"Revitalizing agriculture through kizuna bonds with consumers"
Yesterday (the 10th), in order to obtain some insights into the revitalization of agriculture, I observed agricultural areas in Gunma Prefecture where people are engaged in leading-edge efforts such as the production of premium brand rice and the operation of direct-sales storefronts. Under the penetrating clear autumn sky, I was able to feel the fruitful nature of autumn throughout my entire being.
As I stated during the DPJ Presidential election as well, both of my parents were born to farming families. My father was the youngest of 6 siblings in a farming family in Toyama Prefecture, while my mother was the youngest of 11 siblings in Chiba Prefecture. My mother was often pulled into helping out with the farming work, and I understand that while I was still nursing I slept rocking in a bamboo basket, off to one side of the farmwork. Upon smelling the soil of the fields I felt that memory of my very early childhood being conjured up. I take pride in the fact that in that sense, my own roots can also be said to be found in agriculture.
I drove a combine and tried my hand at harvesting. The character for "rice" in Japanese is written by combining the characters also used to write the word "eighty-eight," and it is said that growing rice requires '88 stages' of toil, just as the character depicts. Even in this age in which we use machines for harvesting, rice, which is painstakingly harvested, is nothing other than the crystallization of the hard work of farmers all throughout the year.
The agricultural plaza in Kawaba village has set up a direct-sales location for just-harvested rice and vegetables as well as dairy products, sweets, and the like. By putting into practice a combination of "agriculture + tourism," the village is a great success, attracting more than a million people annually. Yesterday, one day of a sunny three-day weekend, was also bustling. I saw a great many people gathered along with their small children, and the parking lot was full with cars from outside Gunma Prefecture. Although I understand that the catalyst for that was the fact that a sister-city relationship was established with Setagaya ward in Tokyo, I was moved by the fact that such tremendous energy would come about by "urban consumers" interacting directly with and linking up with "abundantly enthusiastic producers."
I myself also purchased some premium brand Yukihotaka rice, which is the pride of the village, along with some apples, grapes, eggplant, and other items and brought these back to my wife at the official residence, and she was extremely pleased at this.
During this visit, I heard about various aspects of the current state of agriculture, ranging from the quite daring stories of creating new value through various means, one after the other, including through making the rice into a premium brand and selling locally-produced beer to the United States, to very deep-seated concerns about the sense of uncertainty towards the future and the lack of successors to the businesses.
The impression that stayed with me above all was the dignified figure of a young farmer 37 years old who grows rice and konnyaku, who enthusiastically exclaimed, "I want to make this village the best in all Japan!" How many young people saying such things with such a serious manner would we find if we looked all throughout Japan, I wonder. It was a moment in which I felt certain that great potential would surely open up in Japan's agricultural industries if we were to have even one more of these admirable business people in each local area in Japan, pulling forward regional agriculture with confidence and pride in their work.
Within this month, I intend to formulate a concrete action plan on the basis of the midterm proposal for the revival of the food and agriculture industries in Japan that was compiled in August. In what ways can the national government assist in order to revitalize agriculture and transform it into a growth industry? I will put forward a definite vision as a nation so that the people who will be responsible for the future can engage in agriculture enjoying both big dreams and peace of mind.
Yoshihiko Noda
Prime Minister of Japan
October 11, 2011
sexta-feira, 14 de outubro de 2011
"Prime Minister NODA's BLOG" E-mail Service (October 11, 2011)
"One month sprinting at full power"
As of yesterday, it has been one month since I assumed the office of Prime Minister. During this time, I sprinted with my utmost energy through responses to damages from the torrential rains of typhoons #12 and #15, through attendance at the United Nations General Assembly, query sessions at the Diet by representatives of political parties, and Budget Committee sessions.
My personal life has changed dramatically compared with my life before I took office. Turning on the TV and happening by pure chance to see a comedian doing an imitation of me was a more or less unexpected occurrence. I think that this is an honor in some sense, as it is indicative of the magnitude of the public's expectations, and it is also a phenomenon expressing the gravity of the prime minister's official responsibilities. I felt once again that I must steel myself as I engage in my duties.
Upon returning from the United States, last week at the Budget Committee sessions of both Houses of the Diet, I responded to questions from both the ruling and opposition parties regarding the critical issues to be addressed by this administration and the future directions our efforts will take. While each party and each parliamentary group may take a different approach, I think I was able to confirm that we do not have major gaps among us regarding the matter of "what we should do now." The opposition parties at times expressed harsh views, but I also received a large number of constructive recommendations. For this, I am very grateful.
Among these, I took very seriously the matter of the housing complex for government employees in Asaka, Saitama Prefecture whose construction is just getting underway, which had been pointed out to me as an issue. Today I toured the construction site, where I could confirm with my own eyes the state of progress of construction and so on. At the end of last year, the team of the three political-level appointees at the Ministry of Finance - including myself as the minister, the senior vice minister, and the parliamentary secretary - made a comprehensive decision that this project would, among other aspects, also "contribute to fostering the local community."
However, through the course of Diet debates, I came to feel once more that it is imperative for us to properly consider public sentiment, particularly that among the people affected by the disaster, against the backdrop of a tremendous amount of fiscal resources being required for reconstruction from the great earthquake and tsunamis and the fact that a very large number of disaster victims are leading lives of great inconvenience in temporary housing as we head into winter. Fortunately, although the construction site is still technically at the stage of "groundbreaking," in fact it is at a stage at which the pile driving has not even been completed, and it is thus possible to bring construction to a halt. At the site, at which there remain a number of older trees of considerable height, local citizens had also gathered to voice their opposition to the construction, and I noticed that in the surrounding area there was a diversity of opinions about the matter.
Considering these circumstances, after undertaking very careful consideration, a little while ago I instructed Minister of Finance Jun Azumi, the minister in charge, to put the project on hold at least for the five years that will be the period in which reconstruction will be conducted intensively.
The people earnestly continuing their reconstruction efforts in the disaster-stricken areas and people in small and medium-sized enterprises struggling with the appreciation of the yen are all awaiting the execution of countermeasures. We must submit the draft third supplementary budget and the related bills to the Diet as soon as possible.
As we move forward with consultations among the ruling and opposition parties, I intend to listen humbly when I receive good proposals from the opposition parties and the entire spectrum of Japanese society, as was the case with this issue of the housing complex for government employees in Asaka.
On Saturday last week, cleanup work and other such matters were finally completed, thereby finishing the preparations for me to move into the Prime Minister's official residence, situated next to the Prime Minister's Office. From now on, I intend to press down even more firmly on the accelerator, shift to a higher gear, and with a sense of speed work to bring about various policies.
Yoshihiko Noda
Prime Minister of Japan
October 3, 2011
As of yesterday, it has been one month since I assumed the office of Prime Minister. During this time, I sprinted with my utmost energy through responses to damages from the torrential rains of typhoons #12 and #15, through attendance at the United Nations General Assembly, query sessions at the Diet by representatives of political parties, and Budget Committee sessions.
My personal life has changed dramatically compared with my life before I took office. Turning on the TV and happening by pure chance to see a comedian doing an imitation of me was a more or less unexpected occurrence. I think that this is an honor in some sense, as it is indicative of the magnitude of the public's expectations, and it is also a phenomenon expressing the gravity of the prime minister's official responsibilities. I felt once again that I must steel myself as I engage in my duties.
Upon returning from the United States, last week at the Budget Committee sessions of both Houses of the Diet, I responded to questions from both the ruling and opposition parties regarding the critical issues to be addressed by this administration and the future directions our efforts will take. While each party and each parliamentary group may take a different approach, I think I was able to confirm that we do not have major gaps among us regarding the matter of "what we should do now." The opposition parties at times expressed harsh views, but I also received a large number of constructive recommendations. For this, I am very grateful.
Among these, I took very seriously the matter of the housing complex for government employees in Asaka, Saitama Prefecture whose construction is just getting underway, which had been pointed out to me as an issue. Today I toured the construction site, where I could confirm with my own eyes the state of progress of construction and so on. At the end of last year, the team of the three political-level appointees at the Ministry of Finance - including myself as the minister, the senior vice minister, and the parliamentary secretary - made a comprehensive decision that this project would, among other aspects, also "contribute to fostering the local community."
However, through the course of Diet debates, I came to feel once more that it is imperative for us to properly consider public sentiment, particularly that among the people affected by the disaster, against the backdrop of a tremendous amount of fiscal resources being required for reconstruction from the great earthquake and tsunamis and the fact that a very large number of disaster victims are leading lives of great inconvenience in temporary housing as we head into winter. Fortunately, although the construction site is still technically at the stage of "groundbreaking," in fact it is at a stage at which the pile driving has not even been completed, and it is thus possible to bring construction to a halt. At the site, at which there remain a number of older trees of considerable height, local citizens had also gathered to voice their opposition to the construction, and I noticed that in the surrounding area there was a diversity of opinions about the matter.
Considering these circumstances, after undertaking very careful consideration, a little while ago I instructed Minister of Finance Jun Azumi, the minister in charge, to put the project on hold at least for the five years that will be the period in which reconstruction will be conducted intensively.
The people earnestly continuing their reconstruction efforts in the disaster-stricken areas and people in small and medium-sized enterprises struggling with the appreciation of the yen are all awaiting the execution of countermeasures. We must submit the draft third supplementary budget and the related bills to the Diet as soon as possible.
As we move forward with consultations among the ruling and opposition parties, I intend to listen humbly when I receive good proposals from the opposition parties and the entire spectrum of Japanese society, as was the case with this issue of the housing complex for government employees in Asaka.
On Saturday last week, cleanup work and other such matters were finally completed, thereby finishing the preparations for me to move into the Prime Minister's official residence, situated next to the Prime Minister's Office. From now on, I intend to press down even more firmly on the accelerator, shift to a higher gear, and with a sense of speed work to bring about various policies.
Yoshihiko Noda
Prime Minister of Japan
October 3, 2011
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