Natasha Baldin/Contributor
As part of their four-day port visit to Victoria, members of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force took part in two wreath-laying ceremonies Friday (June 16) in collaboration with the Royal Canadian Navy.
Featuring Japanese and Canadian sailors dressed in white uniforms, ceremonies took place in front of the cenotaph at the B.C. Legislature and at God’s Acre Cemetery in Esquimalt.
The ceremony started with national anthem performances by the Japanese Training Squadron and the Naden Band of the Royal Canadian Navy, followed by a performance of The Last Call on trumpet. At the legislature, representatives then laid wreaths at the foot of the cenotaph.
For Royal Canadian Navy Rear-Admiral Christopher Robinson, the wreath-laying ceremonies are an important practice to commemorate war dead with visiting nations.
“They died to protect our freedoms and the ways of life that most Canadians enjoy today, so it’s important we commemorate them in the company of our allies,” he said.
He added the cenotaph was a powerful location to commemorate the history of allyship between Japan and Canada. Japanese troops were present in Victoria during the First World War to help protect Canadian soil against potential attacks.
“(Japanese soldiers) operated out of Esquimalt in those early days where we weren’t sure if B.C. was going to be directly attacked,” he said. “It’s especially poignant to recognize that with our Japanese allies.”
Two ships from the Japan Training Squadron, JS Kashima and JS Hatakaze, have been docked at the Esquimalt Naval Base for the duration of the crew’s visit.
The crew will visit eight different countries as part of its overseas training cruise, with Victoria being the second port of call.
READ MORE: Victoria man’s wife didn’t believe they had won ‘whopping’ $35M lottery jackpot