I have experienced failure as a politician and for that very reason, I am ready to give everything for Japan.
Our predecessors overcame many troubles and much suffering, but each time got back up stronger than before.
There isn't anything anybody wants that is for any other reason than that they think they would feel better in having it.
I promise to protect Japan's land and sea, and the lives of the Japanese people no matter what.
It is my belief that politicians should not be stepping into the realm of history. Rather, politicians should be taking a future-oriented perspective.
I am a patriot. I would think there are no politicians who are not patriots. Since I am a politician, I often get criticized, as I try to exercise what I believe to be right. However, if you mind such criticism, I think you can't protect people's lives.
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.
I think it is the responsibility of anyone involved in politics to always think of what Japan can do to contribute more to the peace and stability not just of Japan and the region but of the entire world.
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 20th century was a century in which human rights were infringed upon in numerous parts of the world, and Japan also bears responsibility in that regard. I believe that we have to look at our own history with humility and think about our responsibility.
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.
The Japan-U.S. alliance is an irreplaceable alliance. And I would like to further consolidate and broaden that alliance.
Japan will change. Let's create a country where innovation is constantly happening, giving birth to new industries to lead the world, when I visit Silicon Valley I want to think about how we can take Silicon Valley's ways and make them work in Japan.
I believe it is important that we Japanese write a constitution for ourselves that would reflect the shape of the country we consider desirable in the 21st century.
We need to be very careful when considering whether or not to change the constitution to accept same-sex marriage as this issue touches on the fundamentals of how we live.
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.
The Senkaku islands are inherently Japanese territory. I want to show my strong determination to prevent this from changing.
My basic notion regarding the matter of historical recognition is basically, it's a matter that should be left to the good hands of historians and experts.
While our responses to the problems facing us immediately are also important, we cannot forget to carve out the future of Japan ten or one hundred years into the future. In doing so, we must not resort to superficial measures. Instead, it is imperative to engage in true reforms that ascertain the state of society we seek to achieve.
I try to exercise in nature, and I try to play golf once a month. The last time I played golf with my wife, however, she got better scores than me, which became an additional source of stress.
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.
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.
The United States has renewed our leadership in the Asia-Pacific, prime Minister Abe is leading Japan to a new role on the world stage.
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.
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.
