Consul General of Japan Emperor’s birthday reception

Acting Consul-General; Chief Justice; Ministers; elected representatives; distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen.

Kaye and I are delighted to join you all, once more, in celebrating the birthday of His Majesty the Emperor.   

The Queensland-Japan relationship remains of the utmost importance.

Two-way merchandise trade between Queensland and Japan was valued at well over 16 billion dollars in 2017-18.

There is a very substantial investment and services trade relationship.

These facts may sound dry and impersonal, but the impact of this economic relationship matters very much on a personal level. 

This bilateral economic activity supports significant employment in many sectors, wealth creation, infrastructure development, knowledge-sharing and an extensive network of business and people-to-people relationships, in both Queensland and Japan.

When more than 200,000 Japanese visitors to Queensland annually, 5,300 Japanese students studying in our State^[2], and Prime Minister Abe’s recent visit to Australia are also taken into account, the full scale and scope of this thriving relationship become even clearer.

Also on a personal level, we Queenslanders, who are all too familiar with natural disasters, greatly admire the strength and resilience of the Japanese people in the face of a difficult year marked by earthquakes, floods, and typhoons.

We extend our best wishes to all affected communities as they rebuild and recover.

I thank all those, in both Queensland and Japan, who are dedicated to the success of this critical relationship.

I thank in particular the Acting Consul-General and his staff, not only for their hospitality this evening, but also for the exemplary way in which they represent their country in our State. 

In a short while, I will have the honour of proposing a toast to His Majesty.

I will do so with admiration and affection, but also with sadness and understanding, for His Majesty will step down in 2019.

His Majesty has been a living symbol of constancy for the Japanese people as the world around them – around all of us – has changed with astonishing rapidity.

His Majesty is deeply respected, loved and admired.

I assure the Acting Consul-General of the very highest regard in which His Majesty is held in Queensland.

And, on behalf of all Queenslanders, I extend our very best wishes on the occasion of His Majesty’s birthday, and for the future.

Thank you.