Messages from Ambassador Suzuki
2025/1/1
Contents
Ambassador Suzuki's New Year Message (January 2025)

With 2025 ahead of us I would like to wish you all a very happy New Year and express my best wishes for the year to come.
2024 was a year in which I very clearly appreciated the high regard that Australia holds for Japan. For four years in a row Japan has polled as the most trusted among major countries by Australians according to data from Australia’s Lowry institute. Data such as Australia having the most Japanese language learners by population in the world and the high number of Australians that visit Japan, testifies to the highly positive image of Japan in Australia. I experienced this positivity across a wide range of political levels of majority and opposition parties, and also from the many people in the places I visited.
The importance of the Special Strategic Partnership between Japan and Australia was evident in October last year when Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba met with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese shortly after taking office, before even bilateral meetings with G7 leaders.
On the security and defence front, given the increasingly severe security environment surrounding Japan and the growing importance of multilayered coordination with allies and like-minded countries, Japan-Australia security and defence cooperation has strengthened further through meetings such as the Japan-Australia Foreign and Defense Ministerial Consultations (“2+2”), the Australia-Japan-United States Trilateral Defence Ministers’ Meeting and the Australia-Japan-Philippines-United States Defense Ministers' Meeting. This year we will make the most of opportunities and proactively advance cooperation in a wide range of fields including operational cooperation, joint training and exercises, defence equipment cooperation as well as advanced capability cooperation under the AUKUS Pillar II.
With QUAD, and its aim to realise a Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) in mind, we will strive to promote cooperation that brings about tangible benefits for the region in a wide range of fields such as maritime security, critical and emerging technology, cyber and more.
I regularly experience the strength of Japan and Australia’s economic connections. In October last year, 558 business leaders from both countries participated in the Australia-Japan Joint Business Conference held in Nagoya. By comparison, 19 years ago there were 209 attendees at the Nagoya conference. This jump highlights the rapid development of the Japan-Australia economic relationship over the years. This year’s conference will be held in Perth, Western Australia, a city which has been attracting attention in Japan-Australia cooperation in the fields of natural resources, energy and the defence industry. The Embassy of Japan in Australia will contribute to the conference so that, with the participation of many business leaders, this may become an opportunity to further strengthen the economic relationship between our countries.
In addition to cooperative efforts in the resource and energy sectors, business opportunities between Japan and Australia continue to expand across many industries, including financial services, retail, transport, real estate, housing, space, and more. The Embassy of Japan held a seminar in October last year aimed at businesses in the real estate and housing industry. The strong response towards this seminar impressed upon me the expectations placed in Japan’s experience and skills, especially as Australia is experiencing housing shortages and drive for urban renewal. As the investment and technology of Japan match with the potential of Australia across many areas, I continue to make more efforts towards further developing the Japan-Australia economic relationship. For Australia to attract further investment from Japan, transparency of the business environment including implementation of regulations, predictability and support from the government is crucial. I intend to continue to elevate awareness of these issues among the federal and state governments, and other Australian stakeholders.
This year marks 80 years since the end of World War II. Last year, the dedicated efforts of many, in particular the people of Cowra, led to the huge success of the commemorative events for 80th anniversary of the Cowra Breakout (mass outbreak by Japanese Prisoners of War), an eloquent testimony to our reconciliation. While reaffirming the path of post war reconciliation built upon the friendship and trust between Japan and Australia, I will ensure that this is passed on to the next generation through a focus on people-to-people communication and public relations.
Finally, the long-awaited Expo 2025 in Osaka, Kansai will open its doors in April this year. Australia has shown great enthusiasm in the pavilion program and preparation for the event. As the Embassy of Japan we will continue to cooperate with the Australian government to use the expo as an opportunity to further progress our countries’ economic and business relations, as well as people-to-people connections. I wholeheartedly encourage you to visit and experience the expo and Australian pavilion for yourselves.
The entire Embassy of Japan will work together as a team to strive towards strengthening the Japan-Australia relationship while taking on board the suggestions and advice of all. We would very much appreciate your continued support this year.
Ambassador Suzuki's New Year Message (January 2024)

I would like to wish you all a very happy New Year. It has been eight months now since I assumed my role as Ambassador of Japan to Australia. As I mark my first New Years here, I would like to once again express my views on developments in the Japan-Australia relationship.
In May last year, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hosted the QUAD Summit, meeting the leaders of Japan, the United States and India while in Japan for the G7 Summit. Despite the sudden change of plans, this meeting – made possible through close cooperation between Japan and Australia – yielded significant outcomes.
On the security front, the Japan-Australia Reciprocal Access Agreement has come into effect, and was first put into practice with the visit in August of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force’s F-35A aircraft to Australia. I was in Darwin on this occasion and visited RAAF Base Tindal to warmly welcome the aircraft and crew, experiencing for myself the steady progress of our Japan-Australia relationship. These developments in defence and security are also vital to realise a Free and Open Indo-Pacific.
In October, the Australia-Japan Business Cooperation Committee held their highly successful conference, welcoming nearly 730 representatives from Japanese and Australian business communities. I plan to put to good use the various ideas that were shared with me from business representatives, with an eye to further developing our economic relationship in a variety of fields.
In addition, I have had the pleasure of visiting New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and the Northern Territory for official visits, and have also travelled to Adelaide and Perth. I have seen with my own eyes the size of Australia, as well as the gigantic potential for the future of our relationship. I would like to further advance our cooperation on new frontiers such as hydrogen, ammonia, critical minerals, infrastructure and space technology, as well as in the area of traditional resources. Furthermore, in this post-COVID era, I would like to increase the number of visitors between our countries, further developing people-to-people relations and cultural exchange.
I believe that the foundation of the Japan-Australia relationship is the mutual understanding, respect and friendship that exists between our countries. I was grateful to have the opportunity to meet with some of the many Japanese people in Australia working in different fields during my travels across the country. I am keeping in mind that each and every one of the approximately 95,000 Japanese people living in Australia forms a cornerstone of our relationship, and will continue to support them in any way I could.
Today, as the situations in Ukraine and the Middle East shake the foundations of the international order, Japan and Australia continue to closely cooperate on the issues that face both our countries. To further strengthen our Japan-Australia relationship, I will take on board all of your suggestions and advice, and work hard alongside my Embassy colleagues. I look forward to your support in 2024.
Ambassador Suzuki Kazuhiro's first message (May 2023)

My name is SUZUKI Kazuhiro, and I am assuming the post of Ambassador of Japan to Australia.
Japan and Australia are ‘Special Strategic Partners’ sharing fundamental values and strategic interests. I feel very honoured to serve as Ambassador to a country that is such an important partner to Japan, and to have the opportunity to play a role in strengthening the bilateral relationship.
The period in which I am arriving is brimming with opportunities to broaden the boundaries of Japan-Australia relations. This month, Prime Minister KISHIDA has invited Prime Minister Albanese to attend the G7 Hiroshima Summit. Then, Prime Minister KISHIDA is expected to visit Australia when it hosts the Quad Leaders’ Meeting.
Cooperation between our two countries is only increasing in importance for the Indo-Pacific region, too. I will endeavour to strengthen collaboration between our countries, including working together to support Pacific Island Nations, to realise a ‘Free and Open Indo-Pacific’ (FOIP).
It is also extremely important to maintain stable relationships in traditional resources such as coal and natural gas, and I will make every effort to do so. At the same time, new frontiers for bilateral cooperation are opening up in areas aimed at achieving a decarbonised society such as hydrogen, ammonia and critical minerals, as well as infrastructure projects like the development of Western Sydney, and in the space, science and technology fields.
I believe that the cornerstone of our relationship lies in the mutual understanding, respect and friendship that exists at the grassroots level between Japanese and Australians individuals. At 95,000 people, Australia has the world’s third largest population of overseas Japanese residents, who are active in a variety of fields. Our relationship is also facilitated by travel between Japan and Australia which, while steadily returning to pre-COVID-19 levels.
I, along with my team at the Embassy of Japan, will work wholeheartedly towards further bolstering Japan and Australia’s friendship across a wide range of areas, while taking onboard your suggestions and advice.
I look forward to working with you all.
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