[Provisional Translation]

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held the first meeting of the Advisory Council on Easing the Burden of the Official Duties and Public Activities of His Majesty the Emperor at the Prime Minister’s Office.

During the meeting, there was free discussion, and a briefing on the Imperial Institution and other matters.

The Prime Minister said in his opening address,

“I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone for readily gathering here despite your busy schedules.

Bearing in mind that His Majesty the Emperor is at the advanced age of 82, what can be done to mitigate the impact of the official duties and public activities of His Majesty? I would like to calmly advance discussion on this topic, while thoroughly listening to the opinions of those with a variety of specialized expertise.

To that end, we have gathered experts here with insight into these matters to hold discussions.

Your discussions shall be on a topic that has major significance for the foundation of our state. I request that you have sufficient discussion free of assumption, and that you compile a proposal that takes into account the various opinions of the public.”