Japan's consul general visits
First tour of territory since appointment last year
Karen K. Ho
Northern News Services
Saturday, May 30, 2015
NUNAVUT
The newest consul-general of Japan recently visited Nunavut for the first time in what deputy consul-general Yuzo Yoshioka called an overdue move.
Ryosaku Tamura, left, the Calgary-based Japanese consul-general, stands next to Iqaluit Mayor Mary Wilman. Tamura's tour of the territory was his office's first visit in 15 years. - photo courtesy of the Government of Nunavut
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"No consulate of Japan has visited Nunavut in 15 years," he said.
The Calgary-based Ryosaku Tamura officially oversees Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
The territory's abundant natural resources meant this visit would also allow Japan to see if there was an opportunity for future co-operation to exploit resource minerals such as copper and uranium.
Yoshioka also spoke about tourism as another opportunity, citing the many Japanese tourists to see the Northern lights while frequently travelling to places like Finland and Yellowknife. "Also, nature, wildlife may be an attraction for Japanese tourists," he said. "But this depends on availability of transportation. It's very hard to reach Nunavut."
Yoshioka said that improving transportation infrastructure is key to promoting tourism in the territory.
The country is looking for opportunities for investment abroad, trade and resource development, especially when it came to uranium and copper.
Paul Pryce, an advisor for the political affairs section of the consulate-general's office, said Tamura was conducting a strategic overview of the territory's mining sector and whether there's any commodities that could be exported to Japan and its manufacturing industry at a later date. "There's just a curiosity of what we can expect in the next ten or twenty years," he said.
Pryce reiterated that the three-day trip was important for the consul-general to really re-establish ties with the territory and wasn't tied to anything specific happening in Japan in regard to uranium.
"There's an interest whether or not (Saskatchewan uranium exploration and mining company) Areva resources would be pursuing that in the long-term," he said. "Just a very general kicking of the tires to see what's going on."
According to the Government of Nunavut's chief of protocol, Nicole Camphaug, Tamura met with many officials including Premier Peter Taptuna, Energy Minister Monica Ell, Health Minister Paul Okalik, John Hawkins, acting director of the Iqaluit Airport Authority, Iqaluit Mayor Mary Wilman, the Baffin Region Chamber of Commerce's executive director Chris West, as well as representatives from Nunavut Tourism.
