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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 10 TOKYO 000359 
 
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 01/26/07 
 
 
Index: 
 
1) Vice President Cheney arrives in Japan Feb. 21 
 
Kyuma report: 
2) Defense Minister Kyuma apologizes for criticism of US 
3) Government concerned about effect on US relations of Kyuma's 
criticism of US launching Iraq war 
4) Ripple effect of Kyuma remarks about US continues 
5) Kyuma denies weekly magazine allegations about improprieties 
6) Kyuma says he knows nothing about his office being used as a 
mahjong parlor 
 
"Politics and money" Diet session: 
7) Vice speaker of the Upper House Tsunoda (Minshuto) may have to 
resign after all for office-expense allegations 
8) Prime Minister Abe wants to focus Diet session on education 
rebuilding program, but opposition camp intends to pound him on 
cabinet scandals 
9) LDP's Ibuki, Matsuoka deny allegations of political improprieties 
 
10) New Komeito, too, wants to debate how to deal with issue of use 
of political funds properly 
11) Survey of sampling of Diet members show half oblivious to need 
to keep receipts for expenses 
 
Political agenda: 
12) Prime Minister Abe's Diet policy speech today 
13) Idea of amalgamating three LDP factions into super-faction seems 
to be fading away 
14) Ruling parties' cooperation in Upper House election may be in 
trouble as Komeito balks at supporting LDP in races for proportional 
seats 
 
Defense issues: 
15) Poll shows 46% of public give high marks to creation of defense 
ministry 
16) Defense ministry plans to create communications system that 
would link the three self-defense forces for first time 
 
17) Drunken American diplomat arrested for smashing door 
 
Articles: 
 
1) US vice president to visit Japan on Feb. 21 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (Full) 
January 26, 2007 
 
United States Vice President Dick Cheney will visit Japan for three 
days starting Feb. 21, according to sources connected to Japan-US 
relations yesterday. While in Japan, Cheney will meet Prime Minister 
Shinzo Abe and other senior Japanese officials to exchange views on 
the new US Iraq policy announced by President Bush, North Korea's 
nuclear development issue, and other matters. 
 
2) Defense Minister Kyuma expresses apology for criticism of US 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) Full) 
January 26, 2007 
 
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe revealed last evening that Defense 
 
TOKYO 00000359  002 OF 010 
 
 
Minister Fumio Kyuma yesterday offered him an apology for having 
criticized US President Bush's decision on the launch of the Iraq 
war at the plenary session of the House of Representatives. Kyuma 
reportedly told Abe that his remarks were not intended to oppose the 
cabinet decision to support the Iraqi war. He told Abe: "I expressed 
the view that I had held before the Iraq war started." Abe was 
replying to questions by reporters at the Prime Minister's Official 
Residence. He told the reporters: "I think there is no problem with 
his remarks." 
 
3) Kyuma remains critical of Iraq war; Gov't fears impact on 
Japan-US relations 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
January 26, 2007 
 
Defense Minister Kyuma has been reiterating his criticism of the US 
government over the Iraq war. Kyuma has voiced his strong doubt 
about the Iraq war from the start. However, he has made such 
critical remarks since assuming his cabinet post. Officials in the 
government are therefore concerned about a negative impact on 
Japan-US relations. 
 
"President Bush launched the war in a situation as if there were 
nuclear weapons (in Iraq), but I think that decision was wrong," 
Kyuma said in his speech delivered on Jan. 24. With this, he 
criticized Bush's decision to start the war. 
 
"The government has released a statement (in support of the United 
States), so I support it," Kyuma explained in a press conference 
yesterday. However, he also insisted, "In those days, I felt like 
saying, 'Wait.'" 
 
In December last year, when Kyuma was seated in on the House of 
Councillors Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee as Defense Agency 
director general, he stated before the committee, "The government 
did not officially say Japan would support (the Iraq war)." The 
following day, Kyuma retracted his statement, saying, "I was wrong, 
I didn't know that." 
 
Yukio Hatoyama, secretary general of the leading opposition 
Democratic Party of Japan (Minshuto), said: "Mr. Kyuma is right. The 
government is wrong." However, now that the Bush administration is a 
fix due to its Iraq policy, government leaders are beginning to 
criticize Kyuma for his remarks over the Iraq war, with a senior 
official of the Cabinet Secretariat asserting, "We should support 
(the Bush administration) as an ally-it's now or never." 
 
Prime Minister Abe, however, revealed yesterday evening that he had 
an explanation from Kyuma. "I heard he had introduced his views 
before the Iraq war, so I think there's no problem," Abe told 
reporters, indicating that he would accept Kyuma's explanation. 
 
4) Defense Minister Kyuma readily corrects controversial remarks 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Full) 
January 26, 2007 
 
Defense Minister Fumio Kyuma has continued to make statements that 
differ with the government's policy on the Iraq war and on the 
realignment of US forces in Japan. He, then has casually corrected 
his previous remarks. The dominant view is that he has made such 
 
TOKYO 00000359  003 OF 010 
 
 
controversial remarks to find the middle ground, and that they are 
not his views. 
 
At his press conference on Jan. 24, Kyuma criticized US President 
Bush for "having made a wrong decision" in launching the Iraq war. 
Referring to the remarks on the previous day at his press conference 
yesterday, however, he explained, "Whenever the decision was right 
or wrong, the government's position of supporting the US remains 
unchanged. As long as the government has made that decision, I will 
follow it. 
 
Kyuma also made a statement last December: "The Japanese government 
has not officially announced its support for the (Iraq war)." He 
took back his remarks next day. His criticism of the Iraq war sounds 
like criticism of the governments of former Prime Minister Junichiro 
Koizumi and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. 
 
Moreover, in connection with the issue of relocating the US Marine 
Corps' Air Station Futenma, he expressed on Jan. 3 his view of not 
sticking to the V-shaped airstrips plan, as agreed between the 
governments of Japan and the United States. His remarks shocked the 
Prime Minister's Official Residence. On Jan. 14, however, he said 
that we would postpone discussion on revising the plan for two or 
three years. 
 
Since Kyuma quipped to his aides, "I am carefully watching the 
ripples from my remarks," the dominant view in the LDP is that he 
made calculated remarks, with one senior member saying, "He is a 
person who is good at coordination." 
 
However, if a cabinet minister continues to make remarks that are 
different from the government's policy, the opposition will 
inevitably attack the government and ruling party in the Diet. Some 
in the ruling coalition are concerned about negative impact on 
deliberations in the ongoing Diet session. 
 
5) Kyuma claims he has no relations with political organization 
reported by weekly magazine 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) 
January 26, 2007 
 
Commenting on a weekly magazine report that four political 
organizations related to him have no offices at their reported 
addresses, Defense Minister Kyuma during a press conference after a 
cabinet meeting yesterday said, "The Constitution and Politics 
Association is a political organization with which I have no 
relations at all. I am not a representative of the remaining three 
organizations but a recommendee. Representatives of those offices 
have presumably neglected to report the change of addresses." He 
thus stressed that he has nothing to do with the four political 
organizations. 
 
6) Defense Minister Kyuma on report about mahjong parlor registered 
as his office: "I don't know anything about it" 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (Full) 
January 26, 2007 
 
Some weekly magazines reported that Defense Minister Fumio Kyuma's 
political organization in which his former secretary serves as 
treasurer had registered a mahjong game parlor as its office. In a 
 
TOKYO 00000359  004 OF 010 
 
 
press conference yesterday, Defense Minister Fumio Kyuma said, "I 
don't know anything about it at all. I believe it has nothing to do 
with me." It also was reported that another political organization 
of his has its office in his private secretary's residence. On this 
report, Kyuma said, "That seems to be true. There should be no 
restrictions (about where the office is located). Such a case is 
quite common." 
 
7) Resignation of Vice Chairman Tsunoda unavoidable 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 1) (Slightly abridged) 
January 26, 2007 
 
Over the allegation that the campaign office of House of Councillors 
Vice Chairman Giichi Tsunoda in the 2001 Upper House election did 
not list huge mid-campaign contributions in its political fund 
report, Tsunoda has been pressed to step down. He is expected to 
decide to resign as early as today. The ordinary Diet session 
started with disturbance yesterday, with a focus on the problem of 
politics and money. 
 
Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan), to which Tsunoda belongs, held 
a standing executives' meeting and a joint plenary meeting of party 
members of both houses of the Diet in succession yesterday. 
Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama reported on the problem of Tsunoda. 
 
SIPDIS 
In both meetings, participants presented severe opinions about the 
problem, one member claiming: "(The current session) should be a 
golden opportunity for Minshuto, but since there is a scandal 
involving Vice Chairman Tsunoda, we find it difficult to grill (the 
ruling camp over the series of office expense scandals involving 
cabinet members." 
 
Minshuto Upper House Chairman Azuma Koshiishi met with Tsunoda at 
noon yesterday in the Diet building and conveyed the atmosphere in 
the party. Tsunoda reportedly just replied, "I will take it 
seriously." 
 
In the party, there are few willing to allow Tsunoda to stay on. The 
dominant view is that he would have no choice but to decide to 
resign. 
 
Over the scandal, Tsunoda explained in a press conference and on 
other occasions that his fund management organization or support 
groups had received no mid-campaign contributions. Asked about the 
allegation that he had accepted contributions from a foreigners' 
group, an act banned under the Political Funds Control Law, he said, 
"The then treasurer has said, 'there was no exchange of money,' so I 
believe it." 
 
8) Regular Diet session starts: Prime Minister hopes to focus on 
educational revitalization but "politics and money" issue will 
likely become source of contention for ruling and opposition camps 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Excerpts) 
January 26, 2007 
 
The 166th regular session of the Diet started yesterday. Political 
parties are expected to clash fiercely until June 23, when the Diet 
adjourns, followed by the Upper House election. The Democratic Party 
of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto), like the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), 
will have to deal with its own "politics and money" problem, which 
likely will weaken its attack against the other party. 
 
TOKYO 00000359  005 OF 010 
 
 
 
Prime Minister Abe during a plenary meeting of the LDP lawmakers in 
both Diet chambers held yesterday afternoon in the Diet building 
stated, "We will submit key bills during this Diet session that are 
intended to build a beautiful country. I want to see discussions 
with the DPJ pursued in a dignified manner." He later expressed his 
resolve to reporters, "I want to make this Diet session an education 
revitalization Diet." 
 
Facing falling approval ratings for his cabinet, the prime minister 
wants to build up a good track record on the policy front. Former 
LDP secretary general Makoto Koga, chairman of the Niwa-Koga 
faction, noted, "We want the prime minister to leave his policy 
imprint without becoming overly sensitive to approval ratings for 
his cabinet." The party is taking a stance of supporting the prime 
minister, with the upcoming Upper House election in mind. 
 
LDP concerned about possible change in political trend 
 
The prime minister is concerned about the possible impact of the 
resignation of Lower House member Genichiro Sata as state minister 
for administrative reform in disgrace over the shady handling of his 
ledgers, and the issue of Agriculture Minister Matsuoka's having 
reported a large amount of money as office expenses. He stressed to 
reporters yesterday, "The party is now discussing the office expense 
issue." However, some participants in a plenary session of the 
Tsushima faction yesterday expressed concern, as Yuji Tsushima, 
 
SIPDIS 
chairman of the LDP Tax System Research Commission, noted, "I 
vaguely sense that the political trend might change or some changes 
might occur." 
 
DPJ head Ozawa during a plenary session of DPJ lawmakers in both 
chambers of the Diet yesterday showed enthusiasm, noting, "We will 
bring up problems about the way the LDP and the New Komeito are 
administering politics, calling this Diet session a social-disparity 
correction Diet." The DPJ's strategy is to gain momentum for the 
Upper House election, by cornering the Abe administration in 
cooperation with other opposition parties over the country's income 
gap, and "politics and money" issue. 
 
However, regarding the "politics and money" issue, the issue of 
political funds donation involving Upper House Vice President Giichi 
Tsunoda and the issue of Ozawa's political funds management 
 
SIPDIS 
organization having reported expenses for the construction of his 
secretary's house as office expenses have surfaced. Ozawa during an 
 
SIPDIS 
executive meeting yesterday said, "I want to state my view on this 
issue in a Lower House representative question session on Jan. 29. 
Some DPJ members are concerned that the issue could weaken our 
party's pursuit of the government." 
 
9) Office expense issue: Ibuki, Matsuoka deny any irregularities 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) 
January 26, 2007 
 
The fund management organizations of Education and Science Minister 
Ibuki and Agriculture Minister Matsuoka have allegedly reported a 
large amount of money as office expenses. Both yesterday attended a 
plenary meeting of the Ibuki faction of the Liberal Democratic Party 
(LDP) and insisted that there were no irregularities in their 
payment balance reports. With a similar issue involving Democratic 
Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) head Ozawa in mind, Ibuki indicated 
 
TOKYO 00000359  006 OF 010 
 
 
a bullish stance: "We must also have the DPJ head discuss whether 
his office expenses are large or small. I want to have a question 
session in the Diet at an early date. I will reply to questions 
properly there." 
 
10) New Komeito also debating within the party policy making 
political funds more transparent 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Excerpt) 
January 26, 2007 
 
The New Komeito at a central committee meeting on Jan. 25 decided to 
launch its own discussion within the party about a policy that would 
make political funding more transparent. With the cabinet and other 
ruling party officials being showered with criticism for their 
handling of office expenses, the party aims to tackle the "politics 
and money" issue in tandem with the Liberal Democratic Party, its 
coalition partner, launching a study on the propriety of restricting 
the possession of real-estate holdings by political fund management 
organs. 
 
11) Twenty-seven Lower and Upper House members' operating expenses, 
which do not require receipts, top 50% of total expenses, according 
to Yomiuri Shimbun survey 
 
YOMIURI (Page 1) (Excerpts) 
January 26, 2007 
 
A Yomiuri Shimbun survey has discovered that of the lawmakers who 
reported more than 50 million yen in total expenditures in political 
funds payment balance reports submitted by their fund management 
organizations, the number of those whose operating expenses, such as 
office expenses, which do not require receipts, exceeded more than 
half the total expenditures reached 27. The survey brought out into 
the open a situation that is far from the principles of the 
Political Fund Control Law. Since the "politics and money" issue is 
a key issue in the regular session of the Diet, which started 
yesterday, the finding will likely give rise to fierce debate. 
 
Of 721 members of both Diet chambers as of the end of March, 2006, 
Yomiuri Shimbun conducted a survey on 650 lawmakers who have fund 
management organizations registered with the boards of elections of 
the state or prefectures and submitted payments balance reports for 
fiscal 2005. The survey only targeted lawmakers whose total expenses 
topped 50 million yen largely exceeding the average expenses of 
lawmakers, because if total expenses are small, operating expenses, 
which include necessary expenditures, such as office expenses, tend 
to be high. 
 
Of the surveyed lawmakers, 81 lawmakers' total expenses topped 50 
million yen, of whom operating expenses 24 Lower House members and 
three Upper House members topped 50% of total expenses. The 
breakdown comes down to 22 Liberal Democratic Party members, three 
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) members, one People's 
New Party (PNP, Kokumin Shinto) member and one non-affiliated 
member. The ratio of operating expenses reported by Jun Matsumoto, 
Yasuhiro Hanashi, Hajime Yosano and Taku Eto topped 70%. 
 
12) Prime Minister gives Diet policy speech today; Representative 
interpellations begin early next week 
 
TOKYO (Page 2) (Full) 
 
TOKYO 00000359  007 OF 010 
 
 
January 26, 2007 
 
The Diet steering committees of the lower and upper houses held 
their respective directors' meetings yesterday afternoon, and this 
afternoon, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will address both chambers of 
the Diet with his policy speech, one of four government speeches to 
be given today. The schedule for next week starts on the 29th and 
30th with each party carrying out interpellations in the Lower 
House. The interpellations will shift to the Upper House on the 30th 
and 31st.  The questions will be asked by Liberal Democratic Party 
Policy Research Council Chairman Shoichi Nakagawa, Minshuto 
(Democratic Party of Japan) President Ichiro Ozawa, and New Komeito 
Representative Akihiro Ota. 
 
13) "Dai Kochikai" concept runs aground, due to rivalry among Aso, 
Tanigaki, Koga 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (Excerpts) 
January 26, 2007 
 
The "Dai (grand) Kochikai" concept to merge the Koga, Tanigaki, and 
Aso factions, all of which come from the Liberal Democratic Party's 
"Kochikai" established by former Prime Minister Hayato Ikeda, has 
reached a gridlock. Former Secretary General Makoto Koga and former 
Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki indicated their support for Prime 
Minister Shinzo Abe yesterday. By demonstrating support for Abe, 
they seem to be aiming to hold in check moves by Foreign Minister 
Taro Aso, who has close ties with Abe and has been calling on the 
Koga and Tanigaki factions to join his party as the head of the 
"leadership faction." Seeing the three having a strong rivalry, a 
faction member was overheard grumbling in a quandary, "Where did the 
idea of the integration concept go to?" 
 
In a general meeting of the Tanigaki faction yesterday, Tanigaki 
expressed his support for Prime Minister Abe, remarking: 
 
"To support the administration, I will try to find a way to solicit 
a wide array of public opinions and work hard. This must follow the 
traditions of Kochikai." 
 
Many faction members had anticipated that Tanigaki might express his 
determination in the meeting to aim at becoming the successor of 
Abe, who is losing momentum. 
 
Koga also implied his support for Abe, saying in a meeting of his 
faction yesterday: 
 
"The people hope for the stability of the government led by Prime 
Minister Abe. We will offer cooperation as like-minded lawmakers so 
that the prime minister will be able to fully demonstrate his 
leadership." 
 
14) Problems with ruling coalition's cooperation in Upper House, as 
some in LDP reluctant to support New Komeito in proportional 
representation 
 
MAINICHI (Page 5) (Excerpts) 
January 26, 2007 
 
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partner 
New Komeito next month will launch full-scale consultations of their 
senior and working-level officials on cooperation for the House of 
 
TOKYO 00000359  008 OF 010 
 
 
Councillors election in the summer. Given that the New Komeito, 
which places priority on winning proportional representation seats, 
is hoping to keep the eight seats it has now, it intends to ask the 
LDP to back its candidates for the proportional representation 
segment in place of its backing of LDP candidates in the electoral 
districts. A senior LDP member, however, commented: "Since we will 
face a political battle with Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan), 
we can't afford to give votes to the New Komeito." Some LDP members 
have instead begun calling for conducting the Upper and Lower Houses 
elections the same day, which the New Komeito doesn't want to see. 
As it stands, there are warning signals on election cooperation 
between the LDP and New Komeito. 
 
"We will do our best to win eight seats. We will firmly keep the 
eight seats we have now," New Komeito Chief Representative Akihiro 
Ota said in a meeting yesterday of the party members from both 
houses of the Diet. The New Komeito has fielded seven incumbent 
Upper House members as candidates and one newcomer in eight 
proportional representation blocs. The party will prepare itself to 
obtain at least seven seats. Therefore, the key is whether the 
party's Upper House Chairman Shozo Kusakawa, the eighth candidate, 
will win a seat. 
 
The New Komeito, which has the firm support base backed by the 
religious sect Soka Gakkai, won 8.18 million votes in the 2001 Upper 
House election and its largest ever 8.62 million votes in the 2004 
Upper House race. In the 2004 election, many party members 
complained that the party was unable to get election support form 
the LDP as it had expected. So, the dominant view in the party is 
that the New Komeito must consider ways to sell its votes for as 
much as possible to the LDP. 
 
Ota has analyzed along with LDP Upper House Chairman Mikio Aoki the 
outcomes of the Upper House elections since before he assumed his 
post. At the request of the New Komeito, the ruling camp set up on 
Jan. 17 the Ruling Coalition Upper House Election Council, which 
will be run by LDP Secretary General Hidenao Nakagawa and New 
Komeito Secretary General Kazuo Kitagawa. In an attempt to add LDP 
votes to its votes, the New Komeito has continued applying pressure 
on the LDP. 
 
However, nothing has yet to turn out as the New Komeito planned. The 
view is growing in the LDP that if the party excessively relies on 
the New Komeito, its organization itself will weaken. A senior LDP 
Upper House member is strongly seeking to check the New Komeito, 
saying, "Elections in the proportional representation segment are 
battles between parties." 
 
15) Poll: 46% appreciate Defense Agency's upgrade to ministry 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) 
January 26, 2007 
 
The Yomiuri Shimbun conducted a face-to-face nationwide public 
opinion survey on Jan. 20-21 to probe public attitudes toward the 
Defense Ministry's current status recently upgraded from an agency. 
In the survey, respondents were asked if they would appreciate the 
Defense Agency's upgrade to full ministry status. In response to 
this question, 46% answered "yes," with 39% saying "no." As seen 
from these figures, affirmative opinions outnumbered negative one. 
 
A similar question was asked in a previous survey conducted in 
 
TOKYO 00000359  009 OF 010 
 
 
September 1997 about the Defense Agency's upgrade to a ministry. In 
that survey, respondents were asked if they thought it would be 
desirable to upgrade the Defense Agency to a ministry. In response, 
"yes" accounted for 24%, and "no" at 52%. The survey this time 
indicates that the general public now has a better understanding of 
readiness for national security. 
 
The Self-Defense Forces has been engaged in international peace 
cooperation activities as ancillary tasks. With the Defense Agency's 
upgrade to a ministry, however, the SDF is now tasked with such 
activities as its primary missions. Asked whether to appreciate 
this, "yes" accounted for 63%. 
 
Questions & Answers 
(Figures shown in percentage) 
 
Q: The SDF has so far been tasked with national defense, disaster 
relief operations at home and abroad, and international peace 
cooperation activities overseas. Do you appreciate these SDF 
activities and roles on the whole? 
 
Appreciate very much             33.7 
Appreciate somewhat              48.5 
Don't appreciate very much       11.1 
Don't appreciate at all           3.8 
No answer (N/A)                   2.9 
 
Q: The Defense Agency was upgraded to the status of a ministry on 
Jan. 9 this year. Do you appreciate this? 
 
Appreciate very much             16.3 
Appreciate somewhat              29.4 
Don't appreciate very much       27.8 
Don't appreciate at all          11.4 
N/A                              15.0 
 
Q: In the past, the SDF was tasked with international peace 
cooperation activities and overseas emergency evacuation operations 
for Japanese nationals as its ancillary missions. Along with the 
Defense Agency's recent upgrade to full ministry status, these SDF 
activities have now been elevated to primary missions for the SDF. 
Do you appreciate this? 
 
Appreciate very much             25.4 
Appreciate somewhat              37.2 
Don't appreciate very much       21.1 
Don't appreciate at all           7.2 
N/A                               9.0 
 
Polling methodology 
Date of survey: Jan. 20-21. 
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: 1,780 persons (59.3% ). 
 
16) Defense Ministry to launch communications system unit 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) 
January 26, 2007 
 
TOKYO 00000359  010 OF 010 
 
 
 
The Defense Ministry has decided to establish a new integral body of 
the Self-Defense Forces in March 2008 as the first joint unit of the 
Ground, Maritime, and Air Self-Defense Forces after their 
operational integration. The planned unit is called the "SDF Command 
and Communication System Division (CCSD)." The government will 
introduce relevant bills to the Diet in its current session to 
revise the Defense Ministry Establishment Law and the Self-Defense 
Forces Law. The planned legislation will allow the SDF to establish 
joint units as bodies under the defense minister's direct control 
and will also restructure the SDF in connection with the ministry's 
upgrade from its previous status of an agency to a ministry. 
 
The CCSD will be made up of subdivisions, such as the "Central 
Command Operation Unit," which will manage and control communication 
systems at the Central Command as the Defense Ministry's operational 
headquarters, and the "Network Operation Unit," which will deal with 
cyberattacks. The CCSD will be staffed with about 160 personnel from 
the SDF's three branches and other organizations. 
 
The GSDF, MSDF, and ASDF have their own communication systems. Their 
systems, however, are not compatible enough to communicate among 
themselves in an effective way. The Defense Ministry therefore 
decided to create a joint body in the area of information and 
telecommunications first. The SDF currently has organs common to its 
three branches, such as the SDF Central Hospital and the SDF 
Physical Training School. However, this is the first time for the 
SDF to have a joint unit for its operations. The Defense Ministry is 
also planning to establish joint units for medical and transport 
services. 
 
17) Drunken American diplomat arrested for smashing door 
 
YOMIURI (Page 34) (Full) 
January 26, 2007 
 
It has been learned that a male diplomat in his 20s posted to the 
American Embassy in Minato-ku, Tokyo, being drunk and having smashed 
the door of a private home, has been arrested by Azabu police on the 
scene of the crime for destruction of property. After the arrest, it 
turned out that he was a diplomat, so the police released him. 
 
According to the Azabu police station, a little after 3:00 am on the 
20th, the diplomat opened the gate to a private dwelling in Roppongi 
and entered the premises. He then hit the knob of the door with his 
bare hands repeatedly and smashed it. A policeman ran over, having 
been called by the family, and the diplomat was arrested. 
 
At the time of arrest, the diplomat was dead drunk. According to the 
police investigation, the diplomat reportedly stated, "I was drunk 
and don't remember much, but I probably smashed the door myself." 
 
SCHIEFFER