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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 08 TOKYO 004762 
 
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 08/21/06 
 
 
Index: 
 
1) Top headlines 
2) Editorials 
Prime Minister's daily schedule: None. On vacation 
 
3) Prime Minister Koizumi is off to visit Central Asia on the 28th 
 
 
Russian border patrol incident: 
4) Japan sending top senior diplomat to Russia after Russian patrol 
kills fisherman, arrests crew for poaching in northern waters 
5) Fishing incident in northern waters presents number of difficult 
jurisdiction problems 
 
Defense and security affairs: 
6) US Navy deploying 6 Aegis warships to the Pacific to counter 
missile threat 
7) Yokosuka Navy Base to set up center to handle possible leakage 
incident from planned nuclear carrier 
 
Political affairs: 
8) Arson by rightist at home of LDP's Koichi Kato receiving little 
attention from party, prime minister 
9) LDP presidential candidate Tanigaki still unable to line up 20 
supporters in order to officially run in the race 
10) Foreign Minister Aso readies policy platform, with educational 
reform as showcase 
11) Poll shows Abe on top with 53% of public wanting to see him as 
next premier' 
12) Internet monitoring survey on LDP presidential election: 25% of 
votes from Fukuda supporters go to Tanigaki, 22% to Abe, 10 % to Aso 
 
 
Articles: 
 
1) TOP HEADLINES 
 
Asahi: Sankei: Tokyo Shimbun: 
Sakawa River swells hit 25 anglers and campers at six locations: One 
dies, one missing 
 
Mainichi: 
Desktop exercise on IT hindrances between government and companies 
in 10 infrastructure-related companies; first case of 
government-private sector cooperation; Recent Tokyo area power 
outage also in mind 
 
Yomiuri: 
State-sponsored public projects, including procurement of 
construction materials: Government decides to shut out crime 
syndicates, subcontractors 
 
Nihon Keizai: 
Proposals for reviewing amakudari: Criminal punishment to be imposed 
on offenders; Early retirement system for civil servants to be 
curtailed 
 
2) EDITORIALS 
 
Asahi: 
(1) Setsuri (Providence): Do not be taken in by cults 
 
TOKYO 00004762  002 OF 008 
 
 
(2) Hepatitis: Treatment with peace of mind 
 
Mainichi: 
(1) Arson at lawmaker Kato's house: Concern over trend to contain 
speech 
(2) Koizumi era: Achievements and limitations of maverick premier 
 
Yomiuri: 
 (1) Technology and sense of urgency needed to boost nuclear power 
in Japan 
(2) Off-the-book money in Gifu Prefecture: Where is "reform"? 
 
Nihon Keizai: 
(1) Terrorism aimed at containing political activities and speech 
cannot be allowed 
(2) Eliminating tragedies in the northern waters 
 
Sankei: 
(1) Post-Koizumi contenders should show how they will set policies 
(2) New era for planets: Beautiful names needed 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1) Shooting of fishing boat: "Retaliation" will not settle issue 
(2) Major power outage: Make more efforts to reduce damage 
 
3) Prime Minister Koizumi to leave for Central Asia on Aug. 28 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (Full) 
August 18, 2006 
 
The government announced yesterday that Prime Minister Junichiro 
Koizumi would visit Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in Central Asia on 
Aug. 28-31. It is the first time for an incumbent Japanese prime 
minister to visit Central Asia. The purpose of Koizumi's trip to 
these two countries, which have abundant energy resources such as 
petroleum, natural gas among other resources, is to strengthen ties 
with them, as well as to seek to check China and Russia, which are 
conducting active diplomacies there. 
 
Koizumi is expected to meet Kazakhstan's President Nursultan 
Nazarbayev and Uzbekistan's President Islom Karimov. 
 
4) Fishing boat shooting incident: Senior vice foreign minister 
dispatched to Russia to seek release of crew 
 
YOMIURI (Page 1) (Full) 
August 18, 2006 
 
Following the incident in which a Russian Border Guard patrol vessel 
fired at a Japanese fishing boat in waters near Kaigarajima, part of 
the disputed Northern Territories, and crew member Mitsuhiro Morita 
(35) was killed, the government yesterday evening dispatched Senior 
Vice Foreign Minister Yasuhisa Shiozaki to Moscow for talks with the 
Russian government for the release of the fishing boat crew. MOFA 
Parliamentary Secretary Akiko Yamanaka yesterday arrived in Nemuro 
City, Hokkaido, to receive the body of Morita, which is on Kunashiri 
island now. She will leave for the island as early as today. 
 
Since the incident involves jurisdiction over the Northern Islands, 
including investigations into and prosecution of the crew, and 
compensation for damage to the boat, the government intends to 
settle the issue in high-level talks. 
 
TOKYO 00004762  003 OF 008 
 
 
 
Shiozaki left Narita yesterday evening. He plans to meet with a 
high-level Russian government official in Moscow and strongly demand 
the release of the crew. He also intends to exchange views on 
measures to prevent a recurrence of such incidents and ways to 
secure safe fishing in waters near the Northern Territories. 
 
Yamanaka intends to land on Kunashiri on a Japan Coast Guard vessel 
as soon as coordination with the Russian side on the handover of 
Morita's body is made. She said she also wanted to debrief the three 
surviving crewmembers. 
 
5) Russians fire at fishing boat: Number of jurisdictional issues 
being faced, including handing over of the Japanese fisherman, 
release of crew members 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
August 18, 2006 
 
The incident on Aug. 16 near Kaigarajima in the northern territories 
in which a Russian patrol boat fired on and captured a Japanese 
fishing boat stems not only from the unresolved territorial dispute 
over the northern islands.  The issue of jurisdictional control in 
waters in this area also is a major impediment to resolving the 
situation. The government, considering the northern territories as 
Japan's possession, is demanding the immediate release of the 
crewmembers, and punishment of the person responsible for shooting 
and killing one of the fishermen. The Russian government, which has 
effective control of the four islands, takes the position that "it 
was an appropriate action taken within our country's territory," so 
it is inevitable that negotiations will face rough going. 
 
No visa access 
 
The government has stressed the following to the Russian government 
following the incident: 1) the body of the slain crewman, Mitsuhiro 
Morita, should be handed over at once; 2) the person responsible for 
the shooting should be punished; and 3) Japan reserves the right to 
seek damage compensation for the loss of life and goods. 
 
Currently, if former island residents or other Japanese go to the 
northern territories,  they present identification documents as 
requested by Russian authorities and can visit in the form of not 
having a visa. This time, the government has asked that Vice Foreign 
Minister Akiko Yamanaka and other Foreign Ministry officials going 
to the northern territories to recover the body of the slain 
fisherman be covered under the regular no-visa procedure. Although 
the Russian authorities have agreed, one source pointed out, "The 
current situation of having to get approval for access without a 
visa is symbolic of the difficulty of resolving the northern 
territories' issue." 
 
6) US to deploy six Aegis ships in Pacific to cope with threat from 
North Korea 
 
ASAHI (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
August 18, 2006 
 
Kei Ukai, Washington 
 
The US Defense Department has decided to double the number of Aegis 
ships capable of shooting down enemy ballistic missiles in the 
 
TOKYO 00004762  004 OF 008 
 
 
Pacific to six by the end of the year. This is part of efforts to 
cope with the threat from North Korean missiles. Rear Adm. Alan 
Hicks, program manager for Aegis ballistic missile defense, revealed 
this plan to reporters after a meeting in Alabama on Aug. 16. 
 
The six Aegis ships carry the Standard Missile 3 (SM3) system. Hicks 
said: "It will become possible to shoot down short- to medium-range 
ballistic missiles," adding that the US would increase the number of 
Aegis ships carrying the SM3 system to 18 in several years. 
 
7) US Navy to set up emergency unit for possible radioactive 
incident at Yokosuka base 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 3) (Excerpts) 
August 18, 2006 
 
The US Navy is planning to set up an emergency operation center 
(EOC) at Yokosuka Naval Base (Kanagawa Prefecture) to deal with 
possible radioactive incidents involving a nuclear-powered aircraft 
carrier to be deployed at the base. According to informed sources 
yesterday, a dozen experts on prevention of radiation accidents from 
the military and the Energy Department will be stationed at the 
center. 
 
The US Navy had said: "A large scale accident of radiation leakage 
to the outside is inconceivable." But it has been found that it is 
preparing to set up a system to deal with an emergency. 
 
According to the informed sources, the EOC will be set up in a 
building adjacent to the US Navy Command Center located about one 
kilometer from the 12th birth at which the nuclear aircraft carrier 
George Washington (102,000 tons) will be berthed in the summer, 
¶2008. In the center, such equipment will be installed as a monitor 
to see the state of the atomic furnace and an instrument to measure 
the volume of radiation around the furnace. In times of emergency, 
the expert staff will collect information and instruct measures to 
prevent damage. 
 
The US Navy reportedly plans to complete a system to prevent 
radiation leaks in the base by the summer, 2007, and training will 
be carried out, assuming the leakage of water or gas containing 
radiation, until the carried is deployed. 
 
8) Sluggish responses in government, ruling camp to LDP Kato's house 
fire, with no comment from prime minister 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Full) 
August 18, 2006 
 
A fire broke out and burned down the parental home and office of 
Liberal Democratic Party member Koichi Kato on Aug. 15. In front of 
the house, a man was found with stab wounds. Police have found that 
the man is a member of a rightwing group and now believe that he had 
set fire to the home in reaction to Kato's critical stance of Prime 
Minister Junichiro Koizumi visiting Yasukuni Shrine. In political 
circles, though, sluggish responses have been made to the incident, 
with very few commenting on it in the government and ruling 
parties. 
 
In a meeting of the Yamasaki faction yesterday, Taku Yamasaki, a 
friend of Kato, said: "Some take the incident as reflecting the 
trend of resorting to violence to try to suppress speech on Asia 
 
TOKYO 00004762  005 OF 008 
 
 
diplomacy. This is a serious problem. I would like to discuss future 
options for Asia diplomacy in supra-factional meetings." 
 
Last night, senior members of the "association to consider a 
national secular war memorial," chaired by Yamasaki, met in Tokyo. 
Kato is also a member of this group. In addition to the two, 
Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan) Secretary General Yukio 
Hatoyama, New Komeito President Takenori Kanzaki, and others joined 
the meeting. The participants shared the view that "the incident is 
unforgivable." Based on the view that the prime minister's Yasukuni 
visits are highly undesirable, they agreed to ask the government to 
secure a budget for studying the feasibility of constructing a 
national secular war memorial. 
 
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister's Office remains silent about the 
arsone incident. An aide to the prime minister said: "There is no 
plan to issue a comment." Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Seiji 
Suzuki only told reporters: "We have not been informed of details, 
and coordination is underway." 
 
In the opposition camp, House of Councillors member Renho of 
Minshuto said: "Setting fire to a house with the aim of suppressing 
speech is a terrorist act and unforgivable." Japanese Communist 
Party Secretary Ichida commented: "The arson is almost undoubtedly a 
dirty terrorist act to suppress political activities over the issues 
of Japan's war culpability and Yasukuni Shrine." Social Democratic 
Party President Fukushima said: "The act is to suppress freedom of 
speech and political activities, and that is indisputably political 
terrorism." 
 
Kato told reporters yesterday: "I feel the current trend is moving 
in a unilateral way. This is an undesirable social trend. I have 
responsibility to continue to make statements." 
 
9) 2006 LDP presidency: Securing 20 members difficult; High wall for 
Tanigaki and Aso to get 20 supporters 
 
MAINICHI (Page 3) (Excerpts) 
August 18, 2006 
 
In order to run in the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in September, 
Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki and Foreign Minister Taro Aso are 
now trying desperately to secure recommendations by 20 LDP 
lawmakers, the minimum required number to qualify for running in the 
presidential race. Tanigaki belongs to a 15-member faction; and the 
faction to which Aso belongs has only 11 members. Cooperation with 
other factions is absolutely necessary for them to run in the 
election. However, with other factions calculating that supporting 
Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe would be better for them, the 
trend of betting on the winning horse continues. Many lawmakers seem 
to be thinking that if they don't back Abe, they will later get the 
cold shoulder. In particular, Tanigaki is in a serious situation 
since he has assumed a stance of facing down Abe. 
 
In a meeting of the Tanigaki faction yesterday, House of 
Representatives member Koichi Yamamoto expressed his sense of crisis 
over the Tanigaki campaign: "The Abe train is packed with 
passengers. Also the deck is filled to capacity. The rooftop is the 
only place for passengers to stand." 
 
The Tanigaki faction initially expected support from the Niwa-Koga 
faction, which will not field anyone in the presidential race, and a 
 
TOKYO 00004762  006 OF 008 
 
 
faction spun from  the former Miyazawa faction. Recently, however, 
faction heads Yuya Niwa, former health and welfare minister, and 
Makoto Koga, former LDP secretary general, as well as deputy head 
Hakuo Yanagisawa, former financial services agency chief, expressed 
their support for Abe. The number of supporters has increased in the 
Yamasaki faction, which worked with coalition to the so-called Kato 
rebellion (in November 2000 in which Kato called on then Prime 
Minister Yoshiro Mori to step down). It is now impossible for 
Tanigaki to get recommendation from those factions. 
 
Therefore, all the Tanigaki faction members are now asking 
individual LDP members to support Tanigaki. The faction intends to 
play up the value of Tanigaki, noting, "Do you mind if the party 
will be led by Abe or Aso, who are hawks politically?" Other 
factions are reacting coolly, however. A junior Yamasaki faction 
member commented: "Senior and mid-level members are reluctant to 
back Mr. Tanigaki since they are anxious about posts in the 
future." 
 
10) Aso's campaign pledges in bid for LDP presidency: Would lower 
the age for starting compulsory school education; Advocates plan to 
double feeling of being affluent 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (Full) 
August 18, 2006 
 
Foreign Minister Taro Aso will announce on Aug. 21 his campaign 
pledges for the September Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) 
presidential election. The pledges titled "Japan's Fundamental Power 
- Challenge to Vitality and Security" were revealed yesterday. In 
his campaign pledges, Aso advocates lowering the minimum age for 
starting compulsory school education and a plan to double one's 
feeling of affluence, which would be realized by increasing personal 
living space by flexibly applying public investment. In the foreign 
policy area, he will take a stance of attaching importance to Asia. 
He does not mention when he would hike the consumption tax, 
stipulating that priority would be placed first on strict cuts in 
expenditures. 
 
Plan to double feeling of affluence 
 
In order to create a society in which people feel they have real 
affluence, it is necessary to shift a policy of quantitative 
expansion to a policy of qualitative improvements in lifestyles. 
Productivity can be doubled by technical innovation. He advocates 
the application of public investment for projects directly linked to 
such quality of life areas as improving railroad crossings and 
laying power lines underground. He proposes a 
three-generation-family plan by building housing with broad living 
space, which can be financed by reviewing the tax system. He 
supports child care programs. 
 
Economic policy 
 
He is not a fundamentalist on fiscal reform. He would implement 
drastic policy tax cuts so that industries would be able to develop 
new technologies and move ahead in growth areas. He places top 
priority on first reducing expenditures and later consider 
increasing taxes. 
 
Education reform 
 
 
TOKYO 00004762  007 OF 008 
 
 
He would lower the starting age for compulsory school education by 
one or two years from the current age of six. Give children during 
that period thorough moral and basic education. 
 
Foreign policy 
 
Makes efforts to stabilize ties with Asia, based on the Japan-US 
alliance. Good Japan-China relations are indispensable for regional 
stabilization in Asia. Deepen strategic ties with India. Create a 
diplomatic strategy with an eye on the Korean Peninsula in the 
future. 
 
Simple and warm government 
 
Aims to create a simple and warm government that is small but strong 
under the leadership of the prime minister. Reorganize the present 
Cabinet Secretariat, Cabinet Office, the Internal Affairs and 
Communications Ministry to be organizations that would in charge of 
a comprehensive national strategy. 
 
Decentralization 
 
He would introduce the "regional bloc or doshusei " system, making 
about 10 regional blocs in the country. 
 
Political reform 
 
Senior research commission members would also serve as senior vice 
ministers and parliamentary secretaries. If necessary, commission 
chairmen would become cabinet members. 
 
11) Kyodo News Agency poll on LDP presidential race: With 53% 
popularity rating, Abe as before picked as most appropriate to be 
next prime minister 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Full) 
August 18, 2006 
 
According to a nationwide opinion poll by Kyodo News August 15 - 16, 
Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe held firmly to his place as the 
top candidate, with 53.0% of the public picking him as appropriate 
to succeed Prime Minister Koizumi, a jump of 4.9 points over the 
previous survey in July. Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki secured 
second place at 14.8%, a leap of 13.2 points from the previous 
survey. The support rate for Aso rose 5.7 points to 11.2%. 
 
Former Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda (22.4% in the previous 
poll), who had held the second slot following Abe, announced his 
decision not to run in the election. About half of Fukuda's 
supporters seem to have shifted to Tanigaki, who is also critical of 
Koizumi's visits to Yasukuni Shrine. The support rate for Abe among 
LDP supporters reached 73.5%. Abe's views are seen as close to those 
of rank and file LDP members and friends of the LDP. 
 
Regarding the prime minister's Yasukuni visit on August 15, 69.1% of 
those who supported Abe approved of it, outdistancing the 25.9% who 
replied, "The prime minister should not have visited Yasukuni." 
 
12) Internet monitoring survey on LDP presidential election: 25% of 
votes from Fukuda supporters go to Tanigaki, 22% to Abe, 10 % to 
Aso 
 
 
TOKYO 00004762  008 OF 008 
 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Slightly abridged) 
August 18, 2006 
 
The 3rd Internet monitoring survey on post-Koizumi contenders, 
carried out by the Yomiuri Shimbun on August 4 through 8, found that 
25% of votes from supporters of former Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo 
Fukuda, who gave up on running in the race, went to Finance Minister 
Tanigaki, 22% went to Chief Cabinet Secretary Abe and 10% to Foreign 
Minister Aso. 
 
Since this poll continuously monitors the same persons, it is 
possible to follow up changes in their replies from the previous 
survey. 
 
It is believed that the largest bloc of votes from Fukuda supporters 
went to Tanigaki, because his stances on Asia diplomacy and other 
issues are close to those of Fukuda, as can be seen in his criticism 
of Prime Minister Koizumi's visits to Yasukuni Shrine. However, 27% 
of pollees replied, "There are no appropriate candidates for 
premiership," indicating that Tanigaki did not fully take over all 
supporters of Fukuda. 
 
Abe maintained first place at 48%, down 1 point though. Tanigaki 
came in second at 15%, a rise of 3%. Aso secured 10%, up 4 points 
over the previous survey. 
 
Broken down by party affiliation, 71% of those who support the 
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) named Abe, followed by Tanigaki with 
11% and Aso with 9%. Among those who support the Democratic Party of 
Japan (Minshuto), 25% supported Abe, followed by Tanigaki with 21% 
and Aso with 13%. 
 
DONOVAN