![Japanese Embassy in Canberra](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/Japanese_Embassy_in_Canberra.jpg)
Bilateral relations exist between
Australia and
Japan.
The relationships are generally warm and have since continued to grow strong over the years, both nations being considerably close, substantial and driven by mutual interests, with both nations having close ties with the Western world.
Japan is one of
Australia's
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by a ...
major economic partners: it is Australia's “second largest trading partner and an increasingly important source of capital investment". In recent times the relations have expanded beyond strong economic and commercial links to other spheres, including culture, tourism, defense and scientific cooperation.
Tensions were high in the early stage of the relationship, such as
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, and Japan's perceived economic domination during the 1980s and early 1990s. However, the Australian government and business leaders see Japan as a vital export market and an essential element in Australia's future growth and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region. Japan on its part regards Australia as an important partner, a reliable source of energy, minerals and other primary products, a popular tourist destination, a useful conduit to the West and the only other middle-ranking economic power in the
Asia-Pacific. Australia's former Prime-Minister
Tony Abbott
Anthony John Abbott (; born 4 November 1957) is a former Australian politician who served as the 28th prime minister of Australia from 2013 to 2015. He held office as the leader of the Liberal Party of Australia.
Abbott was born in Londo ...
recently hailed Japan as Australia's closest friend in Asia and proceeded on creating a
Free Trade Agreement
A free-trade agreement (FTA) or treaty is an agreement according to international law to form a free-trade area between the cooperating states. There are two types of trade agreements: bilateral and multilateral. Bilateral trade agreements occ ...
between the two nations in the coming year. Australia and Japan both acknowledges each other as key strategic partners within the
Asia-Pacific. With both being prosperous
liberal democracies
Liberal democracy is the combination of a liberal political ideology that operates under an indirect democratic form of government. It is characterized by elections between multiple distinct political parties, a separation of powers into di ...
and key allies of the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
. With former
Defence Minister Marise Payne
Marise Ann Payne (born 29 July 1964) is an Australian politician who served in the Morrison Government as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2018 to 2022 and as Minister for Women from 2019 to 2022. She has been a Senator for New South Wales si ...
described Japan as a "key partner" in the region,
Japanese Prime Minister
The prime minister of Japan ( Japanese: 内閣総理大臣, Hepburn: ''Naikaku Sōri-Daijin'') is the head of government of Japan. The prime minister chairs the Cabinet of Japan and has the ability to select and dismiss its Ministers of Stat ...
Fumio Kishida describing the relationship as the linchpin of security in the Indo-Pacific.
Australia maintains an embassy in
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...
, a consulate-general in
Osaka
is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of ...
, and a consulate in
Sapporo
( ain, サッ・ポロ・ペッ, Satporopet, lit=Dry, Great River) is a city in Japan. It is the largest city north of Tokyo and the largest city on Hokkaido, the northernmost main island of the country. It ranks as the fifth most populous cit ...
. Japan also maintains an embassy in
Canberra, consulates-general in
Sydney,
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
,
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...
, and
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth i ...
, along with a consulate in
Cairns.
History
Colonial and post-federation relations between Australia and the Empire of Japan
The first recorded import of Australian coal by Japan occurred in 1865, and the first recorded Japanese imports of Australian wool occurred in 1888.
The first Japanese person known to have settled in Australia was a merchant who migrated to Queensland in 1871. By the start of the
Australian Federation
The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia (which also governed what is now the Northern Territory), and Western A ...
in 1901, it was estimated that Australia had 4000 Japanese immigrants, mostly based around
Townsville
Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. With a population of 180,820 as of June 2018, it is the largest settlement in North Queensland; it is unofficially considered its capital. Estimated resident population, 3 ...
where the Japanese government had established its first consulate in 1896. The immigrants worked mostly in the sugar cane and maritime industries including turtle,
trochus
''Trochus'' is a genus of medium-sized to large, top-shaped sea snails with an operculum and a pearly inside to their shells, marine gastropod molluscs in the subfamily Trochinae of the family Trochidae, the top snails.Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S. ( ...
,
trepang and pearl harvesting. Further Japanese migration to Australia was effectively terminated with the Australian Immigration Restriction Act of 1901, with the imposition of a "dictation test" in a European language on prospective immigrants, and with the
White Australia policy
The White Australia policy is a term encapsulating a set of historical policies that aimed to forbid people of non-European ethnic origin, especially Asians (primarily Chinese) and Pacific Islanders, from immigrating to Australia, starting i ...
. Due to this the Townsville consulate closed in 1908.
In 1930–31, Japan was "Australia's third most important trading partner".
However, economic relations continued to flourish, and by the mid-1930s, Japan had become Australia's second largest export market after the United Kingdom. However, in 1936, Britain applied political pressure on Australia to curb the import of Japanese textiles, which were damaging the British textile market in Australia. Japan reacted to the new tariffs with
trade barrier
Trade barriers are government-induced restrictions on international trade. According to the theory of comparative advantage, trade barriers are detrimental to the world economy and decrease overall economic efficiency.
Most trade barriers work o ...
s of its own. After both sides realized that the
trade war
A trade war is an economic conflict often resulting from extreme protectionism in which states raise or create tariffs or other trade barriers against each other in response to trade barriers created by the other party. If tariffs are the exclus ...
was unproductive, an agreement was reached in 1937 to relax restrictions.
In recognition of the importance of Japanese ties, Tokyo was the second capital (after Washington DC in the United States) where Australia established a
legation separate from the British embassy.
During World War II, Australian territory was
directly threatened by Japanese invasion, and Japanese forces
attacked Darwin,
Broome, and
Sydney Harbour. In 1941, the ethnic Japanese population in Australia was interned, and most were deported to Japan at the end of the war. Australian forces played an active combat role in battles throughout the
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainlan ...
and
South West Pacific theater of World War II
The South West Pacific theatre, during World War II, was a major theatre of the war between the Allies and the Axis. It included the Philippines, the Dutch East Indies (except for Sumatra), Borneo, Australia and its mandate Territory ...
, most notable events of the war among both parties were the
Kokoda Track campaign
The Kokoda Track campaign or Kokoda Trail campaign was part of the Pacific War of World War II. The campaign consisted of a series of battles fought between July and November 1942 in what was then the Australian Territory of Papua. It was primar ...
and the
Sandakan Death Marches
The Sandakan Death Marches were a series of forced marches in Borneo from Sandakan to Ranau which resulted in the deaths of 2,434 Allied prisoners of war held captive by the Empire of Japan during the Pacific campaign of World War II at the ...
(of which in 2014, the then Japanese Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe
Shinzo Abe ( ; ja, 安倍 晋三, Hepburn: , ; 21 September 1954 – 8 July 2022) was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 20 ...
offered his sincere condolences on behalf of the Japanese people to the Australian Parliament). Australian forces also played a significant role in the post-war
Occupation of Japan.
During the Occupation period
![AWM019422 Yokosuka](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/AWM019422_Yokosuka.jpg)
The first time a large number of Australians were in Japan was during the postwar
Occupation of Japan. Australians were part of the
British Commonwealth Occupation Force
The British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF) was the British Commonwealth taskforce consisting of Australian, British, Indian and New Zealand military forces in occupied Japan, from 1946 until the end of occupation in 1952.
At its peak, ...
. Around 16,000 Australians served in the force. For the entire length of its history the BCOF had an Australian officer. The Australian contribution to the force was 4,700 infantry, 5,300 base personnel, 2,200 from the
Royal Australian Air Force
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
, and 130 from the Australian General Hospital. The
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister of ...
was also present as part of the
British Pacific Fleet
The British Pacific Fleet (BPF) was a Royal Navy formation that saw action against Japan during the Second World War. The fleet was composed of empire naval vessels. The BPF formally came into being on 22 November 1944 from the remaining ships o ...
.
For two-thirds of the period of occupation the Commonwealth was represented solely by Australians.
![Blamey Japanese surrender](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/Blamey_Japanese_surrender.jpg)
Australia played a minor role in the
Japan campaign
The Japan campaign was a series of battles and engagements in and around the Japanese home islands, between Allied forces and the forces of Imperial Japan during the last stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II. The Japan campaign last ...
in the last months of the war and was preparing to participate in the
invasion of Japan at the time the war ended. Several Australian warships operated with the
British Pacific Fleet
The British Pacific Fleet (BPF) was a Royal Navy formation that saw action against Japan during the Second World War. The fleet was composed of empire naval vessels. The BPF formally came into being on 22 November 1944 from the remaining ships o ...
(BPF) during the
Battle of Okinawa and Australian destroyers later escorted British aircraft carriers and battleships during attacks on targets in the
Japanese home islands
The Japanese archipelago (Japanese: 日本列島, ''Nihon rettō'') is a group of 6,852 islands that form the country of Japan, as well as the Russian island of Sakhalin. It extends over from the Sea of Okhotsk in the northeast to the East Chin ...
. Despite its distance from Japan, Australia was the BPF's main base and a large number of facilities were built to support the fleet.
Australia's participation in the planned invasion of Japan would have involved elements of all three services fighting as part of Commonwealth forces. It was planned to form a new
10th Division from existing AIF personnel which would form part of the
Commonwealth Corps
The Commonwealth Corps was the name given to a proposed British Commonwealth army formation, which was scheduled to take part in the planned Allied invasion of Japan during 1945 and 1946. The corps was never formed, however, as the Japanese surr ...
with British, Canadian and New Zealand units. The corps' organisation was to be identical to that of a US Army corps, and it would have participated in the invasion of the Japanese home island of
Honshū which was scheduled for March 1946. Australian ships would have operated with the BPF and US Pacific Fleet and two RAAF heavy bomber squadrons and a transport squadron were scheduled to be redeployed from Britain to Okinawa to join the
strategic bombardment of Japan as part of
Tiger Force
Tiger Force was the name of a long-range reconnaissance patrol unit of the 1st Battalion (Airborne), 327th Infantry, 1st Brigade (Separate), 101st Airborne Division, which fought in the Vietnam War from November 1965 to November 1967. The unit ...
.
General Blamey signed the
Japanese Instrument of Surrender
The Japanese Instrument of Surrender was the written agreement that formalized the surrender of the Empire of Japan, marking the end of hostilities in World War II. It was signed by representatives from the Empire of Japan and from the Allied n ...
on behalf of Australia during the ceremony held on board on 2 September 1945. Several RAN warships were
among the Allied ships anchored in
Tokyo Bay
is a bay located in the southern Kantō region of Japan, and spans the coasts of Tokyo, Kanagawa Prefecture, and Chiba Prefecture. Tokyo Bay is connected to the Pacific Ocean by the Uraga Channel. The Tokyo Bay region is both the most populous ...
during the proceedings. Following the main ceremony on board ''Missouri'', Japanese field commanders surrendered to Allied forces across the Pacific Theatre. Australian forces accepted the surrender of their Japanese opponents at ceremonies conducted at Morotai, several locations in Borneo, Timor, Wewak, Rabaul, Bougainville and Nauru.
Post-war diplomatic relations
Diplomatic relations between Australia and Japan were re-established in 1952, following the termination of the
Allied occupation, and
Haruhiko Nishi
was a Japanese diplomat.
Prewar service
In 1925, as diplomatic relations between the Soviet and the Japanese governments were established, was appointed Secretary of the Embassy in Moscow. Served as Counselor of the Embassy in Moscow from June 1 ...
was appointed as Japanese ambassador to Australia. In 1957, Australian Prime Minister
Robert Menzies visited Japan with the aim of strengthening economic and political ties between the two countries.
Australia and Japan celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of the 1976
Basic Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation in 2006. In a joint statement issued in March 2006, Australian Foreign Minister
Alexander Downer
Alexander John Gosse Downer (born 9 September 1951) is an Australian former politician and diplomat who was leader of the Liberal Party from 1994 to 1995, Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1996 to 2007, and High Commissioner to the United King ...
and Japanese Foreign Minister
Taro Aso
Taro () (''Colocasia esculenta)'' is a root vegetable. It is the most widely cultivated species of several plants in the family Araceae that are used as vegetables for their corms, leaves, and petioles. Taro corms are a food staple in Afric ...
declared the "partnership" between Australia and Japan, based on "shared democratic values, mutual respect, deep friendship, and shared strategic views", to be "stronger than ever".
A number of Australian politicians have been awarded the
Order of the Rising Sun, the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese government. Recipients include former Prime Ministers of Australia such as Edmund Barton, Robert Menzies, John McEwen, Malcolm Fraser, Bob Hawke and John Howard.
Australia and Japan have agreed to work together towards the reform of the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...
, including the realisation of Japan's permanent membership of the
Security Council
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, an ...
, and to strengthen various regional forums, including the
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC ) is an inter-governmental forum for 21 member economies in the Pacific Rim that promotes free trade throughout the Asia-Pacific region. (APEC), the
ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the
East Asia Summit
The East Asia Summit (EAS) is a regional forum held annually by leaders of, initially, 16 countries in the East Asian, Southeast Asian, South Asian and Oceanian regions, based on the ASEAN Plus Six mechanism. Membership expanded to 18 countrie ...
(EAS).
In March 2007 Australia and Japan signed a joint security pact.
The scope of security cooperation includes:
* Law enforcement on combating
transnational crime Transnational crimes are crimes that have actual or potential effect across national borders and crimes that are intrastate but offend fundamental values of the international community. The term is commonly used in the law enforcement and academic c ...
, including trafficking in illegal narcotics and precursors, people smuggling and trafficking, counterfeiting currency and arms smuggling
* Border security
* Counter-terrorism
* Disarmament and counter-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery
* Peace operations
* Exchange of strategic assessments and related information
* Maritime and aviation security
* Humanitarian relief operations, including disaster relief
* Contingency planning, including for pandemics
During the deployment of the
Japan Self-Defense Forces on a
humanitarian and reconstruction mission to
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...
from 2004 to 2006, Australian units assisted Japanese Special Forces in the protection of Japanese bases.
Diplomatic relations have come under pressure over ideological differences regarding Japan's scientific whaling program. In May 2010, Australia started legal action to halt Japanese
whale hunts, despite senior Australian officials and bureaucrats expressing the opinion that the legal action would likely fail. Japan's repeated requests that Australia cease its support for Sea Shepherd's violent attacks upon its whaling fleet have been refused. Although in 2013, Foreign Minister
Julie Bishop
Julie Isabel Bishop (born 17 July 1956) is an Australian former politician who served as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2013 to 2018 and deputy leader of the Liberal Party from 2007 to 2018. She was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Curtin ...
stated while on a diplomatic trip to Japan that the
Australian Government
The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government, is the national government of Australia, a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Like other Westminster-style systems of government, the Australian Government ...
does not officially support
Sea Shepherd
The sea, connected as the world ocean or simply the ocean, is the body of salty water that covers approximately 71% of the Earth's surface. The word sea is also used to denote second-order sections of the sea, such as the Mediterranean Sea, ...
and disapproves of
Sea Shepherd
The sea, connected as the world ocean or simply the ocean, is the body of salty water that covers approximately 71% of the Earth's surface. The word sea is also used to denote second-order sections of the sea, such as the Mediterranean Sea, ...
and their violent activities in halting whaling.
This turned around in 2013 with the new
Abbott Government calling Japan Australia's "closest friend" in Asia, when Japanese Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe
Shinzo Abe ( ; ja, 安倍 晋三, Hepburn: , ; 21 September 1954 – 8 July 2022) was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 20 ...
visited Australia to conclude the
Japan–Australia Economic Partnership Agreement
The Japan–Australia Economic Partnership Agreement was concluded between Australia and Japan in November 2014 and took effect January 15, 2015.
Background
Australia's negotiations for an agreement with Japan began under the Howard Governme ...
and to address the future of the relationship between
Australia and
Japan, being the first Japanese Prime Minister to address the
Parliament of Australia
The Parliament of Australia (officially the Federal Parliament, also called the Commonwealth Parliament) is the legislature, legislative branch of the government of Australia. It consists of three elements: the monarch (represented by the ...
.
With the new
Turnbull Government starting in 2015, Prime Minister
Malcolm Turnbull
Malcolm Bligh Turnbull (born 24 October 1954) is an Australian former politician and businessman who served as the 29th prime minister of Australia from 2015 to 2018. He held office as leader of the Liberal Party of Australia.
Turnbull grad ...
has made a few changes to the bilateral relationship between Australia and Japan. This included a slight pullback in terms of the recent bid for the upgrade of the
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister of ...
submarine fleet in 2016, which the new government eventually decided on the French bid, therefore resulting in slight outcry from the
Japanese Government; its worth noting that the previous Australian Prime Minister
Tony Abbott
Anthony John Abbott (; born 4 November 1957) is a former Australian politician who served as the 28th prime minister of Australia from 2013 to 2015. He held office as the leader of the Liberal Party of Australia.
Abbott was born in Londo ...
had closely hinted for his government to choose the Japanese bid over both the French and German bids.
However, Prime Minister
Malcolm Turnbull
Malcolm Bligh Turnbull (born 24 October 1954) is an Australian former politician and businessman who served as the 29th prime minister of Australia from 2015 to 2018. He held office as leader of the Liberal Party of Australia.
Turnbull grad ...
has decided to stimulate values from the previous Abbott Government to his government by incorporating themes such as the "closest friend" in Asia. This was seen with increasing bilateral ties in terms of military co-operation, trade, and cultural friendship. In late 2016, Turnbull stopped by on a lighting trip to Tokyo and started to develop a close relationship with Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe
Shinzo Abe ( ; ja, 安倍 晋三, Hepburn: , ; 21 September 1954 – 8 July 2022) was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 20 ...
, following his predecessor's example. Abe later visited Turnbull in Sydney early 2017 during a pivot to
South-East Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainland ...
, where both increased military, trade, cultural, and sporting ties. Both also discussed the
South China Sea Crisis,
North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and T ...
, and their anxiety to co-operate with their mutual ally, the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
' new
Trump Administration
Donald Trump's tenure as the 45th president of the United States began with his inauguration on January 20, 2017, and ended on January 20, 2021. Trump, a Republican from New York City, took office following his Electoral College victory ...
.
In December 2021, Australia and Japan, along with the United States, pledged a new undersea internet cable for
Nauru,
Kiribati
Kiribati (), officially the Republic of Kiribati ( gil, ibaberikiKiribati),[Kiribati]
''The Wor ...
and the
Federated States of Micronesia
The Federated States of Micronesia (; abbreviated FSM) is an island country in Oceania. It consists of four states from west to east, Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosraethat are spread across the western Pacific. Together, the states comprise a ...
.
At a virtual summit on 6 January 2022, Japanese Prime Minister
Fumio Kishida and Australian Prime Minister
Scott Morrison
Scott John Morrison (; born 13 May 1968) is an Australian politician. He served as the 30th prime minister of Australia and as Leader of the Liberal Party of Australia from 2018 to 2022, and is currently the member of parliament (MP) for th ...
formally signed the
Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) - to allow their respective militaries to work seamlessly with each other on defence and humanitarian operations.
Economic relations, tourism and migration
Trade
![ABS-5368](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/ABS-5368.0-InternationalTradeInGoodsServicesAustralia-MerchandiseExportsCountryCountryGroupsFobValue-Japan-A1829098X.svg)
Australian trade had shifted away from other
Commonwealth countries toward Asia around the 1960s and 1970s. Japan in particular had emerged as the leading trading partner. In 1966–67, Japan surpassed the United Kingdom "to become the largest market for Australian exports".
Japan is now the second largest export market for Australia (after China), although Japan is ranked only third as a source of imports to Australia after the United States and China. Because of this, Australia has had a trade surplus with Japan.
Australia is a predominant source of food and raw materials for Japan. In 1990 Australia accounted for 5.4 percent of total Japanese imports, a share that held relatively steady in the late 1980s. Australia was the largest single supplier of coal, iron ore, wool, and sugar to Japan in 1990. Australia is also a supplier of
uranium
Uranium is a chemical element with the symbol U and atomic number 92. It is a silvery-grey metal in the actinide series of the periodic table. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons. Uranium is weak ...
. By 1987 Japanese investment made Australia the single largest source of Japanese regional imports. The ban on American and Canadian beef recently made Australia the largest supplier of beef in Japan.
Resource development projects in Australia attracted Japanese capital, as did trade protectionism by necessitating local production for the Australian market. Investments in Australia totaled US$8.1 billion in 1988, accounting for 4.4 percent of Japanese direct investment abroad. But, because of the broadening reach of Japan's foreign investment, this share had been declining, down from 5.9 percent in 1980. During the 1980s, Japanese real estate investment increased in Australia, particularly in the ocean resort area known as the
Gold Coast
Gold Coast may refer to:
Places Africa
* Gold Coast (region), in West Africa, which was made up of the following colonies, before being established as the independent nation of Ghana:
** Portuguese Gold Coast (Portuguese, 1482–1642)
** Dutch G ...
, where Japanese presence was strong enough to create some resentment.
As Japan protects its agriculture, Australia faces quotas, high tariffs, and standards barriers in exporting agricultural products including beef, butter, and apples to Japan. Japan is "Australia's largest beef export market, taking 35.8% of all beef shipped in 2011".
Negotiations commenced in 2007 on a bilateral free trade agreement between Australia and Japan.
As Australia trades raw minerals to Japan for large amounts of earnings, while Japan trades technology such as televisions, computers and cars. Japan is one of the leading suppliers of a number of manufactured goods imported to Australia: Japan has been the principal source of cars and motorcycles being imported to Australia.
Migration
According to
Australian Bureau of Statistics data from 2006, 40,968 Australian people claimed Japanese ancestry. According to Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there were approximately 9,900,
Australian citizens resident in Japan as of 30 June 2017.
Tourism
Japan allows visa-free access to Australians, and Australia has reciprocated: Australia allows Japanese to apply for
Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) immediate authorisation - visa-free access for up to 3 months. In 2018, Japan was the fifth largest source of tourism for Australia, with 484,000 Japanese citizens visiting Australia that year. It placed behind the United Kingdom, the United States, New Zealand and China. According to data from
Google
Google LLC () is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company focusing on Search Engine, search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, software, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, ar ...
, Japan was Australia's top-searched destination between 2002 and 2022, ranking ahead of New Zealand.
Educational partnerships
In 1980, Australia and Japan agreed on a
working holiday scheme for young people from both countries. The working holiday program was the first one for Japan.
Opinion polls
According to a 2017
BBC World Service Poll, 78% of
Australians
Australians, colloquially known as Aussies, are the citizens, nationals and individuals associated with the country of Australia. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or ethno-cultural. For most Australians, several (or all) ...
view Japan's influence positively, with 17% expressing a negative view, making Australia one of the most pro-Japanese countries in the world.
According to a 2021 poll by the
Lowy Institute
The Lowy Institute is an independent think tank founded in April 2003 by Frank Lowy to conduct original, policy-relevant research about international political, strategic and economic issues from an Australian perspective. It is based in Sydney, ...
, Japan is the third most positively viewed country by Australians, with a 73% positivity rating. It ranked behind the United Kingdom and New Zealand. In the 2020 version of the poll, it again ranked at third with a 69% rating, behind the United Kingdom and Canada (New Zealand was not included in the 2020 poll, nor was Canada in the 2021 poll). In the 2022 version of the poll, Japan placed fourth with a 74% rating, behind the United Kingdom which was third with a 77% rating, and Canada and New Zealand, which were the two most favorably viewed countries with ratings of 80% and 86%.
In a 2018 survey by the Japanese government, 65% of respondents had a favorable view of Australia.
[Overview of the Public Opinion Survey on Diplomacy](_blank)
The Government of Japan. December 2018 It was the second most favorably viewed region in the survey, behind the United States, and garnered a higher rating than South Korea,
Latin America
Latin America or
* french: Amérique Latine, link=no
* ht, Amerik Latin, link=no
* pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...
,
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
, China and Russia, which was the least favorably viewed.
71% of respondents also felt that Japan had a good relationship with Australia, while 74% felt that the future development of relations was important for the two countries and the Asia-Pacific.
See also
*
Foreign relations of Australia
Foreign relations of Australia are influenced by its position as a leading trading nation and as a significant donor of humanitarian aid. Australia's foreign policy is guided by a commitment to multilateralism and regionalism, as well as to ...
*
Foreign relations of Japan
The are handled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.
Japan maintains diplomatic relations with every United Nations member state except for North Korea, in addition to UN observer states Holy See, as well as Kosovo, Cook Island ...
*
Japanese Australian
are Australian citizens and residents who claim Japanese ancestry.
Japanese people first arrived in the 1870s (despite a ban on emigration in place until 1886). During the late 19th and early 20th centuries Japanese migrants played a prominent ...
*
Quadrilateral Security Dialogue
The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QSD), commonly known as the Quad, is a strategic security dialogue between Australia, India, Japan and the United States that is maintained by talks between member countries. The dialogue was initiated in ...
*
Reciprocal Access Agreement
Literature
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* David Walton, "Australia, Japan and the Region" in Mari Pangestu and Ligang Song (Eds.), ''Japan's future in East Asia and the Pacific'' (Canberra : Asia Pacific Press, 2007) pp. 31–53.
* Joint Ministerial Statement, Australia-Japan, 'Building a Comprehensive Strategic Relationship', Sydney, 18 March 2006
foreignminister.gov.au* Japan-Australia Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation, Tokyo, 13 March 2007,
* 安全保障協力に関する日豪共同宣言(仮訳), Tokyo, 13 March 2007
''Strengthening Australia-Japan Economic Relations'': A report prepared by Professor Gordon de Brouwer (Australian National University) and Dr. Tony Warren (Network Economics Consulting Group) for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, April 2001
References
External links
Homepage of the Australian Embassy in Japan*
ttp://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/japan/index.html Japan - Australian Government - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
{{DEFAULTSORT:Australia-Japan relations
Bilateral relations of Japan
Japan