Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary (Excerpt)

Q&As

REPORTER: I believe that after this you will be attending the consultations with Okinawa Prefecture regarding the relocation of Futenma Air Station of the U.S. Forces to Henoko and other issues. What are your expectations for the consultations?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: A meeting of the Council for Promoting the Mitigation of the Impact of MCAS Futenma on Okinawa and the council between the Government and Okinawa Prefecture will be held from 11:30 AM today. The Government has been addressing this issue so far based on a policy of doing everything that is possible. The termination of operations of Futenma Air Station within five years cannot be realized without the host communities’ cooperation with the relocation to Henoko. Therefore, the Government will make these requests during the meeting of the Council for Promoting the Mitigation of the Impact. During the meeting of the council between the Government and Okinawa Prefecture, consultations will be held regarding the way forward, taking into consideration the conclusion of the Central and Local Government Dispute Management Council and the discussions of the working group pursuant to the recent terms of the settlement.

(Abridged)

REPORTER: I have a question regarding Nintendo’s smartphone app Pokémon Go. In North America and Europe where the app was released earlier than in Japan, the number of users has skyrocketed and the game has become a social phenomenon. At the same time, there seem to have been reports of accidents caused by using a smartphone while walking as well as reports of Pokémon Go players being ambushed and robbed. The National Center of Incident Readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity (NISC) is issuing alerts and raising awareness ahead of the release in Japan. If the Government has any further intention of warning citizens regarding its usage, can you please elaborate?      

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: First of all, in general, I am delighted that Japanese contents are gaining widespread popularity including in countries overseas. In this sense, the Government will continue to steadily support the spread of such contents overseas. In addition, as you stated moments ago, I am aware that there are people who have various concerns about Pokémon Go relating to good manners in public spaces and safety. I have been briefed that NISC issued an alert yesterday to ensure that players enjoying the game conduct themselves safely. In any case, we ask that the players fully comply with these warnings to ensure that smartphones are utilized safely.  

(Abridged)