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Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Gunma Prefecture.
The Prime Minister first visited Tomioka Silk Mill in Tomioka City, where he reeled silk, toured the reeling mill and the dormitory, and conversed with local volunteers.
The Prime Minister then visited farmland belonging to the Japan Organic Agriculture Association  in Kanra Town, where he tasted organic tomatoes and harvested crops.

Afterwards, the Prime Minister said of his visit,
“Thanks to many years of devotion and hard work by local residents and volunteers, Tomioka Silk Mill has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site. I hope that the residents of Tomioka City will leverage local cultural properties to promote the revitalization of the region. To do that, the passion and ideas of local residents are of course also very important. There are still cultural properties that have not been opened to the public, and I could feel the motivation of local residents for opening up more sites for public access. I hope that many people from around the world will come visit these sites.
Following this I visited Kanra Town where I received explanations about highly successful efforts to grow organic crops in an attempt to produce higher added value. Organic farming is no easy task. However, the townspeople have worked together, which has produced higher added value, and they have made a special effort to raise productivity. The fruits of their labor can already be seen. They have also succeeded in expanding distribution channels and raising farmers’ incomes. If we can raise the number of such success stories throughout the country, agriculture will surely become increasingly attractive, and I am sure that this will become a significant resource for regional vitalization.
During my visit I have been able to see firsthand the successful efforts to leverage local cultural properties, and also to transform agriculture, which is a primary industry, into more and more of an attractive resource.