Hi everyone! It's Kenn here.

As you all know, I am from Australia. Something you might not know though, is that a lot of Australian people LOVE Japan. I've discussed this phenomenon with various people, and always wondered if Japanese people have a general opinion about my home country as well.

Overall, Japan has had a big influence over Australia. Of all popular English-speaking countries for Japanese people to visit, Australia is close and there is basically no jetlag when traveling there. As a result, there are a lot of Japanese visitors going to Australia every year, and Australians have plenty of chances to meet Japanese people and learn about Japan in the process. You may be surprised to realize there are actually many Japanese nationals who immigrate to Australia too! My hometown alone has about 5,000 Japanese residents!

Due to Australians having extended contact with Japanese, people become interested in the culture and the country, which leads to better international relations. I know several people from my high school and university who have visited Japan just from all their positive experiences with Japanese people and things in the past. I am included among that group myself, too! Furthermore, Japanese food is getting more and more popular in Australia, and I've been seeing a little more Australian cuisine introduced to Japan in recent times too. The Japanese language is also one of the most popular choices for school students to study.

No matter how you look at it, it seems like Australia and Japan get along really well. I'm so glad that our two countries have a strong positive relationship! As an Australian myself, I feel that coming to Japan has been an incredible experience for me and I will continue to love this amazing country. In return, I hope that Japanese people can say the same for my beloved home country too. I would love to hear your thoughts on Australia sometime! Stay tuned!

Kenn