 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has visited the Australian National University as part of his historic visit to Australia. The visit recognises the university's long-standing and growing links with Japan. Prime Minister Abe met several ANU students as well as senior academics. I spoke to him just in Japanese and I just introduced myself until told him that I was doing my PhD and researching about music in kamigata rakugo which is traditional Japanese comic storytelling. He said to me, subarashi which means that looks great and I said I did it myself and he said that's excellent and he shook my hand and then he was on his way but it was very exciting. I appreciate the warm welcome from Vice Chancellor and President Ieyan Young as well as all of you. I am delighted to be able to visit the Australian National University that has deep connection with our country. I believe that exchanges between the youth in the future of Japan and Australia will further deepen the bond between our two nations and I sincerely hope that exchanges between the two universities will become ever more active. He also witnessed the signing of a new agreement between the Vice-Chancellors of the ANU and Ritsu Maikan University in Japan opening the way for more student exchanges and research collaboration. Prime Minister Abe is the first serving Japanese Prime Minister to visit the ANU campus although the Prime Minister's father visited 32 years ago when he was Japan's Economy and Trade Minister. Indeed it was here in the common room of University House that he met the former ANU Vice-Chancellor Sir John Crawford and Professor Peter Drysdale who was with us here this evening and it's a fitting venue to host you here this evening. The visits are indeed a symbol of the close relationship between the Government of Japan and ANU and a relationship which has been embodied in the Australia-Japan Research Centre, an example of the very significant expertise ANU has in the study of Japan. Prime Minister you do us great honour by making time in your very busy Australian visit to meet the staff and students from ANU.