Arthur Shigeru Hara, is a prominent Japanese-Canadian businessman and philanthropist, renowned for his work in promoting Canada's relations with Pacific Rim nations (especially Japan).

He born in Vancouver

Vancouver

Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...

 to Japanese parents. He graduated from Britannia Secondary School

Britannia Secondary School

Britannia Community Secondary School is a public community secondary school located in the Grandview–Woodland neighbourhood on the east-side of Vancouver, British Columbia. The school educates its students using a district-wide block schedule program that alternates four blocks every two days....

 before enrolling at Kobe University

Kobe University

Shindai is one of the leading universities in Japan. It can be seen in the several rankings such as shown below.-General Rankings:The university is ranked 10th in 2010 in the ranking "Truly Strong Universities" by Toyo Keizai...

. He joined Mitsubishi

Mitsubishi

The Mitsubishi Group , Mitsubishi Group of Companies, or Mitsubishi Companies is a Japanese multinational conglomerate company that consists of a range of autonomous businesses which share the Mitsubishi brand, trademark and legacy...

 Canada Ltd in 1962 and became the company's first Canadian chairman in 1983.

He was chairman of the Board of Governors of the University of British Columbia

University of British Columbia

The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...

 and served as Chairman of the Vancouver Board of Trade

Vancouver Board of Trade

The Vancouver Board of Trade is a non-profit organization which seeks to "promote, enhance and facilitate the development of the region as a Pacific centre for trade, commerce and travel." It serves Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, in a fashion similar to the Board of Trade or Chamber of...

 between 1985 and 1986. He was a member of the board of the Canadian Unity Council

Canadian Unity Council

The Canadian Unity Council was a privately owned non-profit organization whose mission was the promotion of Canadian Unity and the current federal institutions.The CUC started as the "Canada Committee" in 1964, in the middle of Quebec's Quiet Revolution...

 and director of Canada West Foundation.

Between 1988 and 1994, he was chairman of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada

Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada

The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, created by an Act of Parliament in 1984, is an independent, not-for-profit think-tank on Canada's relations with Asia.-Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada:...

 and was a member of the Vancouver Summit Society which prepared the ground for APEC's controversial 1997 summit in Vancouver.

Honors

He was inducted as a Member of the Order of Canada in 1985 and in 1992 he was promoted to Officer of the Order of Canada. He has also been awarded the Canada Confederation Medal, Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal

Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal

The Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal was a commemorative medal created in 2002 to mark the 50th anniversary of the accession to the throne of Queen Elizabeth II...

, Order of the Rising Sun

Order of the Rising Sun

The is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese Government, created on April 10, 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight from the rising sun...

, and Honorary Doctor of Laws in 1990.