[Provisional Translation]

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended a Regular General Meeting of the National Association of Chairpersons of City Councils held in Tokyo.
The Prime Minister said in his congratulatory address,

"I am delighted that the 93rd Regular General Meeting of the National Association of Chairpersons of City Councils is being held today on such a grand scale.
I would like to express my sincere respect to you, the chairpersons of city councils, for putting in such hard work every day at the front line of municipalities to develop your communities and improve community welfare, as representatives who are most closely connected to the people in your regions.
Japan will not have vitality unless its regions have vitality. There is no future for Japan unless we pave the way for the future of the regions. This is the basic stance of the Abe Cabinet.

Japan is blessed with the charms of abundant nature, unique history and culture, and agricultural, forestry and fishery products and foods particular to each region, all of which have been preserved and developed by everyone in each region. Those charms are now even well-known overseas. I am not just talking about Kobe beef or Aomori apples. Examples of high-quality, regional specialty products being exported overseas are also increasing, including sweet potatoes, yuzu citrus fruits, miso, and soy sauce.
The residents living in each region know best about the charms of their regions, and the chairpersons of city councils gathered here today are truly representatives of those people. I hope that all of you will take the lead for your region's residents and pave the way for the future of your dynamic regions.

Regional vitalization comprises an endeavor to fully utilize the attractiveness of each region, to significantly develop the potential of this, and to create highly distinctive regions that will attract young people. With enthusiasm for our hometowns, we will take on the endeavor of regional vitalization. The Abe Cabinet will provide region residents with full support by way of information, human resources, and financing. 
The benefits of Abenomics, the economic policy being promoted by the Abe Cabinet, are steadily spreading to every part of Japan.

The ratio of job offers to job seekers has surpassed 1.0 in all 47 prefectures. This is the first time in history that has happened. The FY2016 employment rate among high school graduates grew 0.3% on the previous fiscal year, to 98.0%, the highest level it has been in 26 years.
It is the very regions themselves that are the drivers of future growth, and Japan can still grow much more. We will advance the positive economic cycle created by Abenomics even further to create that future.

The Abe Cabinet will continue to take the stance of thoroughly listening to the opinions of the regions, and in doing so we will support the efforts of the regions, so that we can create a Japan where everyone who lives in the regions, and their children, can have dreams and hopes centered on their individual regions.
I hope you will all continue to exert your abilities to the fullest, while always engaging the people and incorporating their diverse opinions in your work. I would also like to once again ask for your understanding and cooperation in regard to the policies that the Government is promoting.

I would like to conclude my address for the 93rd National Association of Chairpersons of City Councils by extending my best wishes for the further evolvement of the National Association of Chairpersons of City Councils, as well as the further success of everyone in attendance today. Congratulations on this successful gathering today."