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Awards Ceremony to Present the Prime Minister's Commendations on Contributors to Public Safety Wednesday, July 02, 2008 JAPANESE

Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda hosted an annual ceremony at the Prime Minister's Office to commend individuals and organizations who have significantly contributed to public safety in such areas as traffic safety and fire prevention. The awards ceremony is held every year as a tribute to National Public Safety Day, which is July 1. At this year's awards ceremony, 24 individuals and organizations were presented with commendations on their achievements in such areas as traffic safety, school safety, industrial safety, fire prevention, and nuclear safety. After conferring the awards, Prime Minister Fukuda said, "One of the Government's top priority tasks is to ensure that people feel safe and reassured as they live their daily lives. The Government will continue implementing comprehensive measures for carrying out the task. For your part, I sincerely ask that you keep conducting your activities to raise people's awareness about public safety, and further your efforts to ensure a safe and reassuring society." At the end of the ceremony, Ms. Kiyoko Sugai, Director of Iide Chubu Kindergarten of Iide Town, Nishiokitama County, Yamagata Prefecture, delivered an address of gratitude on behalf of the awardees, stating, "We in our respective areas have been conducting activities in schools and local communities to raise people's awareness about public safety. It was thanks to the constant guidance and support of the people concerned that we were able to receive the awards today. I would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to them. Taking this as an opportunity, we are committed to further promoting education on public safety, in cooperation with households and people in our communities, for children, who are the future of our communities."