Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda held the ceremony to present the Prime Minister's Commendation to contributors for disaster prevention for FY2012 at a hotel in Tokyo.

In accordance with the stipulation "Concerning Disaster Prevention Day and Disaster Prevention Week" approved by the Cabinet on May 11, 1982, this ceremony is held to present the Prime Minister's Commendation to the groups and individuals who have made outstanding achievements in contributions to disaster prevention activities at times of disaster, such as lifesaving and the prevention of the further expansion of damage, and to the heightening of disaster prevention awareness and development of disaster prevention systems at times of normalcy.
This year, 3 individuals and 141 groups received the Prime Minister's Commendation.

The Prime Minister said in his address, "The Great East Japan Earthquake claimed many precious lives and disrupted peaceful lives of many others, and had a severe impact not only on disaster-stricken areas but on the entire nation. In addition, disasters occurred one after another this year as well, caused by typhoons and heavy rains. The government will continuously put all its efforts into supporting disaster-stricken people and the recovery and reconstruction of disaster-stricken areas. At the same time, based on the lessons learnt from the Great East Japan Earthquake that we must prepare for disasters beyond our expectations, we are committed to further improvement and strengthening of disaster countermeasures. In order to prepare for major disasters beyond our expectations and to reduce the damages caused thereby, it is necessary for the individual citizens to be ready and prepared and for the relevant organizations and people in the local community to cooperate, in addition to the governmental efforts.
It is my hope that this commendation will serve as an opportunity for achieving further success in your activities in different areas, toward the goal of creating a nation resistant to disasters, which is a goal shared by both the public and private sectors, and that the various efforts are further promoted."