On the evening of June 2, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held the Fifth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD V) "Official Banquet" in Yokohama.

The Prime Minister said in his address,

"It is a great pleasure to be able to hold this banquet tonight with all of you joining me. On behalf of the Government and the people of Japan, I would like to extend my sincere welcome to everyone.
Over these past two days, you and I have pooled our wisdom for the bright future of Africa. After tomorrow's discussions, we will send out a strong message to the world aimed towards the further growth of a dynamic Africa.
Tonight, I would like to enjoy 'washoku' with all of you. 'Wa' is a word for 'Japan,' but it also can mean harmony. I hope that the food will unite all of us here in the pursuit of African growth.
Today's meal was prepared by chefs from Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan. As TICAD marks its 20th anniversary, I look forward to deepening Japan-Africa exchanges also in the area of food culture.
I would like to make tonight an opportunity to further deepen our solidarity which has been fostered through the two decades of the TICAD process.
In closing, I would like to propose a toast - to the success of TICAD V and the further enhancement of our friendship."