[Provisional Translation]

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held the 20th meeting of the Council on National Strategic Special Zones at the Prime Minister's Office.

During the meeting, discussions took place on additional items for regulatory reform, and other matters.

Based on the discussion, the Prime Minister said,

“Today, through the cooperation of private-sector experts and the ministers concerned, we have been able to compile the “ additional items for regulatory reform” for the National Strategic Special Zones. This has been the cumulative result of a period of intensive reform that has spanned two years, until the end of this month.

Specifically, in Special Zones that aim to resolve concerns such as the lack of workers in the agricultural industry, and abandoned arable land, it will be possible for companies to obtain agricultural land through local governments.

Tourists will be able to make use of the transportation means of paid-for driving services through privately-owned cars, to get around in sparsely populated and other areas.

We will clarify the conditions to make it possible for international students who have come to Japan to study Japanese fashion, design, anime and cuisine, among other fields, to work here, in order to respond to the need for practical experience on the part of foreign tourists visiting Japan.

In line with today's compilation, we will rapidly advance steps to create a bill, and submit the Bill on the National Strategic Special Zones to this Diet. As for systems other than legal ones, we will also promptly implement them within this fiscal year.

There is no end to the regulatory reforms of the Abe administration. I will take the lead to continue to boldly make breakthroughs for regulatory reform, through the National Strategic Special Zones.”