Japan-Australia Relations

May 2010

The rapid development of Japan's relations with Australia in the post-war era was based on mutually complementary trade links. Since then, the relationship has expanded to economic activities, politics, culture and various other fields. As trusted partners in the Asia Pacific region, Japan and Australia share a common interest in regional stability and prosperity.

Milestone events in recent years were the Joint Declaration on the Australia-Japan Partnership, which was issued during a visit to Japan by Prime Minister Paul Keating in 1995, and Japan-Australia Partnership Agenda adopted in the 14th meeting of Japan-Australia Ministerial Committee in August 1997.

From September 1996 through March 1998, Japan and Australia have held a series of events, the "Japan-Australia Friendship Anniversaries," to commemorate the significant milestones. In 1996 the two countries marked the twentieth anniversary of the signing of the Basic Treaty of Friendship and Co-operation between Japan and Australia, and in 1997 they observed the fortieth anniversary of the signing of the Agreement on Commerce between Japan and the Commonwealth of Australia, and the centenary of the opening of the Japanese Consulate-General in Sydney. In this connection, commemorative activities were taking place in Japan and Australia, including symposiums, sporting exchange events, and a variety of cultural events.

In the field of economic relations, Japan is Australia's largest trading partner and the third largest source of direct investment in Australia in terms of the cumulative total.

History of Japan-Australia Exchange

1897	Japanese consulate established in Sydney.
1947	Australian embassy established in Tokyo.
1952	San Francisco Peace Treaty signed by Australia.
1952	Australian embassy established in Tokyo.
1953	Japanese embassy established in Australia.
1957	First visit to Japan by an Australian Prime Minister (Robert Menzies).
1957	First visit to Australia by a Japanese Prime Minister (Nobusuke Kishi).
1957	Agreement on Commerce between Japan and the Commonwealth of Australia signed.
1968	Agreement on Fisheries between the Government of Japan and the Government of Australia signed.
1970	Agreement between Japan and the Commonwealth of Australia for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income signed.
1972	Agreement between the Government of Japan and the Government of Australia for Co-operation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy signed.
1974	Cultural Agreement between the Government of Japan and the Government of Australia signed.
1976	Basic Treaty of Friendship and Co-operation between Japan and Australia signed.
1995	Joint Declaration on the Australia-Japan Partnership.
1997	Japan-Australia Partnership Agenda.

2006 Australia-Japan Year of Exchange (Embassy of Japan in Australia Web Site)

VIP Visits

From Australia to Japan

Year	Name
1957	Prime Minister Robert Menzies
1970	Prime Minister John Gorton
1973	Prime Minister Edward Whitlam
1976, 1978, 1980, 1982	Prime Minister John Fraser
1984, 1986, 1987, 1990	Prime Minister Robert Hawke
1992, 1994, 1995	Prime Minister Paul Keating
1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005	Prime Minister John Howard

From Japan to Australia

Year	Name
1957	Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi
1963	Prime Minister Hayato Ikeda
1967	Prime Minister Eisaku Sato
1971	Prince and Princess Mikasa (international conference)
1971-73	Prince Katsura (study)
1973	The Crown Prince and Crown Princess (the current Emperor and Empress) (goodwill visit)
1974	Prince Naruhito (the current Crown Prince) (tour)
1974	Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka
1980	Prime Minister Masayoshi Ohira
1982	Prince Katsura (tenth anniversary of establishment of the Australia Japan Society)
1985	Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone
1988	Prime Minister Noboru Takeshita
1992	Princess Sayako (tour)
1993	Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa
1993	Prince and Princess Tomohito of Mikasa (discussions about educational assistance for children with hearing or sight impairments)
1994	Princess Tomohito of Mikasa and Prince Katsura (charity event to provide educational assistance for children with hearing or sight impairments)
1995	Prince and Princess Akishino (official visit)
1997	Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto
2002	Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi

Economic Relations

(1) Trade: Trade between Japan and Australia increased rapidly during the 1970s, but remained stable throughout most of the 1980s. However, from 1988 on, the level of trade rose steeply again due to increased imports of Australian goods into Japan.

Australia is Japan's tenth-ranked export destination and shares 2.4% of Japan's total exports. It ranks third among Japan's total imports with a share of 4.6%. Japan is Australia's largest overall trading partner, ranking first in the country's exports and second in its imports.
(A) Japan's Exports to Australia: US$8,019 million (1998)

Principal export items:
Transportation equipment (automobiles, etc.), general machinery (office equipment, etc.), electrical machinery, rubber products (tires, etc.), chemicals, precision machinery, iron and steel, textile products
(B) Japan's Imports from Australia: US$13,000 million (1998); Principal import items:
Coal, iron ore, natural gas, beef, gold, wood chips, aluminum ingots, alumina, petroleum and petroleum products, wool
(2) Investment: The annual flow of Japanese direct investment in Australia (fiscal 1996/97) stands at A$1,275 million (12th highest).

Aid Coordination

Most Pacific island countries have small economies and widely dispersed territories. These characteristics tend to hinder their efforts to achieve economic self-sufficiency. Japan's policy on economic cooperation in the region is based on careful consideration of the specific circumstances of each country. Japan also attaches considerable importance to efforts to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of its economic cooperation through the coordination of financial assistance with technical cooperation and through cooperation with other donors, including Australia, and regional organizations, such as the South Pacific Forum.

At intervals of approximately one or two years, Japan holds aid policy consultations with Australia, which is one of the major donors in the Pacific region, to provide an exchange of views on aid issues.

As one example of a joint aid cooperation and coordination between Japan and Australia in the Pacific region, we can quote a cooperation to Indonesia in the field of environment. Both Japan and Australia have provided their own respective cooperations in environmental field to Indonesia. Japan, since 1993, has been extending project type technical cooperation to the project of "Environment Management Centre(EMC)", of which facilities were constructed through Japanese grant aid. On the other hand, Australia is now providing its cooperation to "Pollution Control Implementation(PCI) Project in East Java". In January 1995, Japan and Australia agreed that they would also mutually cooperate in complementing the other's project. In implementing such agreement, for example, Japan has received some Indonesian counterparts of Australian experts at PCI in some Japanese training courses organized by JICA, while some Indonesian counterparts of Japanese experts at EMC have participated in some trainings at some institutions other than those of JICA with the related expenses borne by Australia (AusAID).

Opinion Poll on Japan in Australia

2006 Opinion Poll on Japan in Australia (Summary)

Number of Nationals Resident in Each Country

Japanese residents in Australia: 26,631(as of October 1, 1997)
Australian residents in Japan: 6,940(as of December 31, 1997)

Educational and Cultural Exchange, etc.

Japan and Australia signed a cultural agreement in 1974, and the two countries have been conducting various cultural exchanges, primarily through the Japan Foundation, which has a cultural center in Sydney, and the Australia-Japan Foundation. In addition to exchange activities involving scholars, teachers, students, researchers, artists, athletes, journalists, and others, there has also been a steady flow of exhibitions and lectures.

(1) Youth Exchange: There is considerable youth exchange between Japan and Australia. Each year Japan accepts about 100 young Australians as government-funded students. Each year, several hundred university and high school students participate in exchange missions sponsored by Rotary and other organizations.
(2) The JET Program: A total of 1,900 Australians have worked as Assistant Language Teachers (ALT) or Coordinators for International Relations (CIR) under the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program, which is a joint project run by the Japanese Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Home Affairs, and Education and local government bodies. These people are helping to enhance English-language education and foster international exchange at the regional level throughout Japan. They are also making a major contribution to the promotion of friendly relations between Japan and Australia.
(3) Sister Cities: Friendship agreements have been formed between cities, ports, states and broadcast stations in Australia and Japan. At present, there are 85 sister-city affiliations, six sister-port relationships and six sister-state relationships, as well as 11 sister relationships between broadcast stations.
(4) Japan Studies: Research relating to Japan is carried out at 37 universities in Australia. The range of research activities has expanded to include not only the humanities (the Japanese language, Japanese culture, history, etc.) but also practical and business-related fields, such as Japanese politics, economics, business and law. The Japan Studies Association of Australia (founded in 1979) is very active. Every second year it holds a symposium that attracts participants throughout Australia.

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Press Secretary's Press Conference/Media FAQ on Australia

Year	Month	Date
2009	February	12
2008	October	28
	June	27
	January	18, 25
2007	December	4
2007	October	30
2006	September	19, 29
	June	30
	March	28
	February	9
2005	November	25
	October	28
	September	13
	March	22
	February	4, 22
2004	January	27
2003	October	10
2003	July	4
2000	June	8
1999	June	15
1998	October	6

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