Top > What's up around the Prime Minister > February, 2006

The Meeting on Community Building for Tourism from Foreigners' Viewpoints Thursday, February 9, 2006 JAPANESE The "Meeting on Community Building for Tourism from Foreigners' Viewpoints" was held at the Prime Minister's Official Residence. At the beginning of the meeting, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said in his address, "The Japanese are people who love to go abroad. In comparison the number of foreigners visiting Japan is still small. We are enthusiastically promoting efforts to encourage a lot more foreign visitors to come to Japan. Today I would like to talk with every one of you who have come to Japan, are living here and making positive efforts in Japan. I would like people overseas to know a lot more about the charms of Japan, and I would like to hear your opinions in this regard. An ample amount of time has been set aside for today's meeting, and I am excited about talking to all of you. I thank you for joining us despite your busy schedules. Let's make this a fruitful meeting." From a fresh perspective Prime Minister Koizumi listened to the opinions and received advice from the foreign participants who contribute to promoting tourism and community building in various regions in Japan. They touched on the charms of Japan that go unnoticed by Japanese people, its landscapes and traditions that should be cherished, and the points that should be improved by Japanese people.