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On December 12, 2017, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held the 16th meeting of the Strategic Headquarters for Space Development at the Prime Minister's Office.

At the meeting, there was a discussion on the Work Schedule of the Basic Plan on Space Policy (FY2017 revised version).

Based on the discussion, the Prime Minister said,

“Today we have revised the Work Schedule of the Basic Plan on Space Policy. Taking into account the new Work Schedule, I instruct you to work in particular on the following three points.

Recently, with the security environment surrounding Japan becoming increasingly severe, ensuring space security is extremely important. With that recognition, I would like not only the Ministry of Defense but also the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and other relevant agencies and institutions to advance mid to long-term initiatives, including in the field of ensuring security. 

The use of space also holds enormous potential for the realization of Society 5.0. Please develop an environment that promotes the even more proactive use of space, such as automated driving using quasi-zenith satellites, innovative improvement of productivity through the automation of agricultural and construction equipment; and the creation of new businesses that utilize satellite data.

In recent years, the area where human activities are taking place in space is greatly expanding, such as the development of outer space near the moon. Taking this trend into consideration, please accelerate the discussions on international space exploration, strengthening our cooperation with the United States and other relevant countries.

I would like the relevant ministers to work closely together, under the leadership of Minister Matsuyama, in order for the Government to work as one to strategically advance our space policies.”