[Provisional Translation]

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held the third meeting of the “Beauty of Japan” Comprehensive Project Advisory Panel at the Prime Minister's Office.

At the meeting, discussion took place on the Japan Exposition .

The Prime Minister said in his opening address,

“Today is the third meeting of this Advisory Panel. I would like to express my gratitude to everyone on the Panel for attending this meeting despite your busy schedules.

I would like to make efforts to disseminate the appeal of Japan through culture as a cornerstone of diplomacy. In this regard, I hope to dynamically promote Japan’s culture and arts. It is based on this belief that I have organized this Advisory Panel.

In previous meetings, all of you have made various proposals about promoting Japan’s culture and arts as well as disseminating them outside of Japan. Among these, I believe that the proposal for the Japan Exposition , which showcases Japanese culture and its many charms in one location, will be very effective in enhancing Japan’s global presence.

Today, I would like for you to further deepen discussion on crystallizing the Japan Exposition while continuing to propose various new ideas.

I would like to continue to actively hear the opinions of this Panel in order to ensure that we thoroughly showcase the ‘Beauty of Japan’ to the world.”