As the Indo-Pacific undergoes rapid geopolitical and economic transformation, Canada and Japan are emerging as increasingly aligned partners seeking stability and strategic balance in the region.
On December 1, 2025, APF Canada hosted a webinar featuring Professor Akio Takahara, one of Japan’s most respected scholars of Chinese politics and regional strategy, for an in-depth discussion on the future of Canada–Japan co-operation. Currently an Honorary Senior Fellow on Chinese Politics at the Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis, Professor Takahara is the Emeritus Professor at the University of Tokyo and the Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Tokyo Woman’s Christian University.
Professor Takahara explored how both countries navigate China’s evolving domestic and foreign policy under Trump 2.0 and assessed opportunities for Ottawa and Tokyo to deepen co-operation on a variety of matters.
APF Canada’s Vice-President of Research & Strategy, Vina Nadjibulla, moderated this session with opening remarks from Hideaki Ishii, Minister and Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Japan in Canada, and Professor Stephanie Carvin of Carleton University.
