); PhotoAC

Today is the beginning of Obon in many places around Japan. A fusion of ancient Japanese beliefs in spirits and a Buddhi...
08/13/2026

Today is the beginning of Obon in many places around Japan. A fusion of ancient Japanese beliefs in spirits and a Buddhist custom, Obon is now a three-day festival during which people return to their hometowns to visit and clean their ancestors' graves, when their spirits are said to revisit the household altars. It's one of the busiest travel seasons in the country. Obon traditions include lanterns 🏮 and bonfires lit outside of homes to guide the spirits; food offered to the spirits; and small paper lanterns (toro nagashi) that are floated down rivers on the last evening.

Have you seen Obon festivities in Japan or elsewhere?

📷: “Lanterns Narai-juku Nagano Obon” © wupeng (Licensed under CC BY 4.0); “Obon Albuquerque bridge” © U.S. Navy (Public domain); PhotoAC

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