Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda attended the Forum of Persons with Disabilities 2012 in the presence of His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince, held at a hall in Tokyo. In his address, the Prime Minister said,

"This year marks the final year of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons (2003-2012). During this period, the government has been steadily carrying forward measures to realize a society wherein all persons mutually respect the personalities and characteristics of others and support one another, regardless of whether they have disabilities or not, in line with the basic plan.
Looking ahead to another ten years, we will continue with the reform for realizing a cohesive society wherein all people have a place to belong to and a role to play."

Then, the Prime Minister conferred awards for contributors to the welfare of disabled persons and awarded grand prizes for the two entries: "Composition to Share Experiences to Expand the Circle of Nice Hearts" and "Disabled Person's Week Poster."