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On January 5, 2018, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended the Jiji Press New Year Party held in Tokyo.

The Prime Minister said in his address,
 
“Happy New Year everyone. This year, on my way to visit Ise Jingu, I saw Mt. Fuji distinctly out the window of the Shinkansen, suggesting to me that many good things will happen this year. I actually started with a similar remark last year, but it was an eventful year.

Last year was the year of the rooster. There is the saying that the years of the monkey and rooster are ones of upheaval; last year was indeed a year of upheaval. In fact, last year, at this occasion, I stated that the year of the rooster is a year when there are various changes in politics. I touched upon the dissolutions of the House of Representatives by former Prime Minister Koizumi and former Prime Minister Sato, both of which took place in the year of the rooster. However, it looked like no one here was aware of the true intention behind my remarks. Despite my advance notice at the beginning of last year, the media criticized that snap election when I actually dissolved the House of Representatives in October. It made me wonder what the media were listening to in my speech. They said that there was no cause for an election. If they were to claim that there was no cause for it, I wished they would have said so at the beginning of the year. A newspaper company, which is quite critical of me--actually there are many which are critical--put out an editorial stating that I had suggested a dissolution at the start of the year and the opposition parties should have taken my remarks seriously and made preparations to that end. It stated that now, attention will be on what I will say at the beginning of this year. I have come here promising myself that I absolutely would not make such statements today.
 
This year is the year of the dog. Sixty years ago, Tokyo Tower was just completed. I was four years old at the time. It was the year that my father was first elected to the Diet. From what I recall, I went to a celebratory event commemorating the opening of Tokyo Tower. The reason I remember that is because I brought home a box of popcorn for some reason. It may have been a giveaway at the event. That was the first time I ate popcorn in my life. I remember being both amazed that there was such a delicious food in the world and, even as a child, proud and excited at the completion of the world’s tallest tower. Following that, there was the Osaka Expo in the year of the dog in 1970, and the Tohoku Shinkansen was completed in the subsequent year of the dog. I think we can say that the year of the dog is often a year of new beginnings.
 
I hope to make this a year that people will see as the start of a new era. I would like everyone to take time and think hard about what this year should entail. Fundamentally, I will embark on efforts by giving top priority to the economy. As the market adage goes, ‘the years of the monkey and the rooster are years of upheaval, while the year of the dog is a year of laughter.’ Fortunately, yesterday and today there has been a little bit of something to smile about in the markets. I will continue to move forward resolutely with policies to exit from deflation.
 
We are joined here today by politicians. I notice that everyone is attending with a refreshed look on their face. I think this must be because the election was conducted without incident before the end of last year. How one feels about the election may differ depending on the political party. Thanks to that election, it is now possible for us to undertake a major shift to a social security system oriented to all generations. In addition, I believe we are able to create a large policy package that will secure a permanent source of funds totaling 2 trillion yen every year because we earned the public’s mandate by holding the election. In last year’s general election, the public gave us a tremendous number of parliamentary seats. I have been involved in three general elections as President of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan (LDP), and we won the largest number of votes in this third general election, in both proportional representation and single-seat constituencies. What that means is that we now bear a greater responsibility than ever before. I would like to make this a year in which we fulfill each of the promises we made one by one with a sense of urgency. I will exert every effort in the upcoming session of the Diet.

Seated right in front of me is H.E. Mr. Cheng Yonghua, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Japan. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between Japan and the People’s Republic of China. I also want to make this a year that the people of both countries can recognize that the Japan-China relationship improved significantly as it is the treaty’s 40^th anniversary. In terms of diplomacy, we have a considerable responsibility to protect the people of Japan from the North Korean threats. In addition, with regard to the Japan-Russia relationship, this year President Putin will run in the presidential election. In May, I will visit Russia and seek to make any possible progress with the peace treaty negotiations in order to resolve the territorial issue between our two countries. On economic partnership agreements (EPAs), I will work hard to ensure that signatures of the TPP11 are attained. I will continue to make use of EPAs, which will serve as new engines for Abenomics, in cementing economic growth.
 
In promoting economic growth, the biggest issue is whether wages will increase this spring. Earlier I exchanged a firm handshake with the President. My feelings have been conveyed to the President. I hope everyone at Jiji Press will have something to be pleased about. I think that wages may rise by 3 percent. I expect that if this goes well, we will continue to see a positive economic cycle.
 
I would like to close my New Year’s remarks by wishing everyone a successful year in 2018. Thank you very much.”