Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda hosted a party accompanying the meeting of the Ministry of Defense and Self-Defense Force senior personnel at the Prime Minister's Office.

The Prime Minister said in his address, "Today I am delighted to meet and have exchanges with 160 senior personnel of the Ministry of Defense and Self-Defense Force, who are fulfilling the vital mission of the defense of Japan with a sense of urgency every day. As you may already know, I grew up as a son of a member of the Self-Defense Force. In my early experience, the discipline and pride of the unsung people involved in the mission of defending this country were strongly etched in my mind through my father and his colleagues in the Self-Defense Force. This image from my memories changed to strong belief during the Great East Japan Earthquake last year. All the members of Self-Defense Force were engaged in dedicated efforts to support the disaster-stricken people. Through such efforts, I believe that the Self-Defense Force won the trust and expectations of the people at a level unmatched since its foundation.
I would like to ask you to maintain this strong sense of urgency and to push yourself ahead vigorously towards the mission of national defense and safety, to measure up to the high level of expectation and trust of the people."