Anthony Albanese meets Japan PM Sanae Takaichi after controversial melon comments

Anthony Albanese has met with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi for the first time since controversial podcast comments he made about her gift of melons.

The two leaders came face-to-face briefly on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, Australian time, as the forum of world leaders kicked off.

The prime minister’s relationship with Ms Takaichi came under pressure after an interview Mr Albanese gave with comedian Nikki Osborne on the Bush Deep podcast in July.

In the podcast, Mr Albanese was asked about gifts he had received as prime minister, and he pointed to two crown melons given to him by the Japanese leader during an official visit to Australia in May.

“She brought two? She just came in looking like Pamela Anderson,” Osborne said.

“She brought two and they’re beautiful,” Mr Albanese said while making a gesture with both hands in front of his chest.

The comments initially escaped scrutiny when it was first published, but later came under fire when former Japanese ambassador Shingo Yamagami accused the prime minister of failing to understand the cultural significance of the melons.

The ambassador said the comments by Mr Albanese had put at risk bilateral ties between Australia and Japan.

The Australian prime minister was pressured by the federal opposition to apologise for the remarks, but Mr Albanese rejected calls to do so, insisting the relationship was strong.

It is not known if the melon comments were brought up during the brief meeting between the two leaders at the UN.

Ms Takaichi was one of several leaders Mr Albanese met with in New York at the summit, including US President Donald Trump, newly sworn in UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham and French President Emmanuel Macron.