Finance Minister Katayama Satsuki joined the lighting ceremony for the Tokyo Christmas Advent illumination at Hakamagoshi Plaza in Ueno Park in Tokyo on the 6th, making an unannounced appearance at the event.
"The news I have for everyone today is that at the plenary session of the lower house in the Diet at noon, the law to lower the consumption tax on food from 8 percent to 1 percent from April next year was passed," she said, promoting the bill's passage through the House of Representatives.
The bill must still clear the upper house, the House of Councillors, before it becomes law.
Katayama, who studied in France, exchanged greetings in French with the actress Terashima Shinobu, 53, who is married to the French creative director Laurent Ghnassia. After watching the lights come on, Katayama looked at the display and said it felt "very Parisian."
A childhood in the neighborhood
Katayama is from Saitama city and attended Tokyo University of Education's attached middle and high schools in Bunkyo ward, now attached to the University of Tsukuba. She said Ueno had been part of her daily life since childhood, with her parents taking her to the Seiyoken restaurant and New Year's Eve shopping done in Ameyoko or Asakusa. "My life has overlapped with this area, and I love this town," she said.
She said she is friends with Saeki Takehiro, the general producer behind the event, and introduced him to the Taito ward mayor when he brought a successful event from Fukuoka to Tokyo. "Events like this come down to connections," she said. "I hope this becomes Ueno's Christmas event for years to come, and I sincerely hope it succeeds."
The event runs until December 25.