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[Provisional Translation]

On August 21 (local time), Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Rio de Janeiro in the Federative Republic of Brazil to attend the Closing Ceremony of XXXI Olympiad.

The Prime Minister first met with Japanese athletes, and then visited the Tokyo 2020 Japan House. Afterwards, he received a courtesy call from H.E. Mr. Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Later, Prime Minister Abe attended a gathering of Japanese-Brazilian societies and Japanese nationals, and made an address where he said the following,

“Boa tarde [good afternoon], everyone. I am Shinzo Abe.

I am very pleased to be the first Japanese Prime Minister in 34 years to meet with people from Japanese-Brazilian societies based in Rio de Janeiro.

All of you in attendance today have overcome many challenges through your long years of hard work and innovation, and have thereby contributed greatly to the development of Brazil and Rio in many fields.

For instance, Ishikawajima do Brasil-Estaleiros S.A., commonly known as ‘Ishibras,’ is famous in the manufacturing sector as a symbol of Japan-Brazil cooperation. Many of you in attendance, including Japan-Brazil Sports and Culture Association President Shikada, have been frequently involved with Ishibras. The company produced major results in terms of the development of human resources and the transfer of Japanese technology, and was sometimes even called the ‘Ishicola,’ combining the company name with the Portuguese word for ‘school,’ ‘escola.’ Many Brazilian engineers were fostered by this company, and are now working to support various industries in modern Brazil.

In the agricultural sector, there is Funchal, one of Brazil’s most emblematic settlements. Today, Funchal is a major provider of crops, including vegetables, and all types of greens, but when it was first settled, I heard that settlement life was difficult beyond description, and that early settlers had to pioneer into a primeval forest, without even electricity.

I think everyone must have overcome great difficulties and countless challenges in the process of going to such an unfamiliar land and climate to establish the growth of new vegetables and crops. I would like to again express my heartfelt respect for the hard work that everyone has endured up until today.

I have heard that the people of the Funchal community donated all of the funds they had collected for the 50th anniversary of the arrival of settlers to the efforts to support reconstruction following the Great East Japan Earthquake. I was touched at the unchanging warm feelings you have for Japan. I would like to again express my gratitude for this as the Prime Minister of Japan.

Those of us living in Japan know that the people of Brazil, more than anyone else, keep Japan in their thoughts. This gives all of us courage. At the same time, it gives us the conviction to work hard in the future, to ensure that we can continue to be the Japan that everyone here in the State of Rio de Janeiro thinks of with such pride. Japan will continue its development, together with all of you.

Lastly, I want to express my heartfelt prayers for the continuing development and success of the Japanese-Brazilian societies based in Rio de Janeiro. Muito Obirigado [Thank you very much].”

Lastly, the Prime Minister attended the Closing Ceremony of XXXI Olympiad. 

Following the Closing Ceremony, the Prime Minister said,

“In the end, through these Olympic Games, the athletes who competed so fiercely, came together as one, and commended each other for all of their great efforts at a tremendously moving Closing Ceremony. Once again, it truly made me feel just how truly wonderful the Olympics are. The Japanese athletes really shone brightly. Each day, when I woke up, we had won more medals. It was one exciting day after another – it made it quite hard to sleep. There were of course those who didn’t achieve the results that they had hoped for, but I just want to say that I commend every athlete who represented Japan in front of the world on such a grand stage.

For today’s Closing Ceremony, I called upon the power of a Japanese character in the hope of expressing Japan’s soft power. I was worried about whether I would be able to smoothly remove the costume or not, and what the reaction would be. I want to express my gratitude to the people of Rio for greeting me with such incredible cheers.  

In four years, we will host the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, and it will be our turn to inspire the world. I want to present an Olympics in Japan in which people will be able to see athletes in their top condition. That is the kind of inspiration I want to share with the world. That is the kind of Games I want to create. I want to share with the world messages of diversity, harmony, and peace.

No matter what position I am in, I don’t think that my desire to make the Olympic and Paralympic Games a success will ever change. No matter what position I am in, I want to work hard to make the Games a success.”