Masaaki Shirakawa: Great East Japan Earthquake – resilience of society and determination to rebuild Remarks by Mr Masaaki Shirakawa, Governor of the Bank of Japan, at the Council on Foreign Relations, New York, 14 April 2011. * I. *  *  Introduction  I am privileged to have the opportunity to speak before the Council on Foreign Relations today.
Before beginning my speech, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the government and people of the United States for the support and encouragement concerning the tragic Great East Japan Earthquake. The situation in the areas close to the earthquake epicenter, particularly coastal areas that were hit hard by the tsunami, is disastrous.