[Provisional Translation]

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held the 16th meeting of the Council on National Strategic Special Zones at the Prime Minister's Office.

During the meeting, debate took place on certifying the special zone plan and additional items for regulatory reform.

Based on the discussion, the Prime Minister said,

“We will fundamentally increase productivity, towards the realization of Japan’s greatest postwar economy with a GDP of 600 trillion yen.

The National Strategic Special Zones are a breakthrough for regulatory reform. We will utilize human ingenuity to create systemic changes that help revitalize the regions.

We must make the experience of staying in Japan more convenient and pleasurable for visitors from other countries. To that end, we will augment short-term accommodation facilities other than ryokan (traditional Japanese inns). We will also increase the use of privately-owned cars as a means of transport for tourists when, for example, visiting sparsely populated areas.

We must actively welcome people from overseas, and support the forward-looking measures of municipalities for the acceleration of regional vitalization. To achieve this, we will speed up immigration procedures. We will also implement a comprehensive review of residence status, to clarify the standards of work permits for overseas students who have come to Japan to study Japanese animation, cuisine, design, fashion, and so on, so that they can gain genuine practical work experiences while in Japan.

We must fundamentally strengthen the competitiveness of the agriculture, forestry and fishery industries, and develop them as export industries.

I believe that we must unleash Japan’s potential in a wide range of fields. I would like to request that Minister Ishiba and the private-sector experts of this Council continue to boldly expand the regulatory reform program and hold intensive discussions in regard to additional National Strategic Special Zones. Thank you.”