Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary (Excerpt)

Opening Statement by Chief Cabinet Secretary Fujimura

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY FUJIMURA: I would first like to give an overview of the Cabinet meeting. The meeting approved 26 general and other measures and also the promulgation of a treaty, draft bills, cabinet orders, and personnel decisions. With regard to statements by ministers, the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications made a statement concerning the results of the labor force survey, the consumer price index, and the results of the household budget survey. The Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare made a statement concerning the national ratio of jobs to applicants for January 2012. The Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare made a statement concerning personnel affairs relating to heads of independent administrative agencies. Prime Minister Noda made a statement concerning temporary acting Ministers while Ministers in charge are on overseas visits.

In ministerial discussions following the Cabinet meeting, the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications made a statement concerning the Act on the Revision of and Special Interim Measure for the Remuneration of National Public Servants.

Another announcement is about the joint meeting of the Council on Measures for Society with Decreasing Birthrate and the Council on the New System for Children and Child-rearing that was held prior to the Cabinet meeting. Based on the study findings of the Working Team which were compiled last month, the Government finalized the Basic Scheme for the New System for Children and Child-rearing at today's meeting. Specifically, the Government decided to: 1) Design a basic scheme for the New System for Children and Child-rearing, including the unification of kindergartens and nursery schools; 2) Prepare an outline for a draft bill based on the scheme; and 3) Work quickly to prepare the bill and submit this to the current Diet session along with the bill for the fundamental reform of the tax system. Since the change of government, extensive discussions have taken place over the two years until it reached  today's decision. This has led to the design of the long-awaited groundbreaking scheme that expands both the amount and type of child-rearing support services, which was made possible by overcoming the compartmentalized functions of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare to create a unified scheme, and by investing a total of 1 trillion yen in additional financial resources, including 0.7 trillion yen from the fundamental reform of the tax system and other financial resources. I understand that the details were explained by the Minister of State for Measures for Declining Birthrate following the Cabinet meeting.

Q&As

(Abridged)

REPORTER: I have a question regarding the Northern Territories issue. Yesterday, a senior official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spoke to reporters about the return of two of the islands of the Northern Territories ahead of the other islands. Former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama is also very eager to resolve the Northern Territories issue. While I believe the senior official made his remarks in view of the comeback of the Putin administration, how will the Japanese Government be dealing with this issue, including the discussion on the return of the two islands ahead of the other islands?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY FUJIMURA: It is only Hokkaido Shimbun that reported this, and I understand there was a bit of a misunderstanding on the part of the reporter who was at the scene. If I can clarify about the Northern Territories issue, the Government's policy to date is that once it is confirmed that Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan, and Habomai belong to Japan, Japan will be flexible in terms of the actual timing and process of the return. This remains unchanged.

(Abridged)

REPORTER: Nanjing Japan Week, which was scheduled to be held in Nanjing, China from March 9, has been postponed. It is believed that the remarks of Mayor of Nagoya Takashi Kawamura played a factor in this decision. What are the Japanese Government's thoughts on this end-result, and what does it plan to do moving forward?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY FUJIMURA: There are reports about the cancellation of Nanjing Japan Week 2012. I understand that a decision to postpone Nanjing Japan Week 2012 was made through discussions among the co-sponsors of the event, the Consulate-General of Japan in Shanghai and the Nanjing Chinese Overseas Friendship Association. I understand that the sponsors took into consideration the fact that the present situation is not necessarily conducive for achieving the original intent of Japan Week, which is to promote friendly exchanges with the people in the community. The exchanges in Nagoya probably had to do with this decision. Also, I understand that the sponsors took into account various situations as a whole, including ensuring the safety of the performers. Therefore, it was the result of the discussions between the sponsors.

REPORTER: Both you and the Prime Minister said, in response to questions at the Diet yesterday, something to the effect that in principle you would like the matter to be resolved among the two cities. However, the issue has not been contained between the two cities and has had ripple effects, affecting even a Government event. What are the Government's intentions for containing the spillover effects of the issue, if any?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY FUJIMURA: As the Prime Minister, too, said yesterday, the Government would first like to see the issue resolved quickly and appropriately between the two cities. At the same time, the Government's stance is to arrange for the event to be held during this year, which marks the 40th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and China.

(Abridged)