Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary (Excerpt)

Opening Statement by Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga

• An overview of the Cabinet meeting
• A recommendation from the Council on the House of Representatives Electoral Districts
• A meeting of the Ministerial Council on Prices

I would like to give an overview of the Cabinet meeting. The meeting approved four general and other measures, including written responses to questions received from Diet members, as well as draft bills, Cabinet orders, and personnel decisions. With regard to statements by ministers, the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications and Prime Minister Abe made statements concerning the recommendation on a draft proposal to revise the electoral districts for House of Representatives members elected from single-seat constituencies submitted by the Council on the House of Representatives Electoral Districts. The Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications made a statement concerning the results of the labor force survey, consumer price index and the household budget survey. The Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare made a statement concerning the national ratio of jobs to applicants for February 2013. The Minister of Finance and I made statements concerning personnel affairs relating to the heads of independent administrative agencies and the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology made a statement concerning personnel affairs relating to the heads of national university corporations. Prime Minister Abe made a statement concerning a temporary acting prime minister during his overseas visit.

In ministerial discussions following the Cabinet meeting the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism made a statement concerning the unit price of labor relating to public construction and design projects in FY2013. I made a statement concerning a system of communication among Cabinet ministers at weekends and other times, and a system for ensuring Cabinet ministers' presence in Tokyo.

With regard to the issue of the revision of the boundaries of electoral districts, yesterday Dr. Michio Muramatsu, Chair of the  Council on the House of Representatives Electoral Districts, submitted to Prime Minister Abe a recommendation on a draft proposal to revise the electoral districts for House of Representatives members elected from single-seat constituencies. The outline of the recommendation was reported in the Cabinet meeting today. The advisory proposes revising the boundaries of 42 constituencies in 17 prefectures, which would have the effect of reducing the current number of 97 constituencies that have a more than twofold difference in the number of constituents to zero. The proposal would reduce the population differential from its current highest ratio of 2.524 to 1.998. The contents of the advisory are scheduled to be reported to the Diet today.

Before the Cabinet meeting, a meeting of the Ministerial Council on Prices was convened. At today's meeting, the Ministerial Council consented to approving the appraisal policies of Kansai Electric Power Company and Kyushu Electric Power Company pertaining to an application for approval of changes to the supply provisions. The extent of the electricity price hike has been trimmed to 9.75% at Kansai Electric Power Company, due to cost saving measures amounting to approximately 47.5 billion yen, and to 6.23% at Kyushu Electric Power Company, due to cost saving measures amounting to approximately 30.7 billion yen. For further details, please direct your inquiries to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

Q&As

• Yasukuni Shrine

(Abridged)

REPORTER: There are press reports that the Prime Minister is considering making an offering of a "masakaki" (a votive stick) to Yasukuni Shrine at the time of the shrine's Annual Spring Festival. What is the actual status of considerations with regard to this matter?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: I would say that the press reports are probably accurate.

(Abridged)

REPORTER: With regard to the matter of the votive offering to Yasukuni Shrine, there are press reports that the Prime Minister will not actually visit the shrine. What are the Prime Minister's intentions?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: I have not heard anything about a visit. Whatever the case, the Prime Minister will make an appropriate decision with regard to the votive offering of a "masakaki."