[Provisional Translation]

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended a Regular General Meeting of the National Association of Chairpersons of City Councils held in Tokyo.

The Prime Minister said in his congratulatory address,

“I would like to make some brief remarks on the occasion of the 91st Regular General Meeting of the National Association of Chairpersons of City Councils. First, I would like to express my sincere respect to you, the chairpersons of city councils, for putting in such hard work every day at the front line of municipalities to develop your communities and improve the welfare of the residents and the safety and security of the regions, as representatives that are most closely connected to the people in your regions.
This year marks the first year of regional vitalization. There are deeply determined people bringing out the potential of a wide range of previously dormant regional resources and maximizing them towards the future. I have seen this on countless occasions during my visits to many regions across the country.
My own region is Shimonoseki City and Nagato City in Yamaguchi Prefecture. “We should build on the special features, beauty, and abundant traditions and history of our region, as well as geographical conditions to open new horizons in industry, the agriculture and fishery industry, and tourism.” Young people are enthusiastically carrying out various initiatives. That is true in Nagato City as well. The city has enthusiastically implemented a strategy of creating new brands in the fields of agriculture and livestock and marine products, adding as much added-value to these products as possible, and delivering them to major cities. Also, nowadays a truly large number of tourists from overseas visit the area, and there are various ideas in play to attract these tourists. This year marks the first year of regional vitalization, and I believe that this awareness is shared by many people.
In particular, my own region is currently being highlighted in NHK’s “Hana Moyu,” which is set in Yamaguchi Prefecture and is part of the channel’s long-running historical drama series. Local people are considering how best to make full use of this publicity.
We will continue to offer our full support to highly motivated and creative regional initiatives. That is the Abe Cabinet’s regional vitalization.
By the end of this year, we will compile the ‘Basic Policy for Overcoming Population Decline and Vitalizing Local Economy 2015.’ In addition, we will establish new forms of subsidies in the FY2016 budget in order to eliminate the harmful effects of vertical segmentation between the ministries and to provide support for initiatives for pioneering, outstanding businesses. Further, we will exert all our efforts to build unique and highly appealing regional communities so that residents feel genuinely glad and enriched by living in their particular region.

Last year, we received numerous specific proposals from the regions on resolving local issues. In particular, we have progressed in the implementation of more than 80% of the main proposals including regional vitalization, starting with the transfer to local public bodies of the authority to approve the diversion of agricultural land, which the regions had long been strongly hoping to achieve. We will continue to listen carefully to the views of the regions, and will powerfully advance decentralization reform. 
The economic policies of the “three arrows” of the Abe Cabinet are definitely producing results. However, there may still be many people who have not yet felt the effects of these policies for themselves. I am well aware of this fact, and I believe that the regions are the major players in Japan’s growth.
The regional tax revenue in this fiscal year’s regional fiscal measures plan has gone up by 2.5 trillion yen compared to the previous fiscal year, a 7% increase, and, in particular, revenues from corporate municipal tax and corporate business tax are expected to increase by double digits in 33 prefectures. We will implement powerful economic measures that improve regional economies, and strongly advance economic revitalization from the regions. I would like to further strengthen this strong flow that has at last appeared, and am determined to do so.

I hope you will continue to take the lead in your communities and exert your abilities to the fullest. In addition, I would like to ask for your continued support for the various policies that the Government is advancing.
With that, I would like to end my remarks to the 91st Regular General Meeting of the National Association of Chairpersons of City Councils by extending my best wishes to you all. Congratulations on such a successful gathering.”