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RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1676

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 10 TOKYO 004797 
 
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 08/22/06 
 
 
INDEX: 
 
(1) Poll on Japan-China ties: Public feels uneasy about China's 
expansionism; 44% see China as military threat 
 
(2) Walking in the countries of patriotism (Part 1):Young people in 
quest of spiritual foundation equate themselves with the country 
 
(3) Poll on North Korean missile launches 
 
(4) Poll on US beef 
 
(5) METI to help medium, small firms reduce CO2 emissions by 
subsidizing equipment, introducing effect-certification system 
 
(6) Observing CO2 from space 
 
ARTICLES: 
 
(1) Poll on Japan-China ties: Public feels uneasy about China's 
expansionism; 44% see China as military threat 
 
YOMIURI (Page 11) (Full) 
August 11, 2006 
 
Questions & Answers 
(Figures shown in%age) 
 
Q: What's your impression of China? 
 
Very good                       2.5 
Good to a certain degree       24.3 
Bad to a certain degree        47.2 
Very bad                       19.6 
No answer (N/A)                 6.5 
 
Q: Which country or area do you think is important for Japan's 
economy? (Up to 3 choices) 
 
China                            63.0 
South Korea                      20.2 
Thailand                          3.4 
Malaysia                          1.6 
Indonesia                         3.6 
Philippines                       2.0 
Singapore                         3.7 
Vietnam                           2.9 
All ASEAN countries              13.7 
India                            10.8 
Russia                            2.6 
Australia                         6.1 
U.S.A.                           68.4 
Britain                           5.0 
France                            3.2 
Germany                           2.5 
All EU countries                  8.9 
Middle East                       7.2 
Hong Kong                         1.9 
Taiwan                            3.1 
Other answers (O/A)               0.3 
Nothing in particular (NIP)       3.5 
N/A       4.1 
 
 
TOKYO 00004797  002 OF 010 
 
 
Q: Which country or area do you think is a most potential economy? 
(Up to 3 choices) 
 
Japan                    18.3 
China                    70.0 
South Korea              11.6 
Thailand                  1.0 
Malaysia                  0.6 
Indonesia                 1.7 
Philippines               0.5 
Singapore                 2.5 
Vietnam                   2.4 
All ASEAN countries       5.0 
India                    19.4 
Russia                    4.8 
Australia                 3.1 
U.S.A.                   47.8 
Britain                   3.0 
France                    2.4 
Germany                   2.9 
All EU countries          8.3 
Middle East               4.6 
Hong Kong                 2.4 
Taiwan                    1.9 
O/A                       0.3 
NIP                       2.5 
N/A                       4.4 
 
Q: Which country or area-including economics-do you think would be 
most influential in Asia? (1 choice only) 
 
Japan                     9.5 
China                    56.7 
South Korea               2.2 
Thailand                  0.3 
Malaysia                  0.1 
Indonesia                 0.2 
Philippines               0.1 
Singapore                 0.2 
Vietnam                   0.1 
All ASEAN countries       1.3 
India                     1.9 
Russia                    0.4 
Australia                 0.4 
U.S.A.                   14.4 
Britain                   0.1 
France                    0.1 
Germany                   0.2 
All EU countries          0.4 
Middle East               1.0 
Hong Kong                 0.2 
Taiwan                    0.3 
O/A                       0.1 
NIP                       3.0 
N/A                       6.9 
 
Q: Which country or area do you think would be a military threat to 
Japan? Pick one or more from among those listed below if any. 
 
South Korea                  10.9 
U.S.A.                       17.6 
China                        44.0 
ASEAN                         0.5 
 
TOKYO 00004797  003 OF 010 
 
 
EU                            0.5 
Russia                       12.7 
Taiwan                        0.5 
North Korea                  77.7 
India                         2.9 
Middle East                   7.8 
Oceania                       0.3 
Africa                        0.3 
Central & South America       0.8 
O/A                           0.2 
NIP                           4.3 
N/A                           3.3 
 
Q: The Chinese government has been refusing to hold summit talks 
with Japan because of Prime Minister Koizumi's visits to Yasukuni 
Shrine. Do you think the worsening of relations between Japan and 
China would have a bad influence on Asia in its entirety? 
 
Yes                           44.5 
Yes to a certain degree       28.8 
No to a certain degree        11.8 
No                            10.4 
N/A                            4.4 
 
Q: How do you think China's economic growth will affect Japan's 
economy? 
 
Positive                         28.4 
Negative                         35.7 
Both positive and negative       29.7 
N/A                               6.2 
 
Q: How do you think China's economic growth will affect Asia? Pick 
as many as you like from among those listed below. 
 
Asia would be more influential in the international community 
28.0 
It will lead to Asia's economic growth 
33.8 
China will lead Asia 
40.1 
China would build up its military power further to heighten military 
tensions 
34.2 
China would increase its energy consumption and make it difficult 
for other countries to secure energy resources 
41.1 
Other countries' economies would be slotted in China's economy 
16.8 
O/A 
0.4 
NIP 
5.8 
N/A 
4.4 
 
Q: What do you think about the present-day state of Japan-China 
relations? 
 
Very good                       1.6 
Good to a certain degree       25.5 
Bad to a certain degree        51.8 
Very bad                       14.6 
 
TOKYO 00004797  004 OF 010 
 
 
N/A                             6.5 
 
Q: Do you think China is trustworthy? 
 
Very trustworthy              2.2 
Somewhat trustworthy         27.3 
Not very trustworthy         46.4 
Not trustworthy at all       18.9 
N/A                           5.2 
 
Q: How do you think Japan-China relations will turn out? 
 
Very good                       3.1 
Good to a certain degree       25.6 
Unchanged                      50.0 
Bad to a certain degree        13.9 
Very bad                        2.6 
N/A                             4.8 
 
Q: Do you expect the next prime minister to improve Japan's 
relations with China and South Korea? 
 
Yes, very much          39.4 
Yes, somewhat           36.4 
No, not very much       16.7 
No, not at all           5.4 
N/A                      2.2 
 
Polling methodology 
Date of survey: July 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: 1,867 persons (62.2% ). 
Breakdown of respondents: Male-49%, female-51%. 
 
(2) Walking in the countries of patriotism (Part 1):Young people in 
quest of spiritual foundation equate themselves with the country 
 
ASAHI (Pages 1 & 11) (Excerpts from Japan portion only) 
August 22, 2006 
 
By Hiroki Manabe 
 
This summer, I talked to a large number of young men and women in 
Japan, China, and South Korea to learn their views of their 
respective countries. Many eagerly expressed love for their 
countries. 
 
Days before the August 15 end-of-the-war anniversary, I spotted a 
22-year-old college student at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo. I 
approached him and asked what brought him to the shrine. In 
response, he crisply said: 
 
"I came here because I love my country. It is our responsibility to 
honor those who died fighting for their country. There is every 
reason to cherish the country where we were born." 
 
He noted that at school, anyone broaching the topic of Yasukuni 
Shrine is stigmatized as a rightist or fascist, in stark contrast to 
the Internet where likeminded people can get together easily. 
 
TOKYO 00004797  005 OF 010 
 
 
 
He also blamed the postwar education system for decaying morals in 
Japan, citing a lack of manners of junior and high school students 
hanging around at the convenience store where he works part-time. 
 
"Beijing and Seoul are furious at the prime minister's repeated 
visits to Yasukuni Shrine. What do you think of that?" I asked. 
 
The student replied: 
 
"They are using the anti-Japanese feelings of the public in order to 
dodge public discontent with the government. They should stop 
demanding an apology of Japan based on events that never occurred." 
 
On Aug. 15, the controversial Shinto shrine was crowded with young 
men and women. 
 
This brought to the mind of Mizuo Miyauchi, 70, of the Association 
to Acknowledge the Divine Spirits of the Dead, the same shrine on 
Aug. 15, 1955. He was the only visitor to the shrine around noontime 
that day. 
 
This year, over 250,000 people visited the shrine. Those under 30 
years of age accounted for one-third of the total, according to the 
association. Miyauchi thinks this reflects growing patriotism in 
reaction to interference with the Yasukuni issue by China and South 
Korea. 
 
What is the driving force behind their patriotism? 
 
I saw a number of youths collecting signatures around the shrine's 
No. 2 Torii gate on Aug. 15 to promote the association's cause. 
 
One of them was the group's representative Atsushi Iwata, 22, a 
Waseda University graduate student majoring in political science. 
Other members were also all graduate students from such prestigious 
schools as the University of Tokyo, Kyoto University, and Keio 
University. 
 
Iwata noted: 
 
"Reviving prewar militarism is not our goal. We think, however, the 
postwar Japan has failed to nurture healthy nationalism." 
 
The youths who showed up at Yasukuni all share strong feelings for 
their country. 
 
Iwata's involvement in the association started with an incident 
during his high school days in Shizuoka Prefecture. The high school 
club to which Iwata belonged discussed war and decided to distribute 
600 copies of a collection of essays written by volunteers during an 
annual school festival. 
 
But the teachers unilaterally decided to ban the distribution of the 
essays, citing their excessive inclination toward the right. 
 
The school's attempted to squash any idea that was out of line with 
its view sparked an urge in Iwata to rebel against postwar democracy 
and peace and human rights education. 
 
Notes left behind by Kamikaze pilots immensely moved Iwata, as well. 
Iwata is being driven by alarm that the Japan the divine spirits of 
the war dead desperately tried to defend by risking their lives is 
 
TOKYO 00004797  006 OF 010 
 
 
now falling apart today, 60 years after the end of the war. 
 
The young men and women who gathered at Yasukuni Shrine all share 
Iwata's wariness about the current situation of Japan and its 
postwar education system that failed to teach loyalty to the 
country. 
 
They have no hesitation to express their love for the country and 
are clearly devoid of the loss and remorse that were engraved in the 
minds of Japanese people 61 years ago. 
 
Members of the Conservative Students' Association composed of 
students and company employees in their twenties also assembled at 
Yasukuni Shrine on Aug. 15. They always discuss patriotism at coffee 
shops on weekends. 
 
Why do people think of their country? 
 
Members gave the following answers: 
 
"People cannot live alone, and we are all citizens of this country. 
So there is every reason for us to devote ourselves to the 
country." 
 
"The state is a family. The state, which is our father, is suffering 
from an illness, and that has stirred up our love for the country." 
 
"We are the state, and that's that." 
 
They exchange views at coffee shops on weekends - sometimes for over 
eight hours nonstop. 
 
They cannot discuss patriotism at school or the workplace. "We can 
truly enjoy the freedom of speech here," said the group's organizer 
Korehiro Endo, 23, who also runs the patriotic Uyotama Website. 
 
Although the Internet played a central role in linking the members 
together, they more often than not talk to each other face to face 
today. "Young people use the Internet to make friends. We don't have 
to use the Internet because we are already friends," explained a 
22-year-old student. 
 
Members viewed fireworks at the Outer Garden of Meiji Shrine on Aug. 
¶16. "You get together not for the sake of patriotism?" I asked Endo. 
He replied: "My friends are all patriotic. Having love for the 
country is the prerequisite to join our group." 
 
Young people lean on the country like getting together with friends. 
With memories of the last major war quickly fading, loyalty to the 
country seems to be working as a glue to bond individuals together. 
 
(3) Poll on North Korean missile launches 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) 
August 13, 2006 
 
Questions & Answers 
(Figures shown in%age) 
 
Q: Based on Japan's proposal, the United Nations Security Council 
unanimously adopted a resolution condemning North Korea for its 
firing of missiles and calling for North Korea to suspend all 
activities related to its missile program. What do you think about 
 
TOKYO 00004797  007 OF 010 
 
 
this UNSC resolution? 
 
Appreciate very much            49.3 
Appreciate somewhat             37.0 
Don't appreciate very much       6.1 
Don't appreciate at all          2.6 
No answer (N/A)                  4.9 
 
Q: The Group of Eight (G-8) summit talks, recently held in Russia, 
adopted the chairman's statement calling for North Korea to freeze 
its missile firing and give up on its nuclear development program. 
What do you think about the Japanese government's role played for 
the UNSC resolution and the G-8 summit chairman's statement? 
 
Appreciate very much              31.0 
Appreciate somewhat               46.2 
Don't appreciate very much        12.6 
Don't appreciate at all            3.8 
N/A                                6.4 
 
Q: The ruling Liberal Democratic Party is thinking of presenting a 
bill to the Diet to restrict specific financial transactions as an 
additional sanction on North Korea. Do you think such a new law is 
needed? 
 
Yes                           55.0 
Yes to a certain degree       24.4 
No to a certain degree         7.6 
No                             5.7 
N/A                            7.2 
 
Q: Do you think Japan should cooperate with the United States and 
hurry to introduce a missile defense system that can shoot down 
enemy missiles? 
 
Yes                           38.8 
Yes to a certain degree       23.1 
No to a certain degree        15.5 
No                            17.6 
N/A                            5.1 
 
Q: In response to North Korea's missile launches, there is a view 
that is concerned about missile attacks against Japan, saying Japan 
should acquire the capability of striking enemy missile sites. Do 
you agree with this view? 
 
Yes                           21.9 
Yes to a certain degree       16.8 
No to a certain degree        21.3 
No                            33.8 
N/A                            6.3 
 
Polling methodology 
Date of survey: Aug. 5-6. 
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: 1,741 persons (58.0% ). 
 
(4) Poll on US beef 
 
 
TOKYO 00004797  008 OF 010 
 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) 
August 12, 2006 
 
Questions & Answers 
(Figures shown in%age) 
 
Q: The government has decided to resume US beef imports, which were 
banned due to BSE specified risk materials found in shipments. Do 
you support the decision? 
 
Yes                           19.4 
Yes to a certain degree       17.5 
No to a certain degree        21.5 
No                            37.7 
No answer (N/A)                4.0 
 
Q: Do you feel uneasy about the safety of US beef? 
 
Yes, very much          46.3 
Yes, somewhat           33.9 
No, not very much       12.9 
No, not at all           5.9 
N/A                      1.0 
 
Q: Would you like to eat US beef when imports are resumed? 
 
Yes                     10.2 
Will wait and see       43.1 
No                      45.0 
N/A                      1.7 
 
Q: Do you think restaurant menus and processed foods should be 
required to show the country of origin to see if US beef is used? 
 
Yes                           76.9 
Yes to a certain degree       14.6 
No to a certain degree         2.8 
No                             4.3 
N/A                            1.4 
 
Polling methodology 
Date of survey: Aug. 5-6. 
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: 1,741 persons (58.0% ). 
Breakdown of respondents: Male-49%, female-51%. 
 
(5) METI to help medium, small firms reduce CO2 emissions by 
subsidizing equipment, introducing effect-certification system 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 3) (Slightly abridged) 
April 21, 2006 
 
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) will assist 
medium and small companies' efforts to reduce CO2 and other 
greenhouse gas emissions. The ministry has decided to pay up to half 
of the cost needed to introduce equipment to save energy as measures 
to cut greenhouse gas emissions. METI also plan to ask a third-party 
organ to certify the gas emission reduction effect of new equipment. 
Compared with larger companies, medium and small firms have been 
 
TOKYO 00004797  009 OF 010 
 
 
slow to take measures to contain global warming. 
 
Specifically, METI envisions facilities to reduce consumed electric 
power by skillfully controlling plant operations, as well as to 
change residual heat in a boiler into energy. It also plans to 
subsidize measures to improve air-conditioning facilities in shops 
and upgrade the insulation effect of refrigerators. 
 
The amount of assistance will be 10 million to 20 million yen per 
company. METI will provide companies that filed applications with 
subsidies through the New Energy and Industrial Technology 
Development Organization, an independent administrative agency. For 
about 20 companies, 350 million yen will be set aside. 
 
ChuoAoyama Sustainability Certification will authenticate gas 
emission-reduction effects as a third-party organ. Although many 
major companies have introduced the certification system, stemming 
from a desire to underscore their efforts to protect the 
environment, the system has yet to be commonly used by small firms. 
 
(6) Observing CO2 from space 
 
MAINICHI (Page 3) 
August 21, 2006 
 
To examine which parts of the earth are absorbing carbon dioxide, a 
greenhouse gas, and which parts are emitting it, the governments of 
Japan and the US will launch observation satellites in two years. 
This will be the first time to launch satellites for the purposes of 
observing CO2 concentrations in the fight against global warming. 
There are few observation points on the ground in the tropics or the 
southern hemisphere, and accurate observation has yet to be 
conducted on a global scale. The objective of this project is to 
help prevent global warming by covering the "blank areas" from space 
and reveal the distribution of CO2 emission and absorbtion. 
 
Japan will launch the Greenhouse gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT) 
in August 2008. It is a joint project by the Japan Aerospace 
Exploration Agency (JAXA), the National Institute for Environmental 
Studies, and the Ministry of the Environment. The GOSAT will 
traverse a north-south orbit approximately 666 km aboveground, 
allowing it to observe the same point every three days. 
 
Over the five years of the project, the globe will eventually be 
divided into 64 to 128 sections. Each section's CO2 "balance" of 
absorption and emission will be made clear. The team will collect 
data so that the CO2 emissions and absorption of each country can be 
ascertained by satellite observation in the future. 
 
As for the United States, the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration (NASA) will launch the Orbiting Carbon Observatory 
(OCO) in September 2008. The satellite will travel in a north-south 
orbit approximately 705 km above the earth and observe the same 
points at least every 16 days. As CO2 concentration in a given area 
can change throughout the day, observation time will be synchronized 
to 1:15 PM local time. NASA plans to carry out the observation for 
two years. 
 
For the observation, both countries will make use of the fact that a 
particular wavelength of infrared absorbs CO2. CO2 concentrations 
will be estimated by measuring the infrared light reflected back 
from the ground. Currently, the average CO2 concentration over the 
entire earth is approximately 380 ppm. Japan will aim for a margin 
 
TOKYO 00004797  010 OF 010 
 
 
of error of 1% in comparison to ground observation, while the United 
States is looking to hold the margin of error to 0.3% or less. 
Europe is also considering satellite observation like Japan and the 
United States. 
 
Currently, there are approximately 40 continuous ground observation 
points. It is said that the satellite observation of Japan and the 
United States will enable the understanding of the changes in CO2 
concentration over months and seasons across the entire earth, 
something that has heretofore been unfeasible. 
 
Tatsuya Yokota, the GOSAT project leader at the National Institute 
for Environmental Studies, says: "This is an attempt to measure 
which parts of the earth absorb or emit CO2, kind of like 
determining the planet's breathing patterns. CO2. Once the entire 
picture is revealed, we will know which parts of the world need 
treatment to prevent global warming." 
 
DONOVAN