Invest and Trade Western Australia teamed up with Football Australia to host the Japan Connect Breakfast ahead of the Australia vs Japan FIFA World Cup 2026™ qualifier match. 

Setting the stage for a blockbuster evening of football, the event celebrated the warm friendship ties and longstanding economic partnership between Western Australia (WA) and Japan, and the unique power of sport to connect Australia with the world.

The event opened with a memorable Welcome to Country from Robyn Collard and her grandson, Tryse, who played the didgeridoo. 

WA Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti provided a welcome address that emphasised the strength of WA’s economic ties with Japan and celebrated the opportunity to host the Socceroos on their journey to the FIFA World Cup 2026 at the world-class Optus Stadium.

Football Australia Interim CEO Heather Garriock delivered an address reflecting on the longstanding football history that Australia shares with Japan, dating back to the first meeting of their national teams at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne.

A panel session moderated by Perth USAsia Centre CEO Professor Gordon Flake explored the strengths and opportunities between WA and Japan, and the how the universal language of football can advance bilateral ties:

•  Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation Deputy Director General Simone Spencer highlighted how Western Australia is a trusted and reliable partner for Japan with similar values and an abundance of resources well-suited to Japan’s energy transition aspirations.
• Australia Japan Business Cooperation Committee CEO Richard Andrews provided an overview of the 62^nd Annual Australia Japan Joint Business Conference held in Perth in October 2025.
• Football Australia Chair Anter Isaac and Football West Chairman Sherif Andrawes elaborated on how their organisations are uniquely placed to create meaningful global relationships that provide Australian businesses and local diaspora communities with the opportunity to connect and pursue mutually beneficial trade and investment opportunities with Japan and Asia more broadly.

The event was brought to a close by Atsushi Karimata, Consul-General of Japan in Perth, who reiterated the importance of the WA-Japan relationship and how much he was looking forward to the match.

Japan is WA's second largest trading partner, with a strong sister-state relationship between the State and Japan's Hyogo Prefecture, and the WA Tokyo Office established as the oldest Australian State Government Office in Japan.

WA is also a Gold Partner of the Australia Pavilion at the World Expo Osaka 2025 with Pavilion staff members proudly sporting uniforms featuring a unique First Nations design created by Kirrkin, a 100% Aboriginal-owned social enterprise based in WA, and WA Noongar artist Buffie Punch. 

Invest and Trade WA acts as the WA Government’s ‘front door’ to assist investors and businesses wanting to engage with the State’s world-leading industries, while also providing support to local business to reach their export potential.

To learn more about trade and investment opportunities between WA and Japan, connect with our Invest and Trade WA North East Asia Hub.

Published on: 10 June 2025