Academic and Cultural Exchange
Japanese Language Study and Japanese Studies
According to a 1998 survey, Canada had 21,736 Japanese-language students. In general, elementary and intermediate courses have become quite widespread; on a geographic basis, students studying Japanese appear to be more concentrated in British Columbia, Ontario, and Alberta. To foster student interest in the Japanese language as well as promoting exchange among Japanese-language instructors, Japanese-language speech contests have been held since 1989. Those events have been a major success. In the directory "Japanese Studies in Canada: The 1990s," which was published in 1995 by the Japan Foundation, there are 300 entries of Canadian Japan specialists and 50 entries of academic institutions with Japan related courses or programs. Japanese Studies Association of Canada (JSAC) composed of Canadian Japan specialists in all fields and all academics interested in Japan, provides opportunities to meet, to present papers, and to discuss the issues relevant to the study of Japan.
Youth Exchange
Japan furnishes government-supported scholarships to about fifteen Canadian exchange students every year. Furthermore, since 1988, an increasing number of Canadians have been participating in the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program (the JET program), which provides jobs for Assistant Language Teachers and Coordinators for International Relations at the local government level.
Academic Exchange
The Japanese Association for Canadian Studies was set up in Japan in 1977. Also, Canada has witnessed the establishment of several academic organizations that have become energetic forums for exchange and for the advancement of research on Japan. The Japan Committee of the Canadian Asian Studies Association was set up in 1979. In particular Japan studies Japan Studies Association of Canada with focus on social science was established in 1987 and has been very active in developing Japanese studies in Canada. Programme to exchange researchers between Japanese Association for Canadian Studies and Japan Studies Association of Canada has started from 1996. Six or seven Canadian scholars visit Japan every year to pursue research under the Japan Foundation fellowship program. Incidentally, as of the end of 1999, there were 165 cooperative arrangements in effect between universities in Japan and Canada.
Local and Grassroots Exchange
Sister-city exchanges between Japan and Canada have intensifies over the years. On a province or municipal basis, the two countries now have 68 (as of December 2000). In other words, exchange at the community level has already become quite diversified and extensive, and it is gaining momentum.
Canadian citizens who have been to Japan have organized and now lead a variety of grassroots activities in cultural exchange, from flower arrangement and bonsai to the martial arts, just to name a few. What is more, activities of this kind are becoming increasingly popular and widespread. Among private goodwill organizations, the Canada-Japan Society was established in Tokyo in 1930. Similary, in Canada, seven Japan-Canada societies were established in cities such as Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver, and Calgary.
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