Emperor’s Birthday National Day Reception (March 24, 2023)
On March 24, the Consulate General of Japan held a reception celebrating the Birthday of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan. The national anthems of Japan and Canada launched the festivities, followed by speeches by the Minister of the Environment, the Fight Against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks and representative of the Government of Quebec, Mr. Benoit Charrette, the Montreal city council chair, Ms. Martine Musau Muele, and Consul General Jun Saito. The opening ceremony concluded with the traditional “kagami biraki”, for which the President of the National Assembly, Ms. Nathalie Roy, and the Minister Responsible for Relations with First Nations and Inuit, Mr. Ian Lafrenière, joined the stage. During the reception, the guests attended a demonstration of the Japanese martial art shorinji kempo and were invited to try an array of typical dishes, teas and alcoholic beverages from Japan. They also had the opportunity to enjoy ikebana arrangements and photographs of Kyoto Prefecture that adorned the hall, as well as several kiosks of locally active Japanese companies, fully taking in Japan’s culture and charms right at the venue.