Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended the Decentralization Reform Symposium held in Tokyo.
The Prime Minister said in his address,
 “There will be no vitalization of Japan without the vitalization of regional communities.
The revitalization of the regions is a top priority for the Abe Cabinet. The central players for growth from now on will be the regions. 
In particular, it is incumbent on us to continue to create regional vitality so that people across the country can live pleasant lives with peace of mind, given the diminishing population in our society, which has resulted in continued declines in the number of workers in the regions, the number of people able to support our social security system, and our workforce, for example.
The other day, on June 14, I visited Shimane and Tottori Prefectures, where I saw the activities of people actively working for regional vitalization.
I saw regional corporations that were forming a scrum with regional financial institutions and universities, utilizing latent regional resources, and creating vitality and employment in the regions.
I saw young people who had moved from cities to the regions, who were working hard for regional vitalization activities. With high spirits, they continue to want to keep on making contributions to their regions.
I saw initiatives aimed at utilizing the ‘hometown tax’ system started by the first Abe Cabinet, and expanding PR and sales channels for ‘hometown specialties.’
And in each region, I saw the state of work on wonderful initiatives utilizing original ingenuity. It was very encouraging to see all of this. 
Through my visit, I saw for myself that the regions harbor tremendous potential. More than anything, what is most important is to pool wisdom and embark on bold challenges.
The Abe Administration has set up a headquarters for regional vitalization. I have been taking the lead and exerting every effort for the vitalization of the regions. I want the Government to come together as one to support proactive community-based initiatives, to ensure that everyone throughout the country experiences the warm winds of Abenomics firsthand, and to connect that to the revitalization of the entirety of Japan.
It is extremely important that the regions use local judgment to advance community building utilizing the individuality of each region, in order to draw out the vitality in each.
Administering the regions in a manner focused on their residents is the responsibility of the regions to the extent that they can fulfill it. The importance of decentralization reform, which enhances the autonomy and independence of the regions, is increasing.
In the previous session of the Diet, we enacted legislation on the transition of the work and authority from the national government to local governments, among other matters. We made a great stride forward on the series of regional decentralization measures started by the first Abe Administration. The results of decentralization reform are now blossoming throughout the country.
To give an example, clerical work for passport applications could previously only be done at the prefectural level. For instance, in my home region of Yamaguchi Prefecture, residents needed to travel to one of the five passport centers set up by the Prefecture. By transferring the authority to do that clerical work from the Prefecture to the 19 cities and towns within the prefecture, residents can now complete one-stop application procedures at the city and town halls near to them.
Such initiatives that lead to greater convenience for residents are being put into place all over the country. We have even received support for initiatives up to this point from the Six Regional Organizations , along with cheers to advance even further.
The Abe Cabinet will place an even greater emphasis on regional ideas and diversity, and strongly advance regional decentralization, which has reached a new stage. Specifically, we will call for proposals from the regions, to which the Government will play close heed and realize them to the greatest extent possible.
In closing, I hope that everyone gathered here today will use the opportunity of this symposium and that, based on your own perspectives, you will participate in the creation of regions that are independent and that can leverage their unique characteristics, which is the goal of decentralization reform; and to advance initiatives.
I view today, with the opening of this first Decentralization Reform Symposium, as the first day of the start of a new stage for decentralization reform. I would like to conclude my remarks for this first meeting by pledging that I will exert every effort for further reform.
Let us all work hard together.”