Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended the New Year Party by the All Japan Association of Confectionary Manufacturers held in Tokyo.

The Prime Minister said in his address,

"The most important mission imposed on the Abe administration is to achieve business pickup and economic growth.
It is the mission of the Abe administration to break out of the prolonged deflation, to correct the yen appreciation and make the economy grow.
Restoring a strong economy will lead to building a strong Japan.
I recognize that strong diplomatic power and strong security will not be possible without a strong economy.
It is also important to energize every part of all regions.
For this reason, we need bold monetary policy, flexible public finance policy, and a growth strategy.
It is needless to say that we are putting effort into disaster prevention and mitigation. In addition, in order for the regions to regain vitality, it is necessary to increase productivity. That is precisely investment in the future, so we would like to take these measures in a stately manner.
The vitality of the region will lead to the revival of Japan. We are willing to assist the efforts for realizing this."