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On October 7, 2019, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended “An Evening of Gratitude,” an event to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of Nikkei BP and the publication of the inaugural issue of Nikkei Business, held in Tokyo.
 
The Prime Minister said in his address,
 
“Today, I extend my sincere congratulations on the 50th anniversary of the founding of Nikkei BP and the publication of the inaugural issue of Nikkei Business. 50 years in business is truly amazing, as continuity is the father of success–this is not a reference to myself.
 
It was just the year after the founding of Nikkei BP when the Osaka World Expo was held and thus, I think, exactly at the time when the Japanese economy was rising. While it was founded during the period of rapid economic growth, I do not think it was guaranteed to continue.
 
Do you know of any TV programs that were first broadcast during the same year? One of these was ‘Sazae-san.’ ‘Sazae-san’ is also amazing, don’t you think? It is still continuing even now. There is actually a term called the Sazae-san effect, which refers to the trend that when the viewership rates are low, the economy is performing well. In other words, everyone is dining out and having fun together without watching ‘Sazae-san.’ That means the economy is doing well. Conversely, it is said that the high viewership rate of ‘Sazae-san’ means the opposite. Meanwhile, I believe that the economy is doing well when Nikkei Business enjoys good sales, which is why I am here with you today.
 
Over the 50 years since the inaugural issue, our economy saw the oil shocks, the Plaza Accord, the economic bubble and its collapse, followed by two decades of deflation. While we launched the so-called Abenomics after that and the economy has reached a status of no longer being in deflation, with employment being improved, our economies, both the global economy and the Japanese, are experiencing significant movements. Recently, as the Diet held debates just today and as you might be aware, the trade negotiations between Japan and the United States completed and reached a final agreement. With this, a new free trade zone, which makes up 60% of the world’s GDP (gross domestic product), combining the Japan-U.S. trade agreement, the TPP11 Agreement (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, and the Japan-EU (European Union) EPA (Economic Partnership Agreement). Furthermore, Japan is, I think, at the center of this trade area. As for the digital economy, the ‘Osaka Track’ has just been launched at the G20 Osaka Summit (Summit on Financial Markets and the World Economy). As Japan occupies the center of the global economy, we would like to prioritize our economy there.
 
By the way, since the publication of the inaugural issue of Nikkei Business, there have been only three prime ministers interviewed by the magazine. I was interested in who those three interviewed prime ministers were. I supposed that it must be Eisaku Sato and Kakuei Tanaka, the prime ministers at the early days of the publication, who prioritized the economy, or Mr. Miyazawa (Kiichi Miyazawa), who had extensive knowledge on economic affairs; actually, it was I who had accepted those three interviews. I do believe that it shows how the Abe administration prioritizes the economy. At the same time, while I touched on the dynamic changes—a series of various changes in the economy or events—this magazine has consistently facilitated discussions thinking ahead amidst such changes; that is the reason why it has remained a trusted economic magazine over the past 50 years from its founding to the present day. That is also why I accepted those interviews. Going forward, there are two more years of my term in office and if you request an interview with me—would you mind requesting an interview one more time—if you send me an offer, I would like to accept it.
 
The heated discussions began today and we will certainly show the people the vision of the Japan that we will create moving forward.
 
In closing, I would like to express my wishes for the continued prosperity of Nikkei BP, and hopes that Nikkei Business will gain greater trust as an economic magazine from the global community. Congratulations.”