Politics that carefully considers the future

February 4, 2012, in his keynote speech at the Keio University symposium on “The Comprehensive Reform of Social Security and Taxation Systems”

“Talking about this does not really earn one much in the way of cheers or applause. As this is asking people to shoulder a burden, it isn’t something that people easily accept. But if we really consider the younger generation that is alive today as well as future generations, it simply won’t do to have politics of “if everything is OK here and now, then that’s good enough.” We have to pursue politics that thinks about what comes next and gives careful consideration to the future. That is the current I hope to generate.”