Embassy of Canada, Tokyo

Last updated
Embassy of Canada to Japan
Embassy-of-Canada-in-Japan-01.jpg
Embassy of Canada, Tokyo
Location Minato-ku Tokyo 107-8503
Address7-3-38 Akasaka
Coordinates 35°40′25″N139°43′42″E / 35.67361°N 139.72835°E / 35.67361; 139.72835
Ambassador Ian McKay

The Embassy of Canada to Japan [1] is the main diplomatic mission from Canada to Japan, located in Tokyo. This embassy is Canada's third oldest "foreign" legation after Paris and Washington, D.C. (the High Commissions to other Commonwealth states are not considered "foreign" by the Canadian government).

Contents

The reason for the legation's creation had much to do with anti-Asian feeling in the Canadian province of British Columbia during the first half of the 20th century. Prime Minister Mackenzie King was anxious to limit Japanese migration to Canada, saying "our only effective way to deal with the Japanese question is to have our own Minister in Japan to vise passports." [2]

The British government was hesitant to anything that might be seen to undermine Imperial unity, but finally in May 1929, the Canadian legation opened. The first "minister" was Sir Herbert Marler. The embassy soon added trade and political roles to immigration. Construction of the chancery was completed in 1934.

In 1938, the minister came back to Canada without being replaced. In 1941 when Canada and Japan were at war, the legation staff was placed under arrest and not repatriated to Canada until mid-1942.

After the war, Canada's leading Japan expert, Herbert Norman, instead of being minister to Japan was attached to represent Canada with Supreme Commander Allied Powers, General Douglas MacArthur.

In 1952, Canada and Japan had normalized relations and the legation was upgraded to an embassy, and R.W. Mayhew became Canada's first ambassador to Japan.

Canada built a new chancery on Aoyama Avenue, Place Canada, which was designed by Raymond Moriyama and was opened in 1991. The embassy is housed on the upper levels while the lower levels are let out for rental income. There is a stone garden at the fourth storey with a view of the Akasaka Palace gardens. At the basement level, the embassy hosts a public art gallery, a library, and the 233-seat Oscar Peterson Theatre. The elevator in the ambassador's house is the oldest functional elevator in Japan.

Design

Design concepts

One of the first design ideas was to create a building in which would be a symbol of Canada within Japan, showcasing both cultures. [3] With another concept of having a building expressing belonging, connectedness, and human spirit. [4] To expand on the idea of human spirit Moriyama thought the symbolism of a tree house within the city would best represent this idea. [4] The architect hoped it would surface nostalgic memories and idealisms for visitors. [4] To symbolize a tree house there are levels within the building acting as tree branches. [5] These branches were then named after Ikebana, form of a flower arrangement, with ten representing heaven, chi to represent earth, and jin to represent man. [3] The top floors of the embassy located underneath the roof represent ten, while the leased offices spaces represent chi, and the entrance and main floor of the embassy represents jin. [3]

Design elements

When announcing the Tokyo embassy project, the goal was to build an embassy that wouldn't cost Canadian citizens money. [6] The Mitsubishi Trust and the Banking Corporation was chosen to be in charge of the project's finances, design, and construction. [3] Mitsubishi, in exchange, would receive all the revenue from the leasable commercial spaces in the embassy until they obtained the money they invested. [6]

When designing, factors like earthquakes and how to secure the building were heavily researched. [7] Many tests simulating the effects of an earthquake, like the 1923 Tokyo earthquake, were conducted to examine the strength of the building. [7] There is only one direct entrance into the embassy, and the lobby space is on the fourth floor. One must enter by ascending a set of escalators outside of the building. [4] The main door and some windows are from the original chancery built in the 1930s. [8]

The embassy is seven stories tall and made of concrete and granite. [6] The program layout is split into two functions: the embassy on the top floors and the leased office spaces located on the bottom half. [9]

Behind the embassy is a private residential area of the imperial household. [6] The building was designed to be wide at the base to prevent pedestrians from seeing into the residence. [6]

To respect the imperial gardens, the roof of the embassy is slanted to minimize the shadow the building would cast on the gardens. [3] The maximum depth at which a shadow can be cast on the ground is 10 meters for only two hours of the day. [3]

While most of the building is private, there are certain places visitors can see, like the Gardens, Prince Takamando Memorial Gallery, Oscar Peterson Theatre, and the E.H Norman Library. [8] On average, the embassy receives around 10,000 visitors a year. [9]

Gardens

On the main floor of the embassy there is a zen garden designed by Shunmyo Majuno. [10] He is the head priest of the Zen temple in Yokoyama, who still practices the traditional garden design of ishitateso. [10] The stones used for the garden were used from the Hiroshima region. [10] The purpose of this garden was to symbolize the friendship between the two countries, showcasing the Canadian terrain from coast to coast. [10] In the garden are three pyramid shaped rocks in which show the mountains bordering the Canadian shield’s western edge. [10] An Inukshuk created by Kananginak Pootoogook from Cape Dorset, is located the far-right hand side of the garden. [8] The neighbouring Takahashi Korekiyo Memorial Garden was used as a shakkei, the concept of a borrowed view, when designing the garden. [10] This creates a feeling of being detached from the city, allowing one to be immersed within the treetops. [10]

The Prince Takamando Memorial Gallery is located on the second basement level with 7800 square feet of exhibition space. [11] It exhibits Canadian works like paintings, sculptures, photographs, textiles, and other artwork and designs. [11] Some of the exhibits included were, Glenn Gould in Photos & Movies, Travel Prints: The Beginning of Innuit Prints & Japan, and the Canadian Olympic Commemorative Coins. [11] The gallery received its name from a previous commemorative event in which honored Prince Takamado. [11]

Oscar Peterson Theatre

The Oscar Peterson Theater is located on level B2 and has 233 seats in which showcases concerts, screenings, lectures/seminars, and conferences. [3] The room was inspired by the early Noh theatre, where in the 17th century actors performed under the open skies in the glow of torch light. [3] In order to replicate this there are metallic branches and leaves in which sparkle, leaving the impression of being under the stars. [3]

E.H Norman Library

The E.H Normal Library is on the same floor as the Prince Takamando Gallery and the Oscar Peterson Theatre. [3] The library houses over 15,000 books in Japanese, English, and French. [8] Within the collection there are a wide variety of Japanese novels, books on Japanese arts and crafts, Japanese sports, travel guides, journals related to Canada & Japan, films, as well as local and Canadian newspapers. [12] The library is generally used the Japanese who are doing research on Canada and, the Embassy staff who need any information regarding Japan. [12] One of the goals when designing this library was to have a space in which is well lit and relaxing. [12]

In May 2001, the library was named the E.H. Norman Library. [13]

Other art

Within the embassy are various other art pieces in which reference Japanese and Canadian culture. [8] There is a bronze sculpture designed by Ted Bieler called ‘Wave Breaking’ in which references the rocky shores of the Atlantic coast. [8] ‘Wave’ by Maryon Kantaroff is another bronze sculpture representing the Pacific Ocean, connecting the two cultures of Japan and Canada. [8] Inside the embassy is ‘The Carved Glass Wall’ by Warren Carther. [8] The piece shows the co-existence of nature and technology, and how it relates to the relationship between Japan and Canada. [8]

Awards

For the design Raymond Moriyama was awarded Japan Architects Association Top Honour Award, Shimizu Corporation President’s Award, Architectural Institute of Japan: Architecture of the Year, and Art Directors Club of Toronto Gold Award. [3] In November 2003 he was granted with Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette. [14] Then presented with this award in January the following year by Takashi Koezuka. [14]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian War Museum</span> War museum in Ontario, Canada

The Canadian War Museum is a national museum on the country's military history in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The museum serves as both an educational facility on Canadian military history and a place of remembrance. The 40,860 square metres (439,800 sq ft) museum building is situated south of the Ottawa River in LeBreton Flats. The museum houses a number of exhibitions and memorials, in addition to a cafeteria, theatre, curatorial and conservation spaces, as well as storage space. The building also houses the Military History Research Centre, the museum's library and archives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Embassy of the United States, Ottawa</span> American Embassy in Ottawa, Ontario

The Embassy of the United States of America in Ottawa is the diplomatic mission of the United States of America to Canada. Opened in 1999, the embassy complex is located at 490 Sussex Drive in Ottawa, Ontario.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bata Shoe Museum</span> Footwear museum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

The Bata Shoe Museum (BSM) is a museum of footwear and calceology in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The museum's building is situated near the northwest of the University of Toronto's St. George campus, in downtown Toronto. The 3,665-square-metre (39,450 sq ft) museum building was designed by Moriyama & Teshima Architects, with Raymond Moriyama as the lead architect.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North York Central Library</span>

North York Central Library is a Toronto Public Library branch located in North York City Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is one of the two libraries in Toronto considered to be "Research and Reference Libraries", the other being the Toronto Reference Library in the city's downtown core. In contrast to the Toronto Reference Library, however, most of the items in the North York Central Library can be signed out.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raymond Moriyama</span> Canadian architect (1929–2023)

Raymond Junichi Moriyama was a Canadian architect.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toronto Reference Library</span> Largest branch of Toronto Public Library

The Toronto Reference Library is a public reference library in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located on the corner of Yonge Street and Asquith Avenue, within the Yorkville neighbourhood of downtown Toronto and is the largest and most visited branch of Toronto Public Library (TPL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Embassy of the United States, London</span> Diplomatic mission of the United States in the United Kingdom

The Embassy of the United States of America in London is the diplomatic mission of the United States in the United Kingdom. It is located in Nine Elms and is the largest American embassy in Western Europe and the focal point for events relating to the United States held in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doon Heritage Village</span> History and living history museum in Ontario, Canada

Doon Heritage Village, located at the Ken Seiling Waterloo Region Museum, is a picturesque 60 acre living history village that shows visitors what life was like in the Waterloo Region in the year 1914. It is located in the former Doon village, now part of Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, next to Homer Watson Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat, Ottawa</span>

The Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada is representational office of the Ismaili Imamat in Canada and includes the headquarters of the Aga Khan Foundation Canada. It is located between the Embassy of Saudi Arabia and the Lester B. Pearson Building on Sussex Drive. It was opened in 2008.

The Australian Embassy in Paris is located 400 metres southwest of the Eiffel Tower, on Rue Jean Rey in the 15th arrondissement of Paris, near the Bir-Hakeim bridge on the Seine. The embassy is situated on a triangular shaped block, and comprises a pair of nine-storey buildings. The Chancellery Building houses Australia's missions to France, to UNESCO and to the OECD, and the apartment of the ambassador to France; the other building contains 34 staff apartments, all with views of the Seine and the Eiffel Tower.

Ryue Nishizawa is a Japanese architect based in Tokyo. He is a graduate of Yokohama National University, and is director of his own firm, Office of Ryue Nishizawa, established in 1997. In 1995, he co-founded the firm SANAA with the architect Kazuyo Sejima. In 2010, he became the youngest recipient ever of the Pritzker Prize, together with Sejima.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum</span> Museum in Tokyo, Japan

The Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum is a museum of art located in Ueno Park, Tokyo, Japan. It is one of Japan's many museums which are supported by a prefectural government. The first public art museum in Japan, it opened in 1926 as the Tokyo Prefectural Art Museum and was renamed in 1943 after Tokyo became a metropolitan prefecture. The museum's current building was constructed in 1975 and designed by modernist architect Kunio Maekawa, remaining one his most well-known works today.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Oakley Totten Jr.</span> American architect

George Oakley Totten Jr., was one of Washington D.C.’s most prolific and skilled architects in the Gilded Age. His international training and interest in architectural decoration led to a career of continuous experimentation and stylistic eclecticism which is clearly evident in many of his works. The mansions he designed were located primarily on or near Dupont, Sheridan, and Kalorama circles and along 16th Street, N.W., near Meridian Hill. Most now serve as embassies, chanceries, or offices for national or international organizations, their important public or semi-public functions, combined with their urbanistically integrated close-in locations, make them particularly visible exemplars of Washington's peculiar mixture of turn-of-the-century political and social life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Museum of Saudi Arabia</span> National History Museum in Riyadh , Saudi Arabia

The National Museum of Saudi Arabia is a national museum located in the al-Murabba neighborhood of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Established in 1999, it is part of the King Abdulaziz Historical Centre and is surrounded by al-Wadi Park to the north and al-Madi Park to the east, who altogether constitute eastern side of the National Museum Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ismaili Centre, Toronto</span> Mosque in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

The Ismaili Centre, Toronto is a congregation place and community centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the sixth Ismaili Centre in the world. Situated in a park that it shares with the Aga Khan Museum adjacent to the Don Valley Parkway in North York, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the Centre represents the permanent presence of the Ismaili Muslim community in Toronto, Ontario and Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Toronto Mississauga buildings</span> Buildings at the Mississauga satellite campus of the University of Toronto

The University of Toronto Mississauga is a satellite campus of the University of Toronto. It is in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada about 33 kilometres west of the main St. George campus. It was formerly called the Erindale College but was later changed to the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM). The campus has eight main educational buildings: the Maanjiwe nendamowinan Building, Deerfield Hall, the William G. Davis Building, the Kaneff Centre and Blackwood Gallery, the Recreation, Athletic, and Wellness Centre, the Hazel McCallion Academic Learning Centre which holds UTM's library, the Instructional Building, and the new Terrence Donnelly Health Sciences Complex for the Mississauga Academy of Medicine. The campus also houses 3 residence halls: Erindale Hall, Roy Ivor Hall, and Oscar Peterson Hall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Embassy of Sweden, Ottawa</span>

The Embassy of Sweden in Ottawa is Sweden's diplomatic mission in Canada. The Swedish embassy in Canada represents the Swedish government in Canada and The Bahamas. The embassy is located in ByWard Market in the downtown core of the capital of Ottawa. Ambassador since 2019 is Urban Ahlin. Sweden also has nine honorary consulates in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Place des Arts (Sudbury)</span> Canadian arts center

Place des Arts opened its doors as the first multidisciplinary arts centre in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, in 2022. The architecture firms Moriyama & Teshima and Bélanger Salach were tasked with designing a building to house seven prominent francophone arts and culture organizations united under the Le Regroupement des organismes culturels de Sudbury (ROCS): Carrefour Francophone, La Galerie du Nouvel-Ontario, Centre Franco-Ontarien de Folklore, Concerts La Nuit sur l'étang, Èditions Prise de parole, Théâtre du Nouvel-Ontario (TNO) and the Salon du livre du Grand-Sudbury.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Embassy of Sweden, Tokyo</span>

The Embassy of Sweden in Tokyo is Sweden's diplomatic mission in Japan. The mission was opened in 1906. It's located in the Roppongi district in Minato, Tokyo since 1959. The current embassy building was inaugurated in 1991. The ambassador since 2019 is Pereric Högberg. The ambassador has a dual accreditation to Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia and Palau.

The Embassy of Sweden in Pretoria is Sweden's diplomatic mission in South Africa. The Swedish embassy in South Africa represents the Swedish government in South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Lesotho. The embassy is located in the suburb of Hatfield in the capital of Pretoria. The ambassador since 2020 is Håkan Juholt.

References

  1. ↑ "Embassy of Canada in Japan". Canadainternational.gc.ca. 2011-07-12. Retrieved 2011-10-25.
  2. ↑ "Official history of the Canadian mission to Japan". Archived from the original on 2005-04-21. Retrieved 2008-03-19.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Moriyama & Teshima: Architecture as a Work of Life. Tokyo: Process Architecture, 1992.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Creighton, Millie. "A Tree House in Tokyo: Reflections on Nikkei, Citizenship, Belonging, Architecture, and Art on the 75th Anniversary of Japanese American and Japanese Canadian Internment." Taylor Francis Online, August 24, 2017. Accessed February 28, 2021.
  5. ↑ "1991 – Embassy of Canada – Moriyama & Teshima Architects." Architecture Tokyo. March 26, 2017. Accessed February 28, 2021. https://architecturetokyo.wordpress.com/2017/03/26/1991-embassy-of-canada-moriyama-teshima-architects/.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Nichols, Mark. "Elegance in Tokyo: Maclean's: SEPTEMBER 19,1988." Maclean's | The Complete Archive. September 19, 1988. Accessed March 01, 2021. https://archive.macleans.ca/article/1988/9/19/elegance-in-tokyo.
  7. 1 2 News, Kyodo. "Canadian Architect Moriyama Says Japanese Roots Shaped His Aesthetic." Kyodo News. December 07, 2019. Accessed February 28, 2021. https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2019/12/41e1785ce128-feature-canadian-architect-says-japanese-roots-shaped-his-aesthetic.html.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Embassy of Canada, Tokyo Tour Guide. Tokyo, Japan.
  9. 1 2 "Canadian Embassy Tokyo." Moriyama & Teshima Architects. January 31, 2019. Accessed February 28, 2021. https://mtarch.com/projects/canadian-embassy/.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Mansfield, Stephen. "Canada's Hanging Garden of Stone in Japan." The Japan Times. October 30, 2011. Accessed February 28, 2021. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2011/10/30/environment/canadas-hanging-garden-of-stone-in-japan/.
  11. 1 2 3 4 "カナダ大使館 高円宮記念ギャラリー." カナダ大使館 高円宮記念ギャラリー. March 17, 2020. Accessed February 28, 2021. https://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/japan-japon/events-evenements/gallery-galerie.aspx?lang=jpn&menu_id=81.
  12. 1 2 3 Skye, Timothy D. "Bringing Canada to Japan: Experiences with an Embassy Library." Logos 7, no. 3 (1996): 226-30. doi:10.2959/logo.1996.7.3.226.
  13. ↑ Government of Canada, Foreign Affairs Trade and Development Canada. "Welcome to the E.H. Norman Library of the Embassy of Canada in Japan." Welcome to the E.H. Norman Library of the Embassy of Canada in Japan. March 17, 2020. Accessed February 28, 2021. https://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/japan-japon/library-bibliotheque/index.aspx?lang=eng.
  14. 1 2 Canadian Architect. "Raymond Moriyama Receives Award From Emperor of Japan." Canadian Architect. February 04, 2004. Accessed February 28, 2021. https://www.canadianarchitect.com/raymond-moriyama-receives-award-from-emperor-of-japan/.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.