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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 TOKYO 000735 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR E, P, EB, EAP/J, EAP/P, EAP/PD, PA; 
WHITE HOUSE/NSC/NEC; JUSTICE FOR STU CHEMTOB IN ANTI-TRUST DIVISION; 
TREASURY/OASIA/IMI/JAPAN; DEPT PASS USTR/PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE; 
SECDEF FOR JCS-J-5/JAPAN, 
DASD/ISA/EAPR/JAPAN; DEPT PASS ELECTRONICALLY TO USDA 
FAS/ITP FOR SCHROETER; PACOM HONOLULU FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR; 
CINCPAC FLT/PA/ COMNAVFORJAPAN/PA. 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO PGOV PINR ECON ELAB JA
 
SUBJECT:  DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 04/01/09 
 
INDEX: 
 
(1) North Korean missile set on launch pad; Discord evident in 
efforts to build encircling net around the North after missile 
launch (Yomiuri) 
 
(2) Poll on Aso cabinet, political parties (Asahi) 
 
(3) Interview with Minister Counselor for Agricultural Affair 
Geoffrey Wiggin at American Embassy in Japan: Will convey food 
culture and promote mutual understanding between Japan and U.S. 
(Fuji Sankei Business i) 
 
ARTICLES: 
 
(1) North Korean missile set on launch pad; Discord evident in 
efforts to build encircling net around the North after missile 
launch 
 
YOMIURI (Page 3) (Abridged slightly) 
April 1, 2009 
 
Tsuyoshi Endo, Political Department 
 
North Korea is preparing to launch a ballistic missile which it 
claims to be a satellite. The government has urged the North to 
exercise restraint. If the North goes ahead with the launch, the 
government intends to ask the UN Security Council to discuss its 
response. Nevertheless, a lack of unity is evident with other 
countries over how to respond to the launch. The government is 
growing restive. 
 
Prime Minister Taro Aso held a press conference yesterday in which 
he reiterated his call for North Korea to exercise restraint. He 
said: "The launch of a rocket or a missile by North Korea would ruin 
peace and stability in Northeast Asia." Aso emphasized the view that 
even a satellite launch would be a violation of the UN Security 
Council resolutions demanding North Korea abandon its ballistic 
missile program. The prime minister also played up "solidarity" with 
countries concerned, saying, "We are in accord with the United 
States, China and Russia regarding this point." 
 
A launched missile is expected to fly over the Tohoku region and 
fall into the Pacific Ocean. It is a matter of great concern to the 
public. How well the government can handle the matter would directly 
affect the public's assessment of the Aso administration. This can 
explain why the administration has made serious diplomatic efforts 
on the one hand, while taking every possible precaution, such as the 
deployment of interceptor missiles, on the other. 
 
The latest satellite image shows that North Korea has set its 
missile on a launch pad. It is now almost certain that the North 
will launch it between April 4 and 8, as planned, according to a 
Defense Ministry source. 
 
The government has shifted its emphasis to a step after the launch. 
But at this point, gaps in views with other countries have become 
evident. 
 
Japan wants to see the UN Security Council adopt a new resolution 
condemning the North for its missile launch in violation of other UN 
resolutions and other countries jointly impose sanctions on the 
 
TOKYO 00000735  002 OF 005 
 
 
North. Japan believes the Security Council's presentation of its 
strong will should prompt North Korea to abandon its missile 
program. Further, as seen in the Liberal Democratic Party's draft 
plan to impose additional sanctions, there are strong calls for 
Japan to deal resolutely with the North, which has handled the 
abduction issue and other matters insincerely. 
 
Meanwhile, of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, 
China and Russia -- North Korea's traditional allies -- have shown 
their understanding to a certain extent of Pyongyang's explanation 
that it would carry out the launch for the purpose of space 
exploration. 
 
The United States and South Korea are not necessarily monolithic in 
their views, either. 
 
Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone held separate talks with his U.S. 
and South Korean counterparts in The Hague on March 31. There, the 
three confirmed the position that the launch would be a violation of 
UN Security Council resolutions. Foreign Minister Nakasone 
reportedly agreed with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to 
have the Security Council send a strong message, while keeping in 
mind the possibility of adopting a new UN Security Council 
resolution. But they stopped short of discussing the matter in 
detail. In the meeting with South Korean Foreign and Trade Minister 
Yu Myung Hwan, there were no exchanges of views on a Security 
Council resolution or sanctions, according to a source traveling 
with Foreign Minister Nakasone. 
 
Prime Minister Aso is scheduled to hold talks with British Prime 
Minister Gordon Brown, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, and South Korean 
President Lee Myung Bak on the sidelines of the G-20 financial 
summit to be held in London on April 2. On these occasions, Prime 
Minister Aso intends to seek their understanding of Japan's 
position. Although they are expected to show their understanding of 
Japan's standpoint, whether they will show other responses is 
uncertain. 
 
Officials of Japan, the United States, and South Korea met in 
Washington on March 27 to discuss the North Korean missile launch 
issue, and they reconfirmed the unity of the three countries. The 
event was initiated by Japan which had a sense of crisis over the 
current situation. "A launched missile is expected to fly only over 
Japan, so there is naturally a difference in the degree of interest 
with other countries," a senior Foreign Ministry official noted. 
Whether Japan's efforts will bear fruit remains to be seen. 
 
(2) Poll on Aso cabinet, political parties 
 
ASAHI (Page 2) (Full) 
March 30, 2009 
 
Questions & Answers 
(Figures shown in percentage, rounded off. Bracketed figures denote 
proportions to all respondents. Figures in parentheses denote the 
results of the last survey conducted March 7-8.) 
 
Q: Do you support the Aso cabinet? 
 
Yes 22 (14) 
No 64 (70) 
 
 
TOKYO 00000735  003 OF 005 
 
 
Q: Why? (One reason only. Left column for those marking "yes" on 
previous question, and right for those saying "no.") 
 
The prime minister is Mr. Aso 12(3) 13(8) 
It's an LDP-led cabinet 43(9) 26(16) 
From the aspect of policies 26(6) 51(33) 
Cabinet lineup 8(2) 7(5) 
 
Q: Which political party do you support now? 
 
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) 27 (22) 
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) 20 (22) 
New Komeito (NK) 2 (3) 
Japanese Communist Party (JCP) 3 (3) 
Social Democratic Party (SDP or Shaminto) 1 (1) 
People's New Party (PNP or Kokumin Shinto) 0 (0) 
Reform Club (RC or Kaikaku Kurabu) 0 (0) 
New Party Nippon (NPN or Shinto Nippon) 0 (0) 
Other political parties 0 (0) 
None 41 (41) 
No answer (N/A) + don't know (D/K) 6 (8) 
 
Q: Do you think the House of Representatives should be dissolved as 
early as possible for a general election, or do you otherwise think 
there is no need to hurry? 
 
Dissolve as early as possible 53 (57) 
No need to hurry 36 (32) 
 
Q: If you were to vote now in a general election for the House of 
Representatives, which political party would you vote for in your 
proportional representation bloc? 
 
LDP 27 (24) 
DPJ 31 (36) 
NK 3 (4) 
JCP 5 (5) 
SDP 2 (2) 
PNP 0 (0) 
RC 0 (0) 
NPN 0 (0) 
Other political parties 1 (1) 
N/A+D/K 31 (28) 
 
Q: Would you like the current LDP-led coalition government to 
continue, or would you otherwise like it to be replaced with a 
DPJ-led coalition government? 
 
LDP-led coalition 29 (24) 
DPJ-led coalition 42 (45) 
 
Q: Which one between Prime Minister Aso and DPJ President Ichiro 
Ozawa do you think is more appropriate for prime minister? 
 
Mr. Aso 30 (22) 
Mr. Ozawa 26 (32) 
 
Q: DPJ President Ozawa's secretary was arrested and is now under 
indictment over Nishimatsu Construction Co.'s illicit corporate 
donations. Do you think Mr. Ozawa has fulfilled his accountability 
on this issue? 
 
 
TOKYO 00000735  004 OF 005 
 
 
Yes 7 
No 86 
 
Q: Do you think Mr. Ozawa should stay on as DPJ president, or do you 
otherwise think he should resign? 
 
Stay on 24 (25) 
Resign 63 (57) 
 
Q: How did the issue of DPJ President Ozawa's political donations 
affect your impression of the DPJ? 
 
Improved 1 (1) 
Worsened 46 (40) 
Unchanged 50 (56) 
 
Q: Mr. Ozawa criticized the prosecutors' investigation, maintaining 
that he cannot understand why the prosecutors arrested and indicted 
his secretary in an unprecedented way at this time when an election 
for the House of Representatives is close at hand. Is this assertion 
from Mr. Ozawa convincing? 
 
Yes 22 
No 65 
 
Polling methodology: The survey was conducted March 28-29 over the 
telephone on a computer-aided random digit dialing (RDD) basis. 
Respondents were chosen from among the nation's voting population on 
a three-stage random-sampling basis. Valid answers were obtained 
from 1,102 persons (62 PERCENT ). 
 
(3) Interview with Minister Counselor for Agricultural Affair 
Geoffrey Wiggin at American Embassy in Japan: Will convey food 
culture and promote mutual understanding between Japan and U.S. 
 
FujiSankei Business i (Full) 
March 31, 2009 
 
-- You launched a website for consumers in February to advertise 
American food products and food culture (www.myfood.jp). What is the 
purpose of the website? 
 
"We want to convey the 'heart' and 'soul' of American food to 
Japanese consumers by giving a 'face' to a wide variety of farm 
products exported to Japan. While Japanese consumers are becoming 
increasingly concerned about food safety and peace of mind, there is 
strong concern about low food self-sufficiency. I am proud that the 
U.S. has served as an important and reliable food supplier for 
Japan. I would like to promote mutual understanding between the two 
countries by providing information on U.S. food production and food 
culture. 
 
-- What kind of information would you like to provide? 
 
"The U.S. has various traditional dishes. In the meantime, the U.S. 
has also fostered a variety of food cultures by accepting taste and 
ingredients from all over the world. We will convey such cultures 
through recipes and columns (on the website). Japan's 'sushi' has 
become the world's 'SUSHI,' creating California rolls. It is not 
known widely that the U.S. is the world's largest organic food 
grower. I believe that if we correctly convey information on 
American food and agriculture, Japanese consumers will feel safe 
 
TOKYO 00000735  005 OF 005 
 
 
about American food." 
 
-- What is your view on eliminating anxieties over genetically 
modified foods and BSE? 
 
"It has been more than 10 years since genetically modified foods 
were put into practical use. I am sure that providing scientific 
information, such as that the U.S. has substantially reduced the use 
of pesticide, taking the greatest care, based on longstanding 
research, would lead to setting people's fear about food safety at 
rest. Concerning the BSE issue, I understand the concerns felt by 
Japanese people, who have acute food awareness. I would like 
Japanese people to understand that U.S. beef is handled, based on 
global guidelines, and the beef supplied to American people is the 
same as beef exported. I think seeking stricter separate (export) 
conditions would mean depriving an opportunity to eat safe American 
beef for reasonable prices. Narrowing the range of options would not 
be wise for Japan as well." 
 
-- What is your view on the development of Japan-U.S. relations in 
terms of agricultural products? 
 
"Japan is an important market for the U.S. It also sees the U.S. as 
one of its stable food suppliers that support its people's eating.' 
Trade volume will likely shrink due to the global recession since 
last fall. However, the relationship of trust between the two 
countries will not change basically. Japan is a leader of 
biotechnology research. I hope that the U.S. and Japan can increase 
opportunities to support each other by transferring state-of-the-art 
technologies companies and universities have to American 
agriculture." 
 
Geoffrey Wiggin: 59 years old. Graduated from the Stanford 
University Philosophy Department. Earned a master's degree from 
Hawaii University. Entered Agriculture Department Foreign 
Agricultural Service (FAS) in 1981, and in the current post since 
October 2008, after serving in Italy and Russia as FAS officer. This 
is the third time for him to serve in Japan. Born in South Dakota. 
 
(Interviewer: Keiko Yamada) 
 
ZUMWALT