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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 12 TOKYO 001276 
 
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 03/23/07 
 
 
1) Top headlines 
2) Editorials 
3) Prime Minister's daily schedule 
 
Six-party talks on North Korea: 
4) Six-party talks recess as North Korea balks: US still optimistic 
despite miscalculations and shaky results of first stage; Japan 
disappointed 
5) US miscalculates in six-party talks that recess without progress 
on nuclear front due to North Korean stubbornness 
6) Japan will not budge on its stance of seeking results on 
abduction issue first 
7) Comments by two North Korea experts on the current impasse in 
six-party talks 
8) Shigeru Yokota planning to step down as head of the association 
of families of persons abducted by North Korea 
 
Iraq reconstruction: 
9) Defense Minister Kyuma tells visiting Iraqi vice president that 
he wants to visit Iraq soon 
10) Kyuma issues formal order extending the ASDF deployment to Iraq 
 
 
India relations: 
11) Prime Minister Abe expresses desire to visit India this year 
12) Foreign Minister Aso, Indian counterpart hold strategic dialogue 
 
 
13) New LDP league to form foreign policy support group around Prime 
Minister Abe to counter Koichi Kato's anti-Abe group in the party 
 
Unified local election campaign starts: 
14) Elections announced for 13 governorships, five of which will see 
direct clashes between LDP and Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan) 
 
15) Survey shows 70% of gubernatorial candidates believe expanding 
income disparity in Japan the fault of the Koizumi, Abe 
administrations 
16) Minshuto issuing "local manifestos" in 21 prefectures as part of 
election strategy 
 
17) Public hearing held on national constitutional referendum bill, 
a revision of which should be ready for the Diet by next week 
 
18) Cabinet Office poll: 75% of Japanese see amakudari as big 
problem, disgusted with public servants 
 
19) Japan's population dropped by 50,000 last year 
 
20) USDA admits beef export shipment error but Japanese government 
is not banning all imports as it did before 
 
Articles: 
 
1) TOP HEADLINES 
 
Asahi & Mainichi: 
Criticality accident considered to have occurred in Fukushima in 
1978 
 
Yomiuri & Nihon Keizai: 
Average land prices post 1st rise in 16 years 
 
TOKYO 00001276  002 OF 012 
 
 
 
Sankei & Tokyo Shimbun: 
Health Ministry withdraws view that denies relationship between 
Tamiflu and abnormal deeds 
 
Akahata: 
Gubernatorial elections in 13 prefectures announced 
 
2) EDITORIALS 
 
Asahi: 
(1) Announcement of gubernatorial elections: Voters must make proper 
judgment 
(2) Six-party talks: We are sick of North Korea's attitude 
 
Mainichi: 
(1) Tamiflu: Health Ministry urged to dissolve concerns 
(2) National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament to start 
soon 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1) Is North Korea refusing to take action toward dismantling 
nuclear programs? 
(2) Sharp rises in land prices in urban areas require caution 
 
Nihon Keizai: 
(1) Rising land prices signal end to deflation 
(2) Risk management of medicines unreliable 
 
Sankei: 
(1) Tamiflu: Cool response sought 
(2) A-bomb victims: Time for government to change recognition 
standard 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1) Announcement of Tokyo gubernatorial election: Voters should 
closely examine candidates' policies 
(2) Restricting use of Tamiflu understandable 
 
Akahata: 
(1) Announcement of gubernatorial elections in 13 prefectures: 
Choose people who can rectify distorted politics 
 
3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, March 22 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2)  (Full) 
March 23, 2007 
 
09:27 
Arrived at Kantei. 
 
10:20 
Met with Chief Cabinet Secretary Shiozaki, Deputy Assistant Chief 
Cabinet Secretary Ando, Agriculture Ministry Councilor Murakami, MOF 
Customs and Tariff Bureau Director-General Murakami and others. 
Afterwards, met with MOFA Middle Eastern and African Affairs Bureau 
Director-General Okuda. 
 
11:30 
Met with Special Advisor Nemoto. 
 
TOKYO 00001276  003 OF 012 
 
 
 
12:33 
Met with Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Amari and State 
Minister in Charge of Financial Services Yamamoto, joined by 
Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Suga. 
 
14:25 
Met with India's Mukherjee. 
 
15:03 
Met with Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Matoba and later Special 
Advisor Koike. 
 
15:52 
Attended an Asia Gateway Strategy Council meeting. 
 
16:32 
Attended a Security Council session. 
 
17:45 
Had a roundtable with Yoshiko Sakurai for a monthly magazine at 
Kantei residence. 
 
4) Whether DPRK will take first-stage action now questionable with 
six-party talks going into recess; Optimistic US envoy Hill 
misjudged the situation repeatedly 
 
ASAHI (Page 7) (Excerpts) 
March 23, 2007 
 
Kei Ukai, Nanae Kurashige, Tadahisa Takatsuki, Beijing 
 
The six-party talks in Beijing were supposed to discuss steps for 
denuclearization, such as shutting down nuclear reactors at 
Yongbyon, but they have now gone into recess without holding 
substantive discussions, as a result of the focus of the talks 
shifting to the issue of North Korea's frozen funds at a Macao bank. 
The North Korean negotiators walked out of the session, while the 
United States, which has made a number of concessions, was left in 
apparent puzzlement. Whether North Korea will take the first-stage 
action it promised in some 20 days before the deadline is now 
questionable. 
 
Japan flabbergasted by US 
 
The Bush administration, out of impatience to achieve the final goal 
of denuclearizing North Korea, has repeatedly made concessions. 
Meanwhile, the Japanese government has watched such a US with mixed 
feelings. 
 
Among Japanese officials involved in the talks, some are protective 
toward the US' stance. One official said, "We can't ask the US to 
abandon its current political judgment." Another noted, "If the US 
gives the highest priority to denuclearization and it is willing to 
make some sacrifices, America's current attitude is 
understandable." 
 
However, once North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan, the 
chief negotiator in the six-party talks, walked out of the six-party 
session and left for Pyongyang yesterday, one Japanese government 
official said disgustingly: "(North Korea) has made a fool of (the 
US) like this. Yet, (the US) is willing to deal with it. It's 
 
TOKYO 00001276  004 OF 012 
 
 
incredible." 
 
Japan's chief delegate Keinichiro Sasae, director-general of the 
Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, late yesterday 
mentioned exchanges of views in the session over the frozen funds at 
Banco Delta Asia (BDA) and pointed out America's lack of 
preparations, noting: "The BDA issue was not fully examined before 
the start of multilateral talks." 
 
America's cooperation is, however, essential for the Japanese 
government, which has set the resolution of the abduction issue as 
the most important task. The six-party talks are essentially meant 
to be "US-North Korea talks" with China, South Korea, Russia, and 
Japan in the gallery. Washington's tilt toward the dialogue line has 
forced Japan to rely on the six-party framework. Prime Minister Abe 
told the press corps at the Kantei last night: "I believe the 
international community will work in close cooperation and deal with 
that country." 
 
5) Six-party talks go into recess: No progress on nuclear issue; US 
miscalculates; Unable to hide disappointment; Concessions bring 
nothing but wasted effort 
 
SANKEI (Page 7) (Lead para.) 
March 23, 2007 
 
Regarding the financial sanctions issue, which North Korea had 
positioned as the top priority issue in the sixth round of the 
six-party talks, the US made major concessions, including that it 
agreed to totally unfreeze its funds. However, no substantive talks 
on the nuclear issue took place. It was a major miscalculation for 
Washington, which wanted to use the talks this time as a 
stepping-stone to realize preliminary measures to shut down and seal 
the North's nuclear facilities by mid-April. If North Korea 
continues to fail to implement what has been agreed on, an argument 
calling for taking a second look at the US stance may appear in US 
government circles. 
 
6) Japan unyielding in basic policy of calling for progress on 
abduction issue 
 
SANKEI (Page 7) (Full) 
March 23, 2007 
 
Prior to the six-party talks, the Japanese government had expected 
to see progress on the nuclear issue, a government source noted. 
However, resentment and perplexity are now spreading toward North 
Korea, which responded to the nuclear issue in an insincere manner, 
following the earlier Tokyo-Pyongyang working group meeting, in 
which it rejected discussion of the abduction issue. The Japanese 
government intends to continue its own economic sanctions, firmly 
maintaining its basic position that Japan will not join in aid 
activities for North Korea as long as there is no progress on the 
abduction issue. 
 
Commenting on North Korea's behavior, Prime Minister Abe yesterday 
told reporters: "It is meaningless for the North to behave in such a 
manner. It is important for them to act in accordance with the 
agreement. The international community will deal with North Korea in 
concert, while maintaining close contact." Chief Cabinet Secretary 
Yasuhisa Shiozaki expressed his displeasure by stating, "It is very 
regrettable." 
 
TOKYO 00001276  005 OF 012 
 
 
 
The government had envisaged full-scale talks to discuss each 
country's share in offering aid to the North if the North had agreed 
to shut down its nuclear facilities during the talks. Talks would 
then move up to the next stage. The same source said that Japan had 
envisioned a strategy of bring progress to the abduction issue using 
aid as leverage, figuring that is such a case, the talks would not 
progress without Japan's participation. 
 
In their own talks, Japan and North Korea engaged in a heated 
squabble over the abduction issue, giving the impression to other 
participating countries that the confrontation between the two 
countries on that issue remains deep. North Korea then tried to 
isolate Japan. However, with the nuclear issue, too, making little 
progress, prospects for settling the abduction issue are also 
unclear. 
 
The Japanese delegate continued to exchange views with delegates 
from other participating countries than North Korea. However, they 
were often seen standing by in a waiting room. After the talks went 
into a recess, Kenichiro Sasae, director general of the Asian and 
Oceania Affairs Bureau, told reporters, "The talks this time started 
with Banco Delta Asia (BDA) and ended with the BDA." 
 
7) Comments by experts on six-party talks 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 8) (Full) 
March 23, 2007 
 
Radio Press Director Noriyuki Suzuki: North Korea likely to come 
back to multilateral talks at a relatively early date 
 
Before joining the resumed six-party talks, North Korea strongly 
emphasized the principle of taking an action-to-action response. The 
North Korean delegation's sudden return home has simply spotlighted 
that country's insistence on the lifting of the freeze on its funds 
at a Macao bank. Pyongyang appears to give weight to dialogue with 
the United States, though it would maintain the six-party 
framework. 
 
The six-party talks went into recess, but this does not mean that 
the six-party framework has collapsed. My analysis is that once the 
North confirms the transfer of money has been completed, it will not 
make excessive demands and will come back to the talks at a 
relatively early date. The implementation of the "first-stage 
action" and the next action will be delayed. 
 
Kyoto University Graduate School of Public Policy Prof. Hiroshi 
Nakanishi: America's dialogue line stalled 
 
America's stance of making concessions, for instance, the complete 
lifting of the financial sanctions on North Korea, was conspicuous 
in the (resumed) six-party talks. Apparently, Washington, which has 
given priority to paving the way for nuclear abandonment, determined 
before the resumption of the talks that it had no choice but to 
accept North Korea's demand for the removal of the sanctions. Lying 
behind this move is perhaps the declining influence in the 
administration of hardliners, starting with former US Ambassador to 
the UN Bolton. 
 
Secretary of State Rice and other officials favoring dialogue may be 
 
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exposed to more criticism in the US administration, as North Korea 
 
TOKYO 00001276  006 OF 012 
 
 
did not budge from its tough stance in the recent talks. But it 
would be difficult for the US to return to a tough line against the 
North. The US may feel that it has been placed in a stalemate. 
 
8) Shigeru Yokota to resign as head of abductee families' 
association 
 
YOMIURI (Page 39) (Full) 
March 23, 2007 
 
After representing the Association of the Families of Victims 
Kidnapped by North Korea for 10 years, Shigeru Yokota, 74, intends 
to step down from the post this year, the Yomiuri has learned. He 
plans to announce his decision to resign the post at the general 
meeting of the association scheduled for late April. Although he 
confirmed he had no health problems, Yokota said: "I have found my 
work as a representative physically challenging." He is expected to 
resign either during the association's general meeting or when he 
turns 75 on Nov. 14. He will continue to work as an association 
member even after he steps down from his post. 
 
The association, made up of eight families, was formed on March 25, 
¶1997. Since he was the youngest one of the fathers of the abductees 
at that time, he was chosen as the leader of the association. He has 
been representing the group for a decade. He, together with his wife 
Sakie and their daughter Megumi, who was kidnapped to North Korea, 
at the age of 13, has been a symbol of the abduction issue and 
rescue movements. 
 
9) Kyuma willing to visit Iraq 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
March 23, 2007 
 
Defense Minister Kyuma yesterday met with visiting Iraqi Vice 
President Hashimi at a Tokyo hotel. In the meeting, Kyuma expressed 
his willingness to visit Iraq for the first time as defense 
minister. Kyuma said, "I've been to Baghdad twice in the past, and I 
know the Iraqi people are pro-Japanese." He added, "I'd like to have 
another chance to visit there." 
 
Kyuma explained the Japanese government's plan to extend the Iraq 
Special Measures Law for two years after its expiration at the end 
of March. Hashimi expressed his gratitude for the Self-Defense 
Forces' activities. "We hope Japan will play an even greater role in 
international politics," he said. 
 
10) Defense Minister Kyuma formally conveys ASDF mission extension 
to Iraqi Vice President Hashimi 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Full) 
March 23, 2007 
 
Defense Minister Fumio Kyuma held talks yesterday with Iraqi Vice 
President Taril al-Hashimi in Tokyo. During the session, Kyuma 
formally conveyed to the Iraqi vice president Japan's policy of 
extending the Air Self-Defense Force mission in Iraq by two years. 
Hashimi asked Japan to continue the ASDF mission, while saying that 
the transport operations "are effective activities also for the 
Iraqi people." Referring to the Iraq Reconstruction Special Measures 
Law, Kyuma told Hashimi: "We are now under coordination on a plan to 
extend by two years. I want to submit a bill revising the law to the 
 
TOKYO 00001276  007 OF 012 
 
 
Diet before the end of this month." 
 
11) Prime Minister Abe to visit India this year 
 
NIHON KEIZA (Page 2) (Full) 
March 23, 2007 
 
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met yesterday with visiting Indian Foreign 
Minister Pranab Mukherjee at the Kantei (Prime Minister's Official 
Residence). In the meeting, Abe told Mukherjee: "I'm looking forward 
to visiting India. I would like to visit your country at an 
appropriate time before the end of the year." The Indian foreign 
minister held a strategic dialogue for the first time with Foreign 
Minister Taro Aso. The two foreign ministers reached an agreement on 
bilateral cooperation on reform of the United Nations Security 
Council. 
 
12) Japan, India hold strategic dialogue for 1st time 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
March 23, 2007 
 
Foreign Minister Aso held the first strategic dialogue with visiting 
Indian Foreign Minister Mukherjee yesterday. Japan and India agreed 
in December last year to build a strategic global partnership 
including politics and security. Aso told Mukherjee about the 
Japanese government's plan to implement yen loans amounting to 185 
billion yen for the current fiscal year. 
 
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Abe also met with Mukherjee. Abe 
asked for India's cooperation to have North Korea give up on its 
nuclear programs and to resolve the issue of Japanese nationals 
abducted to North Korea. Mukherjee said India would cooperate to 
resolve the issues. 
 
13) New parliamentary group to be launched in LDP to support Abe 
diplomacy to counter Kato and others 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (Abridged slightly) 
March 23, 2007 
 
Junior and mid-level LDP lawmakers supporting Prime Minister Shinzo 
Abe's "assertive diplomacy" will launch a parliamentary league 
called the "Group of Lawmakers to Promote Value-Oriented Diplomacy," 
sources revealed yesterday. The move apparently aims to check the 
Asia Diplomacy and Security Vision Study Group headed by former 
secretary general Koichi Kato, which is drawing anti-mainstream 
 
SIPDIS 
party members critical of Abe's diplomacy. 
 
The idea of launching the value-oriented diplomacy group came from 
Lower House member Keiji Furuya, who has been addressing the 
abduction issue along with Abe. So far, some 20 LDP members have 
joined the move. The group intends to hold an inaugural meeting in 
early May after the unified local elections to begin full-fledged 
activates. 
 
At present, such groups as the Asia Diplomacy and Security Vision 
Study Group and the Asia Strategy Study Group led by Ichiro Aisawa 
exist in the LDP. Those groups all put high priority on China. 
 
In contrast, Furuya's group is oriented toward strengthening the 
bilateral alliance sharing such values as freedom, democracy, human 
 
TOKYO 00001276  008 OF 012 
 
 
rights, and rule of law, which was advocated by US President George 
¶W. Bush. Policy Research Council Chairman Shoichi Nakagawa plans to 
join the group as an advisor. The group plans to discuss 
wide-ranging topics from security to economic strategy. 
 
The group's organizers met in the Diet building yesterday in which 
Ruan Ming, a former Chinese Communist Party executive currently an 
advisor to the Taiwanese Presidential Office, lectured on Taiwan 
strategy. 
 
14) LDP, Minshuto candidates to face off in 5 gubernatorial races 
out of 13 prefectures 
 
SANKEI (Page 1) (Abridged slightly) 
March 23, 2007 
 
Election campaigning for 13 gubernatorial races kicked off yesterday 
for votes on April 8 in the run-up to the 16th unified local 
elections. They will be the first major set of elections for Prime 
Minister Shinzo Abe. 
 
A total of 44 individuals -- nine incumbents and 35 newcomers, 
including six female candidates -- have registered to run in the 
gubernatorial races in 13 prefectures. Candidates backed by the 
ruling Liberal Democratic Party and candidates supported by the 
opposition Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan) will face off in 
five prefectures: Tokyo, Hokkaido, Iwate, Kanagawa, and Fukuoka. All 
parties will endeavor to expand their support bases with an eye on 
the House of Councillors election this summer. 
 
Starting with the ongoing races, candidates running in gubernatorial 
and mayoral races are allowed to distribute manifestos (campaign 
pledges) to play up their policies. 
 
The Tokyo race is being fought among 14 candidates compared to five 
candidates in the previous race. Backed by Minshuto, the Social 
Democratic Party, and other opposition parties, the newcomers are 
challenging the incumbent, who is seeking his third term effectively 
backed by the LDP and New Komeito. In Kanagawa, failing to field 
their own candidates, the prefectural chapters of the LDP and 
Minshuto are backing a newcomer and the incumbent, respectively. 
 
In Hokkaido and Iwate, former Minshuto Lower House lawmakers will 
face off with the LDP candidates. In Fukuoka, the incumbent seeking 
is fourth term will vie for the governor's seat with a challenger 
backed by Minshuto and the SDP. 
 
The LDP, Minshuto, and other parties have jointly backed the 
incumbents in Fukui and Mie. Minshuto have failed to field 
candidates in Nara, Tottori, Shimane, Tokushima, Saga, and Oita. The 
Japanese Communist Party has fielded their candidates in all 13 
prefectures. 
 
15) 70% of candidates for 13 gubernatorial elections see social 
divide as widening under Koizumi, Abe administrations 
 
ASAHI (Page 1) (Full) 
March 23, 2007 
 
The nation's 16th quadrennial local elections were officially 
announced yesterday in 13 prefectures, including Tokyo and Hokkaido, 
with a total of 44 candidates filing their candidacies. The Asahi 
 
TOKYO 00001276  009 OF 012 
 
 
Shimbun conducted a questionnaire survey of 34 main candidates and 
asked about regional divide that has become a point at issue between 
the ruling and opposition parties. In response to this question, 
about 70% answered that the regional divide has widened as a 
consequence of policy measures taken under the Koizumi and Abe 
administrations. In addition, more than 60% preferred local 
redistribution to economic growth. 
 
The survey was conducted before the elections were officially 
announced, and those chosen for the survey answered questions in 
written form or on a face-to-face interview basis. 
 
The survey asked candidates to pick one from among three choices 
given about the regional divide: 1) it has expanded with policy 
measures taken by the Koizumi and Abe administrations; 2) it has 
expanded regardless of policy measures taken by the Koizumi and Abe 
administrations; and 3) it has not expanded. In response, none of 
the surveyed candidates picked the third choice. Among other 
answers, 24 candidates ascribed the gap's expansion to the Koizumi 
and Abe administrations' policy measures, with 8 candidates saying 
the gap's expansion has nothing to do with such policy measures. 
 
16) 2007 unified local elections: Minshuto ready to release 
manifestos in 21 prefectures 
 
MAINICHI (Page 5) (Abridged slightly) 
March 23, 2007 
 
The major opposition party Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan), 
identifying the upcoming nationwide local elections as "local 
manifesto races," has instructed its local chapters to draw up 
manifestos. The party has already announced its manifestos in 20 
prefectures of the 44 prefectural assembly races (that will be 
formally announced on March 30 for elections on April 8). With one 
for Kagawa in the pipeline, the party is expected to face the races 
armed with policy goals deeply rooted in local areas. 
 
Because Minshuto will back independent candidates for gubernatorial 
races, its local manifestos will center on prefectural assembly 
elections for which it will field its own candidates. Despite a 
Public Offices Election Law revision ahead of the upcoming unified 
local elections, political parties are still prohibited from 
distributing manifestos in local elections. But they will be able to 
make a public appeal through manifestos that will be distributed by 
political organizations. 
 
According to the Minshuto Organizational Committee, manifestos have 
been released by 20 prefectural chapters: Hokkaido, Iwate, Miyagi, 
Saitama, Chiba, Kanagawa, Niigata, Gifu, Aichi, Mie, Shiga, Kyoto, 
Shimane, Tokushima, Kochi, Saga, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Oita, and 
Kagoshima. Given the small numbers of local assemblymen, the party 
has not been able to draw up manifestoes in all 44 prefectures. 
 
Each prefectural chapter has prepared its manifesto based on a set 
of "policy indices" from party headquarters in January. For 
instance, Kyoto's manifesto vows to increase the number of 
kindergartens by three fold, and Miyagi's pledges to expand the age 
bracket eligible to receive medical subsidies. Minshuto manifestos 
tend to focus on such areas as education, medical services, and 
welfare in which prefectural governments play a major role. 
 
17) Public hearing on national referendum bills takes place; Ruling 
 
TOKYO 00001276  010 OF 012 
 
 
coalition to present a revised bill as early as next week 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Full) 
March 23, 2007 
 
The House of Representatives' Special Committee on the Constitution 
held yesterday a central public hearing on bills to set 
constitutional amendment procedures submitted to the Diet by the 
ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner New 
Komeito, and the main opposition party, Minshuto (Democratic Party 
of Japan). The ruling coalition intends to present a revised bill, 
which includes part of Minshuto's bill, probably in early next week. 
However since some members in the ruling camp are opposed to the 
Minshuto bill, it may take a long time to coordinate views in the 
ruling coalition. 
 
The ruling camp proposed in a meeting yesterday of the committee's 
directors holding a meeting on March 29. Committee Chairman Taro 
Nakayama will explain today to the LDP's General Council the state 
of consultations with Minshuto to revise the bills. In order to pass 
the revised bill through the Diet in mid-April, the committee aims 
to submit the legislation to the Diet as early as March 27 after 
completing internal party procedures, and launch deliberations on 
the 29th. 
 
Most speakers at yesterday's public hearing were cautious about 
quickly putting the bill to the vote. One speaker said, "If the 
ruling coalition takes a vote on the bill in the absence of the 
opposition parties, such will tarnish the image of the ruling camp." 
Another speaker stated: "Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has mentioned 
constitutional reform. I wonder the exit of the discussion has 
already been decided." 
 
The ruling camp plans to adopt the revised bill based on 
consultations with Minshuto in principle. The legislation would 
stipulate that referendum is conducted only on constitutional 
amendments and whether it will be applied to other important 
national issues will be a theme up for consideration. Although some 
LDP lawmakers have opposed Minshuto's idea of lowering the minimum 
age for granting voting rights to 18, the party leadership will 
include this idea in the revised bill. 
 
18) Cabinet Office poll: 75% see amakudari as problem 
 
TOKYO (Page 3) (Full) 
March 23, 2007 
 
The Cabinet Office yesterday released the results of its ad hoc 
public opinion survey on the national public service personnel 
system. In the survey, those dissatisfied with government officials' 
way of working were asked to pick one or more problems. In response, 
amakudari-literally "descent from heaven" or government bureaucrats' 
post-retirement practice of moving into public corporations or 
private businesses-topped all other answers at 75.5%. Among other 
answers, 65.1% answered that the government guarantees their status 
even though they do not work hard, with 56.7% saying their pay is 
higher than in the private sector and 56.4% saying there are too 
many government officials. 
 
Respondents were also asked what they thought would be most 
effective to resolve the amakudari problem. In response to this 
question, 44.1% answered that government retirees in private 
 
TOKYO 00001276  011 OF 012 
 
 
businesses should be prohibited from making contact with their 
former government offices. Among other answers, 26.8% answered they 
should be allowed to work until they reach retirement age, with 
19.6% saying their choices of private businesses for possible 
employment after retirement should be restricted. 
 
Respondents were further asked whether they thought government 
officials are working hard to meet public needs. In response, more 
than half voiced dissatisfaction, broken down into 45.8% saying they 
do not meet public needs very much and 10.2% saying they do not meet 
public needs at all. 
 
19) Japanese nationals decrease 50,000, total population levels off: 
Gov't stats 
 
TOKYO (Page 3) (Abridged) 
March 23, 2007 
 
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications yesterday made 
public its statistics of Japan's total population estimated as of 
Oct. 1, 2006. The statistics shows a decrease of 50,500 over the 
preceding year in the number of Japanese nationals living in Japan. 
However, there was an increase of 52,000 in the number of foreign 
nationals living in Japan. As a result, Japan's total population 
increased 1,500 to 127,769,500, showing almost no change over the 
preceding year. 
 
In the breakdown of Japan's total population, males numbered 
62,330,000 (a decrease of 19,000 over the preceding year), and 
females numbered 65,440,000 (an increase of 21,000 over the 
preceding year). 
 
In Japan's total population, the proportion of those aged 65 and 
over was an all-time high of 20.8%, up 0.6 percentage point. 
Meanwhile, the proportion of those aged 14 and under was an all-time 
low of 13.6%, down 0.2 point. The figures revealed an aging 
population and dwindling fertility rate. 
 
20) US report admits violated shipment of US beef, but government 
puts off suspending all US beef imports 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 6) (Full) 
March 23, 2007 
 
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and the 
Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) yesterday disclosed a 
report of the United States' Department of Agriculture (USDA) 
admitting that a US plant had violated one of the trade conditions 
agreed on between Japan and the US to prevent BSE. Beef without an 
inspection certificate was found recently in a shipment from the US. 
The report noted that the beef in question "cannot be identified as 
that from cattle 20 months of age or younger (as a trade 
condition)" 
 
In response, MAFF and MHLW demanded that the USDA remove the plant 
that shipped the ineligible product from the list of the plants with 
licenses to ship beef to Japan. The report noted that the recent 
violation "was caused by human error and was an exceptional case." 
Giving consideration to the US assertion, the two ministries have 
decided to put off suspending all US beef imports. 
 
The beef in question (43 kilograms) was discovered in two boxes in a 
 
TOKYO 00001276  012 OF 012 
 
 
shipment from the Lexington Plant (Nebraska) of the leading American 
meatpacker Tyson Foods at Yokohama Port in February. As the cause 
for the ineligible shipment, the report said that two workers at the 
plant shipped the beef, despite an error message, in order to fix 
the numbers. 
 
The employees, without checking the product, signed a confirmation 
document and shipped it. As improvement measures, the plant in 
question reportedly plans to reeducate its employees and also 
introduce a new system in which the machine automatically stops when 
an error occurs in a scanner. 
 
Determining that the violation was an exceptional case, the Japanese 
government will shortly conduct on-site inspections of US plants to 
review the status of beef exports six months after the resumption of 
US beef imports. If no problem is found, the governments of Japan 
and the US will launch negotiations on easing the condition of 
limiting Japan's imports to beef from cattle up to 20 months of 
age. 
 
SCHIEFFER