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Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended the opening ceremony for the Entertainment Art Exhibition (Art Exhibition of Versatile Men of Culture and Entertainers) held at a hotel in Tokyo.

The Prime Minister said in his address,

"I had the pleasure of writing a piece of calligraphy for this exhibition. I wrote, 'Wa wo motte toutoshi to nasu' (Acting with Wa [harmony] is of the utmost importance). These are the words of Prince Shotoku from 1,400 years ago. From 1,400 years ago up to today, I believe this Wa  spirit has guided Japan.
'Wa wo motte toutoshi to nasu' says not simply that one must conform to what others are saying. I believe this quote says that matters that should be debated shall be thoroughly debated, but that in the end, people shall find harmony and work together.
This autumn, we, the Government, must tackle a variety of issues. When that time comes, we will carry out extensive debates, but for the measures that we decide upon, we will work in full concert to implement them. It is with this determination that I have written my piece of calligraphy.
A short while ago, I had the opportunity to view the exhibition on former President Mandela. I viewed the Freedom Charter, which former President Mandela wrote during his imprisonment. In this profoundly inspiring Charter, there is the following passage: 

South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white, and no government can justly claim authority unless it is based on the will of the people.

I believe that in this passage, former President Mandela showed a spirit of reconciliation while presenting solid principles. In other words, this passage demonstrates the Wa spirit. It seems to echo the Japanese spirit.
I would like to once again pray for the recovery of former President Mandela.
In closing, I would like to express my hopes that this exhibition can help in any way possible as a charity event for the Great East Japan Earthquake."