[Provisional Translation]

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended a briefing by members of the Regional Vitalization Personnel Support System, held at the Prime Minister's Office.

In his address, the Prime Minister said,

“Following the start of the Regional Vitalization Personnel Support System, those who were dispatched to various regions as the first cohort in April, as well as members of the second cohort, who will go to various regions in July, have gathered here today. At the send-off event on March 20, I expressed my wish that you would all become part of the strong personal networks in each region, understand the views of the local people, and do your best for the benefit of the region. 

We have just heard your reports. Although only two months have passed since April, even in this short time you have already succeeded in carrying out a wide range of initiatives, and I am encouraged to hear this.

I am sure that the people in each region expect great things from all of you. Each region has its own unique history and nature of human relationships. This is an important point in ensuring that measures are implemented in an appropriate manner, so I strongly encourage all of you to continue to make progress, while creating personal networks with the local people and understanding the local nature of human relationships.

Not everything will advance in a rational manner. However, fundamentally speaking, success or failure lies in your ability to develop policies. At the same time, I believe it is also important to actually implement those policies.

Soon we will formulate the third version of the Growth Strategy, and in it I intend to thoroughly emphasize the importance of ‘local Abenomics.’

There are great expectations placed on you as advisors to the leaders of each municipality, and as I mentioned earlier, I hope you will be of immediate assistance and produce results. While understanding the views of the local people and leveraging your own new viewpoints, I would like you to do your best in the spirit of opening up new horizons in the regions, through the power of policy.”  

We also have high expectations of you, and I am truly pleased that your work is living up to those expectations. Tomorrow you will probably be returning to your respective regions, and I hope you will produce even greater results, while enjoying life with the local people.”