Top �� What's up around the Prime Minister �� April, 2003

Town Meeting in Tokyo: Charisma Ambassadors of Tourism Tuesday, April 22, 2003 Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi attended the Charisma Ambassadors of Tourism Town Meeting in Tokyo held at a hotel in Minato Ward, Tokyo. Town meetings are being held throughout Japan so that ministers of the Koizumi Cabinet can listen to a wide range of public opinions and speak directly with the people, in the purpose of promoting the dialogue of the Cabinet and the public. The town meeting of this day was based on the theme of "Toward regional development which is full of individuality and charm through tourism promotion", and important contributors to regional tourism promotion certified as "Top 100 Charisma Ambassadors of Tourism" by the Cabinet Office and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, were invited from all over Japan to appear on the stage. The Charisma Ambassadors of Tourism recounted their concrete experiences of attractive regional development. Prime Minister Koizumi, who stood on his opening greetings, said, "We are looking to revitalize local regions by regional development which will attract international visitors as well as Japanese people, and achieve the goal of 'one region, one tourism', where we dig up unnoticed tourist resources of each region and share wisdom to attain regional improvement. Prime Minister Koizumi also met informally with those selected as Charisma Ambassadors of Tourism prior to the town meeting, shaking their hands and praising their achievements with the comment that he was counting on their cooperation with aiming at establishing tourism of Japan.