Governor's Press Conference

■ Response to damage caused by Typhoons No. 22 and No. 23

Typhoons No. 22 and No. 23 struck in quick succession at the beginning of October, but we have dispatched a total of more than 400 staff members to date and have been working tirelessly to restore the area in cooperation with Hachijo Town and related organizations.

We are working quickly on the water supply issue in particular, and I think we are progressing faster than expected.

Although the water source was damaged, the water outage has almost been resolved.

We will continue to work hard to resolve the water outage for all households and ensure a stable water supply thereafter.

In order to enable those affected to rebuild their lives as quickly as possible, we will work with the town to conduct push surveys to assess damage to homes in areas with heavy damage, without waiting for applications.

We will also assist with issuing disaster certificates and applying for loans for damage to homes and belongings.

We have already begun this work, but we will continue to provide support so that the islanders can return to living in peace as soon as possible.

■ Instructions for the compilation of supplementary budgets

We also need to respond to the ongoing rise in prices.

We are currently using reserve funds to help those affected by the typhoon rebuild their lives and secure housing for them.

In the future, in order to achieve recovery and reconstruction as quickly as possible, we will need to work to restore the homes of those affected and provide support to businesses in industries such as agriculture and tourism.

Furthermore, the effects of rising prices continue, and the living conditions of Tokyo residents and the business environment for small and medium-sized businesses remain difficult.

The national government is currently formulating economic measures, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government must also take the necessary measures while closely monitoring national political trends.

From this perspective, I have instructed the 4th regular session of the Diet to consider the formulation of a supplementary budget. Going forward, we will consider the specific content and amount, and compile a supplementary budget proposal.

■ Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics Opening

The Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics will finally kick off next Saturday, the 15th. Over the 12 days until Wednesday the 26th, 21 events will be held at venues in Tokyo as well as in Fukushima and Shizuoka prefectures.

Approximately 3,000 athletes from 80 countries and regions will participate.

The first Deaflympics was held in France in 1924, and this year's tournament marks the 100th anniversary of the event.

This is the first time the tournament has been held in Japan, and it will be held here in Tokyo. Spectators can watch for free, and you can check the crowd situation at the venue on the official website.

We hope that many people will come to the venue, taking a look at our digital book "Sports Spectator Guide."

Let's support deaf athletes with our signature cheers and work together to create the best possible tournament.

During the tournament, a hub for athletes to interact, called "Deaflympics Square," will be set up at the National Olympic Memorial Youth Center in Yoyogi.

Here we will host a program called "Miru Tech," where you can experience digital technologies such as universal communication technology.

We have a wide range of content that anyone can enjoy, including sign language, technology that converts speech into text, and VR goggles that allow you to experience everyday life without hearing.

Additionally, under the title "All Welcome Tokyo Deaf Special," various locations around Tokyo will offer hospitality to those who are deaf or hard of hearing using sign language and digital technology.

Specifically, we will provide video guides with sign language at parks and zoos, and convert station announcements into text for smartphones.

Tokyo Metropolitan cultural facilities also provide viewing support such as subtitles and sign language interpretation, and have received words of gratitude from users.

Through these efforts, we will work to realize an inclusive Tokyo where everyone can shine.

■ Call for slogans for the Tokyo National Senior Games

The Nenrinpic is a sports and cultural exchange tournament for people aged 60 and over.

The first edition of the event will be held in Tokyo in 2028, three years from now. The name of the event will be "Nenrinpic Chōju Tokyo 2028."

34 events will be held in 37 wards, cities, towns and villages in Tokyo, with over 10,000 athletes from all over the country expected to participate.

To make this tournament more widely known and familiar, we are accepting slogans based on the themes of "A society where everyone can shine forever" and "Tokyo-ness."

Anyone can submit their slogan via the website or by mail until Friday, December 12th. We look forward to your wonderful slogans.

■ Winter HTT Promotion

The mornings and evenings are getting colder, and it's almost time to start preparing for winter.

On the other hand, in recent years, the climate has changed so much that it feels like there are only two seasons rather than four, with summer and midsummer temperatures being recorded even in October.

We must not forget the impact of this climate crisis.

The forecast for electricity supply and demand this winter is a reserve margin of 4.8%, and although the government has stated that it will not immediately request power saving measures, the situation is more severe than last year.

Toward realizing a carbon-free society, the efforts of each and every Tokyo resident are becoming more important than ever.

This winter, we will continue to promote HTT (reducing, generating, and storing electricity) and call for action toward decarbonization.