One of Labor’s top ministers has stood by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese amid scrutiny of an interview where a gift of melons from Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was joked about
Albanese appeared on the Bush Deep podcast, likely to appeal to younger audiences, and was asked what was the most “crap gift” he had ever received on an overseas trip.
The prime minister referred to Takaichi’s recent diplomatic visit and the gift of Yubari melons, saying it seemed a bit “strange, but ended up being quite good.”
The host, Nikki Osborne, pushed Albanese about the melons suggesting Takaichi “smuggled” the melons into the country, while looking like actress Pamela Anderson.
“She brought two?” Osborne suggested, referring to breasts.
And Albanese nodded, while saying “she brought two, as you do ... and they’re beautiful.”
The comments have raised questions with former Japanese Ambassador to Australia Shingo Yamagami responded calling the comments “sexist.”
“A crown melon is the most prized fruit in Japan and treasured as something special. Moreover, this particular fruit was painstakingly nurtured under intensive care in a special greenhouse. A single melon costs more than 30,000 yen (A$270).”
Yamagami said his country’s female leader had been subjected to slurs and comments from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and the last thing she expected was to be “casually mocked” by Australia.
He urged Albanese to enjoy Japan’s fruit and to focus on the nations’ strategic endeavours.
Plibersek Responds
On Aug. 10, Labor Cabinet Minister Tanya Plibersek said any insinuation that the prime minister was being sexist was wrong.
“I completely disagree with that interpretation of what the prime minister was saying,” she told Sunrise television.
“I completely disagree that he was in any way making the suggestion ... that the former ambassador is proposing now.
“I think he is 100 percent wrong and we have an excellent relationship with Japan.”
Plibersek said Takaichi’s diplomatic visit in May had been a success.
“(The remarks) were insulting and the prime minister should make a personal apology,” he told the ABC.
Albanese’s appearance on Bush Deep raised eyebrows after he played a game with the host over who he would “shag, marry, date?”
The prime minister responded choosing singer-actress Kylie Minogue. He later issued an apology.
Japan’s Gift of Melons
The crown melons from Shizuoka are a special fruit renowned for their sweetness and flavour.
High-grade crown melon fruits are generally sold for around $280, but special fruits have fetched thousands at auction.
Part of the cost of the melons comes down to the way they’re grown in special temperature-adjusted greenhouses, while single fruits are grown per vine to maximise quality.
Workers also hand-pollinate the fruits and tend to them and rotate them daily.
The care put into the fruit, alongside its special sweetness and flavour, is why it is considered a highly respectful and special gift.
Takaichi’s gift follows law changes in 2025 to allow for the import of healthy fresh musk melons, honeydews and rockmelons from Japan, with restrictions on the oriental pickling melon and fruit from Okinawa.
