Japan is the most intoxicating place for me. In Kyoto there's an inn called the Tawaraya which is quite extraordinary. The Japanese culture fascinates me: the food the dress the manners and the traditions. It's the travel experience that has moved me the most.

As long as the food is well prepared and not overdone I think it tastes good. It doesn't matter if it's Chinese Japanese anything.

Japanese food makes me feel particularly good.

A lot of people think Japanese food is difficult a lot of work. But you don't have to buy the knife I have. You don't have to train as long as I have. You can do my cooking in your kitchen.

When I go on Japanese Airlines I really love it because I like Japanese food.

I love food all types of food. I love Korean food Japanese Italian French. In Australia we don't have a distinctive Australian food so we have food from everywhere all around the world. We're very multicultural so we grew up with lots of different types of food.

I was in a karaoke video in 1991 for a song called 'Sukiyaki ' which is a very famous Japanese song and I've actually heard from people that they've been in bars in Asia where they've seen me come up in the 'Sukiyaki' video that they play behind you. I'm in that. I'm in a karaoke video.

I studied Japanese language and culture in college and graduate school and afterward went to work in Tokyo where I met a young man whose father was a famous businessman and whose mother was a geisha.

The countries who do the best in international comparisons whether it's Finland or Japan Denmark or Singapore do well because they have professional teachers who are respected and they also have family and community which support learning.

I have experienced failure as a politician and for that very reason I am ready to give everything for Japan.