Senior Japanese and U.S. officials agreed Sunday that increasing foreign direct investment in Japan will boost the nation's efforts to promote economic structural reforms, a Japanese official said.
At the opening meeting of bilateral investment talks, the U.S. side said foreign investment in Japan will bolster Japan's reform efforts and help revitalize its economy, the official said.
Japan said foreign direct investment plays an important role in supporting the economy and the talks will help further improve the investment environment, the official said.
Hidehiro Konno, vice minister of economy, trade and industry for international affairs, and Alan Larson, U.S. undersecretary of state for economic, business, and agricultural affairs, chaired the meeting of the so-called Investment Initiative.