Oceania
Japan-Australia Relations (Basic Data)
February 13, 2025
Overview
Australia and Japan continue to maintain a strong bilateral relationship, partly due to mutually beneficial economic ties. In recent years, the two countries have also strengthened political and security cooperation, resulting in a robust strategic partnership in the Asia-Pacific region.
Both countries also maintain strong partnerships with the U.S. in the Indo-Pacific region, resulting in trilateral engagement.
The two countries cooperate closely on tackling global and regional issues such as nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. Moreover, Australia and Japan promote people-to-people exchanges through sister-city relationships between over 100 cities.
History of Japan-Australia Relationship
| Year | |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| 1956 | Agreement between Japan and the Commonwealth of Australia for Air Services |
| 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 |
| 1968 | Agreement on Fisheries between the Government of Japan and the Government of Australia |
| 1969 | Exchange of Notes Verbales between Japan and the Commonwealth of Australia for visa requirements |
| 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 |
| 1972 | Agreement between the Government of Japan and the Government of Australia for Co-operation in the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy |
| 1976 | Cultural Agreement between the Government of Japan and the Government of Australia |
| 1977 | Basic Treaty of Friendship and Co-operation between Japan and Australia |
| 1979 | Agreement on Fisheries between the Government of Japan and the Government of Australia |
| 1980 | Agreement between the Government of Japan and the Government of Australia on Co-operation in Research and Development in Science and Technology |
| 1981 | Agreement between the Government of Japan and the Government of Australia for the Protection of Migratory Birds and Birds in Danger of Extinction and their Environment |
| 1982 | Agreement between the Government of Japan and the Government of Australia for Co-operation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy. |
| 2009 | Agreement between Australia and Japan on Social Security |
| 2007 | Inaugural Japan-Australia Joint Foreign and Defence Ministerial Consultations. |
| 2009 | Australia-Japan Convention for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income. |
| 2012 | Agreement between the Government of Japan and the Government of Australia on the Security of Information |
| 2013 | Agreement between the Government of Japan and the Government of Australia Concerning Reciprocal Provision of Supplies and Services between the Self-Defense Forces of Japan and the Australian Defence Force |
| 2014 | Agreement between the Government of Japan and the Government of Australia Concerning the Transfer of Defence Equipment and Technology |
| 2015 | Agreement between Japan and Australia for an Economic Partnership |
| 2023 | Agreement between Japan and Australia Concerning the Facilitation of Reciprocal Access and Cooperation between the Self-Defense Forces of Japan and the Australian Defence Force |
VIP Visits (since 2014)
| Year | Name |
|---|---|
| 2014 | - Premier of New South Wales Barry O’Farrell (February) - Minister for Trade and Investment Andrew Robb (March, April) - Prime Minister Tony Abbott (April) - Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop (April) - Premier of Tasmania Will Hodgman (April) - Minister for Defence David Johnston (June, October) - Treasurer Joe Hockey (October) |
| 2015 | - Chief Minister of the Northern Territory Adam Giles (January) - Minister for Environment Greg Hunt (March) - Premier of New South Wales Mike Baird (May) - Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop (May) - Minister for Defence Kevin Andrews (June) - Assistant Treasurer Joshua Frydenberg (June) - Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women Michaelia Cash (August) - Premier of Queensland Annastacia Palaszczuk (September) - Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Barnaby Joyce (November) - Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull (December) |
| 2016 | - Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop (February) - Minister of Defence Marise Payne (August) - Premier of Victoria Daniel Andrews (September) - Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science Greg Hunt (October) - Chief Minister of the Northern Territory Michael Gunner (November) (October) - Premier of Queensland Annastacia Palaszczuk (November) |
| 2017 | - Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Matthew Canavan (March) - Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Steven Ciobo (April) - Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop (April) - Minister of Defence Marise Payne (April) - Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory Andrew Barr (June) - Premier of New South Wales Gladys Berejiklian (August) - Leader of the Opposition Bill Shorten (September) - Minister for Finance Mathias Corman (October) - Minister for Investment and Trade, State of South Australia Hamilton=Smith (October) - Minister for Small Business, Innovation and Trade, State of Victoria Philip Dalidakis (October) - Minister for Tourism of Western Australia Paul Papalia (October) - Premier of Western Australia Mark McGowan (November) |
| 2018 | - Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull (January) - Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Matthew Canavan (January, October) - Speaker of the House of Representatives Tony Smith (April) - Premier of Queensland Annastacia Palaszczuk (May) - Minister for International Development and the Pacific Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (May) - Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Steven Ciobo (July) - Special Minister of State of Victoria Gavin Jennings (July) - Chief Minister of the Northern Territory Michael Gunner (November) |
| 2019 | - Premier of Western Australia Mark McGowan (January) - Assistant Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Mark Coulton (January) - Minister of Defence Christopher Pyne (January) - Governor of South Australia His Excellency Hieu Van Le (March) - Minister of Trade, Tourism and investment, State of South Australia David Ridgway (March) - Premier of Tasmania Will Hodgman (March) - Premier of Queensland Annastacia Palaszczuk (May) - Treasurer Josh Frydenberg (June) - Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Simon Birmingham (June) - Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews (June) - Prime Minister Scott Morrison (June) - Minister for Agriculture Bridget McKenzie (August) - Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Matthew Canavan (September) - Governor-General His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley (October) - President of the Senate Scott Ryan (November) - Speaker of the House of Representatives Tony Smith (November) - Minister for Defence Linda Reynolds (November) - Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne (November) |
| 2020 | - Premier of South Australia Steven Marshall (January) - Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne (November) - Minister for Defence Linda Reynolds (November) - Prime Minister Scott Morrison (June) |
| 2021 | - Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Dan Tehan (July) |
| 2022 | - Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (May, September) - Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong (May, December) - Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles (June, December) - Chief Minister of Northern Territory Natasha Fyles (July) - Premier of New South Wales Dominic Perrottet (July) - Former Prime Minister John Howard (September) - Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott (September) - Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull (September) - Governor of Victoria Her Excellency Linda Dessau (October) - Minister for Trade and Tourism Don Farrell (October) - Premier of South Australia Peter Malinauskas (October) - Governor of South Australia Her Excellency Frances Adamson (November) |
| 2023 | - Premier of Western Australia Mark McGowan (January) - Premier of Tasmania Jeremy Rockliff (March) - Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory Andrew Barr (April) - Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (May) - Premier of Queensland Annastacia Palaszczuk (July) - Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen(July) - Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles (October) - Minister for Trade and Tourism Don Farrell (October) - Premier of Western Australia Roger Cook (October) - Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong (November) |
| 2024 | - Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong (July) - Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Madeleine King (October) - Governor of Western Australia His Excellency Christopher Dawson (October) - Governor of Victoria Her Excellency Margaret Gardner (October) |
| Year | Name |
|---|---|
| 2014 | -Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Taro Aso (February) -Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (July, November) -Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications Yoshitaka Shindo(July) -Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry Toshimitsu Motegi (July) |
| 2015 | -Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Kentaro Sonoura (March) -Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Kazuyuki Nakane (June) -Special Advisor to the Prime Minister Katsuyuki Kawai (November) |
| 2016 | -Vice-Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry Yosuke Takagi (August) |
| 2017 | -Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (January) -State Minister for Foreign Affairs Nobuo Kishi (February) -Special Advisor to the Prime Minister Katsuyuki Kawai (July) -State Minister of Defense Kenji Wakamiya (July) -Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Iwao Horii (September) -Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare Mizuho Onuma (October) |
| 2018 | -Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Iwao Horii (February, May, June, August) -State Minister for Foreign Affairs Kazuyuki Nakane (February) -Special Advisor to the Prime Minister Kentaro Sonoura (March) -Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Daisaku Hiraki (April) -Vice-Speaker of the House of Representatives Hirotaka Akamatsu (August) -Minister for Foreign Affairs Taro Kono (October) -Minister of Defense Takeshi Iwaya (October) -Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (November) -Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry Hiroshige Seko (November) |
| 2019 | -Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Norikazu Suzuki (February, August) -Special Advisor to the Prime Minister Kentaro Sonoura (August) -Special Advisor to the Prime Minister Kenya Akiba (October) |
| 2020 | -Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry Hiroshi Kajiyama (January) -Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Norihiro Nakayama (February) |
| 2022 | -Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoshimasa Hayashi (February) -Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (October) |
| 2023 | -Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Masatoshi Akimoto (August) -Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy Shigeyuki Goto (August) -Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry Yasutoshi Nishimura (October) -State Minister for Foreign Affairs Iwao Horii (October) |
| 2024 | -Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Masahiro Komura (February, November) -Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Yasushi Hosaka (August) -Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoko Kamikawa (September) -Minister of Defense Minoru Kihara (September) -Minister of Defense Gen Nakatani (November) |
Political and Security Relations
- (1) In May 2022, Prime Minister Kishida held a leaders’ meeting with Prime Minister Albanese, who was visiting Japan to attend the Japan-Australia-India-U.S. (Quad) Leaders’ Meeting. Foreign Minister Hayashi also held a meeting with Foreign Minister Wong, who accompanied Prime Minister Albanese to Japan.
- (2) In June 2022, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Marles visited Japan and met with Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno and Defense Minister Kishi.
- (3) In July 2022, Foreign Minister Hayashi, who was visiting Indonesia to attend the G20 Foreign and Development Ministers’ Meeting, held a meeting with Foreign Minister Wong.
- (4) In September 2022, Prime Minister Kishida held a meeting with Prime Minister Albanese, who was visiting Japan to attend the state funeral for former Prime Minister Abe. Following the meeting, Prime Minister Kishida, joined by Prime Minister Albanese, held informal talks with former Prime Minister John Howard, former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, and former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull who all attended the state funeral.
- (5) In October 2022, Foreign Minister Hayashi held a meeting with Trade and Tourism Minister Farrell, who was visiting Japan.
- (6) In October 2022, Prime Minister Kishida visited Australia and held a leaders’ meeting with Prime Minister Albanese. And the two leaders issued the Japan-Australia Leaders’ Meeting Joint Statement and signed a new Japan-Australia Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation.
- (7) In December 2022, the Australia-Japan Foreign and Defense Ministerial Consultations (2+2) was held in Tokyo and a joint statement was later released. Prime Minister Kishida received a courtesy call from Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Marles and Foreign Minister Wong.
- (8) In May 2023, Prime Minister Kishida held informal talks with Prime Minister Albanese, who was visiting Japan to attend the G7 Hiroshima Summit.
- (9) In July 2023, Foreign Minister Hayashi, who was visiting Indonesia to attend the ASEAN-related Foreign Ministers' Meeting, held a meeting with Foreign Minister Wong.
- (10) In September 2023, during his visit to India to attend the G20 New Delhi Summit, Prime Minister Kishida met with Prime Minister Albanese.
- (11) In September 2023, Foreign Minister Kamikawa, who was visiting New York to attend the Seventy-Eight Session of the UN General Assembly, held a meeting with Foreign Minister Wong.
- (12) In November 2023, Foreign Minister Kamikawa held an informal talk with Foreign Minister Wong, who stopped by Japan after her visit to China.
- (13) In November 2023, Prime Minister Kishida, who was visiting San Francisco in the United States to attend the APEC Summit, held a leaders’ meeting with Prime Minister Albanese,
- (14) In July 2024, Prime Minister Kishida received a courtesy call from Foreign Minister Wong, who was visiting Japan to participate in the 10th Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM10). Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi also held a working dinner with her.
- (15) In July 2024, Foreign Minister Kamikawa met with Foreign Minister Wong, who was visiting Japan to attend the Japan-Australia-India-U.S. (Quad) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.
- (16) In September 2024, the Japan-Australia Foreign and Defence Ministerial Meeting (2+2) was held near Melbourne and a joint statement was later released. Foreign Minister Kamikawa and Defense Minister Kihara attended the meeting.
- (17) In September 2024, Prime Minister Kishida met with Prime Minister Albanese during his visit to the U.S. to attend the Japan-Australia-India-U.S. (Quad) Leaders’ Meeting.
- (18) In October 2024, Prime Minister Ishiba and Foreign Minister Iwaya held a telephone meeting with Prime Minister Albanese and Foreign Minister Wong, respectively, as the new government took office.
- (19) In October 2024, Prime Minister Ishiba met with Prime Minister Albanese during his visit to Laos to attend ASEAN-related summit’ meetings.
- (20) In January 2025, Foreign Minister Iwaya met with Foreign Minister Wong during his visit to Washington D.C. for attending the Presidential Inauguration Ceremony.
Economic Relations
As shown by Japan and Australia spearheading the CPTPP, which entered into force in December 2018, the two countries are working closely and demonstrating leadership in promoting the regional free trade order, including the RCEP Agreement, as well as building a free and fair economic order based on the rule of law. The principle industrial products exported from Japan to Australia are automobiles, while the principle imports from Australia to Japan consist of energy resources such as coal and natural gas, and agricultural products such as beef, highlighting a mutually complementary economic relationship that has developed steadily over the years. In recent years new cooperation efforts have made progress, such as hydrogen-related cooperation.
(1) Trade
(A) Japan's Exports to Australia
- JPY2,356 billion (2023)
- Principal export items: Transportation equipment (automobiles, their parts, etc.), general machinery, electrical equipment, rubber products (tires, etc.), chemicals, precision machinery, iron and steel, textile products.
(B) Japan's Imports from Australia
- JPY9,097 billion (2023)
- Principal import items: Coal, iron ore, natural gas, beef, gold, wood chips, aluminum ingots, alumina, petroleum and petroleum products, wool.
(2) Investment
The stock of Japanese direct investment in Australia stands at AUD $265,164 million (the 4th largest) in 2023.
Opinion Poll on Japan in Australia
Number of Nationals Resident in Each Country
- Japanese residents in Australia: 104,141 (as of October 2024) Annual Report of Statistics on Japanese Nationals Overseas)
- Australian residents in Japan: 11,211 (as of June, 2024) (Source: Immigration Services Agency, Japan)
People-to-People and Cultural Exchanges
- (1) Japan and Australia signed a Cultural Agreement in 1974, and the two countries have been conducting various cultural exchange programs, involving scholars, teachers, students, researchers, artists, athletes and others as well as a variety of exhibitions and performance, primarily through the Japan Foundation and the Australia-Japan Foundation.
- (2) A Working Holiday program was initiated between Japan and Australia on 1 December 1980.
- (3) 6 states and 103 cities in Australia have sister relationships with Japan.
- (4) 2006 marked the 30th anniversary of the Basic Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between Japan and Australia, and a variety of events to expand bilateral exchanges were conducted throughout the Australia-Japan Year of Exchange.
- (5) As approximately 360,000 Australian students study Japanese, a report to link Australian enthusiasm for studying Japanese to business promotions and higher education was submitted to the 6th Australia-Japan Conference held in February 2010.