ABSTRACT
Japanese language education in Australia started in the first part of the 20th century, notably in some of the universities and at the Royal Military College at Duntroon, around the time of World War I. The Japanese presence and influence in Australia go back to the latter part of the nineteenth century, as is well documented in the recent compilation of historical research by David Sissons on the Australia-Japan relationship. Some of the earliest Japanese cultural influences were seen in northern Australia as a result of extensive Japanese involvement in the pearling and pearl shell industries. That presence resonates faintly through the descendants of some of those workers and immigrants. In 2017 the two countries celebrated the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Australia-Japan Agreement on Commerce, a landmark development in Australia’s trade policy, which signified the beginnings of the shift in Australia’s alignment towards Asia, and notably Japan.
