New Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba emphasized in his first speech to parliament that his top economic priority is to defeat deflation and put the nation on a stable growth track.

Shigeru Ishiba said Friday that the stimulus package will focus on easing the burden of rising living costs, boosting growth and strengthening relief and preparedness measures for natural disasters. "We need to make three years of intensive efforts to ensure that we overcome deflation without the risk of reversing the virtuous cycle,