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RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1973

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 10 TOKYO 005339 
 
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 09/19/06 
 
 
Index: 
1) Top headlines 
 
2) Editorials 
 
3) Prime Minister's daily schedule: None, the 18th was a national 
holiday 
 
4) Customers happy when Yoshinoya features US beef on menu after 2 
years, 7 months absence 
 
5) Poll: Shinzo Abe favored as next prime minister by 36 percent of 
public a day before the LDP election, but Taro Aso's support 
suddenly rises to 20 PERCENT 
 
6) Abe has 70 percent of LDP votes locked up one eve of LDP 
presidential election 
 
7) LDP presidential candidates Abe, Tanigaki spar in campaign over 
historical views 
 
8) Minshuto's Naoto Kan criticizes Abe's views of history as 
affecting Japan's relations with the US 
 
9) US media brand prime ministerial candidate Abe as a "nationalist" 
 
 
10) Time, Newsweek magazines take up Abe's candidacy in cover 
stories 
 
11) Aso may stay on as foreign minister if "prime minister" Abe so 
wishes 
 
12) Minshuto's (Democratic Party of Japan) Ozawa, Kan, not wanting 
to witness the birth of Abe administration will fly to Iwo Jima 
tomorrow 
 
13) Major Japanese banks to constrain transactions with Iran, 
following US lead 
 
14) Finance Minister Tanigaki discusses China's currency, Iran 
sanctions with US Treasury Secretary 
 
15) JDA to create a "strategic planning office" in anticipation of 
it being raised to ministry status 
 
16) Futenma relocation site: New wrinkle with plan for unannounced 
land reclamation in waters near Schwab to secure work area 
 
17) JDA to establish office in US that would be separate from the 
Japanese Embassy 
 
18) US unhappy with JDA's report on North Korea's missile launch 
 
Articles: 
1) TOP HEADLINES 
 
Asahi: Mainichi: Yomiuri: Nihon Keizai: 
Average land prices in three major cities rise for first time in 16 
years; Residential and commercial land prices drop in 90 percent of 
outlying areas 
 
 
TOKYO 00005339  002 OF 010 
 
 
Sankei: 
Russia orders suspension of two Sakhalin projects; Japan's natural 
gas procurement bound to be affected 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
Transfer of Futenma functions; Previous plan included unannounced 
coastal reclamation plan to secure working site; Such a site still 
needed 
 
Akahata: 
Chairman Shii meets with Pakistani prime minister; Agrees on need to 
maintain peace and order in the world and eliminate terrorism and 
nuclear weapons 
 
2) EDITORIALS 
 
Asahi: 
(1)Loopholes remain in money-lending regulation 
(2)New Komeito: Party head Kanzaki to step down without leaving a 
policy imprint 
 
Mainichi: 
(1)Taking a second look at amakudrai will heighten public distrust 
(2)Return of postal rebels to LDP is too opportunistic 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1)Re-creation of Nihonbashi Bridge a model for urban renewal 
(2)Mixi listed on Tokyo Stock Exchange's Mothers section; Emergence 
of new champion in IT industry? 
 
Nihon Keizai: 
(1)Questions on policy in 2006 LDP presidential election: Seriously 
tackle decentralization issue, including introduction of doshu 
system 
 
Sankei: 
(1)Social divide and LDP presidential election: It is regrettable 
that discussion remains shallow 
(2)Children's morality: Parents behind problem children 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1)North Korea's nuclear arms will only protract sanctions 
(2)Conference on biodiversity expected to serve as occasion to take 
second look at value of life 
 
Akahata: 
(1)Conference of Heads of States and Chiefs of Non-Aligned Nations 
confirms effort to strengthen activities to create peaceful and fair 
world 
 
3) Prime Minister's daily schedule: None, the 18th was a national 
holiday 
 
 
4) Gyudon returns to menu at Yoshinoya 
 
ASAHI (Page 34) (Slightly abridged) 
September 19, 2006 
 
Fast-food chain Yoshinoya D&D Co. resumed serving its popular gyudon 
(beef bowl) using US beef for the first time in two years and seven 
months yesterday. Since imports of US beef remain low, the company 
 
TOKYO 00005339  003 OF 010 
 
 
has no plans to serve the dish on any other day this month. Most of 
the one million orders prepared at 1,000 shops yesterday were sold 
out before the evening. While many welcomed the resumption, others 
still voiced concerns about the safety of US beef. 
 
Just before 11:00 a.m. in front of the Yoshinoya restaurant in 
Yurakucho, Tokyo, which is tops in terms of sales volume among all 
its shops, the manager and other members welcomed the customers, who 
applauded. 
 
Takanori Umeki, 24, a graduate school student in Bunkyo Ward who had 
waited for nearly 12 hours, said after eating a beef bowl priced at 
380 yen, 100 yen higher than that before the ban was imposed on US 
beef imports: "The amount is just right, and the beef is juicy. 
Yoshinoya's gyudon is the best." 
 
Misuzu Nakano, 27, a company employee in Hamura City, Tokyo, said: 
"I came here at my family members' request." At this shop, about 
2,000 orders were sold in just four hours. 
 
Meanwhile, a female company employee in her forties from Toyoshima 
Ward, Tokyo, interviewed on street said: "There is little 
information saying that US beef is safe. I have no intention of 
eating it until its safety is guaranteed." 
 
Yoshinoya plans a limited sale of one million orders of gyudon a day 
on October 1-5 and November 1-5. 
 
US Ambassador Schieffer, enjoying large order of gyudon, says: 
"Today is a day of celebration." 
 
United States Ambassador to Japan Thomas Schieffer and his wife 
Susanne visited a Yoshinoya restaurant in Toranomon, located near 
the US Embassy in Tokyo, just after the shop opened at 11:00 a.m. 
yesterday. While eating a large order of gyudon, he gave a thumbs up 
sign. 
 
The ambassador said with satisfaction: "Today is a day of 
celebration for the return of US beef to Japan. It was worth waiting 
more than two years," adding: "The resumption of US beef after both 
sides successfully dealt with differences is wonderful for both 
Japan and the US." He also emphatically said: "US beef is safe and 
healthy food." 
 
5) Net polling on LDP race: Abe keeps pole position with 36 percent 
support 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Abridged) 
September 19, 2006 
 
The Nihon Keizai Shimbun conducted its third Internet-based public 
opinion survey on Sept. 15-17 about the ruling Liberal Democratic 
Party's presidential election. In the survey, respondents were asked 
to name an appropriate person to be the next prime minister, and 
Shinzo Abe maintained a substantial lead at 36 percent over all 
other candidates, although he was down 3 points from the second 
survey. Taro Aso ranked second at 20 percent, up 5 points from the 
last survey. Sadakazu Tanigaki leveled off at 13 percent. 
 
Among LDP supporters, the rate of public support for Abe was 62 
percent, down 4 points. However, Abe still enjoys high popularity. 
Aso stood at 19 percent, up 4 points, and Tanigaki at 9 percent, up 
 
TOKYO 00005339  004 OF 010 
 
 
2 points. Aso and Tanigaki, however, have yet to close the gap with 
Abe. 
 
6) Abe has 70 percent of votes locked up in LDP presidential 
election that occurs tomorrow; Aso in second place 
 
TOKYO (Page 1) (Excerpt) 
September 19, 2006 
 
Voting will take place in the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) 
presidential election on Sept. 20, the winner being the combined 
tally of the votes of party members and lawmakers. This newspaper 
has confirmed through news gathering and analyzing the votes in each 
camp that Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe will receive 
approximately 500 votes or 70 percent of the combined votes of the 
party members and lawmakers. Continuing to vie for second place is 
Foreign Minister Taro Aso and Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki, 
with Aso having a slight lead in the regional party votes. 
 
7) Noticeable difference in views of history between Abe, Tanigaki 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Excerpts) 
September 19, 2006 
 
During debates in the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) presidential 
campaign, Chief Cabinet Secretary Abe and Finance Minister Tanigaki 
have locked horns over their historical views of World War II. Abe 
is trying to avoid making historical views a point at issue in the 
presidential campaign, noting, "Historical issues should be left in 
the hands of historians," while Tanigaki has emphasized the need to 
give consideration to Japan's neighbors in talking about war 
responsibility. 
 
In a public speech in Tokyo yesterday, Tanigaki appealed to the 
audience: "It's a fact that Japan sent troops to China and that many 
Chinese people died. We must respect the sentiments of our 
neighbors." With Asia diplomacy now a campaign issue, Tanigaki is 
trying to win votes of those not committed to Abe by differentiating 
his stance from Abe's. 
 
At the panel discussion on Sept. 11 hosted by the Japan National 
Press Club, Tanigaki questioned Abe about his view on the Chinese 
government's position that the war was caused by Japan's militarists 
and that the Japanese public as well were the victims. Tanigaki 
tried to stir up controversy with Abe over the issue. Abe rebutted: 
"There was no such a document (of agreement) left (at the time of 
the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and China). 
Dividing the Japanese people into two groups is a notion stemming 
from the class-conscious awareness of history." 
 
Abe stressed on a TV-Asahi program on Sept. 17: "It's true that 
China came up with the perception of separating militarists from the 
general public, but Japan has not agreed to that." When asked about 
making clear who were responsible for the war, Abe questioned 
instead: "Do you think I as a politician can judge this person was 
guilty and that person was not guilty as if I were a sort of god?" 
 
When asked about Prime Minister Murayama's statement released in 
1995 in which Murayama expressed remorse and apology over (Japan's) 
past colonial rule and invasion, Abe went no further to say, "I'll 
inherit its spirit," but Tanigaki said clearly, "I agree." 
 
 
TOKYO 00005339  005 OF 010 
 
 
8) DPJ's Kan implies that Abe's historical views would affect 
Japan-US relations 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Full) 
September 19, 2006 
 
In a public speech in Ibaraki City, Osaka, yesterday afternoon, the 
Democratic Party of Japan (Minshuto) Acting President Naoto Kan 
referred to the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) presidential campaign 
and stated: "If a person who has the same view as that of Yasukuni 
Shrine's history museum, Yushukan, becomes prime minister, Japan-US 
relations will worsen." This is an implicit criticism of Chief 
Cabinet Secretary Abe, who is certain to take office as prime 
minister shortly. 
 
Kan expressed concern that Abe's historical views would affect 
diplomatic ties with the US, saying, "We are at an historic 
crossroads in terms of whether issues will be moving toward 
resolution or heading toward danger after (Mr. Abe) has been in 
power for three to five years." 
 
The way Yushukan displays war-related items has now come under 
criticism in the US, as well. For instance, some in the US Congress 
have called for revisions to a caption that describes the former 
Imperial Japanese Army as "liberators" in the Asia-Pacific region. 
 
Later in the day, in a speech delivered in Nara City, Kan cast 
doubts on Abe's campaign slogan, "Toward a beautiful country," 
arguing: "When a politician plans to rebuild a country into a 
beautiful one, who decides (what that means)?  Will (Mr. Abe base 
this on) his own sense of aesthetics and his way of life?" 
 
9) Abe described by US media as nationalist 
 
SANKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
September 19, 2006 
 
Takashi Arimoto, Washington 
 
With the Liberal Democratic Party presidential election coming up on 
Sept. 20, the US Congress and media are showing interest in who 
might succeed Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who has built 
honeymoon-like personal ties with President George W. Bush. At the 
same time, the media, including the New York Times, have a tendency 
to link Japan's growing nationalism to Koizumi's successor, 
describing Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe as a nationalist. But 
some experts have faulted the media for shedding the same light on 
Abe as prewar nationalism. In addition to the New York Times, the 
Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times have referred to Abe as 
"nationalist." 
 
The New York Times has introduced Abe as "right-wing nationalist" 
and a "hawkish leader of the younger generation" since it first 
labeled him "conservative nationalist" in May 2005. 
 
In a Sept. 14 public hearing on Japan and neighboring countries, 
held by the US House International Relations Committee, some 
witnesses ascribed strained Japan-China relations to growing 
nationalism in Japan. However, former White House National Security 
Council Senior Asian Director Green Michael Green testified: "An 
argument that Japan would return to its prewar bellicose attitude is 
irrelevant." 
 
TOKYO 00005339  006 OF 010 
 
 
 
Georgetown University Department of East Asian Languages and 
Cultures Chair Prof. Kevin Doak also took this view about comparing 
Japan's rising nationalism today to its prewar period: 
 
"There is no tendency for Japan to return to the ethnic nationalism 
of the 1930s. Mr. Abe has clearly rejected such a nationalism. 
Rather, he appears to be a nationalist who is trying to raise the 
public's awareness and their sense of participation in the 
country." 
 
10) Foreign media paying close attention to "hawkish Abe" 
 
MAINICHI (Page 2) (Full) 
September 19, 2006 
 
The overseas media, including the Chinese and US media, have been 
paying close attention to Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe, who is 
certain to be elected the new LDP president on Sept. 20. Abe made 
the covers of the Asian versions of Newsweek and Time that went on 
sale last week. All in all, the foreign media are critical of Abe, 
expressing concern over strained relations with China and South 
Korea, citing Abe's diplomatic and security policies tinged with 
hawkish overtones and raising questions about the continuation of 
Koizumi's economic and fiscal reform policy line. 
 
Newsweek portrayed Abe as a mysterious person, saying that although 
he has a short track record, he is already putting neighboring 
countries on alert, citing his two major goals: (1) revising the 
country's pacifist Constitution; and (2) rivalry with China. Time 
critically described Abe as a dangerous nationalist on one hand and 
introduced him as a potential strong leader on the other, with a 
watchful eye on whether or not he would continue visiting Yasukuni 
Shrine after becoming prime minister. 
 
Abe's perception of history has also drawn fire from other foreign 
media. For instance, German magazine Spiegel compared Abe to Iranian 
President Ahmadi-Nejad, who had denied the Holocaust. Singapore's 
Straits Times reported: "Abe is more conservative than Prime 
Minister Koizumi and has rejected the legitimacy of the 
International Military Tribunal for the Far East." 
 
Many articles expressed concern over Abe's "lack of experience" as a 
successor to Koizumi, whose reform policy line has won high marks 
overseas. The September issue of the US publication Far Eastern 
Economic Review wrote: "Unlike Koizumi, who gave many posts to 
people in the private sector, Abe is surrounded only by bureaucrats 
and lawmakers. Japan will depart from the reform line." 
 
11) Aso willing to serve as foreign minister under Abe 
 
MAINICHI (Page 2) (Full) 
September 19, 2006 
 
Foreign Minister Taro Aso, appearing on an NTV program yesterday, 
indicated that if Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe becomes the 
next prime minister and asks him to stay on, he will accept Abe's 
offer. Asked, "Are you willing to serve as foreign minister under 
Abe?" Aso said, "I will do my best to meet his expectations." 
 
12) Minshuto's Ozawa, Kan to visit Iwo Jima tomorrow 
 
 
TOKYO 00005339  007 OF 010 
 
 
MAINICHI (Page 2) (Full) 
September 19, 2006 
 
Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan) President Ichiro Ozawa and 
Deputy Director General Naoto Kan will visit Iwo Jima, which was the 
site of a fierce battle in WWII, on Sept. 20-21. They plan to have a 
firsthand look at places from which remains were collected and the 
ruins of air-raid shelters. 
 
The aim is to demonstrate their eagerness to tackle the issue of war 
responsibility, but Ozawa's absence from Nagata-cho is intended to 
indicate a lack of interest in the Liberal Democratic Party 
presidential election on Sept. 20. 
 
On Iwo Jima, about 22,000 Japanese soldiers died in February-March 
1945, but the remains of only 8,510, less than 40 percent of the 
total, have been collected. 
 
Kan decided to independently visit the island out of the idea that 
"people have forgotten the tragedy of war." But Ozawa, who was 
reelected as party head on Sept. 12, also decided to join him out of 
a desire to "hide himself until (the extraordinary party convention) 
on Sept. 25 in order to avoid an expected uproar over personnel 
appointments in the party." 
 
13) Leading Japanese banks to voluntarily refrain from business 
transactions with Iran's national bank; Mitsubishi-Tokyo-UFJ, 
Sumitomo-Mitsui to fall in step with US measure 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 1) (Full) 
Evening, September 16, 2006 
 
Leading Japanese banks, such as Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ and 
Sumitomo-Mitsui Banking Corp. have revealed plans to voluntarily 
refrain from business transactions with Bank Saderat, Iran's major 
state-run bank. The US government has imposed a complete ban on 
business transactions with that bank for sending money to 
terrorists. These Japanese banks have decided to withhold trade with 
Saderat in line with the US government's policy. 
 
Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ and Sumitomo-Mitsui will refrain from 
transferring dollars to Saderat from their domestic and overseas 
branches. Mizuho Corporate Bank intends to follow suit. As Japan and 
Iran have crude-oil business, Japanese banks have business relations 
with Bank Saderat to pay for crude oil. It is concerned that if the 
settlement of trade accounts were suspended, Japan's oil-related 
companies and leading trading houses would be affected. 
 
This is not the first time for Japan's leading banks to refrain from 
trading with foreign banks based on a political decision. The 
voluntary restraint this time is presumably based on the judgment 
that if they continue business with that bank against Washington's 
wishes, their business activities in the US might be affected. 
 
14) Japanese, US finance ministers urge reform of Chinese yuan 
during meeting to discuss sanctions on Iran 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 1) (Excerpts) 
Evening, September 16, 2006 
 
Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki and US Secretary of the Treasury 
Henry Paulson on the morning of Sept. 16 met in Singapore ahead of a 
 
TOKYO 00005339  008 OF 010 
 
 
meeting of the Group of Seven (G-7) finance ministers and central 
bankers. They agreed that further efforts would be needed to reform 
China's yuan. With possible financial sanctions on Iran, which is 
continuing its nuclear development program, in mind, Paulson called 
on Japan to work out concrete cooperative measures. 
 
This is the first time for them to meet since Paulson took office in 
July. 
 
15) Defense Agency to set up strategic planning office 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) 
September 19, 2006 
 
The Defense Agency will launch a strategic planning office next 
fiscal year to study mid- to long-term defense policies. The new 
office will be set up in the Defense Policy Division of the Defense 
Policy Bureau. The Defense Agency wants the Diet to pass bills 
within the year in connection with its bid to upgrade its status to 
a ministry. Along with this, the agency is aiming to consolidate its 
policy planning functions in order for Japan to respond flexibly on 
its own to international terrorism, WMD proliferation, North Korea's 
nuclear ambitions and missiles, and various other issues. 
 
For the time being, the strategic planning office will study; 1) 
deterrence in the new security environment; 2) international peace 
cooperation activities and exchange programs for the Self-Defense 
Forces with various countries; 3) maritime policy regarding natural 
resources in the East China Sea and teamwork with the Japan Coast 
Guard for territorial defense; and 4) space policy and Japan's 
national defense. 
 
16) Unannounced landfill planned for Futenma relocation 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Top play) (Abridged) 
September 19, 2006 
 
The central government and the Okinawa prefectural government once 
agreed in 2002 to relocate the heliport functions of the US Marine 
Corps' Futenma Air Station in Okinawa Prefecture to a site in waters 
off the Henoko district of the island prefecture's northern coastal 
city of Nago. On this issue, Tokyo had planned a vast expanse of 
on-site landfill-covering a total area of approximately 34 
hectares-in the city's Oura Bay to build a concrete foundation 
consisting of pontoon-type caissons needed to reclaim land from the 
sea, sources revealed yesterday. In May this year, Japan and the 
United States wound up their intergovernmental talks over the 
realignment of US forces in Japan, incorporating an agreement to 
relocate Futenma airfield to a coastal area of Camp Schwab. However, 
there is no change in the fact that an on-site scaffolding landfill 
is needed. The government will likely be saddled another issue of 
land reclamation, in addition to laying down a Futenma alternative. 
 
The government has so far remained mum about the necessity of such a 
landfill. 
 
The Henoko offshore heliport plan was to reclaim land from the sea 
and install a facility of 184 hectares within the offing of Nago's 
Henoko district. The government conducted a geological survey of the 
seabed and then had to stop the survey as it faced local 
opposition. 
 
 
TOKYO 00005339  009 OF 010 
 
 
According to Defense Facilities Administration Agency officials, the 
government had planned to sink a number of gigantic caissons-about 
20 meters long and wide each-in the sea to build a foundation for 
the offshore facility. In this connection, the government then 
planned to construct a caisson-manufacturing yard and a 
land-stockpiling site at sea. 
 
The government initially listed three candidate sites, including 
Kushi Bay and Oura Bay, which are situated near Henoko. The other 
candidate location was Nakagusuku Bay. At the time, a private 
developer had a plan to reclaim land from the sea in the northern 
part of Oura Bay to create a yacht harbor. This project became a 
decisive factor for the government to decide informally on its 
initial blueprint to lay down the Futenma alternative in Oura Bay. 
The DFAA planned to create an on-site landfill covering a total area 
of about 34 hectares and to offer it to local communities for 
nothing after the Futenma alternative is completed. The DFAA sounded 
out only a handful of Nago City officials on those plans so as not 
to spill the beans. "We didn't go so far as to reclaim land from the 
sea, so we didn't make it public," one of the DFAA officials said. 
 
17) JDA to establish office in US 
 
MAINICHI (Page 1) (Full) 
September 17, 2006 
 
Yoso Furumoto 
 
The Defense Agency (JDA) has decided to establish in Washington, DC, 
an intelligence liaison office, which will function separately from 
the Japanese Embassy in the United States. The objective is to step 
up cooperation with US intelligence agencies. In order to prepare 
for the establishment of the office, the JDA will within the year 
send a senior official from its Defense Policy Bureau to Washington 
and aim to put the office into full operation from early next year. 
 
In the past, as well, the JDA has exchanged intelligence with US 
intelligence agencies. For instance, when North Korea launched 
ballistic missiles in July, the JDA shared such information as 
satellite photos and records of communications. 
 
But America's analytical methods are highly specialized, so some in 
the government have pointed out that simply sharing intelligence as 
part of crisis management when something happens is insufficient. 
Also, under the current sectionalism-based system taken by the 
Japanese Embassy in the US, there have been a noticeable number of 
cases where it has been difficult for Japan to work together with 
the US. So the JDA deemed it necessary to have a liaison office of 
military intelligence experts on a regular basis. 
 
The JDA has assumed the US Defense Department's Defense Intelligence 
Agency (DIA) to be its liaison office's counterpart. DIA specializes 
in physical and chemical analysis, has the function of a spy agency, 
and is tasked with coordinating intelligence offices under the 
Pentagon's control. In addition, the JDA plans to cooperate with the 
National Security Agency (NSA), which is in charge of signal 
intelligence, and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), 
which is in charge of photographic intelligence. 
 
18) US reluctant to reveal analysis of North Korean missiles 
 
MAINICHI (Page 2) (Full) 
 
TOKYO 00005339  010 OF 010 
 
 
September 19, 2006 
 
The United States' reluctance to allow the Defense Agency to release 
a detailed report on the test-launches of ballistic missiles on July 
5 by North Korea has forced defense chief Fukushiro Nukaga to 
announce the results of the analysis only orally in a press 
conference. The Defense Agency released a report in the wake of the 
North's firing of a Taepodong-1 missile in 1998. Although a senior 
defense official had expressed eagerness to "fulfill the agency's 
accountability," Tokyo had to respect Washington's wishes, as a 
large part of the data necessary for the analysis came from the 
United States. 
 
SCHIEFFER