MORI DELIVERS SPEECH AT INTERNET FAIR, 2000-12-31 (photo)

With the backdrop of an image of former Japanese Economic Planning Agency chief Taichi Sakaiya, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori delivers a speech to announce that Japan is now holding an Internet exposition during the countdown event across the two centuries at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo on December 31, 2000, shortly before the New Year. Earlier in the day the government opened the online exposition that it hopes will boost interest in the Internet as part of a high-profile campaign to make Japan a global leader in information technology. The image of Sakaiya, newly assigned special advisor to the Mori's Cabinet, was sent by Internet from the western Japanese city of Akashi where the special event was also held along with Japan's southernmost prefectural island of Okinawa. OTA