[Title] Video Message from Prime Minister ISHIBA Shigeru for the 5th Japan Alumni Conference

I am ISHIBA Shigeru, Prime Minister of Japan.

I would like to extend my warm welcome to all of you attending the 5th Japan Alumni Conference.

This year marks the 5th Japan Alumni Conference, overcoming the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic. I am very pleased today to see you have the opportunity to gather in a hybrid format, after studying in Japan alongside Japanese students of your generation and experienced Japanese society, economy, culture and history firsthand.

This alumni network of the Japan Alumni Conference now has branch organizations in 120 countries around the world, with a membership exceeding 100,000. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all of you as friends of Japan, for continuing to serve as "bridges" between your countries and Japan around the world, even after completing your studies in Japan. Thank you very much.

For the peace and stability of the international community, it is important to promote mutual understanding not only between countries but also through people-to-people exchanges. Those of you who have a deep understanding of Japan play a significant role in spreading throughout the world the friendships, goodwill and knowledge cultivated during your studies in Japan. Many of you also play a role in strengthening the economic ties between Japan and the world through business with Japan or employment at Japanese companies. The Japanese Government is committed to offering continued support to enhance this network.

Next month, on April 13, the Osaka-Kansai Expo will open. I believe this is a unique opportunity for many people to enjoy themselves and gain dreams and hopes for their future. I hope that many people from overseas, including former international students in Japan, will visit and experience the "Future Society for Our Lives" designed by Japan, and together, we can build a future society of dreams.

Also, I hope that you will take this opportunity to discover that Japan offers much more than just Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. There are various regions from Hokkaido to Kyushu and Okinawa, each with its own unique culture and people. We hope that your visit to the Kansai Expo will be followed by an opportunity to explore such regional areas. As you may know, the Kansai Expo’s mascot character is called MYAKU-MYAKU. At first, I wasn't quite sure what to make of it, but it's gradually become quite lovely. MYAKU-MYAKU sincerely invites you to come, by all means, to the Kansai Expo. I am confident that this will be an opportunity for people from around the world to experience and get a feel for the current Japan and the future world. We are looking forward to your visit.

I hope that this Conference will further strengthen the bonds between Japan and all of you who were international students in Japan and have gathered for this conference from around the world, as well as the connections among yourselves as former international students. With that, I conclude my remarks. Thank you very much.