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 GodB次元官网网址檚 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.

B次元官网网址淭hey died to protect our freedoms and the ways of life that most Canadians enjoy today, so itB次元官网网址檚 important we commemorate them in the company of our allies,B次元官网网址� 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.

B次元官网网址�(Japanese soldiers) operated out of Esquimalt in those early days where we werenB次元官网网址檛 sure if B.C. was going to be directly attacked,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 especially poignant to recognize that with our Japanese allies.B次元官网网址�

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 crewB次元官网网址檚 visit.

The crew will visit eight different countries as part of its overseas training cruise, with Victoria being the second port of call.

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