Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary (Excerpt)

Opening Statement by Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga

• Special tours of the Prime Minister's Office and Official Residence for elementary and junior high school students

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: I have an announcement regarding special tours of the Prime Minister's Office and the Prime Minister's Official Residence. I would like to speak about special tours of the Prime Minister's Office and Official Residence for children in the upper grades of elementary schools and junior high school students.

Since the inauguration of the Abe Cabinet, we have been working to close the distance between the Government and the people, aiming to achieve an "open administration." As part of this effort, we have explored whether opportunities can be set up for special tours of the Prime Minister's Office, which is at the heart of the administrative functions of Japan, and the current Prime Minister's Official Residence, which is also the former Prime Minister's Office.

The purpose of the special tours is to offer children, the bearers of the future, a learning opportunity at the Prime Minister's Office and Official Residence, so far as that the tours do not interfere with the work. Currently, we are making considerations with the aim of having the special tours take place on certain days during this coming summer. Ahead of this, on Saturday, March 30, children and students from Kojimachi Elementary School and Kojimachi Junior High School, whose school district includes the location of the Prime Minister's Office, will be visiting. In addition, we understand that an NPO from Fukushima Prefecture is organizing a visit to Tokyo for children in the prefecture. If our schedules can be coordinated, we would also like to welcome them to the Prime Minister's Office and Official Residence.   

For details, please direct your questions to the Office of the Prime Minister's Official Residence.

Q&As

• Special tours of the Prime Minister's Office and Official Residence for elementary and junior high school students

REPORTER: Regarding this subject matter, you stated that you will be welcoming elementary and junior high school students. Have you given any consideration to offering the tours to the general public in the future?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: That is not being considered. The intent of the tours is to provide children, the bearers of the future, a learning opportunity through tours of the Prime Minister's Office and Official Residence. As the local elementary and junior high school students are now on spring break, we have decided to invite them as a pilot case.

REPORTER: Which areas of the Prime Minister's Office and Official Residence will be available for viewing? Also, will the Prime Minister himself be giving the tours?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: With regard to this coming 30th, as the Prime Minister will be away as I announced yesterday, there will be no tour by the Prime Minister. As to the places, for the Prime Minister's Office, they will be the Small Hall used for various meetings, etc., the staircase used for the photograph session when a new Cabinet is formed, and the press conference room. For the Official Residence, we are considering areas such as the former Cabinet meeting room and the West Staircase which had been used for taking the commemorative photographs when new Cabinets were formed.

REPORTER: Slightly related to this, for the special tours to be offered in the summertime, will they, for example, again be for schools in Tokyo or do you have plans to gradually expand the program to the rest of the nation?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: That is something we would like to explore going forward. Considerations are currently being made as to how we can welcome elementary and junior high students during their summer breaks so far as that they do not interfere with the work of the Prime Minister's Office. We will first carry out the tour on the 30th of this month, and based on how this goes, welcome groups of elementary and junior high school students if possible during their summer breaks or during a certain period.

REPORTER: Regarding this, is my understanding correct that this was Prime Minister Abe's idea?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: That is correct. Ever since he has taken office, the Prime Minister has striven to achieve an "open administration" as much as possible, and to date, the Cabinet meeting room has been opened up to the press, and so on. Deeming that we must close the distance between the Government and the people, we have decided to hold tours of the Prime Minister's Office and Official Residence based on the instructions of the Prime Minister.

(Abridged)