Australia’s former ambassador receives one of Japan’s highest honours

Former Australian ambassador to Japan, Peter Grey has been awarded with the third most prestigious award in Japan - the Order of the Rising Sun.

Established in 1875, the Order of the Rising Sun was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese government.

Peter Grey, former Australian ambassador and former CEO of Austrade, received the award for his contribution to Australia-Japan relations.

“It’s been a great pleasure and opportunity to be able to continue to work with Japan in various ways over the last 40 years,” Mr Grey said.

He also described receiving the award as a "wonderful honour”.

Australia's former ambassador to Japan, Peter Grey receives the Order of the Rising Sun by Japan's Ambassador to Australia Sumio Kasaka Source: AAP

Mr Grey was presented with the award from Japan’s Ambassador to Australia, Sumio Kusaka.

During the presentation, Mr Kusaka said Mr Grey’s work saw him involved for the last two decades in a range of fields from “high- level dialogues to grassroot-level exchanges”.

“I think it is fair to say that Mr Grey made profound and extensive contributions to expanding Japan-Australia economic relations,” Mr Kusaka said.

Mr Grey was also described as having a “pivotal role” in the establishment of the Australian-Japan Conference, a regular bilateral business, economic and cultural meeting.

Australia-Japan relationship

Mr Grey credits trade and investment with deepening the two countries' relationship.

“It doesn’t attract the headlines. Japan was the largest or second largest investor in Australia and another Asian country gets a lot of headlines," he said, not mentioning, but hinting at China.

"But it’s actually Japan that is doing more of the investing particularly in very productive and a vast range of areas,” Mr Grey said.

The former ambassador also said if it wasn’t for Japan’s investments in the 1970s into Australia’s iron ore and gas industries, "Australia would be a different country".

“It was enormously beneficial to Australia and it was also beneficial to Japan,” he said.

Upholding tradition

Mr Grey said Japan is a “fascinating place” and an increase in the number of Australian tourists to Japan shows an growing appreciation of its culture.

“The basics still remain the same, Japan is this wonderful mix of the traditional along with the ultra-most 'uber-modern'. And they’ve managed to preserve both aspects and live in harmony."

Mr Grey also mentioned the major “side benefit” of working in Japan is developing friendships.

“Doing business and doing anything in Japan is the emphasis on personal relationships,” he said.

Mr Grey said he was ‘especially delighted’ to be receiving the honour from his “good friend” for more than 20 years Mr Kusaka.