A cultural exchange trip to Japan at the age of 17 sparked a lifelong love of the country, opening the door to a successful career of public service for Bruce Miller.
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More than 30 years working for his country, including six years as ambassador to Japan, has been recognised today, as he is appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia.
Mr Miller started in the public service in 1986 as a graduate in the then Department of Foreign Affairs, and went on to work in Iran, senior postings in Japan and the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. He had two stints at the Office of National Assessments, as deputy director-general between 2009 and 2011, and as acting director-general in 2017, but it is the time as ambassador to Japan from 2011 to 2017 that he lists as his career highlight.
"[It was] where I thought I could achieve the most, and to be able to provide good honest advice on how to handle the relationship with Japan and explain to the Japanese government Australian approaches to things," he said.
Giving good advice is a theme of many of Mr Miller's roles, including at the top secret Office of National Assessments, which (now known as the Office of National Intelligence) advises Cabinet's national security committee and coordinates foreign intelligence activities.
"Sitting across the table from ministers and the prime minister and just giving them our honest judgement on what's happening – whether it be terrorism, the changes in East Asia, the role of the United States in the world – there’s nothing more important than getting those judgements right."
Mr Miller retired late last year, but he's keeping busy, with board directorships with some Japanese companies, as well as TAL Insurance, which has a Japanese parent company.
Being appointed an AO isn't the most remarkable life event for Mr Miller this year, or even in the past few weeks. Last Saturday he married his partner of 25 years Mikio, after same-sex marriage was legalised late last year.
"We met in Tokyo in 1993, and he's been with me all the way through, to various postings in Tokyo and back in Canberra," Mr Miller said.
"He's been the voice to tell me that I'm human after all."
