Shoei Utsuda
Chairman of Mitsui and Co., Ltd.

Challenges leading to changes in 2014

Thanks to the initiatives of the new government, Japan in 2013 finally emerged from deflation. The so-called "Abenomics" - or Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's economy-revitalizing policy - successfully put an end to the excessive yen appreciation and perked up the stock market dramatically. The new administration has won favorable recognition overseas for its bold decisions such as participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership and consumer tax hikes, and also for the nomination of Tokyo as the host city for the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics. The government faces the task in 2014 of implementing its growth strategy.

The Genron NPO is expected to further promote civic dialogues and I welcome the non-government sector contributing to ease tension in East Asia. We may face more diverse viewpoints and consequently greater difficulty in coordinating them, but we shall find a path to move on. I hope The Genron NPO will continue taking on new challenges as we can make changes only through such proactive attitudes.