Press Conference by SUZUKI Shunichi, Minister of Finance and Minister of State for Financial Services

(Excerpt)

(Tuesday, October 1, 2024, 10:02 am to 10:32 am)

Q.

Please tell us frankly about your impressions looking back over the last three years since you assumed the office of Minister of Finance and Minister of State for Financial Services in October 2021.

A.

It was on October 4 three years ago that the Kishida administration was inaugurated. The whole Kishida Cabinet resigned at the meeting held today. Therefore, it is a few days short of three years. As for the number of days, I served as Minister of Finance and Minister of State for Financial Services for 1,094 days.
I appreciate that I have been supported by many people. I have squarely faced press conferences like this for these three years. I think I have had over 300 press conferences, including doorstep interviews. While receiving various questions from you, I have updated finance and financial services-related topical issues and information, or the situation at the time, twice a week. Press conferences have been very precious opportunities also for me, and I would like to thank each and every one of you.
Regarding financial-related issues, total assets held by Japanese households exceed 2,000 trillion yen and have been further increasing recently. In order to promote a shift from savings to investment, the new NISA program has been launched. However, what I felt strongly in that process is the importance of having people aware of the fact that they can expect returns from investment but that investment involves risks. With the aim of having people have such awareness as a premise and helping people enhance their financial literacy, the Japan Financial Literacy and Education Corporation (J-FLEC) was established and launched. It is meaningless to merely save money. People's effective use of money will newly vitalize corporate activities and the benefits of revitalized corporate activities will return to households. I think that we must create such virtuous cycle from now.