Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended the Summer Forum held by Keidanren (Japan Business Federation) in Tokyo.
The Prime Minister said in his address,
“Why am I so focused on a strong Japanese economy?
Well, with deflation persisting for the previous two decades, the people of Japan have lost their confidence. I believe this represents the very essence of the problem we face.
In the past, everyone in Japan believed that hard work would be rewarded, and that if we all worked together then tomorrow would be better than today and next year would be better than this year. I believe it is of the utmost importance that we restore this confidence. 
We have launched the three arrows of Abenomics in rapid succession to restore the confidence of the Japanese people, and so that Japan can once again become a country that shines in the middle of the world. 
Japan is undergoing a steady transformation under the three arrows of Abenomics.
Japan’s GDP has seen positive growth for six consecutive quarters. The ratio of job offers to job seekers now stands at 1.09, which is the highest level in 21 years and 11 months.
In addition, although somewhat out of the ordinary, I asked for wages to be increased at the Government-Labor-Management Meeting and this spring many companies decided to do exactly that.
According to a study of the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (RENGO), monthly wages have increased more than 2%, which is a figure that has not been seen in 15 years. Summer bonuses also rose 8.8% on average compared to last year according to Keidanren. This is the largest increase in as many as 30 years. 
In April this year the consumption tax was increased for the first time in 17 years. I believe that any downturn in consumption caused by this hike in the consumption tax will be merely temporary.
Furthermore, corporate capital investments, which were long stagnant, have begun to show a full-fledged upswing.
Corporate earnings will expand employment, increase incomes and lead to investments for creating the business opportunities of tomorrow. This means we are truly in the process of creating a positive economic cycle.
In order to accelerate the emerging positive economic cycle, last month I enhanced Japan’s growth strategy. There is no end to the reforms of the Abe administration. I have no intention of loosening the reins one bit.
This new growth strategy will restore Japan’s earning power through growth-oriented corporate tax reform and enhanced corporate governance.
I will continue to drill away at the bedrock of vested interests.
I will follow through on the fundamental reform of agricultural cooperatives for the first time in 60 years.
With regard to healthcare too, we will create a system where patients can receive treatment with cutting-edge medicine if they so desire.
We will also take on the task of creating a new system for working hours that evaluates workers based on results and not hours worked.
The power of women will form an important pillar of our new growth strategy. This is Japan’s greatest latent strength that has yet to be leveraged to the fullest.
To create a society in which all women shine, I would like all of you here to carry out bold and dedicated actions.
The keys will be execution and speed. We need to execute reforms one after another with a sense of speed.
I would like everyone in Japan’s business community to shift from a defensive posture to a more aggressive management stance. I would like to ask you to make dedicated investments in technology and in your staff, and implement bold initiatives for reform.
Through the combined efforts of the public and private sectors, Japan will be able to once again become a country that shines in the middle of the world.
In closing, I would like to express my sincere hope that today’s forum is a great success.”