The Albanese government has held its most senior meeting with Japan since the 'melongate' controversy, welcoming Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi to Canberra.

The meeting came weeks after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese faced scrutiny over remarks about Crown Melons gifted to him by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

Speaking on the Bush Deep podcast, Albanese explained that Takaichi had brought him 'a couple of melons'. 

When host Nikki Osborne responded, 'She brought two!', Albanese replied: 'She brought two, as you do.'

Osborne then joked that Takaichi 'just came in looking like Pamela Anderson'. Albanese followed up by repeating: 'She brought two.'

'And they're beautiful,' Albanese said.

The remarks sparked criticism across Parliament, with Liberal Senate leader Michaelia Cash describing them as 'sexist and disrespectful'.

Koizumi met Defence Minister Richard Marles behind closed doors on Tuesday in Canberra.

Asked after the meeting whether Albanese's remarks had been discussed, Koizumi said they had not. 

'There was not such a discussion today,' Koizumi said.

'Before I visited Australia, the Australian side had already told the Japanese side that Mr Albanese ... he did not mean it that way.'

Marles responded by stressing the strength of the bilateral relationship.

'The relationship between Australia and Japan is at a high water mark. It has never had the level of depth and engagement that it has right now,' he said.

'Our relationship is at a high point and that is the fundamental point to make today.

'We do next to the United States as much operationally with Japan as any defence force in the world and we do as much defence diplomacy together as we do with any other country in the world.'

It comes as the Australian Federal Police confirmed it will investigate the leaking of correspondence between Japanese and Australian diplomats over the prime minister's comments.

The prime minister has rejected calls to apologise over the comments, insisting the relationship between Australia and Japan remained strong.

Following controversy and media coverage in Australia over the melon comments, a letter from Japanese officials to their Australian counterparts noted there had been 'sensationalised reporting' about the interview. 

No action would be taken by the Japanese government over the incident, the letter said.

The correspondence was leaked to several media outlets.

The leaking prompted coalition frontbencher James Paterson to request an investigation by the federal police into how the leak of the correspondence took place.

In its response to Senator Paterson, the federal police confirmed it would examine the referral.

'The Australian Federal Police takes allegations of unauthorised disclosures of Commonwealth information seriously and assesses all reports in accordance with its legislative responsibilities and established investigative processes,' the AFP letter said.

'Your correspondence has been referred to Special Investigations Command, where the material will be reviewed and an update provided at an appropriate time.'

At the time of the referral to the AFP, Housing Minister Clare O'Neil said the coalition had 'lost the plot'.