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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 10 TOKYO 005249 
 
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 09/13/06 
 
 
Index: 
 
1) Top headlines 
 
2) Editorials 
 
3) Prime Minister's daily schedule 
 
4) It is all smiles when Prime Minister Koizumi shakes hands with 
Chinese premier at ASEM 
 
5) Koizumi returns from his last overseas trip as prime minister 
 
6) Chief Cabinet Secretary Abe's rejection of China's 1972 statement 
of Japanese wartime leaders' responsibility likely to annoy Beijing 
 
 
7) JETRO president, visiting Russia, creates local stir by saying 
Northern Territories issue should not obstruct mutual economic 
development 
 
8) LDP support for Shinzo Abe as next prime minister tallied at 66 
percent in Nikkei poll 
 
9) Kyodo survey shows 56 percent of LDP supports Abe 
 
10) In addition to Komeito's Fuyushiba, Abe cabinet may include 
Upper House members Wakabayashi and Mizote 
 
11) Abe in putting together his administration faces factional 
pressure and need for generational change 
 
12) Ichiro Ozawa "reelected" head of Minshuto (Democratic Party of 
Japan) without a vote 
 
13) Ozawa creates team to flesh out his policy vision 
 
14) LDP and Abe blast Ozawa's policy vision as lacking vision 
 
15) Environmental Minister Koike proposes disposal of CO2 on ocean 
floor as solution to meeting warming gas-reduction target 
 
Articles: 
 
1) TOP HEADLINES 
Asahi: 
Major consumer loan firms received insurance money in 3,600 
borrowers' suicide cases in FY2005 
 
Mainichi: 
Poll: 40 percent of 96 local governments have no penalties for drunk 
driving 
 
Yomiuri: 
Health Ministry to conduct free health checks to detect 
asbestos-related diseases 
 
Nihon Keizai: 
MIC eyes measures to allow local governments to issue debt-servicing 
bonds 
 
Sankei: 
 
TOKYO 00005249  002 OF 010 
 
 
Only 9 local governments dismiss employees for drunk driving 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
New prince named Hisahito 
 
Akahata: 
Government's tax panel chairman: Hike consumption tax in FY2009 and 
reduce taxes on profit-making companies 
 
2) EDITORIALS 
Asahi: 
(1)Reelection of Ozawa: Unity, policies to be tested 
(2)Information-gathering satellite must be widely utilized 
 
Mainichi: 
(1)How will Ozawa respond to criticism "he is an old-type 
politician"? 
(2)LDP presidential election: Constitutional revision, Japan-US 
Security Treaty must be cool-headedly discussed 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1)Restrictive principles on information-gathering satellite should 
be reviewed 
(2)Consider introducing reward system to facilitate resolution of 
crime cases 
 
Nihon Keizai: 
(1)Minshuto head Ozawa urged to take more drastic policies 
(2)Atomic furnace manufacturers, sit up straight! 
 
Sankei: 
(1)Ozawa should come up with specific policies 
(2)Use acceptance of nurses from the Philippines as model for labor 
market liberalization 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1)Minshuto head Ozawa now faces real fight 
(2)Police should make efforts to improve investigation capability 
before introducing reward system 
 
Akahata: 
(1)Don't support killing Iraqis 
 
3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, September 11 & 12 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2)  (Full) 
September 13, 2006 
 
Sept. 11 
Night: 
Left Vantaa Airport in Helsinki, Finland, aboard government plane. 
Sept. 12 
14:30: 
Arrived at Haneda Airport. 
15:02: 
Made a return report at the Imperial Palace. 
15:17: 
Arrived at Kantei. 
16:06: 
Met Policy Research Council Chairman Nakagawa and later with Chief 
 
TOKYO 00005249  003 OF 010 
 
 
Cabinet Secretary Abe. 
18:07: 
Arrived at his residence. 
 
4) Beijing asks ASEM to post photo of Japanese, Chinese premiers 
shaking hands with smile on its official website 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) 
September 13, 2006 
 
The official website of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), which 
convened in Helsinki on Sept. 11, carried a photo of Prime Minister 
Koizumi and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao shaking hands with a smile in 
the conference hall. Relations between them have chilled over 
Koizumi's visits to Yasukuni Shrine. However, they informally 
greeted each other several times during the conferences on the 10th 
and the 11th. No photos of them shaking hands were available from 
any news organizations. 
 
However, the official photographer of the Chinese government on the 
11th reportedly took a close-up of the two premiers shaking hands. 
According to the Finnish government, the host country, the Chinese 
government on the afternoon of the same day provided the photo and 
asked to post it on ASEM's website. The Finnish government agreed to 
do so. Upon receiving a message from the Finnish government, a 
Japanese government source said in Helsinki, "We take it a clear 
message from China that it wants to repair relations with Japan." 
 
5) Prime Minister Koizumi returns home from ASEM conference, leaving 
impression of stalemated Asia diplomacy 
 
MAINICHI (Page 5) (Excerpts) 
September 13, 2006 
 
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi returned home yesterday from a 
conference of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM). He has made the most 
foreign trips of any Japanese prime minister. The visit to Finland 
was his 51st and last foreign trip as prime minister. As he wrapped 
up his five-and-a-half years of diplomacy, he left the impression 
that the nation's Asia diplomacy is stalemated, symbolized by the 
fact that his conversations with his Chinese and South Korean 
counterparts at the meeting all took place while the leaders were 
standing. 
 
French President Chirac told Koizumi at the opening ceremony of the 
conference, "I do not mean to interfere with your decision to step 
down, but it is regrettable that you are leaving." Koizumi gave a 
wry smile in response. 
 
Koizumi, who has become a regular participant at international 
conferences during his long term in office, drew attention in 
Finland. During a joint press conference with Finnish Prime Minister 
Vanhanen, local reporters asked Koizumi a barrage of questions. To a 
question concerning Japan's relations with Asian countries, Koizumi 
once again criticized China and South Korea, stating as he has in 
the past, "I am not the one refusing to hold a summit." The prime 
minister hastily included the signing of an economic partnership 
agreement (EPA) with the Philippines in his schedule probably 
because he wanted to play up his Asia diplomacy. 
 
6) Abe nixes China's logic for diplomatic normalization with Japan 
 
 
TOKYO 00005249  004 OF 010 
 
 
MAINICHI (Page 2) (Full) 
September 13, 2006 
 
Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe, meeting the press yesterday, 
reiterated his rejection of China's logic regarding war 
responsibilities. In 1972, Japan and China normalized their 
diplomatic relations. On that occasion, China persuaded its people 
by separating the responsibilities of Japan's war leaders and the 
general public in those days. "I wasn't there, so I don't know what 
they talked about," Abe said. "All I know is based on what I've 
learned from (official) documents," he added. 
 
China separated war leaders and the Japanese people in general, and 
this is why Beijing has decried Japanese prime ministers for their 
visits to Yasukuni Shrine, where Class-A war criminals are 
enshrined. 
 
Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki criticized Abe's perception in 
his press remarks yesterday. "Japan and China have talked with each 
other at various levels," Tanigaki said. "He ignores everything," 
Tanigaki added, "He says that (he doesn't know) because it was not 
written down on paper, but I wonder if it's all right to say things 
like that in the process of building confidence." Abe rebutted, "I 
disagree." 
 
7) JETRO chairman's statement that the territorial issue must not 
block economic development causes a sensation; Russian paper makes 
expanded interpretation that Japan would make concessions 
 
SANKEI (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
September 13, 2006 
 
Yasuo Naito, Moscow 
 
During his recent business trip to Russia, Japan External Trade 
Organization (JETRO) Chairman Osamu Watanabe stated, "The 
territorial issue between Japan and Russia must not block the 
economic development of the two countries." The statement, made 
during a visit to Russia by a Japanese investment delegation he led, 
has created a stir. 
 
The Russian media reported the statement as a sign of Japan's 
willingness to make concessions on the disputed four northern 
islands off Hokkaido. The statement ended up sending a signal 
different from Japan's traditional policy line of pursing progress 
in politics and economics at the same time. 
 
Watanabe became the first JETRO chairman to visit Russia since the 
1992 Japan trade fair. He made the remarks in question at a press 
conference that included Russian journalists, held in Moscow on 
Sept. 4. 
 
In the session, a Russian reporter asked Watanabe if the lack of a 
peace treaty between Japan and Russia would have any effect on 
economic development of the two countries. In response, Watanabe 
said: 
 
"It is important to exercise caution so as not let political issues 
have a negative impact on economics. That is the responsibility of 
the political leaders of the two countries. If the economic 
development of the two counties would suffer from a harmful effect, 
the leaders of both countries must make efforts to settle political 
 
TOKYO 00005249  005 OF 010 
 
 
issues to prevent that." 
 
Although Watanabe called for "efforts by leaders of both countries," 
his statement seemed to have left the door open for an 
interpretation that the Japanese government might make concessions 
on the territorial issue for the sake of economic development. 
 
In fact, the influential Russian daily Gazeta quoted Watanabe as 
saying that the absence of a peace treaty was no longer an obstacle 
to the economic development of Russia and Japan. The Watanabe 
statement might result in a misconception that cooperation with 
Japan would move forward without settling the territorial issue or 
concluding a peace treaty. 
 
8) Net polling on LDP race: 66 percent of LDP supporters favor Abe 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Abridged) 
September 13, 2006 
 
The Nihon Keizai Shimbun conducted the second Internet-based public 
opinion survey on Sept. 8-10 about the ruling Liberal Democratic 
Party's presidential election. Respondents were asked to pick the 
name of an appropriate person as the next prime minister from among 
three running candidates-Shinzo Abe, Sadakazu Tanigaki, and Taro 
Aso. In this popularity rating, Abe ranked top at 39 percent with a 
wide margin over the other two candidates, up 2 percentage points 
from the first poll taken two weeks ago. Aso ranked second at 15 
percent, up 2 points, and Tanigaki in third place with 13 percent, 
up 1 point. 
 
Among those who supported Abe in the previous survey, 84 percent 
continued their support for Abe in the latest survey. Among 
supporters for Aso in the previous survey, 71 percent continued 
their support for Aso. Among supporters for Tanigaki in the last 
survey, 72 percent continued their support for Tanigaki. The LDP is 
set to elect its new president on Sept. 20. There is still another 
week left until the election, but public support for Abe is steady. 
Among LDP supporters, Abe overwhelmed the other two candidates at 66 
percent, up 4 points from the previous survey, with Aso standing at 
15 percent, up 2 points, and Tanigaki leveling off at 7 percent. 
 
9) Poll: 56 percent of LDP's local bloc members to vote for Abe, 11 
percent for Aso, 8 percent for Tanigaki 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 1) (Abridged) 
September 13, 2006 
 
Kyodo News Service polled the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's 
nonparliamentary members and fraternity members across the nation on 
Sept. 9-10 to probe into trends in the party's presidential 
election. In the survey, 73.7 percent picked the name of Chief 
Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe as their choice to vote for. The figure 
shows that Abe will likely garner more than 200 of the party's 300 
local votes. Abe has ensured about 80 percent of the party's 403 
parliamentary votes. Consequently, Abe is now certain to become the 
party's new president with a majority of the votes in the first 
ballot. 
 
In the survey of the LDP's local members, Foreign Minister Taro Aso 
ranked second at 15.1 percent, followed by Finance Minister Sadakazu 
Tanigaki at 11.2 percent. Asked what they would like the party's new 
president to pursue first, 44.9 percent said "pension and other 
 
TOKYO 00005249  006 OF 010 
 
 
social security issues," topping all other answers. However, their 
opinions were split over the advisability of raising the consumption 
tax for that purpose. 
 
In the survey of party members and fraternity members, valid answers 
were obtained from 1,458 persons, with 76.8 percent specifying the 
names of candidates to vote for. On the whole, Abe stood at 56.7 
percent, followed by Aso at 11.5 percent and Tanigaki at 8.6 
percent. Undecided voters accounted for 19.6 percent. Those who said 
they "don't know" and those who gave no answer totaled 3.6 percent. 
 
Among priority issues, "economic measures" ranked second at 20.7 
percent, followed by "educational reform" at 11.7 percent, "local 
divide" at 8.6 percent, "better relations with China and South 
Korea" at 7.1 percent. 
 
Asked about raising the consumption tax, positive answers accounted 
for 46.0 percent, with negative answers at 47.2 percent. In 
addition, 52.4 percent answered "yes" when asked if they would like 
the Constitution to be amended, with 27.2 percent saying "no." 
 
They were also asked if they thought the party's new president 
should pay homage at Yasukuni Shrine. In response to this question, 
their opinions were split with 40.5 percent saying "yes" and 37.3 
percent saying "no." 
 
10) New Komeito to seek portfolio for Fuyushiba: Upper House LDP 
plans to recommend Wakabayashi, Mizote 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) 
September 13, 2006 
 
The New Komeito yesterday decided to seek a post for Secretary 
General Tetsuzo Fuyushiba (70) in a new cabinet to be launched on 
Sept. 26, following the Liberal Democratic Party's presidential 
election. Fuyushiba will step down, coinciding with party head 
Kanzaki's voluntary resignation. Since Land, Infrastructure and 
Transport Minister Kitagawa is set to replace Fuyushiba, the New 
Komeito has decided to seek a cabinet post for Fuyushiba, instead of 
Kitagawa. Chief Cabinet Secretary Abe, who is believed certain to 
assume the premiership, will likely accept the request. 
 
The LDP in the Upper House has decided to seek two posts for Upper 
House members, as was the case under the Koizumi cabinet. It will 
recommend Upper House Policy Deliberation Council Chairman Masatoshi 
Wakabayashi (72), a member of the Mori faction, and Upper House Diet 
Steering Committee Chairman Kensei Mizote (64), a member of the 
Niwa-Koga faction. Wakabayashi has been elected to the Upper House 
twice and served as senior vice finance minister. Mizote has been 
elected three times and served in such posts as state secretary of 
the Ministry of International Trade and Industry. 
 
11) How far will generational change go and how far will the LDP 
break the influence of factions? Rumors flying about selection of 
cabinet members 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Almost full) 
 
With Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe, 51, enjoying an 
overwhelming lead in the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) presidential 
campaign, rumors are flying in the party about who will be chosen 
for his administration. Following in the footsteps of Prime Minister 
 
TOKYO 00005249  007 OF 010 
 
 
Junichiro Koizumi, 64, Abe remains mum on personnel affairs, but 
generational change, breaking faction-based practices, and 
reward-oriented appointments are likely to be key to the new cabinet 
and LDP lineup. Within the party there are both hopes and fears 
about a generational change. 
 
"Such a matter has not been talked about at this stage," Hidenao 
Nakagawa, 62, chairman of the LDP Policy Research Council, said 
yesterday after reporting on the situation in the party to Koizumi. 
Nakagawa was asked by reporters if he discussed the selection of 
cabinet members for an Abe administration. Nakagawa thus dismissed 
the question on the spot. But the selection of cabinet members and 
party executives is a matter of great concern in the party at 
present. 
 
Focus now on how to treat veteran lawmakers and reward-oriented 
appointment 
 
Much attention is being paid to who will be chosen as chief cabinet 
secretary and LDP secretary general. The chief cabinet secretary is 
 
SIPDIS 
the spokesperson who provides the government's views at press 
conferences twice a day everyday, except for Saturdays and Sundays. 
This post is becoming more important as a coordinator between 
ministries and agencies and the ruling camp now that the Kantei is 
getting more involved in the policy-decision process. 
 
It is customary to appoint someone from the same faction to which 
the party president belongs. In view of breaking faction-based 
practices and bringing about a generational change, both of which 
Abe wants to realize, Nobuteru Ishihara, 49, who does not belong to 
any faction, and Yasuhisa Shiozaki, 55, who belongs to the Niwa-Koga 
faction, are viewed as likely candidates for the post. Both 
lawmakers are close to Abe. If veteran lawmakers are chosen in view 
of harmony, Nobutaka Machimura, 61, and Kaoru Yosano, 68, will be 
considered. 
 
A major political battle next year will be the Upper House election. 
As for the three top party officers' posts, including the secretary 
general, who handles elections, some have speculated that Nakagawa, 
who belongs to the same Mori faction as Abe and who has helped the 
party advance Koizumi's structural reforms, is fit for one of the 
three posts. This speculation is growing in the party in part 
because Abe has expressed a lack of interest in making sure that the 
secretary general and the party president hail from the same 
 
SIPDIS 
faction. 
 
The three top party officers need to coordinate intraparty views on 
such questions as what to do about the return to the party of former 
LDP members who were forced out because of their opposition to the 
postal privatization bills last year. Given this sort of party 
business, many think it wise to appoint veterans for those posts. 
General Council Chairman Fumio Kyuma, 65, who in effect forced 
Defense Agency Director-General Fukushiro Nukaga, 62, not to run in 
the presidential race, is viewed as a person to whom both favorable 
treatment toward veterans and reward-oriented appointment would 
apply. Following Kyuma, Hakuo Yanagisawa, 71, who was first among 
the Niwa-Koga faction to declare his support for Abe, has also been 
mentioned. Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Toshihiro Nikai, 
71, and presidential candidate and Foreign Minister Taro Aso, 67, 
have also been mentioned. 
 
The question of who will be chosen for the posts of deputy chief 
 
TOKYO 00005249  008 OF 010 
 
 
cabinet secretaries and prime ministerial assistants in an 
administration led by Abe, who has called for strengthening the 
Kantei, is also drawing public attention. Rumor has it that likely 
candidates include Hakubun Shimomura, 52, an aide to Abe on 
educational reform, and Hiroshige Seko, 43, a member of the House of 
Councillors in charge of Abe's public relations strategy. 
 
Members of parliamentary league on second chances 
 
The question of whether mid-level and junior lawmakers will receive 
reward-oriented appointments is also drawing attention. It is said 
that there is a high possibility that reward-oriented cabinet posts 
will go to Yuji Yamamoto, 54, and Yoshihide Suga, 57, both of whom 
helped establish a parliamentary league that aims to ensure that 
those who fail in society can receive a second chance and who have 
played a role in staking Abe to the lead, as well as to Deputy 
Policy Research Council Chairman Toshiaki Amari, 57, who serves as 
chief secretariat for Abe's support group. 
 
More than 70 percent of LDP lawmakers have rushed to support Abe, so 
it will be impossible to give favorable treatment to all of them. A 
senior member of an anti-Abe group pointed out the difficulties in 
personnel selection for Abe, saying, "Personnel selection will win 
him a handful of friends and many more enemies." Abe has said that 
he will choose the cabinet members himself, but he also has stated, 
"As for the posts of senior vice ministers and parliamentary 
secretaries, the party will appoint them in a fair and equal 
 
SIPDIS 
manner." 
 
12) Minshuto President Ozawa reelected without a formal vote; Plans 
to retain Kan, Hatoyama 
 
YOMIURI (Page 1) (Full) 
September 13, 2006 
 
Ichiro Ozawa (64) has been reelected president of Minshuto 
(Democratic Party of Japan) without a vote, the party announced 
yesterday. Since no other party member registered, Ozawa was the 
only candidate. The party will convene an extraordinary convention 
on Sept. 25 and formally install the new president. His tenure will 
be for two years until September 2008. 
 
In a press conference at party headquarters last evening, Ozawa 
announced the goal of his second term: "Gaining the support of the 
public through the local elections next year, we will secure a 
majority for the opposition side in the Upper House election. I 
intend to put my every effort into reaching that major goal." He 
expressed the view that the party could reach a majority in the 
Upper House election next summer. 
 
Commenting on the party executive lineup, Ozawa said: "I would like 
to obtain the continued support that Acting Representative Kan, 
Secretary General Hatoyama, and the others in our executive group 
 
SIPDIS 
have given me for the five months (since first elected in April)." 
Ozawa already has reappointed Kan and Hatoyama and has expressed his 
intention to continue the troika arrangement. The focus now will be 
on other key officials, such as the policy research chief, who will 
be in charge of compiling basic party policies, and the Diet affairs 
chairman, who will be key to managing the party's strategy in the 
Diet. 
 
13) LDP launches team to examine "Ozawa vision" 
 
TOKYO 00005249  009 OF 010 
 
 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Abridged slightly) 
September 13, 2006 
 
The Liberal Democratic Party yesterday launched a team to examine 
Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan) policies. The team will analyze 
the "Ozawa vision" -- a collection of Ozawa's basic ideas and 
policies -- and his past statements for use in party-head debates 
and other occasions. The team will produce a report by the end of 
this month with a Lower House by-election for October in mind. 
 
In a meeting yesterday of the chairman and the vice-chairmen of the 
Policy Research Council, chairman Hidenao Nakagawa described the 
Ozawa vision this way: "It reflects his irresponsibility. . . . In 
the past, it was regarded as somewhat childish for the government to 
questions the policies of an opposition party. But it is important 
now to examine the main opposition party's policies." 
 
Many in the meeting criticized the Ozawa vision's social security 
policy for correcting social disparity and compensation for 
individual farmers as pork-barrel largesse typical of a large 
government. 
 
14) Ozawa policy examination team launched to report results to new 
LDP president 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Full) 
September 13, 2006 
 
The Liberal Democratic Party yesterday launched an opposition party 
policy examination team within the Policy Research Council and held 
its inaugural meeting at party headquarters. The team is tasked with 
thoroughly examining Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan) President 
Ichiro Ozawa's basic policies and his statements in press 
conferences to submit a report to the new LDP president replacing 
Koizumi. The team is hoping that the new LDP president will find the 
report useful in attacking Ozawa at party-head debates and other 
occasions. 
 
The team, composed of 16 council members and others, including 
chairman Nakagawa, will chiefly examine three points: (1) how to 
correct social disparity and safety nets; (2) a plan to reduce the 
number of civil servants; and (3) economic policies. 
 
Abe: Ozawa vague on constitutional revision and collective defense 
 
Touching on Ozawa's stance toward constitutional revision and the 
right of collective self-defense revealed in his basic policies, 
Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe said in a press conference 
yesterday: 
 
"I feel that his stance is ambiguous. We would like to win public 
support by presenting a clear direction to the public and 
implementing policies." 
 
Ozawa was reelected Minshuto president uncontested yesterday 
afternoon. 
 
15) Environment minister asks panel to discuss legal revisions to 
enable CO2 disposal at sea 
 
MAINICHI (Page 3) (Full) 
 
TOKYO 00005249  010 OF 010 
 
 
September 13, 2006 
 
Environment Minister Yuriko Koike yesterday asked the Central 
Environment Council to deliberate on how to use technology to 
dispose of carbon dioxide (CO2) under the seabed and how to prevent 
a negative impact on the maritime environment. Upon receiving a 
package of recommendations from the council, the Environment 
Ministry will submit to the regular Diet session next year bills 
amending relevant laws to enable disposal of CO2 at sea. 
 
Research and development of this method are underway at home and 
abroad. Should many countries introduce it, CO2 emitted in the air 
is expected to significantly decrease. However, much is still 
unknown about safety, such as the effect on the ecosystem. 
 
This development came in response to a decision made to add CO2 to 
the list of waste materials allowed to be dumped into the ocean 
under a protocol based on the London Treaty governing sea disposal. 
In conjunction with this decision, the government has decided to 
revise the Seawater Protection Law and ratify the protocol. 
 
The Central Environment Council will start deliberations mainly on 
how the storage technology should be utilized and what the effect on 
the maritime environment would be if buried CO2 leaked. Japan will 
legally allow the use of this technology for the first time, and 
discussion on whether Japan should adopt this method to limit global 
warming is likely to be conducted in a cautious manner. 
 
Koike commented: 
 
"I would like specific and wide-ranging deliberations on such 
matters as what can be done in Japan to make this a reality and how 
the nation's targets under the Kyoto Protocol can be reached." 
 
SCHIEFFER