VZCZCXRO8143
PP RUEHFK RUEHKSO RUEHNAG RUEHNH
DE RUEHKO #5988/01 2860804
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 130804Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7438
INFO RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEAWJA/USDOJ WASHDC PRIORITY
RULSDMK/USDOT WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J5//
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RHHMHBA/COMPACFLT PEARL HARBOR HI
RHMFIUU/HQ PACAF HICKAM AFB HI//CC/PA//
RHMFIUU/COMUSJAPAN YOKOTA AB JA//J5/JO21//
RUYNAAC/COMNAVFORJAPAN YOKOSUKA JA
RUAYJAA/COMPATWING ONE KAMI SEYA JA
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 0997
RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 8459
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 1835
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 8153
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 9532
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 4555
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 0673
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2260

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 09 TOKYO 005988 
 
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 10/13/06 
 
 
INDEX: 
 
(1) Roundtable discussion on North Korea's nuclear test: Military 
analyst Ozu -- Did it succeed in downsizing warheads? University of 
Shizuoka Prof. Izumi -- US concerned over nuclear proliferation; 
University of Tokyo Prof. Shinichi Kitaoka -- A sanction resolution 
is not a panacea 
 
(2) Shock waves from North Korea's nuclear test (Part 3): Technical 
innovation facilitates nuclear development 
 
(3) Patriot missiles trucked into base despite local protest 
 
(4) Interview with Atsushi Miura (48), author of "The Downwardly 
Mobile Society": Urges government to speed up efforts to take 
measures to counter widening social disparity with focus on young 
people 
 
ARTICLES: 
 
(1) Roundtable discussion on North Korea's nuclear test: Military 
analyst Ozu -- Did it succeed in downsizing warheads? University of 
Shizuoka Prof. Izumi -- US concerned over nuclear proliferation; 
University of Tokyo Prof. Shinichi Kitaoka -- A sanction resolution 
is not a panacea 
 
YOMIURI (Page 11) (Full) 
October 11, 2006 
 
North Korea announced on Oct. 9 that it had "succeeded in setting 
off a nuclear test," thereby sending shock waves across the world. 
This declaration has been taken as a grave threat not only to East 
Asia but also to the international community as whole. What was the 
North's intention in exploding a nuclear device? How should Japan 
and the world deal with this new development? The Yomiuri Shimbun 
invited three experts -- Hajime Izumi, a professor of politics at 
Shizuoka University who is an expert on the Korean Peninsula, Hajime 
Ozu, military analyst of military technology, and Shinichi Kitaoka, 
professor at University of Tokyo and formerly deputy permanent 
representative to the United Nations -- to discuss this new 
development. 
 
Moderator:  Kiichiro Harano, chief of the Yomiuri Shimbun 
International Desk. 
 
-- What are your views about North Korea's announcement? 
 
Kitaoka: North Korea launched missiles this July but failed to 
correctly read how the international community would respond. 
Contrary to (Pyongyang's expectations) that China and South Korea 
would persuade the US to lifting the financial sanctions now imposed 
on the North, Beijing and Seoul instead have found themselves in a 
difficult situation of having to provide assistance to the North. 
The North Koreans appear to be acting under their own rules of 
conduct. 
 
Ozu: I felt very scared at the thought that Japan is indeed 
surrounded by nuclear powers. Until recently whether North Korea 
possesses nuclear arms had been just a question, but I now think it 
does indeed possess them, now that Pyongyang has declared it had 
conducted a nuclear test. Presumably, the North judged it was time 
to test the bombs. For scientists who failed to successfully 
test-launch (Taepodong-2 missiles in July), the nuclear test was a 
 
TOKYO 00005988  002 OF 009 
 
 
good opportunity to make up for the earlier failure. For the 
military, the time has become ripe to check the performance of their 
nuclear bombs. 
 
-- What was the North Koreans' intention? Did they play their last 
diplomatic card? 
 
Izumi: In terms of how to threaten the United States, this is not 
the last card. They can still threaten the US by saying, "If the US 
is unwilling to accept (the North's) request, we can transfer 
nuclear arms to a third country." And a much more powerful card than 
that would be to say they would mount nuclear warheads onto 
ballistic missiles that are capable of directly striking the US 
mainland. The North Koreans regard possessing nuclear weapons as a 
deterrent to the US, and they believe that enhancing their nuclear 
capability will help them to have an "upper hand" in negotiations 
(with the US). 
 
Kitaoka: If the North's aim was to exercise influence on 
international politics, it was a miscalculation. Instead, it gave 
Japan a good opportunity to repair strained relations with China and 
South Korea. South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Ban 
Ki Moon is expected to take office as United Nations secretary 
general, and once he assumes the post he would take a neutral stand. 
The Roh Moo Hyun administration of South Korea, lenient with 
Pyongyang, then would be forced to be neutral. Presumably, the Kim 
Jong Il regime is destined to continue to demonstrate its strength 
at home. 
 
-- What are your evaluations of North Korea's nuclear capability? 
 
Ozu: Without help from other countries, the North would not be able 
to develop nuclear weapons. Based on technology obtained from the 
former Soviet Union and China, the North Koreans may be developing 
them in cooperation with Pakistan (a nuclear power). The 
relationship between the North and Pakistan is so close that they 
can exchange nuclear and missile technologies. I guess Iran (that is 
also developing nuclear weapons) should have been present on the 
scene of the nuclear test. North Korea's technical level is 
conjectured from what Pakistan and Iran are doing. It's absurd to 
think that the North exploded an atomic bomb like the one 60 years 
ago. Some analysts commented that "the test was a failure" because 
the explosion was small in scale, but it is possible to say that 
they have produced small nuclear warheads. 
 
Izumi: We must not make light of North Korea. It is incorrect to 
think that it is producing nuclear weapons single-handedly. We need 
to keep this in mind. 
 
-- Do you think a second or third nuclear test will take place? 
 
Ozu: I predicted that if North Korea were to set off a nuclear test, 
it would explode several bombs. Like India and Pakistan did. 
Technical experts want to test a number of things in exploding a 
nuclear bomb -- an atomic bomb, a hydrogen bomb, and a neutron bomb. 
Presumably technical experts would like to test a couple of bombs at 
once. 
 
-- The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is working to adopt a 
sanction resolution. 
 
Kitaoka: A sanction resolution makes it easy for countries willing 
to impose sanctions to take such measures. But what will be 
 
TOKYO 00005988  003 OF 009 
 
 
implemented specifically is another story. Such a resolution is 
important as a manifestation of the will of the international 
community, but it is not a panacea. The US is serious about issuing 
it, but I have a feeling that not too many countries feel threatened 
by North Korea's nuclear weapons. 
 
Izumi: The US is on its highest alert after the nuclear test. That's 
because of the matter of difference in reliability between before 
and after nuclear testing. It is only the US that is gravely 
concerned over the possibility that more reliable nuclear weapons 
will become available to terrorists, such as an international 
terrorist group Al Qaeda. 
 
-- Are sanction measures useless? 
 
Kitaoka: Economic sanctions will have some effect; they will 
eliminate such possibilities as a transfer of something dangerous to 
North Korea. The US has now put every option on the table. A 
military sanction will not come for now, but I can't say it will not 
definitely come. 
 
Izumi: In order to prevent the transfer of nuclear weapons and 
technology to third countries, cooperation from China and Russia is 
necessary in view of transportation by land and that from Japan by 
sea. The US may have in mind the option of assassinating General 
Secretary Kim Jong Il or of toppling his regime, but it's unlikely 
 
SIPDIS 
to choose that option at this point. If Pyongyang said, "We'll 
return to the six-party talks unconditionally," the offer would be 
accepted. It is perfectly possible for the six-party talks to come 
back to the starting point of how to prevent North Korea from 
turning into a more dangerous country and persuade it to abandon its 
nuclear programs. 
 
-- Have the six-party talks totally collapsed? 
 
Izumi: For the North Koreans, the six-party talks are something like 
the last shelter. If they return to the talks when they feel 
insecure, they can delay talks on sanctions. This is a kind of 
diplomatic card for them. 
 
-- Is it possible for them to return to the six-party talks? 
 
Izumi: Well, what North Korea has insisted to date is that after 
signing a peace treaty to end (the truce) of the Korean War, it will 
denuclearize the Korean Peninsula. China and South Korea can share 
the view with the North Koreans that something like four-party talks 
among South and North Korea, the US, and China will be formed, and 
that the truce will be ended, replaced with a peace treaty. The Bush 
administration, too, since this summer has been considering 
re-launching the six-party talks and formally ending the Korean War. 
Given this, it's no wonder that the North Koreans may become 
optimistic. They may think they won't have to abandon nuclear 
weapons for the time being. 
 
-- The NPT system is being eroded. 
 
Ozu: Why has the international community turned a blind eye to 
Pakistan and India? If it had not done so, I believe nuclear 
proliferation should have been more controllable. 
 
Kitaoka: The US faces a number of diplomatic challenges. Nuclear 
nonproliferation is an important task, but it's impossible to deal 
with all issues only by that treaty. The NPT, in itself, is a 
 
TOKYO 00005988  004 OF 009 
 
 
typically unequal treaty. Nothing has been done when it comes to 
disarmament of the nuclear powers. North Korea walked out of the 
NPT, but India, Pakistan, and Israel have never acceded to the NPT. 
Their attitude is in a way reasonable. 
 
-- There is a growing concern in the US and other countries over the 
domino effect that if North Korea possesses nuclear weapons, this 
would induce Japan and South Korea to opt for a nuclear arsenal. How 
do you think the security environment in East Asia will change? 
 
Izumi: I don't think at all that the domino effect is imminent. If 
that were to occur, it would be when North Korea mounts nuclear 
warheads onto ballistic missiles that can put all of Japan under 
their range and directly threaten Japan. But at this point, it is 
unclear what kind of nuclear capability North Korea wants to have, 
what type of missiles it wants to have, and whether it wants to have 
missiles capable of reaching the US. 
 
Kitaoka: It's not conceivable that North Korea will abandon nuclear 
weapons in return for something else. The security environment has 
been totally changed. I am paying close attention to how South Korea 
will respond. Since the start of the Roh Moo Hyun administration in 
South Korea, Japan and South Korea have been wide apart in 
perceptions of North Korea. The Roh administration firmly believes 
that North Korea will not invade South Korea since both countries 
are composed of the same Korean people. I wonder whether Seoul will 
change this stance and think, "This is a very serious matter and it 
is important for Japan, the US, and South Korea to act together." 
Until recently South Korea lashed out at Japan's words and barked up 
the wrong tree. This must be changed. 
 
Japan's response being tested 
 
-- How should Japan respond? 
 
Izumi: Sanction measures, aside from their effectiveness, are 
necessary because they are an expression of how strongly Japan has 
felt the threat. I wonder what Japan will do if North Korea returns 
to the six-party talks in the future. How does Japan intend to make 
the Korean Peninsula nuclear free and stop the North Koreans from 
even more provocative acts? Japan must seriously consider a road map 
to engage North Korea properly in the international community, even 
seriously considering an option of paying good dividends to it. If 
China and South Korea, both of which have until now offered the 
North Koreans goods, turn around and put pressure on them, and if 
Japan and the US, both of which have until now pressured the North, 
offer carrots to it, the changes could have an impact. 
 
Kitaoka: I'm skeptical about whether there are effective steps 
available. We must take every option into account. 
 
Ozu: Japan's technology has been significantly exploited in North 
Korea. That country has imported a large number of Japanese-made 
cars, in which state-of-art parts are used. Anything brought out of 
Japan, whatever it may be, would help that country's military 
build-up. We must discuss actions to stem leakage of technology. 
 
-- Do you think the "nuclear test" will help the survival of the Kim 
Jong Il regime? 
 
Izumi: As Pyongyang has claimed, it might have increased its 
deterrence capability vis-a-vis the US. But should China and South 
Korea, which until now have both sustained the Kim Jong Il regime, 
 
TOKYO 00005988  005 OF 009 
 
 
shifted their stances, the regime would suffer an economic blow that 
would shake it to the core. A more desirable scenario for the North 
would be for it to return to the six-party talks. It is unlikely for 
the time being that there will be a dramatic shift in China and 
South Korea's support for the North. North Korea has now been in an 
advantageous position in negotiations with the US as it is now 
regarded as a nuclear power. 
 
-- Isn't General Secretary Kim Jong Il becoming frustrated? 
 
Izumi: North Korea informed China in advance of its plan (for a 
nuclear test). Pyongyang has not reacted strongly to the first UNSC 
resolution condemning the North's declaration of a nuclear test. The 
North appears to be careful about its behavior, so I don't think Kim 
is frustrated. 
 
Kitaoka: I think the test was successful in the short-term 
viewpoint. The Kim Jong Il regime has now been able to maintain its 
prestige at home. The test -- it depends on how neighbors will 
respond -- might have been seen as a real success if China and South 
Korea do not put full pressure on the North. It is Japan that will 
be most bothered by (North Korea's) nuclear armament. China and 
Russia, too, would not favor such a North Korea, but they may not 
reject it flatly. The case they definitely cannot accept is Japan 
becoming nuclear-armed in response to North Korea's nuclear arsenal. 
If Japan does not make any change to its previous policy, this would 
also be counted as a factor substantiating that the test was a 
success. 
 
In addition, (the fate of North Korea) hinges on the US. We must 
co-exist with a North Korea armed with nuclear weapons at least for 
a short period of time. The US is the only country that can smash 
the North in the end. The question is whether the US is engaged in 
this case and what it will do while being engaged. How to have the 
North abandon nuclear weapons depends on how far the US will become 
involved in the matter. 
 
Hajime Izumi: Born in Tokyo; is 56 years old; specializes in 
security affairs for Northeast Asia and political and foreign 
affairs on the Korean Peninsula; authors of such books as Posuto 
Reisen no Chosen Hanto (The Korean Peninsula in the post-cold war 
age). 
 
Hajime Ozu: Born in Hiroshima Prefecture; is 64 years old; engaged 
in gathering missile information on other countries for 30 or more 
years and analyzing state-of-art technology; authors of such books 
as Shinban Misairu Jiten (New Missile Dictionary). 
 
Shinichi Kitaoka: Born in Nara Prefecture; is 58 years old; served 
as deputy permanent representative to the UN in 2004-2006; authors 
of such books as Nihon no Jiritsu -- Taibei Kyocho to Ajia Gaiko 
(Independence of Japan -- Joint efforts with US and Asia 
diplomacy). 
 
(2) Shock waves from North Korea's nuclear test (Part 3): Technical 
innovation facilitates nuclear development 
 
MAINICHI (Page 2) (Full) 
October 13, 2006 
 
In the United States, some observers now speculate that countries 
surrounding North Korea, such as Japan and South Korea, might decide 
to arm themselves with nuclear weapons. 
 
TOKYO 00005988  006 OF 009 
 
 
 
Half a day after North Korea conducted a nuclear test (on Oct. 9), 
President Bush issued an emergency statement that purposely referred 
to the US "nuclear umbrella" over Japan and China. The statement 
noted: "The US has reaffirmed with its allies, including South Korea 
and Japan, that it will fulfill its duties to ensure deterrence and 
security." 
 
The governments of Japan and the US conducted a coordination of 
views on the contents of the statement on the assumption that North 
Korea would forge ahead with a nuclear test. A foreign affairs 
source said, "In addition to the purpose of demonstrating our 
deterrence capability to North Korea, there was also the aim of 
nipping in the bud the concept of Japan's opting for nuclear arms 
that was then floating in Japan and the US." 
 
On Oct. 5, after North Korea announced (on Oct. 3) that it would 
conduct a nuclear test, US Defense Secretary Rumsfeld said, "Should 
North Korea possess nuclear weapons, other countries with production 
capability might go nuclear." These statements represent a strong 
sense of alarm in the US government about the domino effect of North 
Korea's nuclear test. 
 
The emergence in the US of the notion of Japan's going nuclear is 
intended, in a sense, as a means to urge China to make efforts to 
dissuade North Korea from nuclear testing. The US government fears 
that the nuclear weapons possessed by North Korea would be 
transferred to terrorists or third countries. Rumsfeld commented, 
"The current world is different from that in the US-Soviet Union 
Cold-War era, in which the principle of nuclear deterrence was 
properly functioning." 
 
In the Middle East, where the "nuclear umbrella" of the US does not 
reach, the situation is serious. 
 
The United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (Geneva) 
Director Lewis said, "Once Iran arms itself with nuclear weapons, 
the nuclear domino phenomenon might begin to take on a realistic 
touch." 
 
Professor Boen (TN: phonetic) at King's College London cited Saudi 
Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, and Syria as countries interested in 
developing nuclear weapons. 
 
"Saudi Arabia is approaching Pakistan, the solo nuclear power in the 
Islamic zone." This kind of information has spread in the Arab world 
over the past several years. Saudi Arabian Prince Abdallah (now 
king) and other prominent figures visited Pakistan to have a first 
look at nuclear facilities there. There are also rumors that they 
contacted Dr. Khan, who regarded as the founder of Pakistan's 
nuclear weapons development program. 
 
Khan, who had taken the lead in operating the "nuclear black 
market," has been under house arrest since February 2004. Despite 
such a situation, the British intelligence agency MI-5 announced 
last year that about 360 corporations and government agencies in 
Pakistan and Iran, which once received missiles from North Korea, 
have traded materials compatible to nuclear weapons, disclosing that 
the "black market" still exists. 
 
According to a declassified document of the Central Intelligence 
Agency (CIA), the US started in the 1960s keeping tabs on nuclear 
activities by Western countries, such as Switzerland, out of fear 
 
TOKYO 00005988  007 OF 009 
 
 
that the nuclear domino phenomenon could spread further. In the 
1960s, Britain, France, and China armed themselves with nuclear 
weapons, following the US and the Soviet Union. These countries' 
attempts were blocked by the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which 
came into effect in 1970, and the 1996 Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty 
(CTBT). 
 
A source connected to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) 
pointed out that the hurdle to nuclear development has lowered due 
to the ongoing technical innovation, saying, "It is now possible for 
even mid-developed countries to develop nuclear weapons if they 
want." 
 
North Korea's nuclear test is a threat not only for Northeast Asia. 
We must explore fresh measures to prevent nuclear proliferation. 
 
Toshihiko Kasahara and Masaya Oikawa in Washington, Haruyuki Aikawa 
in Vienna, Shoji Nishioka in Beijing, and Takahiro Hirata in the 
political section were in charge of this series. 
 
(3) Patriot missiles trucked into base despite local protest 
 
AKAHATA (Page 15) (Full) 
October 12, 2006 
 
Amid the angry outcries of local residents, the US military 
yesterday convoyed Patriot Advanced Capability 3 (PAC-3) 
ground-to-air guided missiles from its Tengan pier in Uruma City, 
Okinawa Prefecture, to the Kadena ammunition depot. 
 
At around 9:30 a.m., a convoy of more than 10 trailers departed from 
the Tengan pier. On their windshields were English stickers reading 
"EXPLOSIVES." The imposing convoy ran down a road that is used by 
local communities with houses and stores standing on both sides. The 
missile-carrying trailers entered the Kadena ammunition depot 
through its gate. 
 
Labor union and civic group members protesting the trucking of 
missiles stood in front of the gate to the pier but they were pushed 
back by about 150 riot policemen mobilized at the US military's 
request. 
 
On the morning of Oct. 9, a transport ship with the missiles on 
board was berthed alongside the Tengan pier. However, the mayors of 
Kadena Town, Okinawa City, and Chatan Town -- which surround Kadena 
Air Base, where the missiles are to be deployed -- had expressed 
their opposition to the deployment of Patriot missiles. On Oct. 10, 
the mayor of Uruma City also requested the Defense Facilities 
Administration Agency's local bureau in Naha City not to unload the 
missiles. The missiles were not unloaded for two days due in part to 
local protests. 
 
The Tengan pier is located in the Konbu block of former Gushikawa 
City. In 1969, when the US military was aiming to extend the Tengan 
pier, Emi Kise, a 67-year-old local resident living near the pier, 
participated in a struggle of local communities. The local struggle 
prevented the US military from requisitioning land. 
 
"My parents were killed in the war," Kise recalled. She added: "I 
know the fearfulness and folly of war. That's why I can never allow 
the deployment of missiles. I want everybody to stand up like 
before, and I want to see the missiles and bases removed from 
Okinawa." 
 
TOKYO 00005988  008 OF 009 
 
 
 
(4) Interview with Atsushi Miura (48), author of "The Downwardly 
Mobile Society": Urges government to speed up efforts to take 
measures to counter widening social disparity with focus on young 
people 
 
YOMIURI (Page 9) (Full) 
October 11, 2006 
 
-- Some say that the disparities among individuals are widening. 
What do you think is the reason for that? 
 
"Since the government has cut taxes on people in the higher income 
brackets through the relaxation of progressive taxation of 
individual incomes for the past two decades, rich people have become 
even richer, widening the income gaps. In this sense, it is not 
right to say that the Koizumi administration is the principal 
culprit for the expanded income gaps. However, the administration 
did not do anything about it, even after the growing income 
disparities were recognized as an issue. In my view, it should have 
discussed the issue." 
 
-- The Abe administration plans to implement a second-chance policy 
aimed at preventing social or income disparity from becoming a fixed 
trend. 
 
"I give high marks to the Abe administration's policy focusing on 
young people. Experts say that 60% of the disparity is ascribable to 
the increase in the number of the elderly. However, the reason why 
my book Karyuu Shakai or "Downwardly Mobile Society" made the best 
seller lists is not because elderly people bought it but because 
young people are reading it." 
 
-- Why do you think the government should focus its policy on young 
people? 
 
"It is only natural that income disparity among salaried workers in 
the same generation grows as the workers reach their retirement age. 
That is not particularly a problem. Japan's measures to deal with 
the elderly population are not so bad, compared with those in other 
countries. However, our country is behind European countries in 
terms of employment of young people. In Europe, employing young 
people has been an issue for at least the last three decades. 
Vocational training to prevent an increase in the number of 
so-called freeters (job-hopping part-time workers) is an 
insufficient measure. 
 
"Many young people up to age of 30 earn 10 million yen a year on 
average. On the other hand, freeters tend to earn less than 1 
million yen. Compared with the situation 20 to 30 years ago, income 
disparity among 30-year olds has apparently widened. The gaps will 
become even wider in 10 to 15 years' time. Young people will become 
demoralized once they realize how wide the income gap is. That is 
why countermeasures targeting young people are advisable." 
 
-- How should the disparities be corrected? 
 
"We cannot discuss the so-called parasite singles, people who are 
unmarried and financially looked after by their parents, and married 
persons with two children on the same plane. 
 
"It is necessary to immediately take income-support measures for 
those who have a family and are in trouble because their companies 
 
TOKYO 00005988  009 OF 009 
 
 
went bankrupt or their jobs were made redundant. However, measures 
for parasite-singles or freeters can wait a little longer. It is 
important to create opportunities for those who want to work as 
permanent employees with a good level of income to be able to 
achieve such a goal, so that they can look to a future of steady 
increases in income." 
 
-- Your book calls for preferentially treating people in the lower 
income bracket in terms of education. 
 
"People who cannot afford to pay tuition fees for cram schools 
should also be given the opportunity for a good education. I hear 
some high school students do not know the multiplication tables or 
cannot even write simple Japanese hiragana. Jobs available to such 
people are limited. It is necessary to raise the level of education 
at public elementary and middle schools by augmenting the 
educational budget. One way of doing so would be to have 
highly-qualified cram school instructors teach at poorly performing 
schools for a year, their salaries subsidized by the government. 
Unless the difference in opportunities for a good education is 
corrected, social disparity as an issue will be passed along to 
future generations. Should that occur, the trend will take root and 
be reproduced." 
 
-- Prime Minister Abe's policy pledge is to cut the number of 
freeters by 20% . 
 
"As the economy picks up, companies are employing more people. As 
such, the number of freeters will drop over time by about 20% . The 
prime minister should aim for a 50% cut. Starting in four years, 
2010, the baby-boomer generation will be retiring en masse. This 
would be a good opportunity for freeters to become permanent 
employees. 
 
"The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) did well in Tokyo and Osaka in 
last year's Lower House election. This is presumably because young 
people voted for the LDP out of expectation that the party would 
correct the growing disparity The Abe administration's second chance 
policy is based on an analysis of this election. If the 
administration fails to live up to expectations of young people, 
support for the LDP will drop in the Upper House election next 
year." 
 
Atsushi Miura: Established the Cultural Studies Research Center in 
1999, after working as the editor in chief of Parco's marketing 
magazine and a researcher at the Mitsubishi Research Center. He has 
focused his research on family, consumption and urban issues. 
"Downwardly Mobile Society," published in 2005, is still on the 
bestseller lists. The work focuses on the growing social disparity. 
 
SCHIEFFER