With blossoms blooming in the grounds, the official residence of Japan's ambassador to Australia Shingo Yamagami was the scene for a spring reception on Friday evening.
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The ambassador also confirmed that Japan would be emerging further from the pandemic, no longer requiring tourists to have a visa to travel there, starting from October 11.
"Aussies can go to Japan visa-free without being accompanied by a guide. As long as you are fully-vaxxed, you can go to Japan, like you've been able to do before [COVID], Mr Yamagami said.
"This means a big, big boost to tourism between Australia and Japan.''
While spring in Japan finished in June, the season of blossoms was well underway in Australia, leading to a sense of "renewal and revitalisation", the ambassador said.
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Guests to the residence in Yarralumla were treated to traditional cuisine made by a head chef from Japan as well as tea ceremonies, music and magic.
Most of the guests had a connection already to Japan, promoting a bond with Australia.
Mr Yamagami joked he was "no Great Gatsby of Canberra" but had done his utmost to impress his guests.
"We are here to celebrate the strong and robust ties that have been forged between Japan and Australia through people-to-people exchanges," Mr Yamagami, adding that the relationship between the two countries had "never been better".
"The pandemic has been a massive disruptor to our lives but as we settle into this new normal, now is our chance," the Ambassador told the crowd.
"By taking small steps, Japan is re-opening to the world."
Among the guests was Susan Bultitude, of Fisher, who wore a Japan-infused gown of cherry blossoms, cranes and The Great Wave off Kanagawa.
She first visited Japan as a student in 2005 and now took her own family there every year to go skiing.
"We love it," she said.
Mr Yamagami, meanwhile, has embraced life in Canberra.
But he has also made clear his dislike for magpies, describing them as the "bird of terror" and putting chopsticks in his helmet to ward them off as he cycled around the city.
"There's the one big magpie around the lake try to swoop both my wife and me but, thank God, because of chopsticks, we not attacked," he said, on Friday.
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