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On March 7, 2020, the Prime Minister visited Fukushima Prefecture.
 
The Prime Minister held a meeting at an accommodation facility in Tomioka Town and visited Futaba Station in Futaba Town. Afterwards, the Prime Minister attended the opening ceremony for the Joban Futaba Interchange on the Joban Expressway.
 
During the opening ceremony, the Prime Minister said in his address,
 
“My sincere congratulations on the opening of the Joban Expressway Joban Futaba Interchange today.
 
It will soon be nine years since the Great East Japan Earthquake. The Abe administrations have kept in mind that there will be no revitalization of Japan without the reconstruction of Fukushima and, listening to the voices of those affected by the disaster, have worked on the reconstruction based on a hands-on approach. With the lifting of evacuation orders, Futaba Town has also made a major and visible start towards reconstruction and revitalization.
 
The Joban Futaba Interchange that is opening today will support the lives of the people of Hamadori, and serve as the foundation for job creation and a lively economy.
 
In the industrial area of the Nakano District, which is directly connected to here through the prefectural road, we have already seen twelve companies make the decision to open facilities, including a nationally famous towel maker. This one here is a Futaba brand towel. It feels very comfortable, either for wiping down your body, wiping off sweat, or hanging them around your neck. I truly hope that Futaba brand products like this will pass through here to every corner of the country. There can be no doubt that the flow of people and goods connecting Hamadori with the rest of the country will grow into something significant and diverse. I am confident that it will become a strong force sustaining the reconstruction and revitalization of Fukushima.
 
Lastly, I would like to express my heartfelt respect to everyone who exerted such a tremendous effort toward the opening of this interchange today. I will close my remarks by pledging that the Government will continue to stand on the frontline and exert every effort towards reconstruction. Once again, congratulations to you all.”
 
Following the opening ceremony, the Prime Minister offered flowers and a silent prayer at the Great East Japan Earthquake cenotaph in Namie Town. Lastly, he visited the Fukushima Hydrogen Energy Research Field (FH2R) and attended its opening ceremony.
 
During the opening ceremony, the Prime Minister said in his address,
 
“I express my sincere congratulations on the completion of the Fukushima Hydrogen Energy Research Field (FH2R).
 
The world’s largest facility for the production of hydrogen using renewable energy will begin its operation at long last. The amount of clean hydrogen produced without generating any CO2 will reach 200 tons per annum. This facility alone can produce more than half of all of the hydrogen used by all of the fuel cell vehicles currently on the road in Japan. Now, we are turning a new page towards the creation of the hydrogen society of the future here in Fukushima, which received such tremendous damage from the nuclear accident. This is a major step forward for the Fukushima Plan for a New Energy Society.
 
On March 26, the 2020 Olympic Torch Relay will start here in Fukushima. That torch will be lit with the hydrogen produced at this facility. Furthermore, we will power the cars and buses in the streets using hydrogen during the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and the Olympic and Paralympic Village will be run on energy made from hydrogen.
 
For 2020 and the future beyond that, we will realize a hydrogen society all at once. FH2R will be the largest center of innovation for this endeavor in the world.
 
Last year, at the Davos meeting in Switzerland, I raised an ambitious target in front of the world to reduce the production cost of hydrogen by at least 90 percent by the year 2050 and make it cheaper than natural gas. Fukushima is the center stage for this grand challenge. I am determined to revolutionize world energy production and use together with you from here. Clean hydrogen made in Fukushima will run production facilities as energy, and fuel buses, trucks, and all other vehicles. At the Fukushima Robot Test Field, being built in Hamadori, drones will fly around with hydrogen. Let us build such a new era of hydrogen together.
 
Lastly, I will close my remarks by expressing my heartfelt respect for the hard work of all the relevant parties towards the opening of this largest research field in the world, and wish for your further success in the future. My sincere congratulations once again today.”
 
After the visit, the Prime Minister said,
 
“It will soon be nine years since the Great East Japan Earthquake. Last night, I stayed at a new hotel that has been built by the locals in front of Tomioka Station.
 
Next week, at long last, the JR Joban Line will resume full service across its entire section. Ahead of that, we have partially lifted the evacuation orders to Futaba Town, where the entire population had evacuated following the disaster. This is a major step forward towards full-scale reconstruction.
 
In addition, today, the Joban Expressway Joban Futaba Interchange has opened to the public. To date, the Government has exerted every effort in building foundational infrastructure for reconstruction. Moving forward, we will continue to advance relevant construction work in zones designated for reconstruction and recovery and make all-out efforts so that the evacuees can return to Hamadori.
 
At the same time, reconstruction does not end with mere restoration. This research field is the largest hydrogen production facility in the world that runs 100 percent on renewable energy. In addition, the Government has exerted every effort to make Hamadori a world-leading innovation coast, including the establishment of the Fukushima Robot Test Field and other facilities.
 
We will build a new Fukushima together, keeping our eyes on the future. We hope not only those who have evacuated, but people from all over Japan will move to Hamadori. Under such a hope, we will shift significantly our emphasis on to creating an attractive workplace and promoting migration, by expanding existing grants.
 
There will be no revitalization of Japan without the reconstruction of Fukushima. With this in mind, the Government will continue to stand on the frontline and do everything possible until the day that we see the reconstruction of Fukushima.
 
Concerning the impact of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) infections – for the people affected by the disaster, and all of Japan, March 11 is a day that can never and must never be forgotten. That will not change, no matter how many years pass – the Government has thought long and hard about preventive measures as local communities have done too. For today’s ceremony, we gave up on inviting the local people. At the same time, we decided to stream the ceremony on the Internet like this. We have been advised that these one to two weeks are the critical moment and are asking for the cooperation of the public.
 
Next week, we will compile the second batch of emergency measures. We will implement all necessary measures to alleviate the impact on the lives of the public and the economy as much as possible.”
 
In addition, regarding the promotional communication at the time of the Tokyo Olympic bid, the Prime Minister said,
 
“We did promote in that way. There were various media reports; some of them were not accurate. We sent out accurate information. Based on that, I believe, the Olympic bid was decided.”