Appointment of Tottori Hometown Ambassador
We asked Ms. Wakana Matsumoto a popular Japanese actress born in
Tottori Prefecture to serve as “the Tottori Hometown Ambassador.” I’m glad to have a promising actress helping to promote
Tottori Prefecture.
Urgent Proposals and Requests to National Government
I’m scheduled to visit and put some requests to the national government on May 13. Specifically speaking, attention has begun to focus on catch limits for tuna, which could possibly have devastating impacts on tuna fisheries in
Tottori Prefecture. I will call for a system in which fisheries and resource management can go hand in hand.
Besides that, I will convey to them the joint appeal agreed on between the
Okayama prefectural governor and me in the last meeting, in order to call for decentralization.
9 Governors’ Conference for Realization of Primary Expressway Networks
In addition, I will make policy proposals to the national government together with other prefectural governors as “the 9 Governors’ Conference for Early Completion of the Primary Expressway Networks .” We will request that
Tokyo focus on early closing of the gaps in the primary expressway networks, and that, upon project evaluation, they should adopt evaluation methods in consideration of the primary expressway networks.
Requests for More Convenient Timetable of San’in Main Line of Japan Railways
I’m planning to visit the headquarters of West Japan Railway Company together with Governor Ido of Hyogo Prefecture, and suggest to them that their train timetable be changed in order to effectively utilize the Amarube Bridge, which will be put in service in August, and unify the Tajima Region and Tottori Prefecture.
Visit to SANYO Electronics Co., Ltd
With regard to the integration plan of production bases by SANYO Electronics Co., Ltd, I’m planning to have a direct talk with the company president, Mr. Sano, in order to request to him that they maintain their production base in
Tottori Prefecture SANYO Consumer Electronics Co., Ltd.
Japan-Russia Governors’ Conference
During the Golden Week holidays, I attended the Japan-Russia Governors’ Conference and emphasized the need to promote the utilization of the ship service across the
Sea of Japan, which has been pending. I advocated that the combined utilization of DBS Cruise Ferry and land transportation systems such as the Trans-Siberian Railway will help create the networks of commodity distribution and people connecting each region in
Russia, and further with Europe and
Japan.
As a result, the joint statement of the Japanese and Russian sides included a specific reference to promotion and utilization of the Trans-Siberian Railway and the existing regular ship service, which I’m content with.
Moreover, I had consecutive talks with the governors of
Khabarovsk and
Sakhalin, and we agreed on concluding an accord for potential areas of cooperation. I met Governor Darkin of Primorsky Krai, too, and agreed on the conclusion of twin-region friendship agreement between
Tottori Prefecture and Primorsky Krai. It was also decided that a triangular agreement will be concluded on May 25 in
Kangwon Province,
South Korea, between Governor Darkin, Governor Kim Jinsun of
Kangwon Province, and me.
In addition, a Russian economic organization called “Russian Pillar,” an equivalent of the National Federation of Small Business Associations in
Japan, offered to establish their base in Tottori.
Candidacy for Location Site of Korean TV Drama
It’s also important to attract travelers from overseas. The production stuff of a popular TV drama in
South Korea is searching the world for filming locations. Since the chosen site is sure to be a huge magnet for tourists, fierce competition is taking place in
Japan to win the bid. At the end of April, we showed the production staff around some potential location sites in
Tottori Prefecture. We will continue working diligently on this initiative.
Prefectural Measures for Preventing Outbreak of Foot-and-Mouth Disease
In
Miyazaki Prefecture in southern
Japan, the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease has become a pressing issue.
Tottori Prefecture is determined to do what it can in order to help and cooperate with them. In Tottori Prefecture, we will speed up implementation of the measures for creation and maintenance of safe and secure production sites, by not only providing guidance to livestock farmers but also conducting disinfection, targeting all livestock farmers and other measures.
Poor Harvest of 20 Century Pears
We expect a poor harvest of the 20 Century Pears this season. We will do our best to provide guidance to farmers and other assistance measures.
Smart Prefectural Government 5 (Go!) 5 (Go!) Project
Today we kicked off “the Smart Prefectural Government 5(Go!) 5(Go!) Project” in the prefectural administration. It’s aimed at improving our operational efficiency by 5 percent and halving overtime before the year after next.
We will overview the effectiveness of the project in the May-June period, and review the related measures in July, in order to try and establish effective work-and-life balance.
Q. Will you be specific about the prevention measures against foot-and-mouth disease that the prefectural administration is planning to implement?
(After the reporter’s questioning how many farmers will be covered by the measures and how large the supplementary budget for the measures will be,) We are not planning to compile any supplementary budget for them. We will implement the measures within our current budget.
In conjunction with use of disinfectants, we will conduct additional measures, such as putting limitations on access to farms, or disinfecting the shoes of people entering
Japan from abroad. Although no case of this disease has been reported within
Tottori Prefecture, we feel the need to be proactive with preventive measures considering its extremely high rate of infectiousness.
Q. Is the prefectural administration planning any specific measures for Tottori Prefecture to be selected as a location site of the popular TV drama in South Korea?
This is an action TV drama enjoying tremendous popularity in
South Korea, as shown in its viewing rate of 40 percent. We are ready to facilitate their filming of action scenes and offer other assistance that may help us to be selected.
Q. Will you give us the specific content of Russian Pillar’s offer to establish their base in Tottori Prefecture? And how do they perceive the accessibility of Sakai Port? I don’t think Sakai Port is accessible at all in Japan.
They said they were willing to establish their office, and that’s all we know so far. Those of the business sector in
Vladivostok, Primorsky Krai are scheduled to visit
Tottori Prefecture pretty soon in order to make investigations, which indicates their intention to set up their office in early days, I think. As it’s a welcome step toward trade expansion, we are ready to help them open their office and with related investigations.
The ship service between
Sakai Port and
Russia is inexpensive in terms of passage fare and operates on a regular basis, which enables regular shipment of cargo, so
Sakai Port is probably the best port for them in
Japan in terms of accessibility.
As for the transportation within
Japan, the area around the port is connected to
Haneda Airport by an air route, and the railway network is also available. We have enough reasons to believe that they feel
Sakai Port is sufficiently accessible.
Q. Will you be specific about the content of the triangular agreement between Tottori Prefecture, Kangwon Province, and Primorsky Krai which is scheduled to be concluded in South Korea?
It will probably be aimed at matchmaking or promotion in the fields of tourism and trade.
Q. Tottori Prefecture has been engaged in quite a bit of collaboration. What are your intentions?
(After the reporter’s referring to the meeting between Tottori and Okayama prefectural governors or Tottori Prefecture’s collaboration with the Kinki Region, Shimane Prefecture and so on, as the examples of collaborative ventures,) It’s not feasible for Tottori to stand alone and act unilaterally. Our cooperation with other regions will create synergy effects, which will benefit Tottori. That’s why we changed directions and started to move toward strengthening collaborative efforts with other regions.