[Provisional Translation]

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe received a courtesy call at the Prime Minister's Office from the Japanese language theater group "En Juku," comprised of Indonesian students.

Following a performance by En Juku of “Sakura Yo,” the Prime Minister said in his address,

“Hello everyone. I am Shinzo Abe. I am pleased to again hear all of you in En Juku sing ‘Sakura Yo’ so wonderfully.
I have heard how, under the leadership of Ms. Sugako Kaikiri, Indonesians who love Japan have gathered as En Juku, have been directed on acting and singing, and have begun to perform in public. I have also heard how you created ‘Sakura Yo’ to encourage Japan after we suffered such tremendous damage from the major disaster that was the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011. Having heard those stories, I absolutely wanted to hear you sing that song when I visited Indonesia in 2013. That is what I had hoped for, but right at that time I was urgently called back to Japan because of an incident in Algeria, and so I wasn’t able to hear your song on that occasion. Today, once again, I have heard you sing, and the emotions I felt at that time have been reawakened in me.

Today again, you have sang, ‘Bloom proudly, o cherry tree, bloom in the heart of Japan. Bloom proudly, o Japan, bloom in the heart of the world.’ I want to respond to the good will of Japan’s friends in Indonesia and Asia, and reconstruct Tohoku in a spectacular way. Right now, we are united in this conviction.

This year is the fifth since the Great East Japan Earthquake. That day, March 11, 2011, is one that we will never be able to forget. Many people lost their loved ones. These past five years have been hard. I think it is extremely encouraging to hear the good will of people like you, who love Japan and consider Japan fondly, sing the words, ‘Bloom proudly, o Japan, bloom in the heart of the world.’

I want to respond to that good will, and together with Indonesia, I hope that together we can make major contributions to development in Asia and world peace.

The cherry blossoms have almost all fallen from the trees. I think the ones that remain must have been trying hard to continue blooming until you arrived. I want to close my remarks by expressing my prayer that you continue to perform many times and continue to spread sentiments of friendship. Thank you very much for your performance today.”