It is a great honor to have this opportunity to address such a distinguished gathering of business leaders in Japan today. The year is almost coming to a close. Looking back on 2022, domestic and overseas economies have been hit by various shocks, while the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has persisted. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has triggered a rapid rise in prices of commodities, including energy and grains. In addition to this, factors such as supply-side constraints, including difficulties in procuring parts that have arisen during the course of recovery from the pandemic, have caused goods prices to ... (full story)