It has often been discussed in large sections of the wider Australian society that the various relationships that exist between Australia and Japan (whether the relationship that exist between Australia and Japan had been diplomatic, economic, business-to-business, or people-to-people in nature) are among the most important relationships that Australia has with Asia and its constituent nation-states and territories, and that due to the importance of these relationships that Australia has with Japan (and, more generally, the various relationships that Australia has with Asia and its constituent nation-states and territories), there had been much emphasis paid to by governments that had been located across all three levels of the Australian political system (whether the government in question had been located at the federal, state, or local level of the Australian political system, and whether it is the centre-left Australian Labor Party or the centre-right Liberal Party that has been in power at these levels of the Australian political system) paid to both the teaching, as well as the study, of Asia and its constituent nation-states and territories (and in particular the teaching, as well as the study, of Japan and the Japanese language) at educational institutions that had been located across all three levels of the Australian education system (whether the educational institution in question had been located at the primary, secondary, or tertiary level of the Australian education system) in order to increase the level of Asia literacy that exist among students who had been undertaking study at educational institutions that had been located across all three levels of the Australian education system. In recent years, governments that had been located across all three levels of the Australian political system (and in particular governments that had been located at both the state and federal levels of the Australian political system, and whether it was the centre-left Australian Labor Party or the centre-right Liberal Party that had been in power at either, or both, of these levels of the Australian political system) had introduced various policies that had been aimed at increasing the level of Asia literacy (and in particular the level of Japan literacy) that exist among students who had been undertaking study at educational institutions that had been located across all three levels of the Australian education system, as well as, more generally, the level of Asia literacy (and in particular the level of Japan literacy) that exist among members of the general Australian populace.

When it comes to the development of Japan literacy that exist among members of the general Australian populace (and in particular the level of Japan literacy that exist among students who had been undertaking study at educational institutions that had been located across all three levels of the Australian education system), the various educational institutions that makes up the wider Australian education system (whether the educational institution in question had been located at the primary, secondary, or tertiary level of the Australian education system) plays an important role in the development of Japan literacy (and, more generally, the level of Asia literacy) that exist among students who had been undertaking study at educational institutions that had been located across all three levels of the Australian education system. In regards to both the teaching, as well as the study, of Japan and the Japanese language at educational institutions that had been located across all three levels of the Australian education system (and an argument could be made that this could also be applied to both the teaching, as well as the study, of Asia and Asian languages other than English at educational institutions that had been located across all three levels of the Australian education system). However, while there had been an emphasis paid to both the teaching, as well as the study, of Japan and the Japanese language at educational institutions that had been located across all three levels of the Australian education system (as well as the teaching, and the study, of Asia and Asian languages other than English), in recent decades (and this will be discussed in much detail in the third article in this series of articles that will be looking at Japan literacy in Australia and the level of Japan literacy that exist among members of the general Australian populace, with governments that had been located across all three levels of the Australian political system (and in particular governments that had been located across the state and federal levels of the Australian political system) had placed a strong emphasis on both the teaching, as well as the study, of Asia and Asian languages other than English (and in particular the teaching and the study of Japan and the Japanese language) at educational institutions that had been located across all three levels of the Australian education system), in recent years, there had been a gradual decline in the emphasis that had been paid to both the teaching, as well as the study, of Asia and Asian languages other than English, with the emphasis instead being paid to both the teaching, as well as the study, of subjects that are in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields of study, and that these changes had resulted in a decline in the level of Japan literacy (and, more generally, the level of Asia literacy) that exist among members of the general Australian populace, and in particular among students who had been undertaking study at educational institutions that had been located across all three levels of the Australian education system.

And while there had been much emphasis paid to both the teaching, as well as the study, of Japan and the Japanese language at educational institutions that had been located across all three levels of the Australian education system (whether the educational institution in question had been located at the primary, secondary, or tertiary level of the Australian education system) among both governments that had been located across all three levels of the Australian political system (and in particular governments that had been located at both the state and federal levels of the Australian political system), as well as by the various media outlets that makes up the wider Australian media ecosystem (whether the media outlet in question had been part of the so-called “mainstream media” or had been part of the so-called “alternative media”), there had been one aspect of the wider Australian society that can influence the level of Asia literacy (and in particular the level of Japan literacy) that exist among members of the general Australian populace, and in particular the level of Japan literacy that exist among students who had been undertaking study at educational institutions that had been located across all three levels of the Australian education system is the level, depth, and quality of the coverage of key news and current affairs events that had been emanating from Asia and its constituent nation-states and territories in large sections of the Australian media ecosystem (whether the media outlet in question had been part of the so-called “mainstream media” or had been part of the so-called “alternative media”). As will be discussed in much detail in the fourth article in this series of articles that will be looking at Japan literacy in Australia and the level of Japan literacy that exist among members of the general Australian populace, and in particular the level of Japan literacy that exist among students who had been undertaking study at educational institutions that had been located across all three levels of the Australian education system (and in particular students who had been undertaking study at educational institutions that had been located at the tertiary level of the Australian education system), the various media outlets that makes up the wider Australian media ecosystem (again, whether the media outlet in question had been part of the so-called “mainstream media” or had been part of the so-called “alternative media”) often serves as the people’s window on the outside world (a role that became more important during the coronavirus pandemic, which saw governments around the world imposed the closure of national borders in order toe control the spread of coronavirus), in recent years, there had been a decline in the level, depth, and quality of the coverage of key news and current affairs events that had been emanating from Asia and its constituent nation-states and territories (and in particular a decline in the level, depth, and quality of the coverage of key news and current affairs events that had been emanating from Japan) in large sections of the Australian media ecosystem, and since the various media outlets that makes up large sections of the Australian media ecosystem plays an important role in the development of Japan literacy (and, more generally, the development of Asia literacy) among the general Australian populace, an argument could be made that this decline in the level, depth, and quality of the coverage of key news and current affairs events that had been emanating from Japan in large sections of the Australian media ecosystem could have negative ramifications for the level of Japan literacy (as well as the level of Asia literacy more generally) among members of the general Australian populace, and in particular among students who had been undertaking study at educational institutions that had been located across all three levels of the Australian education system, can have negative ramifications for how members of the general Australian populace views Japan (as well as Asia and its constituent nation-states and territories) more generally).

When it comes to the various relationships that exist between Australia and Japan (whether the relationship that exist between Australia and Japan had been diplomatic, economic, business-to-business, or people-to-people in nature), an argument could be made that the development of Japan literacy (and, more generally, the development of Asia literacy) among members of the general Australian populace, and in particular the development of Japan literacy that exist among students who had been undertaking study at educational institutions that had been located across all three levels of the Australian education system (whether the educational institution in question had been located at the primary, secondary, or tertiary level of the Australian education system) is paramount when it comes to both the development, as well as the maintenance, of the various relationships that had existed between Australia and Japan, widely considered to be among the most important relationships that Australia has with Asia and its constituent nation-states and territories. However, despite the importance of the various relationships that exist between Australia and Japan, there is often very limited coverage of these relationships in large sections of the Australian media ecosystem (whether the media outlet in question had been part of the so-called “mainstream media” or had been part of the so-called “alternative media”).

When it comes to the various relationships that had existed between Australia and Japan (whether the relationship in question had been diplomatic, economic, business-to-business, or people-to-people in nature), the level, depth, and quality of the coverage of the various relationships that exist between Australia and Japan in large sections of the Australian media ecosystem (whether the media outlet in question had been part of the so-called “mainstream media” or had been part of the so-called “alternative media”) can have an impact on how members of the general Australian populace views these relationships, which are widely considered to be among the most important relationships that Australia has with Asia and its constituent nation-states and territories. However, much like the decline in the level, depth, and quality of the coverage of key news and current affairs events that had been emanating from Japan in large sections of the Australian media ecosystem; when it comes to the level, depth, and quality of the coverage of the various relationships that had existed between Australia and Japan (again, whether the relationship that had existed between Australia and Japan had been diplomatic, economic, business-to-business, or people-to-people in nature), much like the decline in the level, depth, and quality of the coverage of key news and current affairs events that had been emanating from Japan in large sections of the Australian media ecosystem, in recent years, there had also been a decline in the level, depth, and quality of the coverage of the various relationships that had existed between Australia and Japan in large sections of the Australian media ecosystem, with this decline being most pronounced in regards to the diplomatic relationships that exist between Australia and Japan.

As will be discussed in the fifth article in this series of articles, when it comes to the various relationships that exist between Australia and Japan (whether the relationship that had existed between Australia and Japan had been diplomatic, economic, business-to-business, or people-to-people in nature), which are widely considered to be among the most important relationships that Australia has with Asia and its constituent nation-states and territories – much like the level, depth, and quality of the coverage of key news and current affairs events that had been emanating from Japan in large sections of the Australian media ecosystem – an argument could be made that the level, depth, and quality of the coverage of the various relationships that exist between Australia and Japan in large sections of the Australian media ecosystem (whether the media outlet in question had been part of the so-called “mainstream media” or had been part of the so-called “alternative media”) can influence how members of the general Australian populace views the various relationships that exist between Australia and Japan. When it comes to the various relationships that had existed between Australia and Japan, as well as the various relationships that had existed between Australia and the constituent nation-states and territories of Asia more generally, much of the emphasis that had been paid to by large sections of the Australian media ecosystem (whether the media outlet in question had been part of the so-called “mainstream media” or had been part of the so-called “alternative media”) had been focused on the diplomatic relationships that had existed between Australia and Japan, but an argument could be made in this respect that even when it comes to the level, depth, and quality of the coverage of the diplomatic relationships that exist between Australia and Japan, even the coverage of the diplomatic relationship that exist between Australia and Japan tends to be limited in large sections of the Australian media ecosystem.

When it comes to the various relationships that exist between Australia and Japan and the largely limited coverage of these relationships in large sections of the Australian media ecosystem (whether the media outlet in question had been part of the so-called “mainstream media” or had been part of the so-called “alternative media”), much of the emphasis that had been paid to the various relationships that had existed between Australia and Japan had been largely focused on the diplomatic relationships that exist between Australia and Japan. And while the diplomatic relationships that exist between Australia and Japan are the most important type of relationship that exist between Australia and Japan, the coverage of the diplomatic relationship between Australia and Japan has often come at the expense of the coverage of the other relationships that exist between Australia and Japan, and in particular the people-to-people relationships that exist between Australia and Japan, in large sections of the Australian media ecosystem, even though the people-to-people relationships that exist between the people of Australia and the people of Japan can be just as influential in regards to both the development, as well as the maintenance, of the various relationships that exist between Australia and Japan as the diplomatic relationships that exist between Australia and Japan. But when it comes to the various relationships that exist between Australia and Japan (and, more generally, the various relationships that exist between Australia and the constituent nation-states and territories of Asia), having a high level of Japan literacy (and, more generally, having a high level of Asia literacy) among members of the general Australian populace, and in particular among students who had been undertaking study at educational institutions that had been located across all three levels of the Australian education system (and in particular among students who had been undertaking study at educational institutions that had been located at both the secondary, as well as the tertiary, level of the Australian education system) is important for the future of these relationships.

However, and this will be discussed throughout the course of this series of articles on Japan literacy in Australia and the level of Japan literacy that exist among members of the general Australian populace (and in particular the level of Japan literacy that exist among students who had been undertaking study at educational institutions that had been located across all three levels of the Australian education system, whether the educational institution in question had been located at the primary, secondary, or tertiary level of the Australian education system), while the development of Japan literacy (and, more generally, the development of Asia literacy) among members of the general Australian populace, and in particular among students who had been undertaking study at educational institutions that had been located across all three levels of the Australian education system, while the development of Japan literacy (and, more generally, the development of Asia literacy) among students who had been undertaking study at educational institutions that had been located at the primary, secondary, or tertiary levels of the Australian education system had been a core policy for governments that had been located across both the state and federal levels of the Australian political system (whether it was the centre-left Australian Labor Party or the centre-right Liberal Party was in power at either, or both, levels of the Australian political system in question). But despite the emphasis that had been paid to both the teaching, as well as the study, of Asia and Asian languages other than English (and in particular the teaching, as well as the study, of the four Asian languages other than English that had been identified as ‘priority’ Asian languages other than English in the Australia in the Asian Century white paper, of which the Japanese language was one of the four Asian languages other than English that was identified as a ‘priority’ Asian language other than English in the Australia in the Asian Century white paper), in recent decades, in recent years, there had been a noticeable decline in the level of emphasis that had been paid to both the teaching, as well as the study, of Asia and Asian languages other than English at educational institutions that had been located across all three levels of the Australian education system (whether the educational institution in question had been located at the primary, secondary, or tertiary level of the Australian education system), with the emphasis instead being paid to both the teaching, as well as the study, of subjects that are in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields of study, and an argument could be made that this switch in the emphasis that had been paid from the teaching and the study of Asia and Asian languages other than English to subjects that are in the STEM fields of study can have negative ramifications for the level of Japan literacy (and, more generally, the level of Asia literacy) that exist among members of the general Australian populace (and in particular among students who had been undertaking study at educational institutions that had been located across all three levels of the Australian education system), and in turn, this could have negative repercussions for the future of the various relationships that exist between Australia and Japan.