Upcoming Events
April 28, 2012:
Kimie Hara of Renison University College, University of Waterloo, will host the Third International Forum for Peace and Prosperity in Northeast Asia, “Sixty Years of the San Francisco System Continuation, Transformation, and Historical Reconciliation in the Asia-Pacific.” This event is sponsored by the Republic of Korea’s Northeast Asian History Foundation, Renison University College, Balsillie School of International Affairs, and JFI.
August 14-15, 2012:
JFI will hold its second official symposium titled “Emerging Security Roles: Lessons for Japan from Middle Power Experiences” at the Balsillie School of International Affairs, University of Waterloo.
Recent Events
March 14-15, 2012:
JFI held its first official symposium, "Disaster Management, Energy Security, and Multilateral Cooperation: The Tohoku Disaster and Its Regional and Global Implications," at the Balsillie School of International Affairs, University of Waterloo, and it was a great success.
This event was co-hosted by the Balsillie School of International Affairs, the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), Renison University College, University of Waterloo, Japan Foundation Toronto, and Shibusawa Eiichi Memorial Foundation.
With over 30 participants altogether (presenters, discussants, observers, and guests), the event consisted of three panels on energy security, the socio-political dimensions of disaster management, and the role of entrepreneurs in disaster relief in the context of the 3.11 Great East Japanearthquake and tsunami. The panelists included scholars and businessmen from Japan, Canada, and the United States, and the goal of the discussions was to generate policy-relevant insights both for practice and for future research. Professor John Kirton of the University of Toronto opened the symposium with a keynote address on Japan’s contribution toglobal governance, which was webcast live by Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI).
March 20, 2012:
Professor Masaru Kohno (Professor of Political Science, Waseda University, Tokyo) held a guest lecture on “Recent Development in Japan’s Party Politics” at the Department of Political Science, University of Waterloo.
March 22, 2012:
Mr. Eiji Yamamoto, Consul-General of Japan in Toronto, held a guest lecture on “Japan’s Relations with Its Neighbours in Asia” at Renison University College, University of Waterloo.This event was co-sponsored by Keiko & Charles Belair Centre for East Asian Studies, Renison University College, and the JFI.
Japan Watch
The Globe and Mail, “Canada, Japan Launch Free-trade Talks” (March 26, 2012)
The formal talks for launching FTA between Japan and Canada took place when the Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper visited Tokyo in March and met Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda. The successful conclusion of a bilateral
FTA could boost Canada’s exports to Japan by 60 percent. Business groups in Canada, especially in the agricultural sector, are welcoming the “free-trade push” of Mr. Harper, as agricultural products and natural resources account for the majority of Canada’s exports to Asia’s prosperous market, including that of Japan. Canadian manufacturers also expect that the conclusion of an FTA will facilitate Japan’s opening of its market to foreign competition, as Canada has experienced a persistent trade deficit in manufacturing, especially in the automotive sector. Despite overall optimism, a number of Japan observers in Canada foresee a bumpy ride. So far, Japan has no FTA with any other major industrialized country. The Canadian government will also be pushing to reduce Japan’s “complex web of non-tariff barriers,” such as the “administrative guidance” that many Canadian business people see as a serious hurdle for foreign companies to compete in Japan.
