[Provisional Translation]

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held the tenth meeting of the Council on Overcoming Population Decline and Vitalizing Local Economy in Japan at the Prime Minister's Office.

At the meeting, there was discussion regarding the revision of the comprehensive strategy for overcoming population decline and vitalizing local economy.

The Prime Minister said in his opening remarks,

“Two years have now passed since we began measures for vitalizing local economies. Already, at this early stage, some wonderful examples have appeared in regions that have taken up this opportunity. As the mindset of local governments is changing and the interest of the business community is increasing, we will further accelerate measures so that they spread nationwide.

In Amachou in the Oki Islands in Shimane Prefecture, based on the concept of “delivering food fresh from the sea,” local agricultural and marine products are sold throughout Japan by mail order, thus creating employment and increasing people’s income. By creating work that fully utilizes local strengths and resources, we aim to raise the average income in local economies.

Under the leadership of publicly-recruited experts in town planning, shopping areas in Aburatsu in Nichinan City in Miyazaki Prefecture have advanced town planning in a way that encourages the congregation of people, such as by reviving the Saturday night markets, thereby attracting many shops and IT companies, and restoring the town’s dynamism.

We will advance new measures to effectively utilize unused assets such as empty shops, for the revitalization of towns. In order to encourage ambitious regional initiatives, as well as accelerating the flow of people from the major cities to the regions, we will also promote support from the information, personnel, and financial standpoints.

Based on today’s discussion, I would like you to develop and improve the Comprehensive Strategy that will be revised by the government at the end of the year. Thank you.”