At the 156th GRIPS Forum on 22 October, 2018, Mr. Masanao Ozaki, Governor of Kochi Prefecture, gave a lecture titled “How to Deal with Population Decrease-The Challenges Taken Up by Kochi Prefecture”.

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abstract:

Japan’s population is experiencing a sharp decline, and among its prefectures, Kochi was the first to have a greatly reduced population. This decline in population results in a contraction of the economy, which in turn invites a further decline in population. To break this vicious circle, Kochi Prefecture is taking approaches that place “local products and exports” at the core of its strategy, and builds upon collaboration between the public and private sectors. Using the challenges taken up by Kochi Prefecture as the main theme, this lecture will discuss policies for dealing with population decline.

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Speakers’ Profile:

Mr. Masanao Ozaki entered the Ministry of Finance after graduating from the Faculty of Economics of the University of Tokyo. In 2007, after serving in positions including First Secretary of the Embassy of Japan in Indonesia for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Budget Examiner at the Ministry of Finance Budget Bureau, and Secretary to the Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary, he was elected as the governor of Kochi Prefecture at the age of 40, making him the youngest governor nationwide at the time. He is currently serving his third term as Governor.