Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese declined to apologise during a parliamentary question time on August 11 over a joke he made about receiving two Japanese royal melons from Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi earlier this year [1, 2].
Albanese made the joke on the Bush Deep podcast in early July, using hand gestures to describe the gift of premium melons, which cost over A$270 each [1, 2, 3]. The comment resurfaced in August and drew criticism from opposition MPs who labelled it disrespectful and insulting [1, 2, 3]. Former Japanese ambassador to Australia Shingo Yamagami described the joke as "crude and ungracious" and said it betrayed the close bond between Australia and Japan [1].
During parliament, Albanese said, "I reject the assertion in the question" and emphasized that "Prime Minister Takaichi is a friend of Australia and a friend of mine" [1, 2]. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong added that the prime minister "did not mean for those comments to be interpreted in the way they have been by those opposite" [2]. Despite the controversy, Albanese's government and some Labor MPs defended him and criticized the ongoing media focus on the joke. Assistant Minister Pat Gorman said, "I don’t know why we’re still talking about this" [1].
The Japanese government sent a diplomatic cable in July expressing concern over what it called sensationalized Australian media reporting of the melon joke [1]. Albanese had previously apologised for other crude comments made on the same podcast, including remarks about singer Kylie Minogue [2, 3].
The premium Japanese melons, considered luxury items, were gifted by Takaichi during her visit to Australia in May 2026 [2]. The controversy highlights sensitivities around diplomatic gifts and cultural respect.
The next scheduled step in the parliamentary calendar does not currently include any further debate on this matter.
