Hope – Mayor Victor Smith represented the District of Hope at a reception aboard JS Kashima at Burrard Dry Dock Pier in North Vancouver on September 15, 2026, during a visit by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Training Squadron.
The reception was co-hosted by Rear Admiral Ryoko Azuma, Commander of the Japan Training Squadron, and Yoshiaki Takahashi, Consul-General of Japan in Vancouver.
The evening held special meaning for Hope because of its sister-city relationship with Izu in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. It offered an opportunity to celebrate that connection, renew friendships and build new relationships across the Pacific.
Guests shared food and sake, enjoyed a drumming performance and spent time in conversation with crew members and fellow attendees. For Mayor Smith, the reception also brought a welcome reunion with Consul-General Takahashi, marking their third meeting.
Mayor Smith and District representative Danielle Laporte had the honour of meeting Rear Admiral Azuma, who in 2018 became the first woman to command a warship squadron in the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. They also met Queenie Choo, an Honorary Captain of the Royal Canadian Navy affiliated with HMCS Vancouver and the first Chinese-Canadian woman to receive this honorary title.
JS Kashima and JS Yamagiri visited Vancouver from September 15 to 18 as part of the squadron’s overseas training voyage. Public tours and cultural exchanges during the visit provided opportunities to strengthen friendship and mutual understanding between Canada and Japan.
The District of Hope thanks its hosts and the members of the Training Squadron for their warm welcome and wishes them fair winds and a safe voyage.
