At a forum on international relations, the ambassador described the "human dimension" of the devastation back home, and suggested how Canada might help Japan recover.

The quake struck around 3 p.m. local time when children were in school, he explained. Most schools in Japan were built to withstand seismic events and so many students escaped the harm that befell their parents.

"We'll have to care for these children over the long term," Ishikawa said. He dismissed adoption as an option, but said the children would surely enjoy vacationing in the Canadian wilds.