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On March 10, 2018, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Fukushima Prefecture.

The Prime Minister attended the Soma-Fukushima Road opening ceremony in Date City. Afterwards, the Prime Minister visited the Matsukawaura fishing port in the Haragama area of Soma City, and then a small- and medium sized enterprise (SME) engaged in research and development (R&D) on robots and other devices in Minamisoma City. Lastly, the Prime Minister visited Katsurao Elementary and Junior High Schools, which will reopen next fiscal year in Katsurao Village, Futaba District.

After his visit, the Prime Minister said,

“In Fukushima, which suffered tremendous damage from the nuclear accident, evacuation orders were lifted in almost all of the regions last year, except for zones that have been specified as difficult to return. Elementary and junior high schools will at long last reopen in five towns and villages, including Katsurao Village. I believe that the smiling faces of children is a major force towards reconstruction. However, we are only still at the starting point. Many people continue to be forced to lead difficult lives as evacuees. We will restore ‘nariwai,’ or occupations and livelihoods that sustain people’s daily lives, and offer customized supports so that as many families as possible can return to their homes with peace of mind. We will accelerate our reconstruction efforts even further.

Tomorrow marks seven years since the Great East Japan Earthquake. In this light, we have just visited Matsukawaura fishing port. At Matsukawaura fishing port, traditional green laver has been shipped for the first time since the disaster. Flounder has also been exported to Thailand. Furthermore, there has been a great expansion in the open segments of the Fukushima-Soma Road. There is no doubt that reconstruction is proceeding steadily, one step at a time.

Having said that, reconstruction must not merely be restoration. We must promote the creation of new industries. The Fukushima Innovation Coast Scheme is precisely the trump card for reconstruction. I also believe that the efforts of SMEs, which have supported this region since the disaster, are indispensable for the materialization of the scheme. From April of next year, we will support SMEs embarking on innovations in this Hamadori region by lowering their patent fees further from 50% of the current scheduleto 25%.

In addition, some games of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games will be held here in Fukushima. Many athletes from all over the world will visit Fukushima, as will many tourists from around the world. I hope to clearly show the state of Fukushima after its reconstruction.

There will be no revitalization of Japan without the reconstruction of Fukushima. With that conviction, even as we enter the eighth year since the disaster, the Government will continue to stand on the front lines and exert every effort for reconstruction in Fukushima, just as we have done until now.”

In response to a question about the resignation of Mr. Nobuhisa Sagawa, Commissioner of the National Tax Agency, and the suspicion that documents related to the sale of land were altered, the Prime Minister said,

“It is as was stated by the Minister of Finance in his press conference yesterday. The Ministry of Finance, including former Commissioner Sagawa, will fully cooperate with the investigation into the documents. We must exert every effort in order to clarify whether such documents exist or not. I would like everyone involved to make utmost efforts to be able to show the results of that investigation by early next week. I ask the entire Ministry of Finance, including Minister of Finance Aso, to engage in efforts towards this end.”