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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 13 TOKYO 002500 
 
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:  DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 05/09/06 
 
INDEX: 
 
(1) Poll on Koizumi cabinet's performance 
 
(2) Prime Minister Koizumi giving serious consideration to paying 
homage at Yasukuni Shrine on Aug. 15, the day of the anniversary 
of the end of WWII; If he visits, relations with China and ROK 
will surely go from bad to worse 
 
(3) Interview with US Consul General for Okinawa Thomas Reich on 
effect of US force realignment on Okinawa: Number of US Marines 
unclear; Six bases will be returned in stages 
 
(4) ASDF realignment plan; Air Defense Command's Headquarters to 
be strengthened; Control over MD system; 24-hour-a-day watch 
 
(5) Kakushin (Heart of matter) column by Yasuhiro Tase: Since 
Japan appears to have forgotten its diplomatic strategy toward 
neighboring nations, how then will it live in Asia? 
 
(6) In voting conducted by civic group on Constitution, many 
youths in Shibuya support Article 9 
 
(7) Strategic distribution of ODA funds; Overseas Economic 
Cooperation Council holds first meeting; Consideration also to be 
given to environment area 
 
ARTICLES: 
 
(1) Poll on Koizumi cabinet's performance 
 
YOMIURI (Page 15) (Abridged) 
April 25, 2006 
 
Questions & Answers 
(Figures shown in percentage.) 
 
Q: Prime Minister Koizumi has been in office for nearly five 
years. What's your overall rating for the performance of Prime 
Minister Koizumi and his cabinet over the past five years? 
 
Appreciate very much            17.3 
Appreciate somewhat              53.1 
Don't appreciate very much       18.4 
Don't appreciate at all           9.4 
No answer (N/A)                   1.8 
 
Q: What do you think the Koizumi cabinet has accomplished in 
particular over the past five years? Pick as many as you like 
from among those listed below. 
 
Postal privatization                          44.3 
Highway privatization                         25.0 
North Korea problem                           24.8 
Bad-loan write-off                            15.5 
Economic, employment measures                 15.3 
Decentralization                               7.4 
Deregulation                                   8.4 
Fiscal reconstruction                          5.9 
Iraq problem                                   5.9 
Food safety                                    4.1 
Tax reform                                     2.9 
Social security reform                         2.0 
 
TOKYO 00002500  002 OF 013 
 
 
Emergency legislation, crisis management       1.9 
US military base issues                        1.9 
Educational reform                             1.8 
Public security, crime prevention              1.5 
Constitutional issues                          1.0 
Other answers (O/A) + nothing in particular (NIP) + no answer 
(N/A)                                         21.1 
 
Q: The Koizumi cabinet has written off bad loans and advanced 
deregulation. Do you think the Japanese economy is changing for 
the better with these structural reforms? 
 
Yes                           15.5 
Yes to a certain degree       39.2 
No to a certain degree        22.3 
No                            17.8 
N/A                            5.3 
 
Q: "As a result of the Koizumi cabinet's deregulation, business 
corporations are now competing for better services and lower 
prices, and the people will be better off." Do you agree to this 
opinion? 
 
Yes                           13.2 
Yes to a certain degree       27.8 
No to a certain degree        27.2 
No                            26.9 
N/A                            5.0 
 
Q: "As a result of the Koizumi cabinet's deregulation, the 
nation's social divide is widening." Do you agree to this 
opinion? 
 
Yes                           33.6 
Yes to a certain degree       25.4 
No to a certain degree        20.1 
No                            14.9 
N/A                            6.0 
 
Q: (Only for those who answered "yes") What do you think is that? 
Pick as many as you like from among those listed below. 
 
Disparity in income, assets       61.2 
Intergenerational disparity in social security, including 
pensions       46.5 
Disparity between big and small businesses                 45.1 
Disparity between full- and part-time wages                37.9 
Disparity between urban and local districts                37.9 
Disparity between those who can receive higher education and 
those who cannot                                           19.7 
Disparity in opportunities to turn on individual skills at work 
                                                            9.4 
Disparity in opportunities to try again after failing       8.1 
O/A+N/A                                                     1.0 
 
Q: Some say recent scandals-such as an architect's falsification 
of earthquake resistance data on buildings and Livedoor Co.'s 
illegal trading in securities-have something to do with the 
reported deterioration of corporate ethics and morals. Do you 
agree to this opinion? 
 
Yes                           11.4 
Yes to a certain degree       15.0 
 
TOKYO 00002500  003 OF 013 
 
 
No to a certain degree        20.8 
No                            49.3 
N/A                            3.6 
 
Q: What's your overall rating for the Koizumi cabinet's 
structural reforms on the whole? 
 
Plus                            16.6 
Plus to a certain extent        43.7 
Minus to a certain extent       20.2 
Minus                            9.7 
N/A                              9.8 
 
Q: What's your rating for the Koizumi cabinet's policy measures 
at home over the past five years? 
 
Appreciate very much             14.1 
Appreciate somewhat              52.8 
Don't appreciate very much       21.9 
Don't appreciate at all           8.0 
N/A                               3.2 
 
Q: Do you think Japan-US relations have improved over the past 
five years, or do you otherwise think Japan-US relations have 
worsened? 
 
Improved                           19.0 
Improved to a certain extent       43.9 
Worsened to a certain extent       17.4 
Worsened                            4.9 
N/A                                14.8 
 
Q: What's your rating for the Koizumi cabinet's deployment of 
Self-Defense Forces members to Iraq for humanitarian 
reconstruction assistance? 
 
Appreciate very much              13.5 
Appreciate somewhat               37.8 
Don't appreciate very much        26.7 
Don't appreciate at all           18.4 
N/A                                3.6 
 
Q: (Only for those who answered "appreciate") Why? Pick as many 
reasons as you like from among those listed below. 
 
Because SDF activities are appreciated by Iraqi people 
                                                20.7 
Because SDF activities are limited to humanitarian reconstruction 
only                             50.4 
Because Japan could play its role to a certain extent in the 
international community                         60.1 
Because Japan could strengthen its alliance with the US 
                                                15.0 
O/A                                              1.0 
N/A                                              1.4 
 
Q: (Only for those who answered "don't appreciate") Why? Pick as 
many reasons as you like from among those listed below. 
 
Because SDF activities are not appreciated by Iraqi people 
                                                     25.4 
Because SDF members may be involved in a battle 
                                                     42.8 
 
TOKYO 00002500  004 OF 013 
 
 
Because I'm against the SDF's overseas dispatch 
                                                     32.6 
Because Prime Minister Koizumi is at America's beck and call 
                                                     59.1 
O/A                                                   2.4 
N/A                                                   0.6 
 
Q: What's your rating for Prime Minister Koizumi's two visits to 
North Korea in September 2002 and May 2004 and his meetings with 
Kim Jong Il? 
 
Appreciate very much             37.5 
Appreciate somewhat              43.4 
Don't appreciate very much       11.5 
Don't appreciate at all           5.2 
N/A                               2.5 
 
Q: What do you think should be addressed on a priority basis over 
North Korea issues? Pick as many as you like from among those 
listed below. 
 
Stop North Korea from developing nuclear weapons       61.6 
Stop North Korea from developing missiles              44.7 
Resolve the problem of Japanese abductees              81.7 
Normalize diplomatic relations                         21.7 
Extend economic cooperation to North Korea              5.3 
Impose economic sanctions on North Korea               26.3 
Urge North Korea to change its political and economic systems 
                                                       16.0 
O/A+NIP                                                 1.4 
N/A                                                     0.9 
 
Q: Prime Minister Koizumi pledged to visit Yasukuni Shrine when 
he ran in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's presidential 
election in 2001, and he has annually visited there. Are you in 
favor of his visit to the shrine? 
 
Yes                           28.2 
Yes to a certain degree       25.9 
No to a certain degree        19.3 
No                            20.6 
N/A                            6.0 
 
Q: Against the backdrop of China's denunciation of Prime Minister 
Koizumi's visits to Yasukuni Shrine, the leaders of Japan and 
China have made no mutual visits since October 2001. What do you 
think about the present state of Japan-China relations? 
 
Very serious            52.9 
Somewhat serious        39.3 
Not very serious        19.7 
Not serious at all       5.3 
N/A                      2.9 
 
Q: Do you think Prime Minister Koizumi is to blame for the 
present state of Japan-China relations? 
 
Very much           21.4 
Somewhat            39.3 
Not very much       21.6 
Not at all          14.1 
N/A                  3.6 
 
 
TOKYO 00002500  005 OF 013 
 
 
Q: What's your rating for the Koizumi cabinet's diplomacy over 
the past five years? 
 
Appreciate very much             11.6 
Appreciate somewhat              47.1 
Don't appreciate very much       27.5 
Don't appreciate at all          10.1 
N/A                               3.7 
 
 
Q: Do you think Japanese politics has changed for the better over 
the past five years, or do you otherwise think it has changed for 
the worse? 
 
Better                           12.5 
Better to a certain degree       43.1 
Worse to a certain degree        24.4 
Worse                             7.9 
N/A                              12.2 
 
Q: (Only for those who answered "better") Why? Pick as many 
reasons as you like from among those listed below. 
 
Because politicians are leading bureaucrats                19.2 
Because the prime minister is displaying leadership        48.0 
Because specific government offices and lawmakers close to 
specific industries are now less influential than before 
                                                           28.4 
Because LDP factions are less influential now              31.9 
Because closed-door politics is gone and politics is now more 
transparent                                                23.2 
Because the Koizumi cabinet has addressed issues foregone by its 
predecessors                                               27.9 
Because public opinion is now easily reflected in politics 
                                                           17.0 
Because there was a generational change in lawmakers       18.9 
O/A+N/A                                                     3.2 
 
Q: Do you think Prime Minister Koizumi could change the LDP's 
political approach and nature? 
 
Yes                           19.6 
Yes to a certain degree       42.3 
No to a certain degree        18.8 
No                            14.9 
N/A                            4.5 
 
Q: Prime Minister Koizumi called reform opponents in the LDP and 
relevant organizations "antireformers" and fielded candidates 
called "assassins" in last year's election for the House of 
Representatives to square off with them. Do you think such a way 
of doing things was appropriate? 
 
Yes                           15.2 
Yes to a certain degree       23.3 
No to a certain degree        28.9 
No                            26.2 
N/A                            6.5 
 
Q: What's your rating for Prime Minister Koizumi's political 
approach and remarks over the past five years? 
 
Appreciate very much             13.1 
 
TOKYO 00002500  006 OF 013 
 
 
Appreciate somewhat              49.4 
Don't appreciate very much       23.9 
Don't appreciate at all           9.2 
N/A                               4.4 
 
Q: What do you think has made the Koizumi cabinet keep its 
support rate higher than those for its predecessors? Pick only 
one primary reason from among those listed below. 
 
Prime Minister Koizumi has been displaying leadership       27.2 
Prime Minister Koizumi's restructuring initiatives have been 
supported                                                   12.9 
His cabinet's policy measures have made actual showings, such as 
visible signs indicating economic recovery                  11.4 
Prime Minister Koizumi's appearances and hobbies give favorable 
impressions                                                 10.8 
Prime Minister Koizumi is free from scandals over money or women 
                                                             7.9 
His cabinet is a coalition of the LDP and the New Komeito party 
                                                             5.8 
The prime minister is from the LDP                           5.3 
Prime Minister Koizumi cross words with foreign leaders as equals 
on international occasions                            3.7 
Prime Minister Koizumi has visited Yasukuni Shrine           1.1 
 
Q: How many hours on average do you watch television per weekday? 
 
Less than 30 minutes       4.0 
30 minutes-1 hour         12.1 
1-2 hours                 27.0 
2-3 hours                 29.1 
Over 3 hours              26.7 
Don't watch TV             0.9 
N/A                        0.2 
 
Polling methodology 
    Date of survey: April 8-9. 
    Subjects of survey: 3,000 persons chosen from among all 
eligible voters throughout the country (at 250 locations on a 
stratified two-stage random-sampling basis). 
    Method of implementation: Door-to-door visits for face-to- 
face interviews. 
    Number of valid respondents: 1,823 persons (60.8%) 
    Breakdown of respondents: Male-48%, female-52%; persons in 
their 20s-10%, 30s-16%, 40s-17%, 50s-21%, 60s-21%, 70 and 
over-15%; big cities (Tokyo's 23 wards and government-designated 
cities)-21%, major cities (with a population of more than 
300,000)-19%, medium-size cities (with a population of more than 
100,000)-24%, small cities (with a population of less than 
100,000)-22%, towns and villages-14%. 
 
(2) Prime Minister Koizumi giving serious consideration to paying 
homage at Yasukuni Shrine on Aug. 15, the day of the anniversary 
of the end of WWII; If he visits, relations with China and ROK 
will surely go from bad to worse 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Full) 
May 8, 2006 
 
06 
 
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has begun to examine what 
specific impact would result if he should visit Yasukuni Shrine 
 
TOKYO 00002500  007 OF 013 
 
 
on Aug. 15, the day of the anniversary of the end of World War II 
(WWII), according to one of his aides. "The prime minister has a 
strong desire to pay homage at Yasukuni Shrine this year on the 
anniversary of WW II, for this is his last year in office," the 
same source said. Koizumi is likely to make a decision on the 
timing of a shrine visit after considering from various angles 
how China and South Korea might react, as well as the likely 
fallout on the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) presidential 
race set for September. 
 
LDP lawmaker Taku Yamasaki has speculated that the "most likely 
date for the prime minister to visit Yasukuni Shrine would be 
Aug. 15." The possibility that Koizumi is seriously considering 
visiting the shrine on that day is certain to pour more icy water 
over relations with China and South Korea. 
 
During his LDP presidential campaign in 2001, Koizumi pledged, "I 
will pay homage at the shrine on the anniversary of the end of 
the war."  But that year, he visited the shrine on Aug. 13, 
moving up the timing by two days. Since then he either went on 
New Year's day or on the shrine's spring or autumn festivals. The 
same source said, "The prime minister regretted moving up the 
date in 2001." 
 
Recently Koizumi has avoided mentioning a specific date for a 
shrine visit, only stating, "I will make a proper decision" on 
when to visit the shrine. 
 
(3) Interview with US Consul General for Okinawa Thomas Reich on 
effect of US force realignment on Okinawa: Number of US Marines 
unclear; Six bases will be returned in stages 
 
OKINAWA TIMES (Page 2) (Full) 
May 9, 2006 
 
In the wake of the production of the final report on the 
realignment of US forces in Japan, the Okinawa Times asked US 
Consul General for Okinawa Thomas Reich about its impact on 
Okinawa and other factors. 
 
Okinawa Times: At present, there are about 12,000 US Marines in 
Okinawa. Of them, 8,000 will be relocated, leaving 4,000 in 
Okinawa. Is that correct? 
 
Reich: Some 9,000 family members will also be relocated. I cannot 
say exactly how many US Marines will remain in Okinawa. The 
number of US troops in Okinawa changes all the time as they are 
constantly on the move, making it difficult to grasp the correct 
number. 
 
Okinawa Times: What can you tell us about the return of the six 
bases south of Kadena Air Base and the integration of bases? 
 
Reich: Things will be determined specifically by next March, and 
realignment and consolidation will progress. If the six 
facilities have any functions that must absolutely stay here, 
they must be relocated elsewhere in the prefecture. Nothing has 
been determined about their relocations. 
 
Okinawa Times: When are you going to return the six bases? 
 
Reich: We are hoping to return them by 2014. They will bring 
tremendous changes to Okinawa in the next eight years. The six 
 
TOKYO 00002500  008 OF 013 
 
 
bases will be returned in stages rather than at once. 
 
Okinawa Times: Is the package argument still valid even if the 
Futenma relocation is delayed and only the facilities in Guam are 
completed? 
 
Reich: The United States and Japan basically want to realize the 
two projects as a package. Many Okinawa residents are supportive 
of the relocation, and we believe that the Japanese government 
will realize it. There won't be any obstacles to the package 
approach. 
 
Okinawa Times: What kind of aircraft is the United States going 
to deploy at the alternative facility for Futenma? Is there any 
possibility of using aerial refueling planes and deploying 
Ospreys? 
 
Reich: The road map (in the final report) doesn't specify any 
models. No aerial refueling planes are stationed in Okinawa. I 
don't know if they will use the new facility. It is a fact that 
the United States is planning to replace CH-53s with Ospreys in 
the future. There has been no formal announcement on when they 
will be deployed to Okinawa. 
 
Okinawa Times: With the two-runway plan, will US aircraft be able 
to avoid flying over residential areas? Will they conduct touch- 
and-go drills? 
 
Reich: The two runways in a V shape will be different from the 
one at Futenma Air Station, and I don't know if they will conduct 
touch-and-go drills. The United States and Japan have been 
studying specific flight paths at the working level. All I can 
say is that we will respect the wishes of Okinawa residents. 
 
Okinawa Times: Will helicopters continue their drills at Futenma 
until the alternative facility is completed? 
 
Reich: They will continue using Futenma Air Station until the new 
facility is constructed. Splitting Futenma functions among 
multiple locations before the completion of the alternative 
facility is inconceivable. 
 
Okinawa Times: What's your take on Okinawa's temporary heliport 
plan? 
 
Reich: I am aware through media reports that Gov. Keiichi Inamine 
made such a proposal, which is different from the plan agreed 
upon by the governments of the United States and Japan. Basically 
I don't think there is any big difference from the agreed plan. 
 
Okinawa Times: Are the bases besides Camp Hansen and Kadena Air 
Base also going to expand the range of joint use with the Self- 
Defense Forces? 
 
Reich: I don't want to say 'no' to that question. We cannot rule 
out expansion. But at present, Kadena and Hansen are the only 
ones subject to expansion. 
 
Okinawa Times: If joint use with the SDF can help maintain 
deterrence, there won't be any need in the future to station US 
Marines in Okinawa, will there? 
 
Reich: It's an awfully interesting question. We'll get the answer 
 
TOKYO 00002500  009 OF 013 
 
 
in the future. I think it's good for the SDF to work jointly with 
the US military in terms of enhancing deterrence. It's also 
conceivable for the Ground Self-Defense Force to replace US 
Marines. I think this is possible in the future. 
 
(Interviewed by Tsuyoshi Watanabe of the political news 
department) 
 
(4) ASDF realignment plan; Air Defense Command's Headquarters to 
be strengthened; Control over MD system; 24-hour-a-day watch 
 
SANKEI (Page 1) (Slightly abridged) 
May 8, 2006 
 
The Defense Agency (JDA) has been looking into a plan to realign 
the Air Self-Defense Force (ASDF). The entire details of the plan 
were unveiled yesterday. The showcase of the package is to 
substantially reinforce the command-and-control capability of the 
Air Defense Command's Headquarters (ADCH), which is to be 
operated jointly with the US Air Force at US Yokota Air Base in 
Tokyo, after USFJ realignment. The ADCH will also ensure that a 
missile defense system to be operated jointly by Japan and the US 
function effectively. With the integration of the ASDF's command- 
and-control system into the ADCH in mind, four Air Defense Forces 
and Composite Air Divisions deployed throughout the nation will 
also be either integrated or abolished. 
 
According to the plan incorporated in the final report, the ADCH, 
located in Fuchu, Tokyo, will be relocated to Yokota Air Base in 
2010 to be integrated into a new joint operations coordination 
center along with the US 5th Air Force Headquarters. The new 
organization will serve as a key vehicle to maintain deterrence, 
allowing the two countries to share intelligence on air defense 
and the missile defense system designed to intercept ballistic 
missiles. 
 
The ADCH will also command the Self-Defense Forces' joint task 
forces. It will collect radar information from the SDF and the US 
military and operate the ASDF's ground-to-air missiles and 
Patriot missiles (PAC3) and standard missiles loaded on the 
Maritime Self-Defense Force's Aegis ships jointly. 
 
Though there is a potential danger of North Korea launching a 
ballistic missile without warning, the ADCH is currently not on 
24-hour-a-day alert. For this reason, the 200-strong ADCH will be 
substantively expanded so as to shift to a 24-hour-a-day alert 
system. 
 
The integration or abolition of four Air Defense Forces and 
Composite Air Divisions is also part of the move to strengthen 
the functions of the ADCH. There are two plans: one is to 
integrate them into two forces, by drawing a demarcation line in 
the center of the archipelago or leaving three forces, by 
eliminating the borderline between Kyushu and Okinawa. This means 
a shift to a central control of operations by the ADCH, by 
reducing "vertically divided" operations based on the present 
defense force division system, as a senior JDA official put it. 
Chinese aircraft are actively flying over oil and gas fields in 
the East China Sea, increasing concern about a possible invasion 
of an isolated island there. The new system will enable to 
concentrate fighting strength in this region. 
 
The 5th Air Force Headquarters controls US combat troops at 
 
TOKYO 00002500  010 OF 013 
 
 
Misawa, Aomori Prefecture and Kadena, Okinawa Prefecture. The 
same senior JDA official noted, "Yokota Air Base can serve as a 
center for bilateral air operations only after the ADCH comes 
under the unified command system." The ASDF's organizational 
change can be characterized as the first step in the JSDF's 
transformation in the run-up to joint operations between Japan 
and the US. 
 
(5) Kakushin (Heart of matter) column by Yasuhiro Tase: Since 
Japan appears to have forgotten its diplomatic strategy toward 
neighboring nations, how then will it live in Asia? 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 5) (Almost full) 
May 8, 2006 
 
By Yasuhiro Tase, guest columnist, who is now professor at the 
Graduate School of Waseda University 
 
Imagine a schoolboy who does well at school but has no friends. 
During the lunch hour, the boy hangs from an exercise bar alone 
to kill time in a corner of the schoolyard. He murmurs there is 
nothing wrong with him and that his classmates are the ones who 
are to blame because they are unwilling to play with him. 
 
Japan appears isolated internationally, or rather I should say 
the government of Japan seems isolated from Asia. This isolation 
is viewed as an honorable status by Japanese nationalists, whose 
numbers are on the rise. My deep concern at present is that 
although many people recognize that Japan has become isolated, 
they assume a so-what attitude about it. Prime Minister Junichiro 
Koizumi has insisted: "As long as the Japan-US alliance is firm 
and solid, Japan can get along with China and South Korea." But 
even the Japan-US alliance itself is somewhat shaky now. The 
summit relationship between President Bush and Prime Minister 
Koizumi remains in good shape, but when it comes to specific 
issues, for instance, the realignment of US forces in Japan, 
tangible discrepancies exist between the two nations. 
 
The Bush administration's initial hope was to see Japan become a 
leader to which the United States could entrust everything 
involving the Far East. If Japan were to play such a role, the US 
could focus its energies on the Middle East and other critical 
regions. But Japan has become a troublemaker instead of a 
troubleshooter. The Koizumi administration at first was not as 
stubborn or rigid (in its diplomacy) as it is now. In fact, it 
even  set up a Foreign Relations Task Force as an advisory panel 
to the prime minister. 
 
The nine members of the task force, who included international 
relations expert Yukio Okamoto, delivered a report titled, "Basic 
Strategies for Japan's Foreign Policy in the 21st Century" in 
November 2002, in which they concluded, "For the future of 
Japanese diplomacy, Japan needs to lay out a clear national 
strategy, which Japan has lacked in the past." The panel 
suggested setting up a strategic council on foreign affairs as an 
advisory panel to offer foreign policy guidelines to the prime 
minister. But such a council has not been established to date, 
and the suggestion in the report has been forgotten entirely. 
There was also another earlier proposal that likewise sank into 
oblivion. It was "Japan's Goals in the 21st Century," written and 
submitted by the Commission on Japan's Goals in the 21st Century, 
chaired by Hayao Kawai (professor emeritus at Kyoto University) 
to Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi. The report had a section titled, 
 
TOKYO 00002500  011 OF 013 
 
 
"Japan's Place in the World," which contained words that Japan 
today seems to need most. The suggestion about relations with 
China and South Korea in the report is worth repeating: 
 
"Japan's relationships with South Korea and China are not so 
simple as to be just called diplomatic relations. Relations with 
these two countries should run deeper than mere diplomatic ties, 
yet they have yet to be developed with much depth. Japan needs to 
build a profound relationship with these two countries, since 
diplomatic efforts alone will not save the day, the issues being 
difficult to grasp. We call this sort of management of relations 
as 'good neighbor diplomacy.'" 
 
The height of diplomacy lies in having a moral supremacy: In 
other words, having a diplomacy and way of carrying it out that 
make other countries think that this country and its people are 
splendid beyond compare, Japan's diplomacy is at the opposite end 
of the spectrum. Japan says arrogantly that it is not to blame, 
but that the fault lies on the other side. What is bad is Japan's 
own domestic political strategy that ends up making Japan the bad 
guy. 
 
There is an argument that even if the prime minister stops 
visiting Yasukuni Shrine, relations with China and South Korea 
would not recover so quickly. That could be true. Some argue that 
Japan then would still face one difficult issue after another 
from the other side instead of Yasukuni. This, too, may well be 
true. However, nothing will be resolved if we continue to do 
nothing. Instead, distrust of Japan will spread across other 
Asian countries that are not much interested in the history and 
Yasukuni issues. After the end of the Cold War, the international 
order dramatically changed. What kind of country does Japan want 
to become? Who will guide Japan in its foreign policy and for 
what purposes? Japan lacks this sort of strategy. As a result, I 
have a sense of apprehension that Japan always decides its course 
expediently and without debate. Because of a lack of diplomatic 
strategy, Japan cannot send a good message to the rest of the 
world. 
 
A country that lacks such a strategy can never win the respect of 
other countries. Many in Japan agree that Japan's diplomacy is at 
an impasse, but politicians, regardless of whether they are 
members of the ruling or opposition parties, lack a sense of 
crisis. Needless to say, the general public, too, has little 
sense of crisis, as evidenced by the last Lower House election, 
in which diplomacy was not even a campaign issue. We must not 
allow the present abnormal situation to continue in which no 
summit talks with neighboring nations have been held due to 
(Yasukuni) an "issue of the heart." 
 
In order to solidify the Japan-US alliance, I think the first 
matter at hand is for Japan to have good relations with the 
countries in the East Asian region. How Japan will live in Asia 
is not a trifling issue at all, and it should not be simply made 
into one of the campaign issues for the presidential race of the 
Liberal Democratic Party this fall. It is a grand theme to 
determine the course of Japan over the next century. 
 
(6) In voting conducted by civic group on Constitution, many 
youths in Shibuya support Article 9 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Top Play) (Full) 
May 4, 2006 
 
TOKYO 00002500  012 OF 013 
 
 
 
Are you supportive of or opposed to a revision of Article 9 of 
the Constitution? Members of a civic group yesterday asked the 
above questions to young persons walking in streets in Shibuya, 
Tokyo, and other locations. The respondents picked a "yes" or 
"no" seal and put it on a board. Although most youngsters usually 
show little interest in politics, the survey found an 
overwhelming majority of respondents opposed to a revision of 
Article 9. Many voiced concern about politicians' recent active 
moves to amend the Constitution. 
 
70% oppose revision 
 
Civic group members conducted the voting in a square in front of 
JR Shibuya Station, catching persons walking. 
 
A female part-timer, 20, chose the "opposition" seal without a 
moment's hesitation, saying: "Will this nation engage in warfare? 
In such a case, powerless persons will suffer most." 
 
A male student in the third year of high school in Tokyo, 17, 
picked the "opposition" seal and said: "It is outrageous for 
Japan to revise Article 9 and have a Self-Defense Force. Is our 
nation going to make the same mistake as it did in the past? It 
is us in the young generation who will be sent to battlefields." 
 
A music academy student, 19, from Nishi-Tokyo City chose the 
"support" seal, saying: "North Korea could attack Japan. It is 
necessary for Japan to build up its defense capability." A female 
college student, 20, in Tokyo also said: "If the Constitution is 
revised, the current stagnant situation may be changed. 
 
A male company employee, 20, from Chigasaki City, Kanagawa 
Prefecture, said: "Politicians are not interested in young 
persons. They never ask for our views. It is desirable for us to 
express our views in this kind of voting." 
 
In about two hours of the voting in Shibuya, 72 persons voted for 
and 258 voted against the proposed revision of Article 9, with 39 
respondents replying: "I don't know." 
 
In conducting this survey, Okayama University Professor Emeritus 
Ryuzaburo Noda and others set up a secretariat and appealed for 
volunteers on the Internet to help the voting in 33 prefectures 
for three days from April 29. The total number of votes was about 
28,000. Of them, about 12% or about 3,300 voted for the revision 
of Article 9, while about 77% or about 21,600 voted against it. 
The remaining respondents replied: "I don't know." 
 
The results of the survey will be mailed to Prime Minister 
Junichiro Koizumi, the House of Representatives speaker, and the 
House of Councillors president. 
 
(7) Strategic distribution of ODA funds; Overseas Economic 
Cooperation Council holds first meeting; Consideration also to be 
given to environment area 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) 
May 9, 2006 
 
The government yesterday held the first meeting of the Overseas 
Economic Cooperation Council (chaired by Prime Minister Koizumi) 
at the Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) with the aim 
 
TOKYO 00002500  013 OF 013 
 
 
of strategically implementing official development assistance 
(ODA). It was agreed at the meeting that the propriety of 
extending ODA to major recipient countries and key project items 
should be discussed on a priority basis. The meeting brought 
together the prime minister, Chief Cabinet Secretary Abe, Foreign 
Minister Aso, Finance Minister Tanigaki and Minister of Economy, 
Trade and Industry Nikai. They agreed to look into the propriety 
of ODA with focus on not only recipient countries but also 
individual sectors, such as the environment and energy. 
 
During the meeting, the prime minister said, "The public is 
skeptical about whether ODA funds are being used efficiently or 
whether they are provided in such a way as to meet national 
interests. Since ODA is funded with tax money, it should be 
implemented efficiently and strategically so that it contributes 
to national interests. Regarding foreign visits by senior vice 
ministers and state secretaries of various government agencies, 
the prime minister noted, "I want them to pay attention to small 
countries so that their visits will not concentrate on specific 
countries or areas." It has been decided that Abe would be in 
charge of coordinating visits by officials from those countries. 
 
The panel was newly established in response to a proposal made by 
the Study Group on Overseas Economic Cooperation (chaired by 
former Public Prosecutor General Akio Harada), a private panel 
reporting to Abe. The objective of the panel is to enhance the 
efficiency of ODA, by reforming the current system, under which 
government agencies independently extend ODA. Another aim is to 
strategically distribute ODA funds under the initiative of Kantei 
or cabinet ministers. 
 
Commenting on the role of the panel, Abe told a news conference: 
"We have lacked a viewpoint of considering ODA from a perspective 
of the environment and energy. We will now consider destinations 
of ODA from that perspective. We will hold free discussions, by 
setting a theme each time. In that process, we want to map out a 
strategic target and strategy itself." 
 
SCHIEFFER