On March 18, Prime Minister Naoto Kan delivered a message to the Japanese people in which he expressed his gratitude to the international community for their support and assistance. Kan said, “We have received a truly great number of messages of consolation and support from countries around the world. So far, we have received offers of support from 117 countries and regions and 29 international organizations, and relief activities are already underway. I am extremely grateful for these offers of support. With the support of the whole world, we must not allow ourselves to become despondent in facing this, the biggest crisis in our nation's history since World War II. We must be resolved as a people to do whatever it takes to move forward to overcome this crisis together.”　

A full English translation of the Prime Minister’s message can be found at:
http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/kan/statement/201103/18message_e.html