SPEECH OF
THE PRIMEMINISTERAT HIS INAUGURATION PRESS CONFERENCE(AN EXCERPT)SEPTEMBER 16, 2020
FULL TEXT: https://japan.kantei.go.jp/99_suga/statement/202009/_00001.html

I am SUGA Yoshihide and I have been designatedas the 99th prime minister.
Up to today, as Chief Cabinet Secretary in thesecond Abe Administration, I have worked on criticalissues affecting the future of this country, namelyreviving the Japanese economy, reconstructing Japan’s
diplomacy and national security, and realizing asocial security system oriented to all generations. Inaddition, since the beginning of the year, I have beentackling head-on the spread of novel virus infections
and the greatest economic downturn in the postwar
period, an unprecedented situation Japan has neverfaced before.
In order to overcome the crisis and enable all
citizens to restore their daily lives with peace of mind,
we must thoroughly carry on with the initiatives theAbe Administration has promoted and advance themfurther. I recognize that as the mission given to me.
Right now, the highest-priority issue we must takeon is responding to the novel coronavirus. We will
absolutely prevent an explosive outbreak andthoroughly protect the lives and the health of thepublic. On top of that, we will aim to balance thesemeasures with socioeconomic activities. We will
streamline our countermeasures, strengthen our
screening structures, and secure medical treatmentstructures.
At the same time, it is extremely important that,amidst economic conditions that remain severe, we
protect employment and ensure that businesses areable to continue their operations. To those in need,
we will extend our economic measures.

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Economic revival will continue to be the matter ofthe highest priority of the administration. We will
carry on with Abenomics, with its three pillars ofmonetary easing, fiscal investment, and the Growth
Strategy, and we will continue to advance furtherreforms.
We will first overcome this crisis, and afterwards,
we will undertake intensive reforms and makenecessary investments towards a “post-corona”
society. By doing so, we would like to restore a robust
economy once more.
Above all, the novel coronavirus has revealed thenecessity of digital transformation and the review ofsupply chains. Going forward, we will move up what
we can do in this area and establish an agency incharge of digital transformation as a structure tocoordinate related policies that are divided acrossmultiple ministries and agencies and press forwardwith them vigorously.
Also, even in the “post-corona” age, we willcontinue to work hard to realize environmental
measures and a decarbonized society as well as astable energy supply.
I was born the eldest son in a farming family in
Akita. The desire to cherish local communities andrestore the vitality to all of Japan’s communities flows
consistently and ceaselessly in me.
When I assumed the position of Minister forInternal Affairs and Communications during the first
Abe Administration, I established the “hometowntax” system. People coming to Tokyo from outside
want to contribute in some fashion to theirhometowns and want to maintain their ties withthem in some way. There is no doubt that they feelthat way. So that is how, from what I myself thought,
I proposed the “hometown tax” system and made it
into a reality.
As Chief Cabinet Secretary, I worked to bringvitality back to communities, in particular thoseoutside the major cities. What brought me the mostjoy is that last year, for the first time in 27 years, land
prices in areas outside the major cities switched toincreasing in value. That was an impact of visiting
foreign tourists, so-called inbound tourism, which isa trump card in our efforts for regional revitalization.
When the Abe Administration was inaugurated, thenumber of foreign tourists was 8.36 million. Last
year, that number was 32 million. Agriculture too has
seen exports of agricultural, forest, and fisheryproducts expand from 450 billion yen to 900 billion
yen last year. I want to continue to work hard on
policies that bring vitality to local areas.
It is children who will hold the future of Japan in
their hands. Addressing the declining birthrate has
been a longstanding challenge for Japan. We havepressed forward with making kindergartens, day-care
centers, universities, and vocational schools free ofcharge as well as with male national civil servants
taking a minimum of one month ofchildcare leave. I would also like to build asocial security system oriented to all
generations through which young people
are able to have peace of mind about thefuture as well.
In order to provide wide-reachingsupport for households hoping to havechildren and lower the hurdles as much as
possible, we will have insurance coverfertility treatments. A society in whichpeople can bear and raise children withpeace of mind and a society in which
women can stay healthy and be activelyengaged -- I intend to thoroughly develop
such an environment.
In the field of diplomacy and national
security, the environment surrounding
Japan is becoming increasingly severe.
Against that background, I intend to

deploy policies that place a well-functioning JapanUS alliance as their linchpin. In order to defend ournational interests to the end, I intend to strategically
implement the free and open Indo-Pacific while alsobuilding stable relations with neighboring countries,
including China and Russia.
I will aim for a total reassessment of our postwar
diplomacy, doing my very best to resolve theabductions issue in particular. I will closely collaborate
with the United States and other relevant countries
and continue to make all-out efforts to realize thereturn of all of the abductees as early as possible.
I have always thought that our society still has atremendous amount of unusual things that standsignificantly apart from the common sense held by
the public. I will never overlook them and, listening
to voices on the ground and carefully looking at what
is in line with common sense, act boldly. That is mybelief. I will continue to do this, never wavering.
Self-help, mutual help, and public help and “kizuna”(bonds) are the vision of society I aspire for. To begin
with, we must try to do things ourselves. Then we should
assist each other within our families and communities.
Then beyond that, the government will provide
protection with a safety net. I aim to create this kind ofgovernment that the public trusts.

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