Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visit the Canberra Nara Peace Park in Canberra on May 4, 2026. (Photo: AFP/Saeed Khan)
12 Aug 2026 05:24PM
(Updated: 12 Aug 2026 05:26PM)
TOKYO: Tokyo on Wednesday (Aug 12) played down comments by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese about melons gifted to him by his Japanese counterpart that have triggered a row Down Under, stressing the leaders' good relationship."We are aware of the reporting in the media. We have been informed by the Australian side that Prime Minister Albanese did not make the comments in the way that has been reported," a Japanese government statement said."In any case, the dinner hosted by Prime Minister Albanese during the Prime Minister's visit to Australia this May was held in a very relaxed atmosphere, and we believe it helped build a personal trust relationship between the two leaders," the statement added.Albanese had already apologised over comments made during an interview last month with the comedy podcast Bush Deep in which he named Kylie Minogue as someone he would "shag".
But separate comments in the interview about the "strange" present of Japanese melons by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in May - when asked about his "most crap" diplomatic gift - this week sparked further uproar.When the host asked if she'd "smuggled" the expensive fruit through Australian customs, Albanese held his hands up adjacent to his chest and said he "got a couple of melons"."She came in looking like Pamela Anderson," the often provocative podcast's host Nikki Osborne replied, referring to the US actor and Baywatch star.
