John Powles (1948 – March 14, 2010) was the Canadian president of the Canada-Japan Society and an important figure within Canadian-Japanese relations for more than 25 years.
[1] John Mark Powles was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, but moved to Yokohama, Japan, early in life.
[2] British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell appointed Powles as the head of the Japan Market Advisory Group within the Asia Pacific Trade Council in 2005.
[2] Japanese Emperor Akihito named Powles as a recipient of the Order of the Rising Sun in 2008 for his contributions to bilateral relations between Japan and Canada.
[1] John Powles died at Lions Gate Hospital in Vancouver on March 14, 2010, of pancreatic cancer at the age of 61.