The Governor-General's speech was translated into Japanese for the audience, with a transcript provided below.
His Excellency Mr Justin Hayhurst, Australian Ambassador to Japan.
Ms Helen Stylianou, Deputy Head of Mission and thank you for hosting this afternoon's wonderful conversation on gender equality where we met so many wonderful women leaders from Japan.
My very good friend and Simeon’s good friend, the Ambassador to Australia from Japan, His Excellency Ambassador Kazuhiro Suzuki – it is wonderful to see you here - we see each other regularly in Canberra – it is a wonderful relationship.
Mr Uchibori Masao, Governor of Fukushima Prefecture, whose visit to Australia we very much appreciated – we are delighted we were able to welcome you to Government House in Canberra and we were able to show you kangaroos and tour the official residence.
Distinguished guests – you have been acknowledged already and I add my acknowledgement to those already mentioned – to everyone here tonight, you are all distinguished guests who care deeply about the relationship between Australia and Japan.
At all events in Australia, we acknowledge the traditional owners of the land we are on, and we always pay respects to elders past and present.
Here, the powerful contribution of First Nations Australians is honoured by a scar tree you can see at the entry gate to Ambassador Hayhurst’s residence.
Carved by Paul Girrawah House, a proud Ngambri and Ngunnawal mani from the Canberra region, and a dear friend to me, the tree represents the people who have sustained our extraordinary continent for tens of thousands of years.
Paul’s tree markings are a striking reminder of the foundation chapters of Australia’s story …
… of 65,000 years of continuous Indigenous culture and history …
… of the strength of our democracy, our constitutional arrangements and our institutions of government …
… of our remarkable multiculturalism, welcoming 7 million migrants and almost 1 million refugees to our shores …
… and, the braided strength of these threads - creating our modern chapter, in which Japan features so strongly, of belonging and progress, and of outward-looking and optimistic engagement with the region and the world.
Simeon and I are so pleased to be here in Tokyo – among the close to one million Australians who visit Japan each year – and, in a moment, Simeon will share a little of his personal and deep connection to Japan, starting as a young exchange student in the mid-1980s.
On official visits to countries around the world, I so often speak of the importance of the bonds of family and friendship between people.
In the case of Australia and Japan, the experience of my own family is testament to the importance of these connections.
As a family, we have had some of our most memorable experiences in our countless visits to Japan or inspired by the extraordinary contribution of the Japanese diaspora who have come to call Australia home.
… on our wedding day in 1997, I wore a gown designed by Kyoto-born Akira Isogawa, whose impact on Australian fashion has been profound.
… or celebrating Simeon’s 50th birthday with Australian friends in Tokyo, traveling over the years to Kyoto, Matsumoto, Hiroshima and to the astonishing and awe-inspiring art islands of Naoshima and Teshima in the Seto Inland Sea …
… and our daughter Lotte’s lifelong devotion to Studio Ghibli, Hello Kitty, Yayoi Kusama …
On a deeply personal note, and with thanks to Melanie Brock who is here tonight, in 2018 I travelled to Minami Saririku, in Miyagi prefecture to attend the 3.11 Memorial Event at the invitation of Mayor Jim Sato.
We travelled through Fukushima on our way to Miyagi.
Australia’s response to the devastating earthquake and tsunami of 2011 reflects the friendship and care at the centre of our relationship.
I was proud to see the photos of former Prime Minister Julia Gillard in the Mayor’s office on my visit – where he reminded me that she was the first international leader to visit Fukushima after the tragedy.
So Japan holds a special place in our hearts. As friends Australia and Japan are there for each other and just as Australia was there in Japan’s hour of need, Japan was there for us in 2019-20 – sending personnel and equipment to help during our devastating fires.
Our experiences are not unique – countless Australians share the same bond, and Japanese art, culture and business are visible in every facet of our lives. This isn’t surprising – Australia is home to the second-largest population of Japanese nationals outside Japan.
At Government House in Canberra we are showcasing those stories.
One of our favourite new works on display in the house is a colour photographic portrait by the Australian photographer Anne Zahalka of three Japanese surfers standing alongside their surfboards on Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach.
As a picture of modern Australia, it speaks so compellingly of the new and vital chapter in our national story interwoven with the cultures, histories and practices of many ancestries.
And while these examples are anecdotal and often personal – the bond between our people is also quantifiable. The Lowy Institute’s 2025 poll found – for the fifth year in a row – that Japan is Australia’s most trusted foreign country.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War – a time to remember those lost in the horror and tragedy of that war.
It was also a moment for Japan to commemorate the losses of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings.
The anniversary is also, I believe, a reason to reflect on the eight decades of reconciliation, friendship and common cause we have found since.
The remarkable story of these last 80 years inspires us to look forward to what our nations can achieve together in the decades to come.
I saw that when I was privileged to host a delegation from Japan at Government House who travelled to Australia to visit Cowra for the 80th anniversary of the breakout.
To this day, those graves of those who died have been tended by the people of Cowra.
As one historian wrote, ‘a bold spirit of communion began to emerge’ from the events at Cowra.
I spoke earlier of Australia’s braided story. The bond between Australia and Japan is grounded in a similar braided strength.
From our people-to-people links, which are woven into the formal and economic links between our nations, we celebrate the ties emerging from our modern relationship.
Including, as you’ve heard:
10 years of the Japan-Australia Economic Partnership Agreement
50 years of the Nara Treaty, which we will celebrate in 2026
and 70 years of our Commerce Agreement, which we will mark in 2027.
These important, foundational elements of our relationship are the source of our mutual prosperity.
We cannot overstate the importance or the breadth of the economic partnership between our nations.
From Australia’s point of view, Japan is the only country to increase its Foreign Direct Investment into Australia every single year for the last 11 years.
All of this is represented here tonight, in all of you.
From politics to civil society, business to academia, arts to sport, you represent a convergence in Australia and Japan’s interests that began in the postwar years and flourishes today.
There are thousands of individual stories of people who, collectively, are finding ways to meld and blend our pasts, present and future, our expertise, innovation and vitality in a bilateral relationship of astonishing energy.
Today we experienced that in our time spent at Meals on Wheels Japan, participated in in a roundtable discussion on gender equality with a remarkable group of women leaders.
And, in a very special moment, Simeon and I were honoured together with the Ambassador, to call on Her Imperial Highness Crown Princess Kiko at the Imperial Palace – where we presented a bouquet of our national floral emblem – the golden wattle.
Tomorrow, Simeon and I, together with our team, are very much looking forward to visiting Osaka Kansai World Expo 2025.
Japan has hosted the Expo with its renowned innovation, skill and welcoming grace.
Justin [Ambassador Hayhurst], at the groundbreaking for Australia’s pavilion at Expo, you said this: ‘… Australia really is committed to Japan’.
And we continue to demonstrate that commitment through investing in our resilient, inclusive, forward-looking relationship to benefit both our nations, building regional stability and advancing global progress.
And it is always underpinned by deep people-to-people relationships.
Thank you all for coming here this evening to join Simeon and me in celebrating all that is good about the friendship between Australia and Japan.
Tonight we will be enriched by the opportunity of this gathering to hear more of your plans for building and sustaining this friendship long into the future.
Arigato Gozaimasu.
----------------------
Translation provided to the Audience
His Excellency Mr Justin Hayhurst, Australian Ambassador to Japan.
駐日オーストラリア大使のジャスティン・ヘイハースト閣下。
Ms Helen Stylianou, Deputy Head of Mission and thank you for hosting this afternoon’s wonderful conversation on gender equality where we met so many wonderful women leaders from Japan.
ヘレン・スチリアヌ副大使及び主席公使。本日、副大使には、日本でご活躍されている多くの女性のリーダーの皆様とお会いする機会をいただき、ジェンダー平等に関する大変有意義な会談を主催していただきましたこと、心より感謝申し上げます。
My very good friend and Simeon’s good friend, the Ambassador to Australia from Japan, His Excellency Kazuhiro Suzuki – it is wonderful to see you here – we see each other regularly in Canberra – it is a wonderful relationship.
私の大変良き友人で、シミアンの良き友人である駐豪日本大使、鈴木和博閣下に東京でお目にかかれることを、大変嬉しく思います。キャンベラでは頻繁に交流させていただいており、素晴らしい関係を築いております。
Mr Uchibori Masao, Governor of Fukushima Prefecture, whose visit to Australia we very much appreciated – we are delighted we were able to welcome you to Government House in Canberra and we were able to show you kangaroos and tour the official residence.
オーストラリアにお越しいただいた福島県の内堀雅雄知事。キャンベラのガバメント・ハウス（総督邸）にて内堀知事をお迎えし、カンガルーや庭園をご覧いただく機会を設けることができ、大変嬉しく思います。
Distinguished guests – you have been acknowledged already and I add my acknowledgement to those already mentioned – everyone here tonight, you are all distinguished guests who care deeply about the relationship between Australia and Japan.
ご来賓の皆様。先ほど多くの方々にご挨拶させていただきましたが、今申し上げた方々に加え、ここにいらっしゃる一人一人が、日豪関係に深い思いを寄せてくださっている大切な存在であることを、心より感謝申し上げます。
At all events in Australia, we acknowledge the traditional owners of the land we are on, and pay respects to enders past and present.
オーストラリアでは、あらゆる催しを始める際、私たちが今いる場所が先住民の土地だということを認識し、過去及び現在の長老の皆様に敬意を払います。
Here, the powerful contribution of First Nations Australians is honoured by the scar tree you can see at the entry gate to Ambassador Hayhurst’s residence.
ここでは、大使公邸の門のそばにある木彫りが、オーストラリアの先住民族による力強い貢献への敬意を表しています。
Carved by Paul Girrawah House, a proud Ngambri and Ngunnawal man from the Canberra region, and a dear friend to me, the tree represents the importance of honouring country and the people who have sustained our extraordinary continent for tens of thousands of years.
この木彫りはンガンブリ・ナナワル族出身で、私の親しい友人でもあるポール・ギラワー・ハウス氏によって制作されたもので、何千年にもわたり大陸を守り続けてきた人々と、土地そのものへの敬意を示すことの重要性を象徴しています。
Paul’s tree markings are a striking reminder of the foundation chapters of our national story…
ポールさんの木彫りは、我が国の物語の原点を呼び起こすものです。
… of 65,000 years of continuous Indigenous culture and history …
その原点とは、６万５０００年年以上にわたって受け継がれてきた先住民の文化から、
… of the strength of our democracy, our constitutional arrangements and institutions of government…
民主主義の力強さ、
…of our remarkable multiculturalism, welcoming 7 million migrants and almost 1 million refugees to our shores …
そしてこれまでに７００万人の移民と１００万人近い難民を受け入れてきた優れた多文化主義があげられます。
… And the braided strength of those threads – creating our modern chapter, in which Japan features so strongly, of belonging and progress, and of outward-looking and optimistic engagement with the world.
それぞれの要素が織りなす力強さは、帰属意識や進歩、そして世界に目を向けて前向きに関わろうとする姿勢を通じて、現代のオーストラリアらしさを築いています。日本もその中で、極めて重大な役割を果たしてくださっています。
Simeon and I are so pleased to be here in Tokyo – among the more than one million Australians who visit Japan each year – and, in a moment, Simeon will share a little of his personal and deep connection to Japan, starting as a young exchange student in the mid-1980s.
毎年約１００万人のオーストラリア人が日本を訪れていますが、私たち夫婦もその一員として、この度東京を訪れることができ、大変嬉しく思っております。この後夫からは、１９８０年代に初めて来日して以来築いてきた、日本との深いつながりについてお話させていただきます。
On official visits to countries around the world, I so often speak of the importance of the bonds of family and friendship between people.
世界各国を公務で訪れるたびに、家族や友人との絆の大切さについてお話させていただいています。
In the case of Australia and Japan, the experience of my own family is testament to the importance of those connections.
オーストラリアと日本の場合、私の家族の経験は、こうした絆の重要性を温かく伝えるものといえます。
As a family, we have had some of our most memorable experiences in our countless visits to Japan or inspired by the extraordinary contribution of the Japanese diaspora who have come to call Australia home.
私たち家族の思い出の多くは、日本で築かれてきましたし、オーストラリアを故郷と呼ぶ日本人ディアスポラの多大なる貢献は、私たちの暮らしを豊かにしてきました。
… our wedding day in 1997, when I wore a gown custom-designed by Kyoto-born Akira Isogawa, whose impact on Australian fashion has been profound.
１９９７年に挙げた私たちの結婚式では、京都生まれのアキラ・イソガワ氏に特別にデザインしていただいたガウンを身にまといました。イソガワ氏はオーストラリアのファッション業界に多大な影響を与えているデザイナーです。
… or celebrating Simeon’s 50th birthday with Australian friends in Tokyo, traveling to Kyoto, Matsumoto, Hiroshima and to the astonishing and awe-inspiring art islands of Naoshima and Teshima in the Seto Inland Sea.
夫の５０歳の誕生日を東京に住むオーストラリア人の友人たちと祝ったり、京都、松本、広島や瀬戸内海に浮かぶ、大変魅力的で感動を呼ぶ直島や豊島(てしま)を訪れました。
… and our daughter Lotte’s lifelong devotion to Studio Ghibli, Hello Kitty Yayoi Kusama.
私たちの娘のロッティーはスタジオ・ジブリ、ハローキティーと草間彌生先生の熱心なファンです。
On a deeply personal note, and with thanks to Melanie Brock, in 2018 I travelled to Minami Saririku, in Miyagi prefecture to attend the 3.11 memorial event at the invitation of Mayor Jim Sato.
少し個人的な話になりますが、メラニー・ブロック氏のご尽力もあり、２０１８年に宮城県南三陸町を訪問し、佐藤仁町長のご招待を受けて東日本大震災の記念式典に出席いたしました。
We travelled through Fukushima on our way to Miyagi.
宮城県へ向かう途中には、福島県にも立ち寄りました。
Australia’s response to the devastating earthquake and tsunami of 2011 reflects the friendship and care at the centre of our relationship.
２０１１年の震災発生時オーストラリアが示したの行動は、友情と思いやりの心が両国関係の核心ある象徴ことを象徴するものでした。
I was proud to see the photos of former Prime Minister Julia Gillard in the Mayor’s office on my visit – where he reminded me that she was the first international leader to visit Fukushima after the tragedy.
南三陸町の町長室に、当時のオーストラリア首相、ジュリア・ギラード氏との写真が飾られていたのを拝見し、外国首脳として最も早く福島を訪れたのがギラード氏であったことを改めて伺った際、深い誇りを感じました。
So Japan holds a special place in our hearts. As friends Australia and Japan are there for each other and just as Australia was there in Japan’s hour of need, Japan was there for us in 2019-20 – sending personnel and equipment to help during our devastating fires.
私たちにとって、日本は特別な存在です。友好国として、互いが困難なときに助け合う関係を築いており、私たちが日本を支援したときと同様に、オーストラリアが２０１９年から２０２０年にかけて山火事の被害を受けた際には、日本の皆様から援助や物資をお送りいただきました。
Our experiences are not unique – countless Australians share the same bond, and Japanese art, culture and business are visible in every facet of our lives. This isn’t surprising – Australia is home to the second-largest population of Japanese nationals outside Japan.
この経験は決して特別なものではありません。多くのオーストラリア人が同じような絆を感じており、日本の芸術、文化やビジネスは私たちの生活のあらゆる場面に溶け込んでいます。それもそのはず、オーストラリアは、日本国外で最も多くの日本人が居住する国のひとつであり、その人口は世界で二番目に多いとされています。
At Government House we are showcasing those stories.
ガバメント・ハウスでは、そうしたストーリーを紹介しています。
One of our favourite new works on display in the house is a colour photographic portrait by the Australian photographer Anna Zahalka of three Japanese surfers standing alongside their surfboards on Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach
私たちが特にきにいっている展示品の一つに、オーストラリア人の写真家、アンナ・ザハルカ氏が撮影したカラー写真のポートレートがあり、シドニーを代表するボンダイビーチでサーフボードの横に立つ３人の日本人サーファーを撮影したものです。
As a picture of modern Australia, it speaks so compellingly of the new and vital chapter in our national story interwoven with the cultures, histories ad practices of many ancestries.
現代のオーストラリアを象徴する一枚であり、多様な文化、歴史、習慣が交わり合った、新しく、重要な我が国の物語を象徴しています。
While these examples are anecdotal and personal – the bond between our people is also quantifiable. The Lowy Institute’s 2025 poll found – for the fifth year in a row – that Japan is Australia’s most trusted foreign country.
これらの例は個人的で逸話的なものではありますが、両国の絆は数値化も可能です。ローウィー研究所の２０２５年の世論調査によると、日本は５年連続で「オーストラリアにとって最も信頼できる外国」とされました。
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War – a time to remember those lost in the horror and tragedy of that war.
第二次世界大戦終戦から８０年経った今年、戦争という悲劇と恐怖の中で失われた方々を追悼する時であります。
It was also a moment for Japan to commemorate the losses of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings.
同時に、日本にとっては、広島・長崎への原爆投下による犠牲者を悼む年でもありました。
The anniversary is also, I believe, a reason to reflect on the eight decades of reconciliation, friendship and common cause we have found since.
この節目の年は、これまでの８０年間にわたる若い、友情や共通の目的について振り返る機会でもあると、私は考えています。
The remarkable story of these last 80 years inspires us to look forward to what our nations can achieve together in the decades to come.
この８０年の歩みは実に素晴らしい物語であり、これから両国が共に成し遂げられることに希望を抱かせてくれます。
I saw that when I was privileged to host a delegation from Japan at Government House who travelled to Australia to visit Cowra for the 80th anniversary of the breakout.
これはカウラ事件から８０年の節目にあたり、オーストラリアを訪れた日本からの代表団をガバメント・ハウスでお迎えした際に実感しました。
To this day, the graves of those who died have been tended by the people of Cowra. As one historian wrote, ‘a bold spirit of communion began to emerge’ from the events at Cowra.
今日に至るまで、事件で亡くなった方々のお墓は、カウラの人々によって丁寧に守られ続けています。ある歴史家は、カウラでの出来事から「大胆な親交の精神が芽生え始めた」と記しています。
I spoke earlier of Australia’s braided story. The bond between Australia and Japan is grounded in a similar braided strength.
先ほどオーストラリアの編み込まれた物語についてお話しました。日豪間の絆もまた、同じ様に力強く編み込まれた関係に根差しています。
From our people-to-people links, which are woven into the formal and economic links between our nations, we celebrate the ties emerging from our modern relationship.
人と人とのつながりは外交や経済関係にも織り込まれており、現代の関係性から生じた絆を共に祝福しています。
Including, as you heard:
• 10 years of the Japan-Australia Economic Partnership Agreement
• 50 years of the Nara Treaty, which we celebrate in 2026
• and 70 years of our Commerce Agreement, which we will mark in 2027.
日豪経済連携協定締結から１０周年を祝したり、２０２６年には日豪友好協力基本条約締結から５０年、そして２０２７年には日豪通商協定締結から７０年を祝います。
These important, foundational elements of our relationship are the source of our mutual prosperity.
両国関係のこうした重要で基盤となる要素は、私たちの共通の繁栄の源です。
We cannot overstate the importance or breadth of the economic partnership between our nations.
両国間の経済協力の幅と重要性は、強調しきれないものです。
From Australia’s point of view, Japan is the only country to increase its Foreign Direct Investment into Australia every single year for the last 11 years.
オーストラリアにとって日本は過去11年間、毎年欠かさず対豪直接投資を増加させている唯一の国です。
All of this is represented here tonight, in all of you.
今夜ここにお集まりいただいた皆様お一人おひとりが、まさにその融合を体現されています。
From politics to civil society, business to academia, arts to sport, you represent a convergence in Australia and Japan’s interests that began in the postwar years and flourishes today.
政治、市民社会、ビジネス、学術、芸術、スポーツなど、さまざまな分野で活躍される皆様は、戦後から今日に至るまで発展してきた日豪関係の結びつきを象徴する存在です。
There are thousands of individual stories of people who, collectively, are finding ways to meld and blend our pasts, present and future, our expertise, innovation and vitality in a bilateral relationship of astonishing energy.
過去・現在・未来、そして専門性・革新性・活力を融合させながら、日豪関係を築いている人々の物語は、何千と存在しています。それらは、驚くほど活力に満ちた日豪関係の中で、私たちの絆を形づくっているのです。
Today we experienced that in our time spent at Meals on Wheels, participated in in a roundtable discussion on gender equality with a remarkable group of women leaders.
本日、私たちは「ミールズ・オン・ホイールズ」の活動についてお話を伺ったり、ジェンダー平等に関するラウンドテーブルに出席しました。
And, in a very special moment, Simeon and I were honoured together with the Ambassador, to call on Her Imperial Highness Crown Princess Kiko at the Imperial Palace – where we presented a bouquet of our national floral emblem – the golden wattle.
また、我々夫婦と駐日大使は揃って皇居にて、皇嗣妃紀子殿下に謁見する栄誉を賜り、オーストラリアの国花であるゴールデン・ワトルの花束をお渡ししました。
Tomorrow, Simeon and I, together with our team, are very much looking forward to visiting Osaka Kansai World Expo 2025.
明日、シミアンと私は、チームと共に2025年大阪・関西万博を訪問することを心から楽しみにしています。
Justin [Ambassador Hayhurst], at the groundbreaking for Australia’s pavilion at Expo, you said ‘… Australia really is committed to Japan’.
ヘイハースト大使、オーストラリア館の起工式であなたは「オーストラリアは本当に日本との関係を重視している」とおっしゃいました。
And we continue to demonstrate that commitment through investing in our resilient, inclusive, forward-looking relationship to benefit both our nations, building regional stability and advancing global progress.
私たちは今もその思いを行動で示し続けています。相互利益のために、そして地域の安定と世界の進歩のために、強靭(きょうじん)で包摂的(ほうせつてき)、未来志向の関係に投資し続けているのです。
And it is always underpinned by deep people-to-people relationships.
そして、こうしたすべての関係は、深い人と人とのつながりによって常に支えられています。
Thank you all for coming here this evening to join Simeon and me in celebrating all that is good about the friendship between Australia and Japan.
夫婦そろって、日豪の友情の素晴らしさを祝うためにお越しいただいた皆様に、心より感謝申し上げます。
Tonight we will be enriched by the opportunity of this gathering to hear more of your plans for building and sustaining this friendship long into the future.
今宵のこの集いを通じて、皆様がこの友情を未来にわたって築き、支えていくためのご計画を伺えることは、私たちにとって大きな喜びであり、貴重な機会です。
Arigato Gozaimasu.
ありがとうございます。