Japan's ongoing boom in Canada

In August, a longtime friend from my hometown, Vancouver, messaged to say she had a free day in the Kanto region at the end of a research trip. We settled on a day trip to Karuizawa, the lushly forested resort town in Nagano Prefecture. We were first-time visitors, surprised at how the town resembles Canada’s southwest coast getaways.

Genkidesu and BigfaminJapan's recent blogs, the Japan bust in Ireland and the sustained boom in Australia got me thinking about Japan and Canada’s connections. On the West Coast, at least, Japanese culture, especially food and drink, has boomed for decades.

Memories of a Vancouver trip during the March 11th disaster

Canadian visitors to Japan are continuing to increase, with over half a million Canucks visiting in 2024. The Canadian dollar value is higher than the yen, making a trip to Japan affordable. And the food and culture are not entirely unfamiliar to them. 

Vancouver probably has the highest density of Japanese cuisine restaurants in North America. The ubiquitous sushi and ramen are the heritage of Japanese immigrants. After the ugly displacement of people with Japanese roots during World War II, the descendants persevered and brought back their food culture.

Between lunch and dinner, there are other enduring Japanese cultural connections in the city, including the Cherry Blossom Festival, the Powell Street Festival (during bon odori season), and academic exchange programs.

I always keep in mind a remark made by an elderly Japanese professor - Canada and Japan are adjacent countries if you overlook the ocean between them.