New Year Message from Consul-General Matsunaga
2026/1/5
At the start of 2026, I would like to extend my sincere New Year greetings to all Japanese residents of Ontario.
Last year saw a succession of major events involving Japan and Canada. These included tariff negotiations with the United States, the appointment of Prime Minister Carney in March, the Canadian federal election in April, the G7 Summit in Kananaskis in June, and the appointment of Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae in October, followed immediately by a summit meeting between the leaders of both countries.
Last year also saw major events here in Ontario. These included the provincial election in February, the World Series in November, and the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in December.
Ontario witnessed a series of significant developments last year in areas such as critical mineral resource development, power generation, artificial intelligence, and life sciences. The province's rich natural resources, technology, and human capital are once again attracting international attention.
The review of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) will be one of the key focuses for Canada this year. Enhancing socio-economic resilience will become an increasingly vital challenge for Ontario. This involves tackling various issues including socio-economic development in the northern regions, power generation development, transport infrastructure improvements, public safety measures, enhancing healthcare access, and addressing an ageing society.
I am confident that Japan, a partner sharing fundamental values and diverse socio-economic visions, can be a valuable ally in Ontario's efforts to address these challenges.
Here in Ontario, Japanese nationals and Japanese Canadians are active across various fields, including the performing arts, visual and media arts, traditional culture, design, crafts, martial arts, and culinary culture, contributing to the strengthening of friendly relations between our two nations. Last year, I had the opportunity to witness these activities on various occasions. This year, we will continue to support these activities as much as possible.
Regarding consular affairs, including the exercise of rights by our citizens here, such as overseas voting rights, we will continually review our operational procedures to ensure the proper and thorough execution of our duties.
Last year, the overall number of major crimes occurring locally appeared to be on a downward trend. However, incidents such as violence and harassment motivated by ethnic attributes reportedly continued to increase. We will persist in our efforts to enhance your safety and security.
Should you have any comments or information regarding the Consulate's consular services or matters affecting your safety and security, please do not hesitate to inform me directly or via the Consulate's relevant email addresses.
We wish you a splendid year ahead. The Consulate-General of Japan in Toronto remains committed to supporting you. We look forward to being of your assistance this year.
January, 2026
Matsunaga Takeshi
Consul-General of Japan in Toronto
Last year saw a succession of major events involving Japan and Canada. These included tariff negotiations with the United States, the appointment of Prime Minister Carney in March, the Canadian federal election in April, the G7 Summit in Kananaskis in June, and the appointment of Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae in October, followed immediately by a summit meeting between the leaders of both countries.
Last year also saw major events here in Ontario. These included the provincial election in February, the World Series in November, and the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in December.
Ontario witnessed a series of significant developments last year in areas such as critical mineral resource development, power generation, artificial intelligence, and life sciences. The province's rich natural resources, technology, and human capital are once again attracting international attention.
The review of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) will be one of the key focuses for Canada this year. Enhancing socio-economic resilience will become an increasingly vital challenge for Ontario. This involves tackling various issues including socio-economic development in the northern regions, power generation development, transport infrastructure improvements, public safety measures, enhancing healthcare access, and addressing an ageing society.
I am confident that Japan, a partner sharing fundamental values and diverse socio-economic visions, can be a valuable ally in Ontario's efforts to address these challenges.
Here in Ontario, Japanese nationals and Japanese Canadians are active across various fields, including the performing arts, visual and media arts, traditional culture, design, crafts, martial arts, and culinary culture, contributing to the strengthening of friendly relations between our two nations. Last year, I had the opportunity to witness these activities on various occasions. This year, we will continue to support these activities as much as possible.
Regarding consular affairs, including the exercise of rights by our citizens here, such as overseas voting rights, we will continually review our operational procedures to ensure the proper and thorough execution of our duties.
Last year, the overall number of major crimes occurring locally appeared to be on a downward trend. However, incidents such as violence and harassment motivated by ethnic attributes reportedly continued to increase. We will persist in our efforts to enhance your safety and security.
Should you have any comments or information regarding the Consulate's consular services or matters affecting your safety and security, please do not hesitate to inform me directly or via the Consulate's relevant email addresses.
We wish you a splendid year ahead. The Consulate-General of Japan in Toronto remains committed to supporting you. We look forward to being of your assistance this year.
January, 2026
Matsunaga Takeshi
Consul-General of Japan in Toronto