Burnaby Minor Hockey Association (BMHA) is pleased to announce a partnership with Japan-Canada International Hockey (JCIH) that will send a team to Japan to take part in the Burnaby-
Kushiro Sister City 60th Anniversary celebrations this summer.

A team comprised of U18 and U15 BMHA players will travel to Kushiro on July 7, 2025 where they will take in local sights, participate in cultural events, and play in a 7-team tournament against teams from Kushiro, Obihiro and Sapporo.

Since 2000 players from Burnaby like Simon and Victor Denis, Ryan Wakabayashi, Taro and Kenzo Racanelli, Zachary Nasu, Ken Takahashi, Andrais Matsuda and other Japanese-Canadian youth from across Canada have been travelling to Japan to play the game of hockey.

This year will be special because at the request of Kushiro City an all-Burnaby team will make the trip as part of ongoing sister city celebrations. This will be a unique experience for these players representing the City of Burnaby to get first-hand experience playing international hockey.  Those at home will be able to watch the games broadcasted live on YouTube.

For many of these players the trip represents an opportunity of a lifetime to learn about the culture of a different country first hand. Players will not only visit but also participate in classroom situations, attend a local government ceremony, see local and city (Tokyo) sights, and participate in a homestay with a Kushiro family.

The trip will also commemorate the memory and legacy of Raymond Sawada a Nikkei/JCIH alumni, former Dallas Star player, and Burnaby firefighter who passed away in 2023. The team will be wearing a badge on their jerseys to acknowledge his contribution to the hockey and Burnaby community.

About Japan-Canada Ice Hockey

Japan-Canada International Hockey (JCIH) is a volunteer program that uses ice hockey as conduit for introducing young Japanese-Canadian youth to the country of their heritage.

The bi-annual program was originally established in Richmond as Nikkei Hockey in 2000 when a team was sent to the city of Tomakomai in Hokkaido to participate in an international tournament.

In 2010, then BMHA coaches Richard Taki and Hitomi Nakajima supported by David Kumamoto from Richmond moved the program to Burnaby under the new operating name JCIH. The focus of the remodelled program placed greater emphasis on the educational and cultural opportunities afforded to the players during their two weeks stay in Kushiro.

Each trip has provided the opportunity for a Canadian-born player to compete at an international level, to be introduced to the Japanese side of his/her identity, and to play a role in strengthening bonds within the Japanese-Canadian community.

The bi-annual trips have grown in popularity and what originally started as a Lower Mainland venture has blossomed into a national program attracting quality players from across Canada. The program has also grown by leaps and bounds. By working with local governments and school districts, games are now against Hokkaido’s top high school teams. Players participate in joint activities with Japanese students, and the team is able to enjoy the hospitality of the community.

Committees based in Burnaby and Kushiro work hard together before and during each trip to ensure a schedule that offers a good mix of competitive hockey and community activities.

Please go to: https://jcih.ca

 

 

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