Japan’s prime minister has implored the UK not to leave the EU without an exit deal, saying it was “the wish of the whole world” to see Britain secure an agreement.

The remarks from Shinzō Abe on a visit to London came as two cabinet ministers, Greg Clark and Gavin Williamson, traded blows over the viability of a no-deal.

Speaking in Downing Street, Abe said Japan offered total support to Theresa May’s Brexit deal and said Japanese companies employing 150,000 people in the UK would value the stability.

“It is the strong will of Japan to further develop this strong partnership with the UK, to invest more into your country and to enjoy further economic growth with the UK,” he said. “That is why we truly hope that a no-deal Brexit will be avoided, and in fact that is the wish of the whole world.”

Abe, a world leader who has developed one of the closest relationships with May, praised the “strong will and hard work” of the prime minister leading up to next week’s parliamentary vote on the deal.

A draft plan to sell the Brexit deal that was leaked in November even suggested that Abe might be persuaded to tweet to support May’s deal, although in person in London the Japanese prime minister went further.

“Japan is in total support of the draft withdrawal agreement worked out between the EU and Prime Minister May, which provides for transition to ensure legal stability for businesses that have invested into this country,” Abe said.

May said that Abe had committed to reaching an ambitious bilateral trade agreement after Brexit, and said that the UK was interested in pursuing membership of the CPTPP free trade alliance of Pacific countries.

The carefully crafted remarks from Abe represent the latest attempt to try to persuade sceptical MPs to support May’s Brexit deal next Tuesday, although few believe his intervention will make much of a dent in the majority of MPs who have said they are opposed to the deal.

The comments from the Japanese leader came after an impassioned intervention from Clark, the business secretary, who broke ranks with his cabinet colleagues and urged MPs to work together to block a no-deal Brexit.

Clark said leaving with no deal would cause “incalculable damage” to business and the economy. The business secretary has argued for a series of “indicative votes” on options including a second referendum or a Norway-style deal, in order to establish which choice could command the backing of the most MPs.

“It is my strong view that we need to come together. We need to act to avoid a no-deal because I don’t think there is anything remotely like a majority in parliament that will tolerate this,” he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.

Clark warned there was a danger the country could “fall into” a no deal unless MPs voted for an alternative. “The default is in law that unless we have a deal, then we will fall into no deal,” he said. “What parliament needs to do is recognise that we need to put differences aside and establish agreement on a deal. It is something that has to involve the whole of parliament.

“It seems to me, to move from parliament being just a scrutineer, but to be active participants and that means discovering parliament’s mind,” he said.

Clark hinted he would resign if the government actively pursued no deal; the justice secretary David Gauke has also suggested a similar course of action. Others who would be likely to walk include the work and pensions secretary, Amber Rudd.

Williamson later directly contradicted Clark’s remarks and said the UK should be bullish about no deal.

Asked by Sky News if he agreed with Clark’s comments, the defence secretary said: “Not at all, Britain has always been a nation that will always achieve and always deliver. We can be optimistic and confident. Whatever is our future, Britain will succeed and do incredibly well.”