Quotes from Shinzo Abe

It has been more than 60 years since the constitution was put in place. There are provisions in the constitution that no longer suit the times. Since the constitution was promulgated, we've seen the emergence of new values, such as privacy, the environment and so on, which need to be incorporated.

I have no intention of conducting governance for the benefit of specific organizations or individuals; instead I will conduct governance on behalf of the entire people -- the ordinary people who live by the sweat of their brows, love their families, wish to improve their own communities and hometowns, and who want to believe in the future of Japan.

Hitherto, there was a thinking in Japan that it is okay just to look inside Japan in order to secure peace for our own country, not shedding our eyes to the outside world. Of course, this thinking is in the process of changing.

In Japan, usually, once you become prime minister, you do not have a second chance. Probably the reason why that was not the case this time is because Japan is facing an increasingly challenging situation.

In a world that is deepening its mutual interdependence, inward-focused thinking is no longer able to safeguard the peace of Japan. We will fully defend the lives and assets of our nationals as well as our territory, territorial waters, and territorial airspace in a resolute manner.

Going forward, with the utilization of artificial intelligence, Big Data and IoT, we want to overcome the challenges coming from an aging society with low fertility. Well, I would say precisely because we live in a greying society with low fertility rate, we have already accumulated data and with the use of artificial intelligence we will make good use of the Big Data that we have.

On the relations between Japan and China, we see the political and economic relations between our two countries as the tandem wheels of a vehicle and they both need to work properly.

What is unfortunate, however, is that in the case of China, teaching patriotism is also teaching anti-Japanese sentiment.

A nation will not be vitalized unless its regions are vitalized.

One evening a little while back, I had a craving for ice cream, so I went by myself to a nearby convenience store to buy some. My security detail was with me, but the reporters assigned to cover me didn't notice, and it seems it was a major incident.

It is my belief that politicians should not be stepping into the realm of history. Rather, politicians should be taking a future-oriented perspective.

Our predecessors overcame many troubles and much suffering, but each time got back up stronger than before.

A win for the American economy is a win for the Japanese economy.

In the last five years I used to go to Zen practice once a month, but since I assumed the post of prime minister it's been much harder.

The future of Japan's economic growth depends on us having the willpower and the courage to sail without hesitation onto the rough seas of global competition.

Among the many conceived notions of the 21st century, there is the notion called Industry 4.0. As for our concept of Society 5.0, it is really about solving problems. With the emphasis on solving societal issues, and from the perspective of enriching the lives of people, Society 5.0 will go down as a keyword.

I paid a visit to Yasukuni Shrine to pray for the souls of those who had fought for the country and made ultimate sacrifices. I have made a pledge never to wage war again, that we must build a world that is free from the sufferings of the devastation of war.

For China to continue to enjoy economic prosperity, it needs to foster trusting international relationships, not tensions ... and it is important for China to understand this.

If you want to recruit good human resources, you really have to improve the wage conditions or fail to hire anyone suitable.

the sluggish economy is creating a situation where the young people in Japan cannot cherish their desires or have prospects for their future. Also, the decline in Japan's economic capability is resulting in a declining presence for Japan's foreign policy as well. Accordingly, the duties and mission that I must fulfill are pretty clear: namely, to regain a strong and robust economy, and also to restore Japan's strong foreign policy capability.

Because there is a problem that exists, the doors for communication between the two nations should not be closed. Japan always keeps our door for communication open. I'd like China to take the same attitude.

I have to express sympathy from the bottom of my heart to those people who were taken as wartime comfort women. As a human being, I would like to express my sympathies, and also as prime minister of Japan I need to apologize to them.

To protect people's lives and keep our children safe, we must implement public-works spending and do so proudly. If possible, I'd like to see the Bank of Japan purchase all of the construction bonds that we need to issue to cover the cost. That would also forcefully circulate money in the market. That would be positive for the economy, too.

I have experienced failure as a politician and for that very reason, I am ready to give everything for Japan.