I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Ise-Shima in Mie Prefecture for hosting the 2016 G7 summit, while welcoming the leaders and other people from all over the world. It is a great honor for Mie residents that world leaders come to our prefecture.
While visitors can experience traditions and culture such as the 2,000-year-old Ise Jingu, or ancient ama (female divers), the Ise-Shima region is an area where people can admire the beautiful nature such as Ago Bay, considered to be a vista that perfectly represents Japan.
Particularly Ise Jingu, where Japanese people have offered thanks and prayers for peace since ancient times, provides people with a special feeling toward the world. Such feelings surrounding Mie Prefecture are a way of thinking that we shall flexibly accept diversity and move on, transcending differences of race, religion, sex or age. There is a clear message here to realize global peace in today's world.
As for the G7 leaders' discussions, I hope clear ideas will be proposed aimed at resolving various issues our world faces today. I also hope a message will be delivered from the land of Ise-Shima, one of the symbolic places of peace in Japan, to the rest of the world to realize peace.
