Embassy of Canada, Tokyo

Embassy of Canada in Tokyo
Location	Minato-ku Tokyo 107-8503
Address	7-3-38 Akasaka

The Embassy of Canada in Tokyo is the main diplomatic mission from Canada to Japan. The embassy in Tokyo is Canada's third oldest "foreign" legation after Paris and Washington (the High Commissions to other Commonwealth states were not considered "foreign" by the Canadian government in those days).

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 visa passports.".

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 once 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 build a new chancery, Place Canada, which opened in 1991.

See also

• Canada-Japan relations
• List of Canadian ambassadors to Japan

External links

• Official history of the Canadian mission to Japan