President Chen said that the Japanese film Gabai Granny received critical acclaim on Taiwan and triggered interest among many Taiwanese in Saga. He said both the movie and the book on which it was based were hits on Taiwan. The president is delighted to have the opportunity to meet with Governor Furukawa as well as the mayor of Takeo City Keisuke Hiwatashi, who was responsible for arranging the shooting of a number of outdoor scenes in the movie. President Chen said Gabai Granny stressed how one should be content with what one is and how people should work hard without complaint. He said he believes this is not only the spirit of Saga, but also the spirit of Taiwan, noting the optimistic attitude of Taiwanese of no matter how difficult things are, people must always make the best of things. The president said this is the feeling of the common man here, in Saga and in the movie Gabai Granny.
The president said he is pleased that Taiwan and Japan have long maintained close and friendly trade relations as well as other cooperation. For instance, he said that both nations recently recognized the driver's licenses of the other. The Japanese government supported the move and the Japanese Parliament has passed the measure to recognize Taiwan's driver's licenses. In the recent past, the Japanese government also decided to extend visa-free courtesies to Taiwan tourists. These measures are beneficial to increasing contacts among the people of both sides, the president said. Furthermore, bilateral trade last year reached US$60 billion, with Japan enjoying a US$30 billion trade surplus with Taiwan, he said. The president wished success for Governor Furukawa on his trip to Taiwan aimed at promoting Saga's agricultural products here. The president also hopes that governor Furukawa will take his memories of Taiwan food and culture back to Saga and share them with the people there.