[Provisional Translation]

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held the 23nd 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,

“Today, we are joined by Ms. Yuriko Koike, Governor of Tokyo, and we have made the decision to swiftly implement measures that I have been promoting for some time on the acceptance of foreign domestic workers all across Tokyo.

I would like Governor Koike to further promote comprehensive countermeasures on childcare waiting lists, such as the establishment of daycares in urban parks. In addition, we have received a proposal on regulatory reform for the active participation of women. I would like the Government to take into account the needs on the ground, and work to realize this quickly, starting from that which is possible.

Progress is being made on the acceptance of tourists in places like Ota-ku, Tokyo. Concerning the so-called ‘special services in which private residences temporarily take lodgers,’ we have decided to reconsider the limitations that have been in place up to this point that meant that the term would only apply to cases in which lodgers stayed for six nights and seven days or more. From now on, short stay cases of just two nights and three days or more shall also be considered ‘special services in which private residences temporarily take lodgers.’

The National Strategic Special Zones have produced steady results up to this point, yet there are many reforms of remaining vested interests that we still need to tackle.

I would like to request Minister Yamamoto, our new minister in charge of both National Strategic Special Zones and regulatory reform, to work with all the private-sector experts here for even more accelerated and intensive discussions than we have had thus far, on both the realization of the reforms of remaining vested interests that were proposed today, as well as the expansion across the country of the achievements of each special zone.”