Message from Mr. Jun SAITO, Consul General

My name is Jun Saito and I am succeeding Mr. Osamu Izawa as Consul General of Japan in Montreal. Since arriving in Montreal from Tokyo on October 19, I have already come to learn much.

I have worked abroad in Belgium, India, France, and the United States, and I have been on short business trips to Canada, but this is my first time in Montreal as a diplomat. This will also be my first mandate as Consul General.

I was both humbled and heartened to learn that the local Japanese population has worked generation after generation to support through various means the relations between Japan and Canada, and more specifically Quebec and all four Atlantic Provinces.

There have been many over the years who have taken up the role of Consul General, but as for myself, I would first like to focus on improving consular services so that Japanese citizens may live their lives with peace of mind and be better equipped to engage in any activity of interest, whether related to the economy, culture, education, or the arts. Moreover, while we are still grappling with many uncertainties due to the ongoing COVID-19 sanitary crisis, I will do my utmost to encourage exchanges between Japanese and Canadians in various fields. Furthermore, I wish, by building upon the solid foundations you have all already laid, to widely strengthen the relations between Japan and Canada, and more importantly between Japan and the five provinces within our jurisdiction – Quebec, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island.

I thank you in advance for your continued understanding and cooperation in regards to the Consulate General of Japan in Montreal’s activities.

Jun Saito
Consul General of Japan in Montreal