Press Conference by Minister Hagiuda (Excerpt)

*Note: This is a provisional translation for reference purposes only.

9:37-9:45 a.m.
Tuesday, June 14, 2022
In front of the Cabinet Room, 2nd floor,
National Diet Building

Opening Remarks

Internships

I would like to mention one point.
To encourage helping students build their careers, METI, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) jointly agreed to revise the basic concepts of promoting internships. With this, companies will be able to utilize student information obtained via internships that conforms to certain standards after the annual recruitment of fourth-year students begins. We expect high-quality internships accompanied by employment experience to take root via this decision, along with improvements in matching students with companies.
We will continue working hard with relevant ministries and agencies to promote awareness and public relations in industry and at universities, to create an environment where students can work on finding jobs with peace of mind.

Question-and-Answer Session

IPEF

Q: My question is about the IPEF.
An informal ministerial discussion on trade was held on the 11th. There are some reports that a formal ministerial meeting will be held at the end of July, but is that true? Also, what do you expect from the formal meeting based on this informal discussion?

A: I am aware of reports about the schedule, but nothing has been decided yet.
At the informal ministerial discussion held in Paris on the 11th JST, each country's representatives expressed their hope to continue with discussions that will produce tangible results. Japan will work to ensure that the countries in this region truly feel tangible benefits—that are based on the region's actual situation—from this framework in four fields, including trade. The foci include facilitating trade and investment; the digital economy; making the supply chains more resilient; and promoting infrastructural development including in relation to decarbonization and clean energy.
Japan will contribute as much as possible to helping achieve results at an early stage, but if the American side narrows down the themes too much, it will make it difficult for member countries to take part in discussions. The IPEF has just started, so I think we should procee in a meticulous manner.

Advanced Semiconductors

Q: Micron, one of America's leading semiconductor companies, said in an interview that they intend to start manufacturing cutting-edge DRAM semiconductors called 1-beta at their Hiroshima factory this year. They said they are considering further investments and would like to discuss that with the Japanese government. They seem to have high expectations for support. Considering Japan and the US' partnership, will the Japanese government consider providing additional financial assistance?

A: First, I am aware of these reports, but I do not believe this was officially announced by Micron Technology and I will refrain from commenting on it at this time. Generally speaking, though, creating a manufacturing base for advanced semiconductors in Japan is becoming more important to strengthen the supply chain. Thus, the government will consider necessary support measures for investments by private companies conducive to this policy.
We have already decided on most of the recipients of subsidies from the supplementary budget that was previously approved. However, if they were to thoroughly explain about their project, I think we would be willing to provide support around autumn or thereafter if appropriate for contributing to our national interests. However, we do not have those details at this time, and there is already a system in place to provide subsidies to expand factories and other facilities. I would like to hear more about this project when the company is ready and consider carefully whether it would require more than what is currently available.