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On October 31, 2019, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended the second meeting in FY2019 of the Forum for Consultations between the National and Local Governments, held at the Prime Minister’s Office.
 
At the meeting, consultations were conducted on the promotion of regional revitalization and decentralization reform.
 
The Prime Minister said in his opening address,
 
“I express my sincere appreciation to the representatives of the Six Local Government Organizations for your attendance to this meeting.
 
This year, we have once again faced a series of major natural disasters in regions throughout Japan, such as typhoons, earthquakes and heavy rains. I express my condolences for the people who have lost their lives, and extend my sympathies to everyone who has been affected by these disasters. Next week, we are scheduled to complete the compilation of a response package towards the rebuilding of lives and ‘nariwai’ (occupations and livelihoods that sustain people’s daily lives) of those affected by the successive typhoons and other disasters.
 
The Government will continue to collaborate with local governments affected by the disasters and exert every effort for the recovery and reconstruction of the affected areas, while further strengthening our efforts to build national resilience in preparation for future disasters that exceed conventional expectations.
 
There will be no revitalization of Japan without vibrant regions. The promotion of regional revitalization and decentralization reform, which we are to discuss today, will remain the most important pillar of the policies of the Abe Cabinet.
 
Thus far, we have been supporting with full force local communities’ own creative initiatives that make use of their agricultural, forestry and fishery products, tourism resources, and local industries, distinctive to each community, with such methods as the 100-billion-yen Regional Revitalization Promotion Grant. As a result, regional revitalization is now beginning to make major progress. We will continue to listen carefully to the voices of the local communities and exert our full efforts into creating vitality in the regions.
 
This month, we have made early childhood education and child care free of charge for children between the ages of 3 and 5. We will make higher education for those children truly in need free of charge from April next year. We intend to boldly advance a social security system in which all generations can enjoy peace of mind, from children to the elderly, that is fitting for the new Reiwa era.
 
We will fully incorporate today’s discussions and strongly promote policies, so I ask you all to provide your candid views.”