The 1965 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Journalism, Literature and Creative Communication Arts

RESPONSE of Akira Kurosawa

Frankly speaking, I was surprised when I received a cable from the Magsaysay Award Foundation informing me that I had been elected as one of the Awardees this year. I had not been aware that my works had been receiving such a warm and kind appreciation from you people in this great country. I am never good at making a speech, but I assure you that this is the happiest moment in my life, and that my future works will reflect how deeply I am impressed by this great Award.

Let me end by paying a deep and heartfelt homage to the memory of the great President, a defender of fundamental principles of democracy and freedom, a really historic personage, after whom this Award has been named.