On Wednesday, Tokyo downplayed the significance of comments made by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese regarding melons gifted to him by his Japanese counterpart, which sparked controversy in Australia, emphasizing the good relationship between the two leaders.
The Japanese government stated that it is aware of media reports, and the Australian side informed that Prime Minister Albanese “did not make comments in the form as reported”. The statement also noted that the dinner organized by Prime Minister Albanese during the Japanese prime minister’s visit to Australia in May this year took place in a “very relaxed atmosphere” and “helped build personal trust between the two leaders”.
Previous apologies and new scandal
Anthony Albanese has already apologized for comments made last month during an interview with the comedy podcast Bush Deep, where he stated that he “would sleep with” Kylie Minogue.
However, this week, new outrage was sparked by his words in the same interview about the “weird” gift — Japanese melons that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi gave him in May. When Albanese was asked about his “worst” diplomatic gift and whether Takaichi had “smuggled” the expensive fruit through Australian customs, he raised his hands to chest level and said he “got a couple of melons”.
This phrase was uttered in an ambiguous context: in English slang, the word “melons” can be used to refer to women’s breasts. The host of the provocative podcast, Nikki Osborne, immediately picked up on this sexual subtext, responding: “She came looking like Pamela Anderson“ — a reference to the American actress and star of “Baywatch”, known for her image and appearance.
It was precisely this combination of remarks that made Albanese’s words perceived as disrespectful and sexualized comments about the appearance of the Japanese prime minister. At the same time, the Australian prime minister himself did not explicitly say that he meant Takaichi’s breasts.
Opposition and social media reaction
The leader of the Australian opposition called on Albanese to apologize for the “offensive” comments. In response to a question in parliament on Tuesday about whether he would apologize for his “disrespectful behavior”, the Australian leader replied: “I reject the assertion put in the question”.
The comments also caused outrage on Japanese social media. One X user noted: “I am not a supporter of the Liberal Democratic Party or a defender of the current government, but this is truly awful. It is disrespectful to our prime minister”. Another wrote: “This guy’s remarks are incredible. Moreover, they show how he considers it acceptable to treat Takaichi — or even Japan — so rudely”.
Separate outrage was also caused by the characterization of the gift itself. It is a expensive variety of Japanese melons, the cost of which can exceed 30,000 yen (190 USD) per piece. One of the X users wrote: “Don’t even think that Australian fruits and ours are the same. The ignorance is pitiful”.
For his part, Albanese later clarified his words, noting that the fruit “turned out to be quite good”.
Source: CTV News
