[Provisional Translation]

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held the 18th meeting of the Council for Science, Technology and Innovation at the Prime Minister’s Office.

During the meeting, discussion was held on the Energy and Environment Innovation Strategy and the draft Comprehensive Strategy on Science, Technology and Innovation 2016, while with regard to recent science and technology trends, there was a briefing on the discovery of the 113th element.

Based on the discussion in the meeting, the Prime Minister said,

“Considering the Paris Agreement on climate change, we have formulated the Energy and Environment Innovation Strategy, looking towards 2050.

We have concentrated the budget mainly on developing next-generation batteries that will extend the range of current electric vehicles fivefold, and we will accelerate our research and development.

The acquisition of the naming rights for the 113th element is a brilliant achievement that is a first for any country outside the United States or Europe. I feel very proud that the Japanese flag will now be included in the table of elements, as proud as I am when the same flag is raised in the middle of an Olympics event. The new element is synthesized by having two elements collide at high speed. It took seven years to achieve the third synthesis after the second one. It is precisely because the Morita Group at RIKEN, the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research, steadily continued its efforts in fundamental research that this global achievement has been realized. 

I have submitted a bill to the Diet to introduce a new treatment system so that we can attract the world’s top-level human resources to institutions from which we can expect world-leading results such as those that RIKEN has produced, and I will aim for its rapid enactment.

The measure mentioned by Minister Shimajiri to consider the relationship between artificial intelligence and human society is essential for the sound development of research on artificial intelligence. I would like the relevant ministries and agencies to work together to advance consideration of this proposal.”