Australian PM urged to apologise over joke about melons gifted by Japan’s Takaichi

Australian PM urged to apologise over joke about melons gifted by Japan’s Takaichi Anthony Albanese appeared to gesture in front of his chest while talking about the gift on a podcast last month - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Australia’s prime minister has refused to apologise over an apparent joke about a gift of expensive melons from his Japanese counterpart. Anthony Albanese was asked in the parliament on Tuesday whether he would say sorry to Sanae Takaichi, Japan's first female prime minister, who gifted him two crown melons when she visited Australia in May. “I reject the assertion in the question,” he replied. The remarks were made on Bush Deep, a comedy podcast recorded at his residence and broadcast in July. Discussing the melons, Mr Albanese appeared to gesture in front of his chest, and the host, comedian Nikki Osborne, replied that Ms Takaichi had come in looking like Pamela Anderson. Crown melons are among Japan’s most expensive fruit, grown one to a vine in greenhouses in Shizuoka and given as formal gifts at weddings, funerals, or business meetings. A single melon can cost more than 30,000 yen, or about £150. The remarks attracted little attention at the time but resurfaced this week after Shingo Yamagami, Japan's ambassador to Australia until 2023, wrote in the Australian that the comments were a sexist joke that betrayed the bond between the two countries. "So, prime minister, please enjoy Japan's sweet and juicy melons without thinking about a woman's anatomy and instead focus on what our two countries must do together," Mr Yamagami wrote, adding that the last thing Ms Takaichi expected was to be casually mocked by the leader of Japan's closest strategic partner. Mr Yamagami had a frosty relationship with sections of Mr Albanese's Labor party during his posting, largely over differences on China. Pressed again in the parliament, Mr Albanese said that Australia and Japan had never been closer or more strategically aligned and that his government had taken the relationship to new heights. "Why didn't you say that in the podcast?" one opposition MP interjected. Opposition leader Angus Taylor called the joke insulting and demanded a personal apology while his deputy, Jane Hume, described it as “grubby” and “beneath the office of the prime minister”. Labor ministers defended Mr Albanese. Finance minister Katy Gallagher said the remarks were not intended to be taken the way political opponents and some media outlets had reported them, while resources minister Madeleine King said they had been mischaracterised. Assistant minister Pat Gorman told reporters there was no need for an apology. "I don't know why we're still talking about this,” he said. Japan’s government sent a diplomatic cable to Canberra in July, days after the podcast episode aired, complaining about sensationalised reporting in the Australian media and saying that it detected no ill intention in Mr Albanese's remarks, according to the Australian. Shiro Armstrong, director of the Australia-Japan Research Centre at the Australian National University, told Radio National that the remarks had gone unmentioned in Japan until weeks afterwards, calling it a “non-issue” there. Mr Yamagami later claimed that the row was being debated in Japan and suggested Mr Albanese visit Tokyo this year. The same podcast episode had already caused trouble for Mr Albanese, who had to apologise after naming Kylie Minogue when Ms Osborne asked him to play a game of "shag, marry, date". Ms Osborne, best known for crude comedy sketches on YouTube, describes herself on the podcast's website as a wildly inappropriate journalist who asks questions no one else would dare. Australia and Japan signed a security agreement in 2022 allowing their forces to train on each other's soil. Japan is also one of Australia's largest export markets, taking about a fifth of its liquefied natural gas. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments