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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 11 TOKYO 002019 
 
SIPDIS 
 
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: JAPANESE MORNING PRESS HIGHLIGHTS 04/14/06 
 
Index: 
 
1)   Top headlines 
2)   Editorials 
3)   Prime Minister's daily schedule 
 
Defense issues: 
4)   Okinawa governor takes flexible stand on Futenma relocation 
  but may attach conditions for accepting agreement 
5)   US accepts the V-shaped runway proposal for Futenma's 
alternate facility at Camp Schwab 
6)   US, Japan reach general agreement on splitting up Futenma's 
refueling planes to Kanoya base and Iwakuni base; 2-plus-2 
meeting May 2nd 
7)   JDA chief Nukaga sounds out US on use of fiscal funding for 
cost of relocating Okinawa Marines to Guam 
8)   Government to add $3 billion in direct financing of Guam 
relocation 
9)   Nukaga seeking meeting with Secretary Rumsfeld 
10)  Subcontractor's software responsible for leak of information 
from Misawa base into the Internet 
 
11)  Japanese security officials seek to summon two Chinese 
  diplomats allegedly responsible for illegal labor scheme 
 
Beef issue: 
12)  In telephone call, USDA Secretary Johanns presses 
  Agriculture Minister Nakagawa for early resumption of US beef 
  imports 
13)  Johanns tells Nakagawa that Congress' patience has reached 
its limit on the beef trade issue 
 
Political agenda: 
14)  Clash between ruling, opposition camps in the Diet over the 
  administrative reform bill 
15)  Amended Basic Education Law could be passed if the current 
Diet session is extended 
16)  Minshuto's Naoto Kan: party head Ozawa will handle the rural 
districts and I'll do the cities in building support for the 
party 
17)  Minshuto's Hatoyama may seek to link up with non-mainstream 
forces in the ruling LDP 
18)  LDP's Tanigaki faction lays out policy platform that seeks 
to correct Japan's strained relations with neighboring countries 
19)  LDP's Komura faction in policy platform gives priority to 
relations with Asia 
 
Articles: 
 
1) TOP HEADLINES 
 
Asahi: 
Police to question former Huser President Ojima next week over 
falsified quake resistance data on condominiums 
 
Mainichi: 
Tokyo unprecedentedly bans schools from having voting by teachers 
as measure to secure school management based on principals' 
decisions 
 
Yomiuri: 
Police to question officials at Chinese Embassy in Japan on 
 
TOKYO 00002019  002 OF 011 
 
 
suspicion of abetting illegal work in Japan 
 
Nihon Keizai: 
FSA to order all Aiful outlets to suspend business for improper 
repayment methods 
 
Sankei: 
Number of freelance workers decrease to below 2 million owing to 
improving job market 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
Livedoor ends last trading day at 94 yen 
 
2) EDITORIALS 
 
Asahi: 
(1)  Basic Education Law: Difficulty of teaching "patriotism" 
(2)  General election in Italy: Close race reveals deep schism 
 
Mainichi: 
(1)  Revision to Basic Education Law: True intent of fostering 
"patriotism" glimpsed 
(2)  Electronic money: Be careful about snags 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1)  Six-party talks: Pressure on Pyongyang mounting for its 
refusal to return to negotiating table 
(2)  Murder in Tochigi Prefecture: Court says police 
investigation negligent 
 
Nihon Keizai: 
(1)  NHK should reform itself before imposing penalties on those 
who fail to pay mandatory fees 
(2)  Lessons on delisting of Livedoor stocks 
 
Sankei: 
(1)  Revisions to Basic Education Law: More straightforward 
expressions should be used in expressing "patriotism" 
(2)  Reckless bicycle riders: Good riding manners will reduce 
accidents 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1)  Basic Education Law: No need to rush revision 
(2)  Mural vandalism: There may be more covered-up damage 
 
3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, April 13 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2)  (Full) 
April 14, 2006 
 
09:54 
Arrived at Kantei. 
 
10:58 
Attended a meeting of the Lower House Special Committee on 
Administrative Reform. 
 
12:04 
Returned to Kantei. 
 
 
TOKYO 00002019  003 OF 011 
 
 
14:20 
Attended a meeting of the Lower House Special Committee on 
Administrative Reform. 
 
18:59 
Met with State Minister in Charge of Science and Technology 
Matsuda, Council for Science and Technology Policy member Abe and 
others. 
 
20:46 
Returned to residence. 
 
4) Inamine softens attitude toward Futenma relocation 
 
ASAHI (Page 1) (Full) 
April 14, 2006 
 
Okinawa Governor Keiichi Inamine told a press conference 
yesterday that Okinawa Prefecture will demand a new set of 
preconditions from the Japanese government to replace a '15-year 
time limit' and other previously set preconditions in return for 
approval of a recently re-modified plan to relocate the US Marine 
Corps' Futenma Air Station to a site across the Cape Henoko in 
the island prefecture's northern coastal city of Nago. Inamine 
said he would do so if the remodified plan, now agreed on between 
Tokyo and Nago, is incorporated in a final report on the 
realignment of US forces in Japan. The governor also said he 
would "uphold" his stance of seeking as before to relocate 
Futenma airfield elsewhere outside his prefecture in case the 
airfield will not be relocated to a site in waters off the coast 
of Henoko as initially planned. However, his press remarks 
yesterday denote a flexible stance by calling on the government 
to make concessions in the area of preconditions. 
 
Inamine will meet with Prime Minister Koizumi after the final 
report on the US military's realignment is released, according to 
Okinawa prefectural government officials. Okinawa Prefecture 
wants to have its standpoint reflected in a cabinet decision on 
the remodified Futenma relocation plan, the officials said. 
 
Okinawa Prefecture had previously set two preconditions for its 
consent to the government's initial plan to relocate the heliport 
functions of Futenma airfield to a site in waters off the coast 
of Henoko in the city of Nago. In concrete terms, Okinawa called 
for Tokyo to tag on a 15-year time limit to the U.S. military's 
use of the planned replacement facility for Futenma airfield in 
order to prevent it from becoming permanent. In addition, Okinawa 
has also preconditioned its approval of Futenma relocation to 
Nago on building a dual-purpose airport for joint military and 
civilian use as a future asset of the island prefecture's people. 
These two preconditions "were set for the initial plan," Inamine 
recounted. "If there's another agreement," he added, "we'll have 
to reconsider (new preconditions)." 
 
In October last year, the Japanese and US governments released an 
interim report on their still-ongoing talks over the US 
military's realignment, incorporating their agreement to relocate 
Futenma airfield to the cape of Henoko. At the time, Inamine 
commented on that Henoko coastal relocation plan as "absolutely 
unacceptable." In his remarks yesterday, however, Inamine only 
said the Okinawa prefectural government would firmly maintain its 
previous stance. 
 
TOKYO 00002019  004 OF 011 
 
 
 
"Nago City and the government have now concurred (on the 
remodified Futenma relocation plan), so we cannot raise a 
straightforward objection," a senior official of the Okinawa 
prefectural government said. This local official went on: "I 
don't mean to accept the Henoko coastal relocation plan. Well, 
whatever, we will try to settle other realignment issues as 
well." 
 
Inamine also implied his intention to give his positive 
evaluation to the final report if it incorporates an 
intergovernmental agreement to move about 8,000 US Marines from 
Okinawa to Guam or elsewhere and to return US military bases 
located south of Kadena airbase. "Then I can take it as 
considerable progress (in the government's efforts to alleviate 
Okinawa's base-hosting burden)," he said. 
 
In the meantime, Koizumi told reporters at his office yesterday 
evening that the government would like to continue its sincere 
efforts as ever. 
 
5) US OK's V-airstrip plan 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) 
April 14, 2006 
 
Japan and the United States held an intergovernmental meeting of 
consultations in Tokyo yesterday on the realignment of US forces, 
with senior officials for foreign and defense affairs attending. 
Japan explained that the Japanese government has basically agreed 
with Okinawa Prefecture's Nago City on a remodified plan to lay 
down a V-shaped pair of airstrips at the site of a new airfield 
to be built in a coastal area of Camp Schwab in Nago to take over 
the heliport functions of the US Marine Corps' Futenma Air 
Station in the island prefecture's city of Ginowan. The United 
States also consented to the remodified plan. But the two 
governments were not on the same wavelength on sharing the cost 
of moving US Marines from Okinawa to Guam, however. 
 
6) General agreement reached on splitting the relocation of 
Futenma's air refueling planes; 2-plus-2 likely on May 2nd 
 
SANKEI (Page 2) (Excerpt) 
April 14, 2006 
 
It was learned yesterday that in connection with the realignment 
of US forces in Japan, the Japanese and US governments have 
reached a basic agreement on a proposal to split the fleet of KC- 
130 air refueling planes now at Futenma Air Station (Ginowan City 
in Okinawa Prefecture), sending some to the Maritime Self-Defense 
Forces' Kanoya Base (Kagoshima Prefecture) and the rest to the US 
Marines' Iwakuni Air Station (Yamaguchi Prefecture). Coordination 
is going on now to convene a meeting of the Security Consultative 
Committee (2-plus-2), consisting of the foreign and security 
affairs cabinet ministers of the two countries, in order to seal 
the final agreement. 
 
7) Nukaga proposes fiscal disbursements for Guam relocation to 
Lawless 
 
MAINICHI (Page 1) (Full) 
April 14, 2006 
 
TOKYO 00002019  005 OF 011 
 
 
 
Defense Agency Director General Fukushiro Nukaga held talks with 
US Deputy Undersecretary of Defense Richard Lawless in Tokyo last 
night. In the meeting, the defense chief expressed the 
government's willingness to earmark funds from the general 
account and extend loans to cover Japan's share of the cost of 
relocating US Marines from Okinawa to Guam. Japan had previously 
presented a plan to loan 2.5 billion dollars, or 300 billion yen, 
for US military housing in response to the US call for bearing 
75% of the 10 billion dollars, or 1.18 trillion yen. But the 
government will now study the option of disbursing funds from 
taxes to allow the country to bear up to 50% of the total cost, 
including loans. 
 
Prior to the Nukaga-Lawless meeting, senior foreign and defense 
officials of the two countries held talks in Tokyo yesterday on 
the realignment of US forces in Japan. But a gap remained wide 
apart between Japan, which called for a smaller relocation cost, 
and the US, which reiterated its demand. They will meet again 
today. 
 
8) Guam relocation cost: Tokyo undertaking coordination on direct 
payment in addition to 3 billion dollars in loans 
 
ASAHI (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
April 14, 2006 
 
The government has started considering bearing the cost of 
relocating about 8,000 US Marines in Okinawa to Guam, the focus 
of USFJ realignment, at national expense (real water spending - 
the total amount of the spending minus the amount that will not 
involve the actual spending from money from the state treasury) 
in addition to the already-indicated loans worth 3 billion 
dollars or approximately 350 billion yen. The Japanese side 
during a Japan-US working-level talks of officials responsible 
for foreign and defense affairs on April 13 called for a revision 
to the base of the cost calculations by the US, which totaled 10 
billion dollars, and a reduction in the amount to be covered by 
Japan, which is now set at 75% (7.5 billion dollars or 
approximately 880 billion yen). Tokyo and Washington have started 
coordinating views on the shares of the relocation cost with a 
view to possibly settling the issue at the cabinet minister 
level. 
 
9) Nukaga suggests talks with Rumsfeld to reach political 
settlement on Guam relocation issue 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
April 14, 2006 
 
Defense Agency Director Fukushiro Nukaga held talks yesterday 
with US Deputy Under Secretary of Defense Richard Lawless, who 
was visiting Japan for a meeting of senior foreign and defense 
officials of the two countries. Touching on the relocation of US 
Marines from Okinawa to Guam, a focal point in the realignment of 
US forces in Japan, Nukaga asked for a reduced total cost, which 
is estimated by the US at 10 billion dollars. Lawless rejected 
Nukaga's request. As a result, Nukaga sounded out Lawless about 
the possibility of talks with US Secretary of Defense Ronald 
Rumsfeld to settle the issue. 
 
The defense chief also asked that Navy and Air Force facilities 
 
TOKYO 00002019  006 OF 011 
 
 
and other items unrelated to the Marine relocation be excluded 
from the cost. Tokyo and Washington also clashed in the talks 
between foreign and defense officials of the two countries ahead 
of the Nukaga-Lawless meeting. They failed to find common ground. 
Officials of the two countries will meet again today. A failure 
today may result in another round of talks in Washington next 
week. 
 
Vice Defense Minister Takemasa Moriya said in a press conference 
yesterday, "Although administrative-level talks are underway, the 
matter will have to be settled at a higher level." Moriya thus 
suggested that Nukaga would visit the US in the end to aim at a 
cabinet-level agreement. 
 
10) Data on Misawa base construction workers uploaded to Internet 
via Winny 
 
ASAHI (Page 39) (Full) 
April 14, 2006 
 
Lists of vehicles and construction workers allowed to enter US 
Misawa Air Base in Misawa, Aomori Prefecture, have been uploaded 
to the Internet from a personal computer running Winny file- 
sharing software. Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co. revealed 
yesterday that the data have leaked from its subcontractor. 
 
Included in the lists were permits to go through the base's gate 
and personal information, such as the genders of construction 
workers and their dates of birth. 
 
Data on 77 vehicles and 109 construction workers have been 
uploaded to the Internet, according to the Mitsui Engineering 
public affairs office. 
 
According to the office, the company subcontracted the US 
military's refurbishing project to a construction company in 
Hachinohe in the prefecture last September. A female interpreter 
hired by the construction company brought home a floppy disc 
containing the data in question. The files are believed to have 
been uploaded to the Internet from her computer that was running 
Winny. 
 
11) MPD to urge Chinese Embassy officials, including counselor, 
to appear for questioning over illegal employment allegedly aided 
and abetted by them, aims to shed light on unaccountable money 
amounting to 200 million yen 
 
YOMIURI (Top play) (Excerpts) 
April 14, 2006 
 
As part of investigations into the case of illegal Chinese 
workers allegedly aided and abetted by Zhang Jian, 51, president 
of the Chinese Business Consultancy, located in Chuo Ward, Tokyo, 
a firm that is linked closely to the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo, 
the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's (MPD) Public Safety 
Bureau (PSB) began taking necessary proceedings to urge two 
Chinese Embassy officials, including a counselor, 51, to appear 
for questioning, according to information obtained by the Yomiuri 
Shimbun. Zhang is alleged to have taken advantage of the 
embassy's credibility and collected some 200 million yen in a 
nontransparent way over the past seven or so years. The PSB has 
determined it is necessary to question Zhang in its efforts to 
 
TOKYO 00002019  007 OF 011 
 
 
shed light on how the money has been used and what links he has 
to the China-Taiwan reunification movement he has advanced. 
 
The PSB plans to question a counselor at the embassy's consular 
section and a senior official at its commerce section on a 
voluntary basis. Reportedly, the PSB yesterday asked the Foreign 
Ministry to take necessary proceedings to get the two to appear 
for questioning. 
 
This is the first case of Japanese police urging Chinese 
diplomats to appear for questioning. But they may refuse to 
appear or to respond to questioning, as diplomats are granted 
diplomatic immunity from investigations by the host nation. 
 
According to police investigations, it has been verified that 
Zhang since around 1990 illegally renewed the resident statuses 
of some 70 Chinese by making them appear as though they were 
hired by the Chinese Business Consultancy, and he received 20 
million yen or so from about 20 such Chinese. It has been also 
confirmed that Zhang has received about 100 million yen, but who 
sent the money remains unknown. 
 
In addition, Zhang since 2002 has run interpretation courses for 
Chinese living in Japan to become interpreters for the Japanese 
police and has collected nearly 70 million yen from some 200 such 
Chinese. 
 
The counselor in question at the Chinese Embassy arrived in Japan 
in March 2003. Later, he became a frequent visitor at the 
consulting firm located at Ginza, Tokyo. Last August, he was seen 
attending along with Zhang a meeting focused on such themes as 
China-Taiwan reunification as advocated by the Chinese 
government, held in Minato Ward. 
 
12) Agriculture Minister Nakagawa counter call for resumption of 
beef imports in telephone dialogue with his US counterpart 
 
SANKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
April 14, 2006 
 
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Nakagawa 
yesterday evening discussed on the phone Japan's ban on US beef 
imports with US Secretary of Agriculture Johanns. Johanns 
strongly called for the reinstatement of the beef trade, noting, 
"Lawmakers' patience will reach an absolute end once they return 
from their Easter holiday." Referring to the fact that meat-and- 
bone meal, which is believed to be the method of BSE 
transmission, is being used in the US as feed for pigs and birds, 
Nakagawa countered, "Refraining from using meat-and-bone meal as 
much as possible will help Japanese consumers feel that US beef 
is safe." 
 
The two also agreed to meet this month on the sidelines of a 
cabinet ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO) 
in Geneva. 
 
13) Congress' patience reaching absolute end, US secretary of 
agriculture tells Agriculture Minister Nakagawa 
 
YOMIURI (Page 9) (Full) 
April 14, 2006 
 
 
TOKYO 00002019  008 OF 011 
 
 
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MOFA) Nakagawa 
yesterday evening held telephone conference with his US 
counterpart Mike Johanns to discuss the issue of the second ban 
on US beef imports by Japan. Johanns called for a resumption of 
beef imports at an early date, saying, "The Congress' patience is 
reaching an absolute end." However, Nakagawa stood firm in his 
cautious stance, noting, "Let's press ahead with the process step 
by step." He pointed out: "If the US restricts the use of meat- 
and-bone meal as feed as Japan does, Japanese consumers will 
gradually determine that US beef is safe." Johanns simply noted, 
"I will convey your point to officials responsible for the 
issue." 
 
14) Clash between LDP, Minshuto over administrative reform bills 
in Diet, with one reply after another coming from government side 
indicating deferment 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (Excerpts) 
April 14, 2006 
 
The House of Representatives Administrative Reform Special 
Committee conducted intensive deliberations yesterday, with Prime 
Minister Junichiro Koizumi participating. The committee has spent 
about 50 hours since the start of substantive deliberations on 
five bills related to promoting administrative reform. On 
specific measures, including a net reduction in the number of 
public servants, however, one reply indicating postponement after 
another came out from the government side. Although the 
Democratic Party of Japan (Minshuto) presented a counterproposal 
yesterday, time is running out. The Koizumi administration came 
up with administrative reform legislation, defining it as "the 
roundup of Koizumi reforms," but not much time has been left for 
wrangling over the key bills between the ruling and opposition 
parties in the Diet. 
 
"Does Minshuto see the number of public servants to be reduced as 
insufficient? The party should make its stance clearer," said the 
prime minister regarding a bill designed to reduce the number of 
national government employees by more than 5% over five years. 
This measure is viewed as the most difficult challenge among the 
five administrative reform bills in the face of resistance from 
bureaucrats. 
 
On top of that, the Hokkaido Development Bureau, a branch office 
of the Land, Infrastructure, and Transport Ministry, is negative 
about the plan. The prime minister instructed the Liberal 
Democratic Party to achieve a net reduction of 20 to 30%, but 
Transport Minister Kazuo Kitagawa made remarks cautious about the 
plan during deliberations on April 10. Kitagawa said: "Hokkaido 
has its own special characteristics," exposing a lack of unity in 
the government. 
 
15) Passage of bill amending Basic Education Law during current 
Diet session uncertain without extension 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Excerpts) 
April 14, 2006 
 
Following the agreement reached on April 13 between the ruling 
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partner New 
Komeito over the amendments to the Basic Education Law, the 
government and ruling parties appear to be aiming at passing a 
 
TOKYO 00002019  009 OF 011 
 
 
bill amending the law through the current Diet session. However, 
only about two months are left until the end of the session, so 
the view is that there is not enough time to deliberate such an 
important bill. Therefore, whether the bill will clear the Diet 
this session remains uncertain. 
 
Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe yesterday told LDP Secretary 
General Tsutomu Takebe that the government would hurriedly draft 
its own bill based on the ruling coalition's proposal. "We aim at 
passing the bill during the current Diet session," he said. 
 
The government intends to submit the bill amending the education 
law in late April before the Golden Week holiday period. The 
dominant view in the ruling camp, however, is that the bill will 
be submitted after the holidays in early May since there are 
other bills still being deliberated. Some LDP lawmakers remain 
opposed to the ruling camp's proposal, which was made because the 
LDP accepted the New Komeito's request to alter the description 
of "patriotism" and other points. The expectation is that it will 
take time for the LDP to reach an internal consensus. 
 
Given the situation, a senior New Komeito lawmaker commented: 
 
"If the government aims to pass the bill through the Diet after 
deliberations in the education committees of both Diet chambers, 
an extension of the current Diet session will be absolutely 
necessary. If the current session is not extended, special 
committees will be needed to discuss the bill." 
 
This view is gaining ground in the ruling coalition parties. 
 
LDP General Council Chairman Fumio Kyuma indicated yesterday that 
it would be difficult to pass the bill during the current Diet 
session, saying, "Passing this important bill will be difficult 
even if the term of the session is extended." 
 
16) Minshuto's Kan says he will not run in September party 
leadership race; "Mr. Ozawa will work to win support from rural 
areas, I will work the urban areas" to win support for next Upper 
House election 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Full) 
April 14, 2006 
 
Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan) deputy head Naoto Kan in an 
interview yesterday with the Nihon Keizai Shimbun revealed that 
President Ichiro Ozawa would do his best to build party support 
in rural areas and to strengthen party ties with industrial 
organizations, while he would make efforts to expand support in 
urban areas in order to win seats in the House of Councillors 
election next summer. 
 
Since Ozawa assumed the presidency, the largest opposition party 
has cited as a top priority the party's strategy for the next 
Upper House election. Kan stressed: "Mr. Ozawa will visit the 
rural areas where there are many single-seat constituencies up 
for reelection. I will work on the younger generation and on 
retired people in the urban areas." 
 
Kan said, "I have no intention" to run in the September party 
presidential election. He added, "I am determined to work hard 
under the leadership of Mr. Ozawa so that the party will win the 
 
TOKYO 00002019  010 OF 011 
 
 
Upper House and the next Lower House elections." He emphasized 
the importance of dealing with such issues as administrative and 
fiscal reform and the widening social gap. As to the party's 
basic policy on foreign and security policy, he said, "No need to 
hurry." 
 
Kan stated: "Mr. Ozawa has greatly changed because he is now 
talking to the public straight. I will do my best not to show my 
temper in public." At a press conference prior to this interview, 
Kan remarked, "Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi may be afraid of 
Mr. Ozawa who was way above him when he belonged to the Liberal 
Democratic Party." 
 
17) Hatoyama indicates possible linkage with non-mainstream 
forces in LDP in Diet vote on prime minister 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (Full) 
April 14, 2006 
 
Democratic Party of Japan (Minshuto) Secretary General Yukio 
Hatoyama indicated last night that if Chief Cabinet Secretary 
Shinzo Abe is elected in the Liberal Democratic Party 
presidential election in September, Minshuto, led by Ichiro 
Ozawa, might pursue a conservative-centrist administration by 
joining hands with non-mainstream forces in the LDP in a Diet 
vote to be held afterward to choose the prime minister. He made 
the remarks on a Asahi TV satellite program. 
 
Keeping in mind the possibility of Abe being elected prime 
minister, Hatoyama said: "If the administration continues to take 
a rightist diplomatic stance, conservatives and centrists (in the 
LDP and Minshuto) could team up, and a mighty swell would 
eventually result." 
 
Touching on the Diet vote on the prime minister, Hatoyama said: 
"(Those who support candidates other than Abe) should leave the 
LDP and vote for Ozawa." He then indicated the possibility that 
Minshuto could vote for a defeated LDP candidate, with the aim of 
"toppling the LDP administration." 
 
18) LDP's Tanigaki faction characterizes in policy proposals 
Japan's relations with neighboring countries as abnormal, calls 
for change in Koizumi's policy 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) 
April 14, 2006 
 
The Tanigaki faction in the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) 
revealed yesterday the draft of its policy proposals. The 
proposals will become the faction's platform if Finance Minister 
Sadakazu Tanigaki runs in the September party presidential race. 
The faction suggests a revamping of Prime Minister Junichiro 
Koizumi's foreign and domestic policies, and it points out 
drawbacks of the government's structural reform drive. The paper 
also characterizes Japan's present relations with Asian countries 
as "abnormal diplomacy." 
 
The faction has titled the set of proposals, "In search of the 
ties that bind human beings and society." The paper is composed 
of the general views and 17 specific ones, and will serve as an 
interim report, with the final set of proposals to be released in 
May. 
 
TOKYO 00002019  011 OF 011 
 
 
 
Though praising the achievements of the Koizumi government, the 
faction assesses the government's structural reform programs as 
lacking compassion for the losers in society and consideration 
for the socially weak -- attributes seen as virtues of the 
Japanese people -- since the government excessively focuses on 
economic rationality. 
 
Regarding the tax hike issue, the draft underscores that it is 
only natural for politicians to make thoroughgoing preparations 
in order to obtain public understanding. 
 
On foreign policy, the faction calls for reviewing foreign policy 
toward Asia, including improvement in relations with China, 
stressing that Japan should correct the abnormal situation that 
exists in its relations with neighboring Asian countries in a bid 
to win their understanding. 
 
19) Komura faction prioritizes Asia policy in policy platform, 
with eye on LDP presidential election 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
April 14, 2006 
 
Komura faction chairman Masahiko Komura of the Liberal Democratic 
Party (LDP) gave a press conference at a Tokyo hotel yesterday 
and gave a briefing on his faction's policy platform for the LDP 
presidential election in September. The platform, titled, "A 
Japan with security and dreams," includes these slogans: 
"Maintain and develop favorable relations with Asian countries"; 
"Achieve a 4 % -5 % nominal growth and 2 % -3 % real growth"; and 
"Create a society in which child rearing is easy." 
 
If Komura runs in the presidential race, the faction will use it 
as his election platform, and otherwise, it will use it as 
standards to determine whom the faction will support. 
 
In the press conference, Komura praised Koizumi's reform drive to 
some extent, noting "its basic direction, including the transfer 
of authority from the central government to local governments, 
and from the bureaucracy to the private sector." But he also 
underscored his own policy identity, saying: "It is necessary to 
promote ethics reforms that give consideration to security and 
safety, instead of leaning toward efficiency." 
 
Komura criticized Prime Minister Koizumi's Asia policy, 
commenting: "The administration should pursue diplomacy making 
use of the advantages of Japan as the industrialized country 
closest to China and India, both of which have the highest 
potential for growth." 
 
On Prime Minister Koizumi's visits to Yasukuni Shrine, Komura 
said: "Unless Yasukuni Shrine comes up with some sort of idea, 
there will be no resolution of the issue," but he presented no 
specific plan. 
 
SCHIEFFER