However, the greatest concern might be that it is difficult to have prospects for future growth in Japan’s economy and for the industrial structure leading the growth. As a result, many might be feeling that it is difficult to imagine the prospects for the regional economy. I mentioned earlier that I have a cautious view on a medium- to long-term outlook for Japan’s economy.
That view probably more or less coincides with your concern. With that, I will move on to discuss Japan’s medium- to long-term growth. The average annual growth rate of Japan’s economy declined significantly from around 5 percent in the 1970s, in the range of 4–5 percent in the 1980s, to around 1.5 percent in the 1990s, and below 1 percent in the 2000s.