Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended the first meeting of the Advisory Council on Decentralization Reform at the Prime Minister's Office.

The Prime Minister said in his opening address,

"Vitalization of Japan cannot be expected without the vitality of regional communities.
In order to create attractive regions, it is necessary to carry forward the effort of decentralization reform, so that the regions can create characteristic communities based on their own ideas, utilizing the original ingenuity of each region.
The decentralization reform the government is currently engaged in traces back to the Decentralization Reform Committee, which was established by the First Abe Cabinet, and I want to continue such efforts with strong determination.
For the entire government to unite efforts in the promotion of the decentralization reform, the other day, on March 8, I established the Headquarters for Promoting Decentralization Reform, headed by myself.
This time, under Minister Shindo, we are newly opening this Advisory Council, and have received the participation of all of you, who have great insight and rich experiences.
In terms of future perspectives and the way forward for reform, I hope that you will have lively discussions from various angles and compile a direction for decentralization reform that the Government should take."