AdvertisementEast AsiaJapan'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) Bookmark Bookmark WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedInAdd CNA as a trusted source to help Google better understand and surface our content in search results.Read a summary of this article on FAST.Get bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try.Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FASTFAST 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".Show MoreShow LessBut 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.This photo shows two Yubari melons that were sold for a record-breaking price of 5.8 million yen at the first auction of the year at the Sapporo Central Wholesale Market in Sapporo, Hokkaido Prefecture on May 22, 2026. (Photo: STR/Jiji Press/AFP)Australia's opposition leader has called for Albanese to apologise over the "insulting" comments.Asked whether he would say sorry for his "disrespectful behaviour" in parliament on Tuesday, the Australian leader said: "I reject the assertion in the question."The comments prompted some outrage on social media in Japan, where Takaichi became the country's first woman prime minister last year."I'm not a supporter of the Liberal Democratic Party or a defender of the current government, but this is really awful. It's disrespectful towards our prime minister," said one X user."Sure this guy's remarks are unbelievable. On top of that, it suggests how he thinks it's OK to treat Takaichi - or Japan for that matter - this crudely," said another.Some were also offended by the perceived insult to Japanese fruit, with the variety of melon in question costing upwards of 30,000 yen (US$190)."Don't you dare think the Australian fruits and ours are the same. Ignorance is pathetic," said one social media comment.Albanese for his part qualified his comments, saying that the fruit "ended up being quite good".Source: AFP/ecNewsletterWeek in ReviewSubscribe to our Chief Editor’s Week in ReviewOur chief editor shares analysis and picks of the week's biggest news every Saturday.Sign up for our newslettersGet our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inboxSubscribe hereGet the CNA appStay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best storiesDownload hereGet WhatsApp alertsJoin our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat appJoin hereAlso worth readingContent is loading...