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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 001757 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR I/RF, PA/PR/FPC/W, IIP/G/EA, EAP/PD, R/MR, 
EAP/J, EAP/P, PM; 
USTR FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE; 
TREASURY FOR OASIA/IMI; 
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA; 
CP BUTLER OKINAWA FOR AREA FIELD OFFICE; 
PACOM HONOLULU FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO JA
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION  JAPANESE POLITICS/SINO-JAPANESE 
RELATIONS - TOKYO 
 
 
LEAD STORIES: Most Monday morning papers front-paged 
growing speculation that the main opposition Democratic 
Party of Japan (DPJ) deputy leader Ichiro Ozawa or former 
leader Naoto Kan will succeed outgoing chief Maehara. 
 
¶1. "Maehara's Decision Comes Too Late" The top- 
circulation, moderate Yomiuri editorialized (4/1): "DPJ 
President Maehara's decision to step down marks a bitter 
end to the confusion arising from the phony email 
scandal. On Friday, Maehara and the rest of the party 
leadership resigned to take responsibility for the 
turmoil. Hisayasu Nagata, who raised the email in the 
Diet, has resigned from the Lower House. These steps 
apparently reflect the embattled main opposition party's 
desire to turn things around as it prepares for the 
latter half of the Diet session and a by-election in 
Chiba Prefecture's seventh constituency.... Maehara's 
decision came too late. The fact that it took him six 
weeks to settle the problem can be blamed on his 
inability to properly deal with the crisis facing his 
party. 
 
¶2. "The DPJ had been flooded with protests, with some 
people saying that they could no longer trust the party. 
The DPJ needs to be aware that regaining this lost trust 
will not be an easy matter.... The chaos created by the 
DPJ has delayed deliberations in the Diet, a development 
that has increased distrust in politicians and political 
parties overall. In addition, it will now be more 
difficult for the DPJ to take power from the ruling 
coalition. According a recent Yomiuri poll, more than 70 
percent of respondents said that the DPJ is not fit to 
run the country. The DPJ will likely choose Maehara's 
successor Friday at a general meeting of party lawmakers 
from both Houses of the Diet.... The DPJ is composed of 
an eclectic mix of legislators who previously belonged to 
other parties, including the ruling Liberal Democratic 
Party and the left-leaning Social Democratic Party.... 
There are major fissures among DPJ members over such 
issues as foreign relations, national security, and other 
basic policies." 
 
¶3. "How Will Potential Prime Ministers React to Chinese 
President's Remarks?" An editorial in the liberal 
Mainichi commented (4/3): "During a meeting in Beijing 
with senior officials of pro-China Japanese 
organizations, Chinese President Hu Jintao said that he 
was 'ready to hold talks with any Japanese leader who 
promises to never again visit Yasukuni Shrine, which 
enshrines the souls of Class-A war criminals.'... This is 
the first time for a Chinese leader to directly link 
visits to Yasukuni and summit meetings, demonstrating 
again China's unyielding stance on the matter.... 
Bilateral relations remain chilly, as neither country's 
leader has visited the other nation in more that four-and- 
a-half years.... 
 
¶4. "With such issues in the background as China's 
development of natural gas fields in the East China Sea 
and the suicide of a Japanese communications officer at 
the Shanghai Consulate General, some have said that 
bilateral relations are at their lowest point since the 
two countries normalized ties in 1972.... It appears that 
Beijing has given up on improving relations with Japan 
while PM Koizumi is in office.... With the enactment of 
the fiscal 2006 state budget, moves are already afoot 
behind the scenes to select a successor to PM Koizumi, 
 
TOKYO 00001757  002 OF 002 
 
 
who is scheduled to step down as LDP president in 
September. It is fair to say that President Hu had 
Japan's domestic political situation in mind when he met 
with officials of the pro-China Japanese organizations. 
His remarks were directed not so much at Koizumi as at 
those who would seek to succeed him." 
 
DONOVAN