JAPAN
1. MARKET OVERVIEW estimates that Japan accounts for as
Despite widespread skepticism about
Japan’s economy over the last
decade, Japan remains a vibrant,
exciting manufacturing and
consumer market. The last 18
months have seen a significant
improvement in the country’s
economic outlook. Analysts now
predict GDP growth of about 1.5%
for 2005, deflation appears to be
ending and consumer confidence,
while not robust, is improving. Add
to this improving domestic market
scene the impressive performance of
Japanese manufacturers overseas and
it is clear that the country merits
special attention. Japan plays a
leading commercial role throughout
Asia – often behind the scenes – and
the impact and involvement of the
country’s corporations in Asia should
not be underestimated. It is an
opportune time to encourage British
Columbian companies to seek
opportunities in the large, complex
and innovative Japanese market.
Japan is one of the world’s leading
industrial nations, known widely for
its savvy and selective consumers,
and a country-wide preoccupation
with product and service quality. It is,
as well, a nation of “early adopters,”
with consumers willing to try new
products and services, and able to
provide rapid feedback. Japan is a
trend-setter in Asia, particularly in
terms of the electronic, mobile
Internet, automotive and fashion
industries. It is a key market – and
producer – of domestic appliances
and household goods. Japanese
popular culture also plays a
significant role throughout Asia: the
country leads the world in such fields
as electronic games and animation
(the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo
much as 30% of the world market
for animation). On the industrial
side, Japan is the world’s major
producer and consumer of robots,
with significant cross-over into the
household sphere in recent years,
and has made huge investments in
the commercialization of scientific
innovation. Japan’s financial
contributions to scientific research far
outstrip, on a per capita basis, other
industrialized nations.
Recent changes provide additional
opportunities for international
companies – both as a place to sell
products and services and as a
source of commercial and product
ideas. The government of Japan has
identified a number of sectors that
are expected to experience high
growth in the coming years. These
include information and
communications technology (ICT)
and medical care and welfare.
Japan has a rapidly aging
population, and the development
of the “commerce of aging” is well
advanced in the country. This
encompasses everything from home
health monitoring systems to food,
tourism, exercise equipment,
clothing, universal design products
(those that are designed to be easy
to understand and to use and
specifically aimed at seniors and
people with disabilities) and other
products and services specifically
targeted at older people. Regulatory
changes, simplified new product
approvals and a new long -term care
insurance system have created new
opportunities for foreign and
domestic companies.
1
2. BRITISH COLUMBIA’S
RELATIONSHIP
WITH JAPAN
Canada and Japan have enjoyed an
active commercial relationship since
the late 1870s. Japanese immigrants
in Canada were among the first to
identify the potential trade
opportunities across the Pacific, and
these small traders led the way in
establishing business connections
with Japan. By the mid-1880s, with
the completion of the
transcontinental railway and the
establishment of shipping
connections between the two
countries, trade expanded rapidly.
The first export of salted salmon from
BC to Japan occurred in 1896; the
first shipment of Douglas fir lumber
was in 1903. Japan’s first consulate
in Canada opened in Vancouver in
1899, in response to the growing
number of Japanese immigrants.
British Columbia found Japan to be a
receptive market for its minerals,
forest products, fish and meat.
Japan, in turn, initially exported to
CHART 1 BC’S MERCHANDISE EXPORTS TO JAPAN
7,000
6,000
5,000
4,000
$M
3,000
2,000
1,000
0 0
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
BC Share of Canadian Exports to Japan (%)
Source: BC Stats; and Trade Data Online, Industry Canada. 4 August 2005.
<http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/sc_mrkti/tdst/engdoc/tr_homep.html>
2
British Columbia such items as tea
and silk; later, high value-added items,
such as automobiles and electronic
products, vastly outstripped the earlier
commodity trade.
MERCHANDISE TRADE
BC’s exports to Japan have fallen in
value over the past decade. In 1994,
BC exported $5.7 billion worth of
goods to Japan. By 2004 that had
fallen to $3.8 billion. As a result, BC’s
share of Canadian exports to Japan
has also fallen, from 59% in 1994 to
45% in 2004 (see Chart 1 and Table 1).
It is important to note that both
Canada and BC’s relative positions
within the Japanese market have
declined in the past decade. In 1994,
Canada held 3.2% of the Japanese
market; by 2004, that had fallen to
1.84%. BC’s share fell from 1.5% to
0.6% in the same time period.
Some of this decline reflected the
growing intra-regional trade in Asia,
However, the market share of Canada’s
main competitors – Sweden, Australia,
Germany – declined less dramatically
60
50
40
Percent
30
20
10
while Singapore, Thailand and China
enjoyed significant increases in market
share in Japan (in China’s case, the
percentage of trade rose from 10.4%
in 1994 to 20.7% in 2004).
In terms of products, BC-Japan trade
relations have, in the main, followed
a fairly standard path for the past
quarter century: BC exports raw
materials and food products to Japan
and Japan exports high value-added
manufactured goods to BC. Overall,
imports from Japan comprise 14% of
total BC imports. Of the Japanese
total, 65% is in the automotive
sector. In 2004, exports to Japan
represented 12% of BC’s total
shipments. Lumber was BC’s most
important export to Japan,
comprising 42% of the BC total.
Ores, slag and ash followed at 12%,
aluminum at 10% and wood pulp
and coal each at 8% (see Table 3).
Three-quarters of BC’s mineral
exports are copper (58% of BC’s
copper exports go to Japan) followed
by molybdenum (almost 20% of
molybdenum exports go to Japan)
and zinc (5% of zinc exports go to
Japan.) The sixth-largest BC export to
Japan in 2004 was fish and
crustaceans. (As some BC fish is sent to
the United States for processing before
export to Japan, the value of the
fisheries exports is actually higher.)
These top six exports for 2004 are
precisely the same as BC’s top six
exports to Japan in 1990. In fact, BC’s
export profile with Japan has changed
very little over the past 100 years.
There are indications of potential
future changes to BC’s export profile
to Japan. In 1990, $45.5 million
worth of manufactured goods were
exported to Japan; that number had
quadrupled to $183.3 million by
2004. Prefabricated houses are the
 TABLE 1 BC’s MERCHANDISE TRADE WITH JAPAN, 2004

BC IMPORTS FROM JAPAN BC-ORIGIN EXPORTS TO JAPAN

Rank Merchandise Classification ($M) % Rank Merchandise Classification ($M) %

1 Non-rail vehicles and parts 2,994.0 65 1 Wood and wood articles, charcoal 1,583.5 42
2 Boilers, mechanical appliances, etc. 598.4 13 2 Ores, slag, and ash 443.7 12
3 Electrical machinery and parts 292.5 6 3 Aluminum and aluminum articles 381.7 10
4 Articles of iron and steel 112.7 2 4 Wood pulp and other pulp 314.4 8
5 Rubber and rubber articles 110.2 2 5 Mineral fuels, oils and waxes, etc. 298.6 8

Total BC Imports from Japan 4,592.3 100 Total BC-Origin Exports from Japan 3,802.2 100
Japanese Imports as % of BC’s Total: 14.0 Japanese Exports as % of BC’s Total: 12.2

Note: Canadian import statistics are collected in terms of the province of clearance, not province of final destination.
Source: Trade Data Online. Industry Canada. 25 August 2005. <http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/sc_mrkti/tdst/engdoc/tr_homep.html>.

main success story here with exports
of $107 million (down from a peak of
$130 million in 1995) but this is not
the only area showing solid growth.
While the sales values are still small,
sectors like electrical machinery and
equipment (2004 exports of $13.3
million), optical, medical, scientific
instrumentation (2004 exports of $9.4
million), beauty and make-up (2004
exports of $8.4 million) and beverages
and spirits (2004 exports of $7.8
million) have expanded noticeably. All
of these are in the crucial
manufactured value-added sectors,
where there is considerable
opportunity for expanded trade.
SERVICES TRADE
The service sector trade is notoriously
difficult to quantify and specific
statistics on British Columbia-Japan
service sector trade are unavailable.
(At least 15 British Columbian service
companies – law firms, accountants,
and engineering consultants – are
involved with Japan in a substantial
way. See Annex 1). Canada’s services
exports to and imports from Japan
have grown significantly since 1990.
For statistical purposes, services are
categorized into travel, transportation
and government services, and
commercial services. On the travel
side, revenue from Japanese tourists
to Canada, mirroring the number of
tourists visiting the country, increased
from 1990 to 2000 but dropped
significantly in 2003. Transportation
and government services increased in
the early 1990s and thereafter
remained relatively stable for both
countries. On the commercial services
side (which includes construction,
insurance, finance, advertising,
architecture and communications), in
1990 both countries imported
approximately the same amount
(Canada imported $191 million worth
of these services and Japan imported
$138 million worth). However, by
2004, Canada was buying three times
as many commercial services from
Japan as it was selling to them ($1.8
billion versus $534 million). BC’s role
in this expanding service trade is not
immediately evident from the
statistical data, but anecdotally, British
Columbian firms have become more
engaged with the Japanese market.
INVESTMENT
Investment statistics for British
Columbia specifically are not available.
Table 2 gives an overview of Canadian
direct investment in Japan and
Japanese direct investment in Canada.
Canadian investment in Japan has
grown ten-fold since 1990.
Historically foreign direct investment
(FDI) into Japan was extremely limited
but in the late 1990s, the continued
transformation of the Japanese
economy, combined with the
pressures of globalization and
international competition, created
new opportunities in Japan for foreign
businesses. Various sectors, long
closed to outside interests, opened for
investment and foreign involvement.
In 1990, total FDI stock in Japan was
US$9.8 billion; by 2004 the total
stock had grown to US$89.7 billion.
Canadian investment also grew
dramatically. In 1990, there was
$917 million worth of Canadian
investment in Japan. By 2004, this
had grown to more than $9.6 billion.
In 1997, 40 Canadian companies had
offices in Japan. In 2005, there were
75 and about 30 of these were BC
companies (see Annex 1.)
As shown in Table 2, Japanese
investment in Canada has doubled
since 1990. A significant portion of
this is in the automobile and auto
parts sectors in Ontario. Japanese

3
investment in British Columbia has
been predominantly in the natural
resource sector (forestry, mining,
fisheries). The Japanese had a
significant impact on resource
development in BC. Their involvement
in Canadian mining, in particular,
was integral to the development of
the industry. Of the 15 copper mines
developed in BC from the 1960s-to
the mid-1970s, only one did not
have some form of Japanese
participation. Whether it was
through a loan, an equity position,
a long-term purchase agreement or
simply as customers, Japanese
corporations were vital to the
expansion of the provincial mining
industry.
closed in 2000 and the Bullmoose
mine in 2003. (Some parts of these
mines have reopened recently to
supply coal to China.) There was
much criticism of the Japanese over
their involvement in the Northeast
Coal Project. Critics argued that the
Japanese steel industry deliberately
encouraged excess capacity by
offering long-term purchase
contracts at premium prices to
mines around the world and then,
after the market was flooded,
attempted to renegotiate price and
tonnage. The Japanese responded
that they had no idea that Japanese
steel production would not reach
TABLE 2 CANADA’S INVESTMENT POSITION WITH JAPAN ($MILLION)
Columbia over the past 15 years.
From 400 to 600 Japanese have
settled in BC each year for the past
decade (see Table 3), with a
considerable number of British
Columbians moving in the opposite
direction, typically on short-term
contracts.
PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE EXCHANGES
Cities in Japan and British Columbia
have been very active at establishing
sister city relationships. The first
twinning arrangement was in 1962
between New Westminster and
Moriguchi (Osaka); the most recent
was signed between Squamish and

Japanese companies have also been

1990 1995 2000 2004
an integral part of the development
of British Columbia coal. The search Canadian direct investment in Japan 917 2,739 5,613 9,576
Japanese Direct Investment in Canada 5,222 6,987 8,041 10,583
by Japanese steel companies for
long-term supplies of metallurgical
Source: Adapted from Statistics Canada, Canada’s International Investment Position,
coal was instrumental in
Year-end Stocks. CANSIM Table 376-0051. 19 May 2005.
encouraging the British Columbia <http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/eet/pdf/CIIP04-en.pdf>, <http://cansim2.statcan.ca/
cgi-win/cnsmcgi.exe?CANSIMFile=CII/CII_1_E.HTM&RootDir=CII/>.
government to pursue the
development of the vast
TABLE 3 JAPANESE IMMIGRANTS TO BC, 1990-2004
metallurgical coal reserves in the
northeastern part of the province. A
long-term purchase agreement with 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004

these Japanese steel mills persuaded 199 269 515 575 576 576 422 506

the federal and provincial

governments to enter into a Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada, 2005.

comprehensive development
agreement with Quintette Coal Ltd.,
the promoter of the Northeast Coal
Project, to construct a $2.1 billion
infrastructure system and a new
company town called Tumbler Ridge.
The Quintette and nearby Bullmoose
mines opened in 1983 and their
viability depended on the 15-year
supply contracts and on continuing
price stability for the coal delivered
under those contracts.
Unfortunately, prices fell
dramatically and the Quintette mine
the levels anticipated in the 1970s
and therefore would not require the
amount of coal initially anticipated
nor that world coal prices would
decline markedly. Given the situation,
they saw no reason to pay prices
dramatically higher than the world
level. Today about 7% of BC’s coal
production is sold to Japan.
IMMIGRATION
A small but steady number of
Japanese have emigrated to British
Shimizu in 2003. Altogether British
Columbia and Japan have 35 sister
city relationships (see Annex 3). In
addition, the Port of Vancouver is
twinned with the Port of
Yokohama. While few of these have
brought the desired economic spin-
off benefits, a number have been
very successful in developing
educational and cultural exchanges.
There are many personal and local
connections between British
Columbia and Japan. Many young

4
British Columbians participate in The 2004 travel year witnessed a numbers. Competition for Japanese
the Japan Exchange and Teaching substantial improvement in the tourists, however, remains fierce and
(JET) Program, while today many number of Japanese visitors. As the BC will need to make a concerted
young Japanese come to BC for threat of SARS and of international effort to attract and look after these
working holidays or to study. terrorism ease, Japanese visitors are visitors if it wishes to return to
expected to return to BC in larger numbers like those of 1996.
EDUCATION
About 7,000 Japanese study in BC
TABLE 4 JAPANESE STUDENTS IN BC ON STUDY PERMITS, 1994-2004
annually. About half of these
students are on study permits (see
1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004
Table 4) and the others are in short-
2,559 3,791 3,627 3,689 3,738 3,281
term English language programs
which do not require formal
Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada, 2005.
permits. Japan has been an
important source of international
students for over two decades. A CHART 2 STUDENTS FROM JAPAN IN CANADA BY DESTINATION, 1980-2001

significant number of Japanese have

British Columbia
studied in Canada, particularly BC,
Ontario
since the early 1990s. In the 1980- Other (62)
2001 period, BC received more than 60 (61) (61)
half of all Japanese students in
50
Canada after 1987 (see Chart 2). In
40
some years, the percentage of
Percent

Japanese students in Canada who 30

studied in BC was as high as 62%. 20
Japanese students study at all kinds
10
of levels and institutions, including
universities, community colleges, 0
1980 1985 1990 1995 2001
high schools, trade schools and ESL
programs. Over 60% of the Japanese Note: Figures are based on student stocks.
studying in Canada are female. Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Foreign Students in Canada 1980-2001.
31 August 2005. <http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/research/papers/foreignstudents/annex-
b.html#_Toc32910781>.
TOURISM
British Columbia has long been a CHART 3 JAPANESE TOURISTS TO BC, 1990-2004
prominent market for Japanese
tourists, drawn by the scenery,
350
wilderness experiences and the
300
cosmopolitan attractions of
Thousands of Persons

Vancouver and Victoria. The number 250

of Japanese tourists to BC grew 200

steadily in the 1980s and early 150

1990s reaching a peak of over 100
340,000 tourists in 1996. However,
50
a succession of events like the Asian
0
financial crisis, Japanese recession
1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004
and the regional SARS outbreak saw
the number drop quite significantly,
Source: Adapted from the Statistics Canada, CANSIM Table 427-0003. 7 June 2005.
hitting a low of 184,844 in 2003
<http://cansim2.statcan.ca/cgi-win/cnsmcgi.exe?CANSIMFile=CII/
(fewer than in 1990 — see Chart 3). CII_1_E.HTM&RootDir=CII/>.

5
3. SECTORAL
OPPORTUNITIES FOR
BC BUSINESS
About 200 BC companies are directly
involved in trade with Japan.
FORESTRY, FISHERIES, FOOD
AND BEVERAGES
Lumber is BC’s major export to Japan
and BC forestry companies (Canfor,
West Fraser, Interfor, Interex, Eurocan
and others) have been selling to
Japan for decades.
BC’s principal forest product
representative in Asia is the Canada
Wood Group. The Group was formed
in January 2003 when seven wood
products industry associations (BC
Wood, CanPly, CFLA, COFI, FPAC,
QWEB and SPF) combined forces to
manage offshore Canada Wood
offices in various countries,
including Japan. The initiative
followed the announcement of a
five-year, $35 million Canada Wood
Export Program by Natural Resources
Canada (NRC). The group’s major
supporters remain the NRC’s Canada
Wood Export Program and BC’s
Forestry Innovation Investment Ltd.
Its efforts throughout Asia contribute
to the reputation of Canadian wood
products and provide the industry
with a significant branding
opportunity. It further provides a
unified front for the industry while
permitting the delivery of regional
and sector-based programs.
Individual companies are making
efforts to improve their
competitiveness in Asia. In July 2005,
Canfor announced plans to
streamline its BC lumber supply chain
operations to better serve its Asian
markets. Its various lumber reload
centres in the Vancouver area will be
6
consolidated into one large facility in
Richmond geared to supplying
customers in Japan, South Korea,
Taiwan and China with J-grade
lumber (top-grade lumber for the
Japanese market), panelboard and
other products from Western
Canadian sawmills. Canfor is hoping
that this will allow it to respond
more efficiently to its customers in
Asia, thereby increasing sales.
For over thirty years, BC has been
shipping coastal hemlock for use in
Zairai (post and beam) home
construction. The Zairai Lumber
Promotion Program began in 1997
and over a five-year period was
successful at stopping the decline in
hemlock’s market share. Five
companies (International Forest
Products, Cascadia [formerly
Weyerhauser], Timberwest, J.S. Jones
and Western Forest Products) are
members of the Zairai Lumber
Partnership and they all harvest
coastal hemlock in BC and make it
into structural wood products for
Zairai housing. Between 1997 and
2002 the Zairai Lumber Promotion
Program focused on differentiating
Canadian hemlock lumber from US
lumber and establishing a brand and
name for Canadian Hemlock, or
tsuga. Now Canada Tsuga is readily
identified by end users in Japan and
a new product line has been
launched that is graded and grade-
stamped as E-120 hem-fir by the
Japanese government. In April 2003
a new campaign to promote Tsuga E-
120 was launched. The 2003
promotional campaign featured a
sumo wrestler, Mai no Umi, who is
known for his small size and fighting
spirit. The competitive situation
facing Canada Tsuga in the Japanese
market has been difficult. Between
1995 and 2002 shipments of
Canadian hemlock to Japan dropped
from 1.1 billion fbm to 404 million
fbm. This has been due to a variety
of factors including a 100% jump in
price between 1993 and 1997, the
technical inability to dry hemlock
inexpensively and effectively and the
fact that hemlock as a green product
was losing out to new products that
are dried or engineered. The Zairai
Lumber Promotion Strategy has now
been renamed Canada Tsuga Partners
and it is working hard on a variety of
promotional programs and
techniques.
Japan is an important market for BC
fish products, and there is a long
history of trade relations in this
sector. Local businesses owned by
Nikkei (Canadian-born) and Japanese
immigrants are responsible for a
large share of BC fisheries exports to
Japan. There are also about half a
dozen BC companies active in food
and beverage exports to Japan.
Pacific Western Brewery in Prince
George actively sells into Japan. Until
2003, Japan was the largest Asian
importer of Canadian beef products,
but Japan banned Canadian beef
imports on May 20, 2003, following
news that a cow had tested positive
for bovine spongiform
encephalothapy (BSE).
ALUMINUM
Alcan Aluminum Company of Canada
is responsible for BC’s exports of
aluminum to Japan. Over the years,
an average of approximately 170,000
tons or about 60% of the aluminum
produced at Alcan’s Kitimat smelter
is sold to Japan. A steel trade
magazine, Tekko Shinbun, recently
noted that Alcan is working to make
its Kitimat plant function as an
overseas facility for its Japanese
customers. The plant is boosting
production of aluminum ingots,
which Japanese metal companies roll
into sheet aluminum for the
automobile industry. Alcan is also
aiming to streamline its production
process to shorten the time between
order and delivery. Alcan has just set
up a “Kitimat Plant Ingot
Manufacturing Home Page” where
Japanese customers can check the
status of their orders.
Canada’s high technology image in
Japan dramatically improved after
Team Canada. He said that the
follow-up by the government,
particularly the Canadian Embassy in
Tokyo, after the mission was
excellent. This included a seminar
series in 12 cities across Canada in
February and March 2000, jointly
organized with JETRO; a High
Technology Symposium in Tokyo and
Showcase in March 2002 in Tokyo
and Osaka; and a Security Solutions
and Biometrics showcase in 2003.
JETRO has also been supportive,
sending three IT missions to Canada
(in October 2000, November 2001
and November 2002). A number of
Canadian companies, including BC’s
Phoenix Technologies, entered the
Japanese market because of these
missions.

HIGH TECHNOLOGY CASE STUDY 1

Over 60 of BC high technology
companies are active in Japan. Their
involvement with Japan is relatively
recent, particularly in comparison
with the dozen or so large forestry
and other resource firms that have
been trading with Japan for decades.
Many of these firms have been selling
to Japan for less than five years.
These BC high technology companies
are active in everything from fuel cells
to biotechnology to environmental
technology, robotics, aerospace and
defence. (As many of these
companies now have offices in Japan
and sell directly from there, their
sales are not recorded in the trade
statistics.) The most prominent BC
companies include Pivotal and
Ballard, which has a fuel cell
agreement with Ebara.
The interest in Japan by Canadian
companies can be at least partially
attributed to Canadian and Japanese
government initiatives. In 1999, the
Team Canada mission to Japan made
a point of emphasizing Canada’s
high technology abilities. In the years
that followed both the Canadian
Embassy in Tokyo and JETRO worked
hard to continually emphasize the
potential of Canadian high
technology companies in Japan.
According to Shigeki Maeda, of the
JETRO North America division,
BC IN JAPAN — QUESTAIR TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
QuestAir Technologies, Inc. of Burnaby, BC, is a developer of gas purification
technology, including hydrogen production and both stationary and
automotive fuel cells. Its systems allow fuel cell developers to increase
efficiency and make their products smaller and more cost effective. In June
2005 the company announced a non-exclusive agreement with Japan’s
Mitsubishi Kakoki Kaisha, Ltd. (MKK) to market QuestAir’s hydrogen
purification systems in Japan. MKK will distribute QuestAir’s pressure-
swing absorption (PSA) products in Japan, China, and six other Asian
countries for a term of three years. The agreement follows four years of
cooperation between QuestAir and MKK during which the latter tested
QuestAir’s products at a steel mill in Hakui and the Senju hydrogen
fuelling station in Tokyo. MKK is Japan’s largest supplier of hydrogen
plants, with over 90 installed to date, and QuestAir is confident about the
benefits of the distribution agreement. QuestAir employs roughly 80
workers in BC and is listed on both the TSX and the AIM market of the
London Stock Exchange. The company reports that its first-quarter
revenues are up 40% year-on-year, from $1.1 million to $1.5 million
Ballard Power Systems has been a major shareholder since October 2000.
Osaka in 2000 with 26 companies PRE-FABRICATED HOMES AND
participating; a High Technology BUILDING PRODUCTS
Caravan which went to ten Japanese According to a BC Wood estimate,
cities from Fukuoka to Sapporo, about 80-100 BC firms are involved
promoting Canadian high in the sale of prefabricated homes
technology through presentations by and/or components to Japan. About
Canadian company representatives; 50 of these have had repeat
a Wireless Showcase in October business and approximately 25
2000 with 16 companies companies (eg International Star
participating; a Multimedia Teck Industries, E.G.Supplies Ltd.)

7
have substantial sales of either homes
or components of homes (eg. Merit
Kitchens) to Japan. (BC Wood
organizes an annual Buyer’s Mission —
the first mission took place in Penticton
in 2004 — and many attendees come
from Japan. The mission focuses on
value-added products and 50-60 of
the BC firms that participated were
actively selling into Japan).
had to agree to produce promotional
materials in Japanese, attend at least
six trade shows and pay about
$35,000. There were three main
parts to the Canada Comfort Direct
Program. The first was the Canadian
Building Products Showcase
consisting of one large and two
smaller displays that were exhibited
all over Japan at trade shows,
and strong interest shown by the
Japanese attendees. Lastly, there was
an incoming buyers’ service. The BC
Government organized and arranged
itineraries for Japanese buyers to
come to Canada. Canada Comfort
Direct helped Japanese buyers
through the steps of importing from
Canadian manufacturers or
consolidators.

AN OVERVIEW OF
CASE STUDY 2 JAPANESE-INVESTED COMPANIES
IN BRITISH COLUMBIA
JAPAN IN BC — APLUS CO., LTD.
APLUS Co., Ltd. (formerly known as the “Daishinpan Corporation”) Trading Companies
The major Japanese trading
was originally established in Osaka in1956 as a credit sales agency.
companies all established themselves
In 1989 the company founded a hotel and restaurant management
in BC in the late 1950s/early 1960s.
company in BC called Daishinpan (Canada) Inc. The company counts
Initially, their mandate was to secure
the Delta Ocean Pointe Resort & Spa and the Harbour Towers raw materials for Japanese
Hotel & Suites – both in Victoria, BC – among its properties. companies, and then to develop the
The former has been rated by the New York-based Zagat Guide as Canadian market for Japanese
one of the world’s top resorts. Daishinpan Canada ranks 7th on the finished goods. The import/export
business is still important and
city of Victoria’s list of property taxpayers; its contribution to city
Canada-Japan trade still represents
coffers totaled $1.1 million in 2003. The company also holds a
the major share of their business.
three-year, $4,500 per annum lease on the Delta hotel water lot,
However, to varying degrees, all the
where the property keeps a dock and gangway. As a restaurant trading companies have diversified
management company, the firm also owns The Cannery Seafood their activities. Investments in
Restaurant on Commissioner Street in East Vancouver, and together Canadian companies are generally of
Daishinpan’s businesses employ hundreds of BC workers. In four types:
 large investments in resource
September 2004 the corporate parent company, APLUS, became a
producers (mining, forest
member of the Shinsei Bank Group, and its shares are traded on the
products, fish and seafood);
Osaka Stock Exchange.  large investments in

manufacturing/processing plants
Many in the sector have seminars and workshops. There was (CAPTIN, Nisshin Flour);
representative or sales offices in also a permanent building products  minority interests in Canadian

Japan. A number of these companies display in one of the meeting rooms distribution companies owned by
got their start in the mid-1990s in the BC Government’s Japan office. Japanese companies;
through a program called Canada Member companies were permitted  startup capital for new companies

Comfort Direct which was run from
1992 to 1997 through the then-BC
Trade Development Corporation. To
become a member of the program,
companies were vetted to ensure
that they were serious and ready to
do business in Japan. Each company
to use these meeting rooms when
they were in Japan on business. The
second part of the program was
trade promotion seminars and
workshops in which member
companies participated. These were
very successful with good attendance
in the mining, hi-tech and bio-
tech fields.
The Canadian subsidiary companies
do not publish or disclose financial
results; however, general observation
and anecdotal evidence suggest that

8
the Canadian subsidiaries would rank
in relative size very similar to their
parent companies in Japan, with
Mitsubishi and Mitsui being the
largest here. The role/mandate of the
Canadian subsidiaries is changing.
Originally very much branch offices of
the Japanese parent, the Canadian
offices are now much more focused
on securing their own futures. This is
resulting in several changes in the
local operations, where third country
opportunities are now attracting
much more attention, and
investments are made strategically to
assist in developing promising
situations.
Forest Products
Daishowa-Marubeni International
(Daishowa’s parent company has
recently changed its name in Japan
to Nippon Paper Products) and West
Fraser Mills jointly own Cariboo Pulp
and Paper Company, a 50-50 joint
venture producing bleached kraft
pulp. DMI exports its share of the
pulp to Japan and Southeast Asia
while West Fraser ships to markets
in North America and Europe. Oji
Paper, Honshu Paper Company
(subsequently bought by Oji) and
Mitsubishi used to have extensive
investments in BC/Canada forest
products but many of their
investments closed over the last
decade. Mitsubishi is involved in
lumber trading activities. ITOCHU
Canada’s Vancouver office deals
almost exclusively with the export
to Japan of logs, lumber and pulp.
It no longer custom cuts logs but
buys logs and finished lumber from
local suppliers. ITOCHU also owns
CIPA Lumber (previously the owner
of significant woodlands and
sawmilling operations) which
operates a plywood veneer
manufacturing facility on Annacis
Island. Mitsui Home operates a
lumber re-manufacturing facility in
Langley. Meadow Creek Cedar is a
small sawmill near Castlegar which
is Japanese-owned, and Toyoshima
Trading has a timber frame/log home
plant in Mission.
Most of the trading companies,
either directly or through subsidiaries,
are involved in exporting logs and/or
lumber. Some are also active in
purchasing logs and having them
custom-cut to Japanese specifications
in local sawmills. There are at least
eight other small to medium-sized
Japanese trading companies and
lumber wholesalers active here. These
companies buy finished lumber for
export, and are also heavily involved
in log purchase and custom-cut
programs.
Mining and Metals
As in the forest industry, BC’s mining
industry has a long history of
involvement with Japan. Initially, the
trading companies provided the
interface with Japan, but over the
years, BC companies have developed
more direct relationships with end-
users. Nonetheless, the trading
companies are still very involved, and
continue to play a significant role in
the development and export of BC
mineral resources. Coal and non-
ferrous metals are the major
commodities.
Sumitomo Metal Mining America
Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Sumitomo Corporation, is a
significant shareholder in Teck
Cominco, and maintains a Vancouver
office. SMMA has the mandate to
find and develop new mineral
resources in joint ventures with BC or
other Canadian companies.
Increasingly, these joint ventures with
Canadian companies may involve
developments in third countries. JFE
Steel (formed in 2003 through the
merger of NKK Steel and Kawasaki
Steel) is the only Japanese steel
company with a permanent office in
BC. Japan Oil, Gas and Metals
National Corporation (JOGMEC), a
Japanese government agency, has
had an office in Vancouver since
1990. The mandate of the office is to
seek out and develop joint venture
mineral developments, and then turn
the successful ventures over to
private sector companies. They have
no current projects, but are actively
looking. Their priorities are copper,
zinc and nickel and will consider
other base metals.
The BC forest and mining industries,
together with the trading companies
are the old and established sectors of
the BC-Japan relationship. They are
large players in the relationship and
the companies and the people in
these sectors know each other well.
BC companies now maintain many
direct relationships with their
Japanese customers but trading
companies are often still involved.
Both the forest and mining industries
have active associations that meet
regularly with provincial government
officials, and in the case of the forest
industry, actively operate industry-
specific market programs that are
supported by the province.
Food and Agriculture
The major trading houses are all
involved in the import/export of food
and agricultural products, but there
are also a number of small and
medium-sized Japanese and local
companies active in the food trade.
There are several instances of trading
companies taking minority positions
in local sales and distribution
9
companies set up by Japanese food
manufacturers. A number of BC
Nikkei and Japanese landed
immigrants are also active in the
food import/export business. The
largest Japanese investor in this
sector is Nisshin Flour, which, along
with Mitsubishi as a minority partner,
purchased Rogers Foods of
Armstrong. Rogers operates a flour
mill in Armstrong, and since the
acquisition has completed a major
expansion with a new flour mill in
Chilliwack.
Financial Services
The Japanese banks and insurance
companies set up operations in
Canada in the mid-1980s. They
focus almost entirely on wholesale
commercial banking for larger
Canadian companies and, most
importantly, on servicing Japanese
corporations in Canada. The last
decade has seen numerous mergers
within the financial sector in Japan.
The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi and
Mizuho Corporate Bank have offices
in Vancouver as does JCB
International and Tokio Marine and
Nichido Fire Insurance Company.
Hotels
Japanese investment in the BC hotel
market crested in the late 1980s.
Since that time, however, there have
been several significant sales as
struggling firms have divested
themselves of flagship properties
including Tokyu Canada’s Pan Pacific
Hotel in Vancouver, which was built
in 1986. When the company’s
domestic construction division
began to falter, Tokyu sold the hotel
in 2003 to a San Francisco-based
investment group.
10
Other properties that were Environment Corporation makes
purchased and then sold include the machines to process toxic waste.
Harrison Hot Springs Hotel, the
Chateau Whistler and the Radium Outside of the sectors highlighted
Hot Springs Hotel. In spite of this above, there are a variety of other
investment-exodus, there are still Japanese investments in BC. In the
many properties held by Japanese transport sector, there are a number
investors, such as the entire chain of of companies, including Nippon
Coast Hotels, which is 100% owned Express Canada Ltd., Tokyo Marine
by the Okabe Corporation, as well as Co. and Kintetsu International
the Westin Bayshore Resort and Express. Japan Airlines and JTB
Marina, which is owned by the Aoki International, a large travel agency,
Corporation. Both the Harbour have offices in Vancouver. For a
Towers Hotel & Suites and the Delta detailed listing of Japanese
Ocean Pointe Resort & Spa in Victoria, companies in British Columbia, see
BC, are owned by Daishinpan Canada Annex 2.
Inc – a subsidiary of the Osaka-based
APLUS Company. Finally, Tokyo’s
Listel Group Inc. has recently
renovated the Listel Hotel Whistler
and the Listel Hotel Vancouver on
Robson Street.
Manufacturing
BC has not attracted a great deal
of Japanese investment in
manufacturing. Canadian Autoparts
Toyota (CAPTIN), which began
producing aluminum alloy wheels in
1985, is one exception. Mitsui has a
minority interest in Titan Steel and
Wire Co. Celco Plastics is a plastics
extrusion company based in Surrey
and owned by Topre Corporation of
Japan. Kito Canada has a plant in
Burnaby that makes various kinds of
hoists and pulleys, while Amanasu
4. CHALLENGES AND
PROSPECTS
Over the past two decades, British
Columbia and Canada have tended
to follow the western consensus
regarding the “stagnant” Japanese
market. BC’s economy is more
closely tied to Japan than the other
Canadian provinces, though, and BC
has, as a result, paid closer attention
to Japan. At the height of the
“bubble economy” in the 1980s,
Canadian business and governments
worried about aggressive Japanese
expansion and sought ways to break
through complex Japanese
regulatory barriers. Over the past
decade, when most western
commentators soured on Japan’s
prospects, BC and Canadian firms
tended to lose interest, often at
considerable cost to the provincial
and national economies. Japan’s
economy did not collapse to the
extent critics anticipated and it has
rebounded more strongly and more
creatively than most western
observers have admitted.
Japan’s pattern of investment and
trade reflect corporate priorities,
changes inside the country and a
very serious evaluation of the
potential and stability of overseas
partners. In several sectors –
forestry and hotels in the case of
British Columbia – once substantial
Japanese investments have
dwindled dramatically. In some
instances, this capital and trade has
shifted to other nations; in other
situations, corporate retrenchment
forced the withdrawal. Vigilance,
and the careful cultivation of
Japanese partners, is required to
encourage lasting engagement in a
specific overseas market. JETRO and
International Trade Canada recently
signed an accord designed to facilitate
and encourage bi-directional
investment.
There are several key reasons to pay
close attention to developments in
Japan:
1. Stepping Stone to Asia: Japan
sees itself, much as Hong Kong
does, as a key entry point to the
Asian market. There is
considerable merit to this
viewpoint. Japanese companies
have moved a significant portion
of their production capacity into
other Asian countries while
keeping the design, engineering
and decision-making at home.
They also invest in and control
many of the companies in Asia
that play a part in the production
cycle of Japanese products.
Forming relationships with a
Japanese partner which has a
large presence in Asia could help
BC companies expand throughout
the region.
2. Commercial Innovation: Japan
is a first-rate source of commercial
product and service ideas, and is
an unusually receptive market for
new items. Provincial firms with
leading edge products and services
would do well to consider
opportunities in the country.
3. Commodity Markets: Japan
searches the world for well-priced
and secure supplies of key
commodities, reflecting the well-
known shortages on the Japanese
islands. BC cannot take existing
markets for granted, for there is
global competition for commodity
market share. At the same time,
provincial companies should not
assume that there are limits to
future trade with Japan.
Opportunities for expanded trade
clearly exist.
4. Scientific Innovation: Japan is
investing massively in scientific
innovation, with world-leading
developments in information
technology, nanotechnology and
biotechnology. There is strong
interest in overseas developments
in these fields.
5. Specific Sectors with Potential:
There are numerous sectors with
specific potential for BC
companies. These include
processed foods, environmental
products, software, building
products, unique technologies,
biotechnology, animation, cultural
products and services and
products targeted at seniors.
Japan remains a wealthy, innovative
and internationally important
nation, marked by one of the most
extensive science-based industrial
structures in the world and
demanding, yet accommodating,
consumers. British Columbia has had
strong ties with Japan over the
years, although the scale of
Japanese investments in the Central
Canadian automotive sector has
overshadowed developments on the
Pacific coast in recent years. Foreign
investment in Japan has been very
limited until recently but significant
regulatory and administrative
changes have made it easier for
foreign firms to invest and operate
in many sectors. British Columbia
has an opportunity to capitalize on
the full potential of the Japanese
market and can utilize Japan as a
base for expanding further into Asia.
A history of generally favourable
commercial and political
relationships between British
Columbia and Japan provides a solid
foundation for strengthening an
already important trade and
investment relationship.
11
 ANNEX 1: BC COMPANIES WITH 0FFICES IN JAPAN

COMPANY NAME OFFICE TYPE

NATURAL RESOURCES
 Canfor Corporation Tokyo Sales
 Coast Forest Products Association Tokyo Sales, marketing
 Eurocan Pulp and Paper Co. Sales
 Interex Forest Products Ltd. Tokyo Sales, marketing
 International Forest Products Limited Tokyo Sales, marketing
 Ivanhoe Energy Inc.
 KP Wood Ltd. Tokyo Rep. office
 Riverside Forest Products Limited

FINANCIAL, INSURANCE AND REALTY

 Colliers International Tokyo Office

HOUSING PRODUCTS
 International StarTeck Industries Ltd. Tokyo Sales office
 Ken Building Materials Inc. Tokyo Sales, marketing
 Merit Kitchens Ltd.

SERVICES
 Davis & Company Tokyo Office
 Grant Thornton LLP Tokyo 4 branches
 Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Tokyo Sales office
 Suimon Engineering Canada Ltd. Tokyo Consulting office

FOOD AND BEVERAGE

 Blenz Coffee Ltd. 9 locations
 Cascadia Brands Inc.
 Cheena Canada Ltd. Tokyo Distribution office
 StonePoint Group Ltd.

MANUFACTURING
 Lululemon Athletica Tokyo Sales location
 VSM MedTech Ltd.

HIGH TECH
 ACD Systems International Ltd. Tokyo
 Ballard Power Systems Inc. Tokyo
 Braintech Inc.
 Intrinsyc Software International Inc.
 MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd.
 Norsat International Inc.
 Radarsat International
 Spectrum Signal Processing Tokyo
 Westport Innovations Inc.

12
ANNEX 2: JAPANESE-INVESTED COMPANIES IN BRITISH COLUMBIA, BY SECTOR

(Note: companies that operate in more than one sector have multiple listings)

COMPANY CITY JAPANESE OWNER

AUTO
 Canadian Autoparts Toyota Inc. Delta Toyota Motor Corporation

CLOTHING
 Descente North America Inc. Vancouver Descente, Ltd.

CONSTRUCTION
 Bayshore Gardens Developments Ltd. Vancouver Aoki Corporation
 Blue Tree Management (Canada) Ltd. Vancouver Aoki Corporation
 Daizen Log Tech Ltd. Parksville Daizen Wood Tech Ltd.
 Martec Recycling Corporation Vancouver Marubeni Corporation, Green ARM Co., Ltd.

CONSUMER PRODUCTS
 JVC Canada Inc. Richmond Victor Company of Japan, Limited (JVC)
 Glico Canada Corporation Vancouver Ezaki Glico Co. Ltd.
 Kanematsu Corporation Burnaby Kanematsu Corporation
 Makita Canada Inc. Richmond Makita Corporation
 Nintendo of Canada Ltd. Richmond Nintendo Co., Ltd.
 Nippi Canada Ltd. Burnaby Nippi Collagen Co. Ltd.
 Pentel Stationery of Canada, Ltd. Richmond Pentel Co. Ltd.
 Yamaha Canada Music Ltd. New Westminster Yamaha Corporation
 Yamato Tech Corporation Surrey Yamato Scale Co., Ltd.

EDUCATION
 GEOS Language Academy Vancouver, Victoria GEOS Corporation
 Kumon Canada Inc. Burnaby Kumon Institute of Education Co., Ltd.

ENGINEERING
 Amanasu Environment Corporation (Amanasu Group) Vancouver Amanasu Corporation
 Celco Plastics Ltd. Surrey Topre Corporation
 Daiei Food Equipment (Canada) Inc. Vancouver Daiei Engineering Co. Ltd.
 Epson Research & Development Inc. Richmond Seiko Epson Corporation
 Martec Recycling Corporation Vancouver Marubeni Corporation, Green ARM Co., Ltd.

ENVIRONMENT
 Martec Recycling Corporation Vancouver Marubeni Corporation, Green ARM Co., Ltd.
 Amanasu Environment Corporation (Amanasu Group) Vancouver Amanasu Corporation

FINANCE
 Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi Vancouver Mitsubishi Tokyo Financial Group, Inc.
 Honda Canada Finance Inc. Richmond Honda Motor Co. Ltd.
 JCB International (Canada) Ltd. Vancouver JCB International Co., Ltd.
 Marubeni Canada Ltd. Vancouver Marubeni Corporation

FISHERIES
 Aero Trading Company Vancouver Tohto Marine Products (Tohto Suisan K.K.)
 Azuma Foods (Canada) Co. Ltd. Richmond Azuma Foods Co. Ltd

13
 ANNEX 2:

 Fukahiro Fish Co. Ltd. Vancouver Fukahiro Co. Inc.

 Kawaki (Canada) Ltd. Richmond Kawaki Co. Inc.

FOOD & BEVERAGE

 Daishinpan (Canada) Inc. Vancouver APLUS Co. Ltd.
 Marutodai Canada Ltd. Richmond Maruto Dai Co. Ltd.
 Toseki Entertainment Ltd. Coquitlam Toseki Co. Ltd. (Tokyo Sekkai Kogyo)
 Uokuni Canada Services Ltd. Vancouver Uokuni Sohonsha Co. Inc.

FORESTRY
 Alpac Pulp Sales Inc. Vancouver Oji Paper Co.,Ltd., Mitsubishi Corporation
 Butsurin North America Vancouver Mitsui and Co. Ltd.
 Cariboo Pulp and Paper Co. Vancouver Marubeni Corporation
Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd.
(formerly Daishowa Paper Manufacturing Co. Ltd.)
 CIPA Lumber Co.,Ltd. Delta Itochu Corporation
 Daishowa Marubeni International Ltd. (DMI) Vancouver Marubeni Corporation
Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd.
(formerly Daishowa Paper Manufacturing Co. Ltd.)
 Daishowa North America Corporation Vancouver Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd.
(formerly Daishowa Paper Manufacturing Co. Ltd.)
 Daizen Log Tech Ltd. Parksville Daizen Wood Tech Ltd.
 Elk Trading Co., Ltd. Vancouver Emachu Corporation
 H. Cleveland & Co. Ltd. Burnaby Kamei Corporation
 Hanwa Canada Corporation Vancouver Hanwa Co.,Ltd.
 Haseman Canada Corp. Vancouver Mitsui and Co. Ltd.
 Howe Sound Pulp and Paper Limited Partnership Port Mellon Oji Paper Co.,Ltd.
 Itochu Canada Ltd. Vancouver Itochu Corporation
 Japan Kenzai Co. Ltd. Vancouver Japan Kenzai Co. Ltd. ,
 Marumi Lumber Canada, Ltd. Richmond Marumi Sangyo Co. Inc.
 Meadow Creek Cedar Ltd. Meadow Creek Taiki Industry Co Ltd.,
Ataka Kenzai Co. Ltd.
 Nice International (Canada) Corporation Vancouver Nice Corporation
 Nippon Paper Lumber Co., Ltd. Vancouver Nippon Paper Lumber Co., Ltd.
 Oji Paper Canada Ltd. Vancouver Oji Paper Co.,Ltd.
 Sumitomo Canada Ltd. Vancouver Sumitomo Corporation
 Sumitomo Corporation of America (USA)
 Sumitomo Forestry Company, Ltd. Vancouver Sumitomo Forestry Co., Ltd.
 Tenryu Canada Corporation Vancouver Tenryu Lumber Co. Inc.

HIGH TECH
 Epson Research & Development Inc. Richmond Seiko Epson Corporation
 H3 Energy Ltd. Vancouver Mitsubishi Corporation
 JVC Canada Inc. Richmond Victor Company of Japan, Limited (JVC)
 Pro-face INDE Electronics Richmond Digital Electronics Corporation
 Ricoh Canada Inc. Vancouver Ricoh Company Ltd.
 Yamaha Canada Music Ltd. New Westminster Yamaha Corporation

14
ANNEX 2:

HOTEL
 King Pacific Lodge North Vancouver The Morita Family (of Sony Inc.)
 Coast Hotels Resorts Vancouver Okabe Co. Ltd.
 Daishinpan (Canada) Inc. Vancouver APLUS Co. Ltd.
 Delta Ocean Pointe Resort & Spa Victoria APLUS Co. Ltd.
 Eiko Management and Travel Inc. Vancouver Eiko Group Inc.
 Harbour Towers Hotel & Suites Victoria APLUS Co. Ltd.
 Listel Vancouver Hotel Vancouver Listel Co. Inc.
 Listel Whistler Hotel Whistler Listel Co. Inc.
 Westin Bayshore Resort and Marina Vancouver Aoki Corporation

INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS (MANUFACTURING)

 Mycom Vancouver Richmond Mayekawa Mfg. Co., Ltd. ( MYCOM )
 Amanasu Environment Corporation (Amanasu Group) Vancouver Amanasu Corporation
 Cariboo Pulp and Paper Co. Vancouver Marubeni Corporation
Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd.
(formerly Daihowa Paper Manufacturing Co. Ltd.)
 Celco Plastics Ltd. Surrey Topre Corporation
 Daiei Food Equipment (Canada) Inc. Vancouver Daiei Engineering Co. Ltd.
 Fujitec Canada, Inc. - Richmond Richmond Fujitec Co. Ltd.
 Kito Canada Inc. Burnaby Kito Corporation
 Makita Canada Inc. - Richmond Richmond Makita Corporation
 Sumitomo Canada Ltd. Vancouver Sumitomo Corporation
 Sumitomo Corporation of America (USA)
 Titan Steel & Wire Co. Ltd. Surrey Mitsui and Co. Ltd.
 Yamato Tech Corporation Surrey Yamato Scale Co., Ltd.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
 Dream Access Information Technology Canada Inc. Victoria Dream Access Inc.
 Nintendo of Canada Ltd. Richmond Nintendo Co., Ltd.

MINING
 Dowa Mining Co. Ltd. Vancouver Dowa Mining Co. Ltd.
 Japan-Canada Uranium: JCU (Canada) Exploration Co. Ltd. North Vancouver Itochu Corporation
Mitsubishi Corporation
Mitsubishi Materials Corporation
Overseas Uranium Resources Development Co. Ltd.
 JFE Steel Corporation Vancouver JFE Steel Corporation
(formerly NKK Steel, or Kawasaki Steel)
 Sojitz Canada Corporation Vancouver Sojitz Corporation
(formerly Nissho Iwai Corp and Nichimen Corp.)
 Sojitz Coal Development (Canada) Ltd. Vancouver Sojitz Corporation
(formerly Nissho Iwai Corp and Nichimen Corp.)
 Sojitz Moly Resources, Inc. Vancouver Sojitz Corporation
(formerly Nissho Iwai Corp and Nichimen Corp.)
 Sumitomo Metal Mining Canada Ltd. Vancouver Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd.

REAL ESTATE
 Bayshore Gardens Developments Ltd. Vancouver Aoki Corporation
 Blue Tree Management (Canada) Ltd. Vancouver Aoki Corporation

15
 ANNEX 2:

TOURISM & RETAIL TO TOURISTS

 Delta Ocean Pointe Resort & Spa Victoria APLUS Co. Ltd.
 Eiko Management and Travel Inc. Vancouver Eiko Group Inc.
 H.I.S. International Tours (BC) Inc. Vancouver H.I.S. Co. Ltd.
 JTB International (Canada) Ltd. Richmond JTB Corp.
 Kintetsu International Express (Canada) Inc. Vancouver Kinki Nippon Tourist Co.,Ltd
(Kintetsu International Express) (Japan)
 Nippon Travel Agency Canada Ltd. Vancouver Nippon Travel Agency Co., Ltd.

TRADE, RETAIL
 OK Gift Shop Co. Ltd. - Vancouver Vancouver OK Shoji Co. Inc.
Okadaya Co. Inc.
 Saitoh Holdings Ltd. Vancouver Saitoh Canada Co. Inc.
 Washi Enterprise Ltd. Vancouver Washi Co. Ltd.

TRADE, WHOLESALE
 Daiei Food Equipment (Canada) Inc. Vancouver Daiei Engineering Co. Ltd.
 Daizen Log Tech Ltd. Parksville Daizen Wood Tech Ltd.
 Elk Trading Co., Ltd. Vancouver Emachu Corporation
 Hanwa Canada Corporation Vancouver Hanwa Co.,Ltd.
 Marubeni Canada Ltd. Vancouver Marubeni Corporation
 Marutodai Canada Ltd. Richmond Maruto Dai Co. Ltd.
 Mitsubishi Canada Ltd. Vancouver Mitsubishi Corporation
 Mitsui and Co. (Canada) Ltd. Vancouver Mitsui and Co. Ltd.
 Tomen Canada Inc. Vancouver Tomen Corporation
 Uokuni Canada Services Ltd. Vancouver Uokuni Sohonsha Co. Inc.

TRADE CONSULTING
 Class NK (Nippon Kaiji Kyokai) Vancouver Class NK (Nippon Kaiji Kyokai)
 Okaya (Canada) Co. Ltd. Richmond Okaya and Co. Ltd.
 Overseas Merchandise Inspection Co. Ltd. (OMIC) North Vancouver Overseas Merchandise Inspection Co. Ltd.
 Tokyo Marine Co. Ltd. Vancouver Tokyo Marine Co. Ltd
Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd.

TRANSPORTATION
 Class NK (Nippon Kaiji Kyokai) Vancouver Class NK (Nippon Kaiji Kyokai)
 Kintetsu World Express (Canada) Inc. Richmond Kintetsu World Express Inc. (KWE)
 Meiko Trans Canada Inc. Richmond Meiko Kaiun (Meiko Trans Inc.)
 Nissin Transport (Canada) Inc. Richmond Nissin Corporation
 NYK Line (Western Canada) Inc. Vancouver Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha
 NYK Logistics (Canada) Inc. Port Coquitlam Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha
 Overseas Courier Services (OCS) Ltd. Richmond Overseas Courier Service Co., Ltd.
 Overseas Merchandise Inspection Co. Ltd. (OMIC) North Vancouver Overseas Merchandise Inspection Co. Ltd.
 Sanko Kisen (Canada) Ltd. Vancouver The Sanko Steamship Co., Ltd. (Sanko Line)
 Tokyo Marine Co. Ltd. Vancouver Tokyo Marine Co. Ltd
Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd.
 Yamato Transport (Canada) Inc. Richmond Yamato Transport Co., Ltd.
 Yusen Air & Sea Service (Canada) Inc. Richmond Yusen Air & Sea Service Co., Ltd.

16
ANNEX 3: BRITISH COLUMBIA – JAPAN SISTER CITIES

BRITISH COLUMBIA JAPAN YEAR OF AGREEMENT

 New Westminster Moriguchi 1962

 Vancouver Yokohama 1965
 Burnaby Kushiro 1965
 Prince Rupert Owase 1968
 Richmond Wakayama 1973
 Penticton Ikeda 1977
 North Vancouver Chiba 1979
 Sparwood Kamisunagawa 1980
 Kelowna Kasugai 1981
 Quesnel Shiraoi 1981
 Campbell River Ishikari 1983
 Victoria Morioka 1985
 Summerland Tsukuba 1985
 Port Alberni Abashiri 1986
 Vernon Towa 1986
 Nelson Shuzenji 1987
 Oliver Bandai 1988
 Lake Cowichan Otaki 1989
 Salmon Arm Azuma 1989
 Surrey Koto 1989
 Castlegar Embetsu 1989
 Kamloops Uji 1990
 Trail Tsukui 1991
 Creston Kaminoho 1991
 Ashcroft Bifuka 1994
 Port Hardy Numata 1994
 Hope Nakaizu 1995
 Summerland Toyokoro 1996
 Mission Oyama 1996
 Nanaimo Iwatsuki 1996
 Pemberton Miya 1998
 Abbotsford Fukagawa 1998
 Whistler Karuizawa 1999
 Colwood Shika 1999
 Squamish Shimizu 2003

17
ANNEX 4: BUSINESS-FOCUSED JAPAN-CANADA ASSOCIATIONS IN BC
Canada-Japan Chamber of Commerce
The Canada-Japan Chamber of Commerce
was established in 2003 to foster business
between Canada and Japan. The members
are primarily Japanese-speaking owner-
managers of Canadian businesses with a
direct interest in doing business with Japan.
Kazuko Komatsu
8535 Eastlake Drive
Burnaby, BC V5A 4T7
Tel: 604-421-2119
Fax: 604-421-0090
Email: mail@pwbrewing.com
Canada Japan Society
of British Columbia
The Canada Japan Society of British
Columbia is a long-standing organization
with nearly 300 corporate and individual
members. Its goals are to encourage
friendship and understanding between the
people of Canada and Japan.
302-1107 Homer Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 2Y1
Tel: 604-681-0295
Fax: 604-681-4575
Email: info@canadajapansociety.bc.ca
Kiyukai, Japanese Immigrants
Business Association
The Kiyukai was established in 1987 to
assist Japanese immigrants to start
businesses in Canada and allow them to
discuss in Japanese issues with respect to
starting and doing business in Canada. The
Kiyukai has nearly 100 corporate and
individual members.
Masa Inoda
P.O. Box 48494, Vancouver
BC V7X 1A2
Tel: 604-685-1225
Fax: 604-685-1224
Email: info@kiyukai.ca
18
Konwakai, Japanese Businessmen’s
Association of Vancouver
The Konwakai is comprised of executives
and employees of Japanese companies in
Vancouver. Konwakai was originally all
representatives of trading and natural
resource- related companies but now with
200 members represents the majority of
Japanese companies doing business in BC.
Andy Tsukumo
404-999 Canada Place
Vancouver, BC V6C 3E2
Tel: 604-682-0562 Fax: 604-641-1216
Vancouver Mokuyokai Society
The Vancouver Mokuyokai Society was
established in 1982 by a group of
Canadians who had lived in Japan and
maintained a professional or personal
interest in Japan. Mokuyokai (means
Thursday club as meetings were initially
held on Thursdays) organizes a variety of
activities and events for its members
including speakers and special cultural
events.
P.O. Box 48901 Bentall Station
Vancouver, BC V7X 1A8
Email: info@mokuyokai.bc.ca
Information Source
This Maple Town website has a searchable
dropdown menu of listings of Japanese
accountants, travel agents, real estate
agents etc. in the Vancouver area.
Website: www.mapletown.ca