Top > What's up around the Prime Minister > September, 2006

Prime Minister's Interview Monday, September 25, 2006 JAPANESE Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi gave the final interview of his tenure at the Prime Minister's Official Residence. Asked if he is confident that he has served as a political leader who steered Japan into the right direction, Prime Minister Koizumi responded, "I became Prime Minister at a time when the economy was stagnating. I presented arguments suggesting that there is no growth without reform, rather than no growth with accumulated public projects. Eventually, the economy recovered, which led to the conclusion that if you do it, it will happen. This is good news. I owe it to the support of the Japanese people." In addition, Prime Minister Koizumi looked back on the last five years and five months, dating back to the inauguration of the Koizumi Administration. He spoke frankly on a wide range of topics, such as hardships he faced during his office, Japan's relations with China and the Republic of Korea, and the privatization of the postal services.