Shinzo Abe visits Darwin, the first Japanese leader to do so since WWII

Shinzo Abe has become the first Japanese leader to visit Darwin since his nation virtually levelled the city in WWII.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Scott Morrison during a wreath-laying ceremony in Darwin today. Picture: AFP

It was with what Scott Morrison called “tremendous humility and grace” that Shinzo Abe joined the Australian Prime Minister in laying a wreath at Darwin Cenotaph.

Mr Abe today became the first Japanese leader to visit Darwin since his nation virtually levelled the city with a determined bombing campaign during WWII.

Mr Abe was greeted by a small crowd of onlookers as he and his wife stepped from their motorcade into the tropical heat. There were no protesters and very little noise.

After a few handshakes and a brief Aboriginal smoking ceremony, he and Mr Morrison — together with NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner, Administrator Vicki O’Halloran and Japanese defence attache Colonel Yuki Kimura — walked in silence towards the Top End’s main memorial to fallen soldiers.

The two prime ministers stood in quiet contemplation, before both stepped forward together to lay wreaths of yellow flowers.

After a minute’s silence, the Last Post was played, and then the leaders walked over to meet military officers and other dignitaries.

There were no speeches and few other formalities, but Mr Morrison was heard to quietly praise Mr Abe for conducting himself with “tremendous grace and humility.”

The whole event was over in about 15 minutes.

Afterwards, fourth-generation Territorian of Chinese descent, Marie Louise Pearson, stepped out of the crowd to congratulate Mr Abe as he walked back to his car.

“I think it’s absolutely amazing that we’ve been able to have him over here in Darwin,” she told The Australian.

“This is such a story, so much history going forward. My family was here during the war and survived Cyclone Tracy. It’s wonderful that our countries are now finding peace.”

Zack O’Toole, a Darwin tradie, brought his kids along for the spectacle and his son Billy, 9, got to shake Mr Abe’s hand.

“It was a bit fleshy,” Billy said.

Mr O’Toole mused that the Japanese leader probably hadn’t “done a lot of brick laying or building”.

“It’s probably a well-moisturised hand,” he said.

Mr O’Toole’s daughter Jordie, 7, came along after studying the history of the 1942 bombing of Darwin at school.

“It makes me proud to think of what all those people did to save our country,” she said.

Veterans NT president Bob Shewring also personally thanked Mr Abe for attending and, afterwards, described the experience as “poignant”.

“It’s time to move on to the next generation, together,” he said. “Lest we forget.”