Closing and Selection Dates Application Winners List Introduction Japan Assignment offers established Canadian print journalists specializing in economics, politics, arts, techology, and business affairs the opportunity to spend two weeks in Japan, researching and writing stories of their own choice. The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, established in 1984 by an Act of the Canadian Parliament, is an independent, private, non-profit organization. It is funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, the Canadian International Development Agency, provincial governments and by the private sector. The Foundation s primary goal is to help Canadians be well informed about Asia and the Pacific through the provision of information, research and analysis. Canadian economic and political writers today know that they ignore Japan s influence on the world at their peril.
Japan is Canada s second largest trading partner after the United States.
Canada s well-being depends in part on a broader knowledge and national understanding of this dynamic country. And without contacts or introductions, interviews with government officials and business leaders are hard to arrange. With the assistance and expertise of the Foreign Press Center, Japan Assignment offers a unique opportunity to overcome these problems while reporting in Japan. In 2002 Japan Assignment will provide up to three Canadian journalists from the print media with the opportunity to spend two weeks in Japan on assignment. Japan Assignment is open to any journalist permanently resident in Canada employed by a Canadian magazine, newspaper or business publication as a reporter, feature writer or as a freelancer specializing in economic affairs, politics, arts, technology or business.