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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 09 TOKYO 001321 
 
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 03/26/07-1 
 
 
1) Top headlines 
2) Editorials 
3) Prime Minister's weekend schedule 
 
Opinion polls: 
4) Yomiuri poll on Abe administration at six months finds 60% of 
public give him poor evaluation 
5) Abe Cabinet support rate stabilizes at 35% in Mainichi poll, but 
non-support rate remains higher at 42% 
 
Defense and security issues: 
6) Yokota Air Base had 90 spill incidents between 1999-2006 but only 
one reported to surrounding local governments 
7) Defense Ministry plans to obtain Okinawa's concurrence for 
preliminary survey of Futenma relocation site next month 
8) Sasebo fishing coop falsely claimed damage compensation from US 
forces use of local waters 
9) Opposition camp pursuing ruling parties in Diet on subsidies in 
USFJ realignment bill 
10) Government trying to use carrot-stick approach to sell USFJ 
realignment bill but impact on Okinawa's thinking remains unclear 
11) Government formally adopts BMD emergency guidelines that 
including intelligence sharing with US 
 
Iraq reconstruction: 
12) Iraq's vice president in meeting with Abe asks Japan to keep 
ASDF in Iraq 
13) Prime Minister Abe promised to cooperate with Iraq to help 
stabilize the country 
 
Articles: 
 
1) TOP HEADLINES 
 
Asahi, Mainichi, Yomiuri, Tokyo Shimbun & Akahata: 
M-6.9 quake hits Noto Peninsula, killing 1, injuring 190 
 
Nihon Keizai: 
Economy still on stable growth path, with signs of improvement in 
consumption 
 
Sankei: 
NTV sponsors reckless driving? Broadcaster told youths they were 
being filmed 
 
2) EDITORIALS 
 
Asahi: 
(1) Quake on Noto Peninsula: Prepare countermeasures to accidents in 
depopulated areas 
(2) Dances by Asian skaters fascinate us 
 
Mainichi: 
(1) Rescue and aid to put people's lives back in quake-hit areas in 
Hokuriku 
(2) Prime Minister Abe should make a restart, reflecting on low 
public support 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1) Government urged to prepare countermeasures to unexpected quake 
(2) Kansai TV must implement measures to prevent fabricated programs 
 
 
TOKYO 00001321  002 OF 009 
 
 
 
Nihon Keizai: 
(1) Noto quake shows importance of defenses 
(2) Additional sanctions against Iran natural 
 
Sankei: 
(1) Introducing effective quake-spot-report system urged 
(2) Sanctions against Iran: International community must try to 
prevent nuclear cooperation with North Korea 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1) Everywhere on the Japanese Islands dangerous 
(2) Professional baseball games start 
 
Akahata: 
(1) JCP taking initiative in medical fee aid for children 
 
3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, March 24 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2)  (Full) 
March 25, 2007 
 
08:13 
Left JR Tokyo Station on Shinkansen Nozomi 11. Met with Minister of 
Internal Affairs and Communications Suga on Shinkansen. 
 
11:37 
Arrived at JR Okayama Station. 
 
11:45 
Left the station on Marine Liner 27. 
 
12:39 
Arrived at JR Takamatsu Station. 
 
12:51 
Met with Lower House member Yoshinori Ono and others at the 
Takamatsu Marugame Ichibangai building in Takamatsu City. Later, 
exchanged views with members of the Takamatsu Marugame Shopping 
Street Council. Visited the shopping street. 
 
15:10 
Met with LDP Upper House Caucus Secretary General Katayama at the 
Okayama Prefectural Welfare/Volunteer/NPO Hall in Okayama City. 
Afterwards, met with the mayor of Okayama and exchanged views with 
members of the crime prevention organization Okayama Guardians. 
 
15:59 
Inspected the Okayama Guardians' activities at the Okayama 
Ichibangai located at the underground shopping moll at JR Okayama 
Station. 
 
16:53 
Responded to an interview with the Okayama Prefecture's press club 
at Hotel Granvia. 
 
17:17 
Left JR Okayama Station on Nozomi 12. Met with Suga on train. 
 
20:46 
 
TOKYO 00001321  003 OF 009 
 
 
Arrived at JR Tokyo Station. 
 
21:07 
Had a haircut at Hilton Tokyo. 
 
22:48 
Arrived at his private residence in Tomigaya. 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, March 25 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2)  (Full) 
 
March 24, 2007 
 
11:28 
Left his private residence in Tomigaya. 
 
11:40 
Arrived at Kantei residence. 
 
18:13 
Attended a reception commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Rome 
Treaty at "Tokyo City View" at Roppongi Hills with his wife Akie. 
 
18:58 
Arrived at his private residence. 
 
21:20 
Arrived at Kantei residence. 
 
4) Yomiuri opinion poll on Abe Cabinet after half-year: 60% do not 
positively evaluate his achievements, but 54% have hopes for the 
prime minister in future 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
March 24, 2007 
 
In a nationwide opinion poll (face-to-face interviews) taken by the 
Yomiuri Shimbun March 17-18 to mark the six months in office of the 
Abe administration on March 26, those respondents who either 
"greatly appreciated" or "more or less appreciated" the 
accomplishments so far of the Abe Cabinet and Prime Minister Abe 
totaled 36%. However, this was much lower than the 60% in total who 
either felt they "did not appreciate at all" or "did not appreciate 
much" the achievements. Compared to the same questions being asked 
in the December 2006 poll, there was an eight-point drop in positive 
evaluation and a 15-point increase in negative evaluation. The 
Cabinet support rate, as well, for March fell for the fifth month in 
a row to 43.8%. For the prime minister, the challenge will be to 
reverse the trend by the time the Upper House election comes this 
summer. 
 
On the other hand, on the question of whether there was expectation 
or high hopes for Prime Minister Abe, those who either answered 
positively or qualified is by saying, "if I had to choose," totaled 
54%. This exceeded the 45% who said they had no high hopes for Abe. 
 
5) Abe Cabinet support rate levels off, slips one point to 35% in 
Mainichi poll; New Komeito supporters are distancing themselves from 
Abe 
 
MAINICHI (Page 1) (Excerpts) 
 
TOKYO 00001321  004 OF 009 
 
 
March 26, 2007 
 
The Mainichi Shimbun on March 24-25 carried out a telephone-based 
nationwide opinion poll. It showed the support rate for the cabinet 
of Prime Minister Abe to be 35%, one point down from the previous 
poll in February. The non-support rate rose a point to 42%, 
continuing a trend seen in the last poll. With a lacking of material 
for boosting the support rate, it appears that such issues as the 
restoration to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party of former 
Lower-House member (and postal rebel) Eto, as well as the flap over 
the utilities expenses of Agricultural Minister Matsuoka, affected 
the poll results. In addition, there was a great drop in supporters 
from the New Komeito, indicating that the party is distancing itself 
from Abe. 
 
The Cabinet support and non-support rates both reached their lowest 
and highest rate, respectively, since the launching of the 
administration. The main reason for 53% of the non-supporters was: 
"I cannot expect leadership from the prime minister." 
 
6) Ninety incidents of hazard-material leaks at Yokota Air Base, 
1999-2006, but notification to local government in only one case 
 
ASAHI (Top play) (Slightly abridged) 
Eve., March 24, 2007 
 
This newspaper has learned that during the seven-year period 
1999-2007, there occurred at the US forces' Yokota Airbase 
(Tokyo-to) and its related facilities, 90 incidents of accidents in 
which hazardous materials such as jet fuel that are subject to 
restriction in the US escaped, with the total volume of leakage 
reaching approximately 105,000 liters. Only one incident out of the 
90 was reported as an accident to local government authorities. 
Although there is an obligation on the part of the US forces to 
notify the Japanese side of such incidents, by agreement of the 
Japan-US Joint Committee, the US forces in Japan also has the right 
to judge what is reportable, and the reality is that local 
governments have no capability of checking into the situation. 
 
This state of affairs was discovered from documents released under 
the US government's Freedom of Information Act, and obtained by a 
Hitotsubashi University graduate student, Yukinori (?) Hayashi (25). 
The disclosed documents covered the period September 1999 to May 
¶2006. When broken down by type of incident, based on volume of 
leakage by the US military, there are "Category 1" incidents 
involving over 10,000 gallons (1 gallon = 3.78 liters) and 
considered "posing a serious threat to the health and safety of the 
public." One such incident occurred at the base's Tokorozawa 
communication facility (Tokorozawa City, Saitama Prefecture), in 
which 29,000 gallons of light fuel oil leaked out. There were two 
incidents of "Category 2" level of danger, 1,000 - 10,000 gallons 
("posing a threat to the health and safety of the public"). For 
example, In July 2005, jet fuel amounting to 2,400 gallons leaked 
out. 
 
There were six incidents in the next category, 100 - 1,000, "does 
not pose a danger to health and safety," and 75 incidents of 100 
gallons of less leaking out. In six cases, the amount of leakage was 
unknown. 
 
The US Pacific Air Force Command orders every base to prepare 
reports on accidents that call into categories 1-3, and for 10 
 
TOKYO 00001321  005 OF 009 
 
 
cases, detailed reports were made, according to the information 
disclosed.  However, the only case that local authorities had a 
grasp of was the Category 1 incident at Tokorozawa. Notification was 
never provided to local governments on Category 2 or less 
accidents. 
 
According to the Foreign Ministry, there was a Joint Committee 
agreement on March 1997 on procedures for providing information to 
the Japanese side, which goes: "In the case of the occurrence of 
incidents or accidents in which there is concern that there would be 
an effect on public safety or the environment, they should be 
reported immediately to the Japanese side." The specific items 
include "the possibility of creating substantial pollution by the 
misuse or escape of hazardous materials or radioactive substances." 
The US military is to notify the Foreign Ministry. The mechanism to 
notify local authorities is via the Defense Facilities 
Administrative Agency. 
 
However, the decision on whether to notify is left up to the US 
military. According to the Tokyo Defense Facilities Administrative 
Bureau, in documents covering 2003 - 2006, there were 18 incidents 
that were reported by the base. Of these, the only one related to 
leakage of fuel was the case at the Tokorozawa communications 
facility. 
 
Hayashi, having analyzed the documents, pointed out: "According to 
the Status of Forces Agreement between Japan and the United States, 
there are no set procedures for removing pollution at US bases in 
Japan. The US military is not under any obligation to restore the 
land to its original state. There needs to be established for the 
Japanese side the right to enter bases to investigate." 
 
7) Futenma relocation: Defense Ministry to begin preliminary 
environmental assessment in April 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Abridged slightly) 
March 25, 2007 
 
The Defense Agency has decided to begin in April an environmental 
assessment of coastal areas around Camp Schwab, the relocation site 
of the US Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station. The government, 
however, will conduct a preliminary assessment instead of a formal 
assessment that would require the presentation of documents to the 
prefectural government, in deference to strong negative reactions 
from local residents. 
 
The assessment will cover costal areas around Camp Schwab and its 
nearby waters. The Defense Ministry thinks that in order to observe 
the growth process of coral, it must begin the assessment before 
June, when the spawning season begins. The ministry will study such 
matters as the marine habitat for coral, water quality, and air for 
a year. It will carry out bidding on March 28 to select a 
contractor. 
 
The government initially considered a formal assessment, but Nago in 
January presented a plan to revise the government's plan, which 
displeased Tokyo. The Okinawa prefectural government was also 
reluctant to accept the government's documents detailing the method 
of the assessment, saying that doing so might be taken as 
concurrence with the government plan. Given the situation, the 
Defense Ministry intends to push ahead with the preliminary 
assessment to use its findings as the basis for a formal assessment 
 
TOKYO 00001321  006 OF 009 
 
 
that will follow. The ministry plans to hold talks on the planned 
formal assessment with the prefectural government once the Upper 
House Okinawa by-election is over. 
 
8) Senior Fukuoka defense official, Sasebo fishermen fraudulently 
claim US base compensation money 
 
MAINICHI (Page 1) (Slightly excerpt) 
March 26, 2007 
 
The Defense Facilities Administration Agency has decided to file a 
criminal complaint with Nagasaki police tomorrow against more than a 
dozen fishermen in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, and a senior member 
of the Fukuoka Defense Facilities Administration Bureau (DFAB) on 
suspicion of conspiring to fraudulently use state money paid as 
compensation for damage caused by the US military's use of waters 
near the US Sasebo Naval Base. 
 
This is first case of involvement of a regional DFAB, which is 
responsible for screening and supervising compensation for damage 
caused by the US military use, is misuse of funds. The case has 
exposed a murky compensation program based on cozy relations between 
government authorities and the fishing industry. 
 
In the sea areas used by the US military, fishing operations are not 
allowed under the law restricting operations by fishing boats. Given 
this, regional DFABs are engaged in examining ledgers on harvests in 
waters other than the restricted areas and pay compensation money to 
fishermen's unions. 
 
According to informed sources, the Sasebo Fishermen's Union reported 
seven fleets of net-fishing boats engaged in operations, but four of 
the seven were found to not have been in operation. The officials 
concerned at the DFAB, while knowing the actual situation, filed 
forged documents though consultations with fishermen, and the 
official and the fishermen pocketed several million yen annually 
over the past several years. 
 
9) Deliberations begin on US force realignment bill; Government's 
plan to subsidize municipal governments draws questions from 
opposition camp 
 
MAINICHI (Page 2) (Full) 
March 24, 2007 
 
A Lower House plenary session on March 23 began deliberating on a US 
forces realignment special measures law featuring a step to 
subsidize the municipal governments bearing greater burdens in the 
force realignment plan. In explaining the bill, Defense Minister 
Fumio Kyuma, said: "It is vital for maintaining the peace and 
stability of Japan and for alleviating the burdens on residents." 
Opposition parties intend to raise questions about the system 
designed to provide subsidies in accordance with the state of 
progress in implementing the plan and about Japan's financial burden 
for the Guam relocation plan. How Diet deliberations will proceed 
remains unclear. 
 
Under the proposed legislation, the subsidies will be provided to 
host municipalities in four stages of the realignment work: (1) the 
acceptance of a government plan, (2) the start of an environmental 
assessment, (3) the start of construction work, and (4) the 
completion of the project. The system is intended to win cooperation 
 
TOKYO 00001321  007 OF 009 
 
 
on the US force realignment by providing carrots to the 
municipalities that have accepted the government's plan. 
 
In the Diet session, Japanese Communist Party lawmaker Seiken 
Akamine lashed out at the government, saying, "The government is 
trying to pin down the municipal governments with money." Defense 
chief Kyuma rebutted, "It is natural for the government to take a 
step in response to contributions by municipalities." 
 
Japan's financial contribution to the relocation of US Marine Corps 
from Okinawa to Guam is also a point of contention. Foreign Minister 
Taro Aso replied, "In order to reduce the burden on Okinawa, Japan 
will make an appropriate financial contribution to the force 
relocation." Opposition parties have raised questions about the 
rationale behind Japan's plan to make financial contributions. 
 
10) Diet begins deliberations on US force realignment bill; Okinawa 
and other municipalities alarmed at government's carrot-and-stick 
approach 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Full) 
March 24, 2007 
 
The Lower House on March 23 began deliberations on a US force 
realignment special measures bill incorporating a plan to establish 
a system to subsidize affected municipal governments. Defense 
Minister Fumio Kyuma explained the legislation in the plenary 
session and before the Security Committee. The government aims to 
elicit cooperation from affected municipalities by using subsidies. 
Okinawa and other areas are highly alarmed at the government's 
carrot-and-stick approach. Passage of the bill by the Diet does not 
guarantee the smooth implementation of the US force realignment. 
 
Kyuma explained the significance of the planned subsidy system this 
way: "Many municipal governments have expressed their hopes for 
force realignment subsidies. Responding to their requests will help 
smoothly implement the force realignment." 
 
According to the Defense Ministry, of the 68 affected 
municipalities, 46 have expressed their support for the US force 
realignment. Although some municipalities have apparently agreed to 
the realignment plan in anticipation of subsidies, such 
municipalities as Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture, the relocation 
site of carrier-borne aircraft, are cautious about realignment. 
 
The plan to relocate the US Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station from 
Ginowan to the coastline of Camp Schwab in Nago has been stalled 
over the Tokyo-Washington agreement to build a V-shaped pair of 
runways. Talks between the government and the affected 
municipalities have not been held since January. The effectiveness 
of the planned subsidies remains unclear. 
 
In the plenary session, many opposition lawmakers raised questions 
about Japan's financial contributions to the force realignment 
project. In response, Kyuma indicated that the government has not 
finished its calculations, saying: "Given the nation's tight 
financial situation, we will keenly examine views and necessary 
costs." 
 
11) Cabinet adopts BMD emergency response guidelines; 
Intelligence-sharing with US to be issue 
 
 
TOKYO 00001321  008 OF 009 
 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
March 24, 2007 
 
The cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe adopted on March 23 
emergency response guidelines for a ballistic missile defense (BMD) 
system that stipulates the procedures for intercepting ballistic 
missiles on the authority of a unit commander. Although the Defense 
Ministry aims at simultaneous operations of the BMD emergency 
response guidelines and civilian control, some national defense 
advocates in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) are concerned 
about whether the guidelines will be effective in an actual 
conflict. Sharing intelligence, including on missiles, with the 
United States, and legal improvement are issues to be resolved. 
 
Under the emergency response guidelines, unit commanders are allowed 
to intercept enemy missiles after they find "signs" of a state of 
emergency. In a meeting on March 13 of the LDP Research Council, 
many council members raised objections to the guidelines, arguing, 
 
"Dose it mean that we should wait to die without doing anything? It 
is meaningless to intercept enemy missiles after confirming them. We 
need to create a 24-hour-response system." 
 
Therefore, reaching an agreement in the LDP was delayed for a week. 
 
The reason for the delay is Japan's dependence on the United States 
in the intelligence area. Japan relies on the US military regarding 
early-warning satellite intelligence, through which it can detect 
signs of a missile launch. The LDP has decided to set up a project 
team that will re-study how Japan-US cooperation and BMD law should 
be consolidated. 
 
The government will introduce later this month the Patriot Advanced 
Capability 3 (PAC-3) to the Air Self-Defense Force's Iruma base in 
Saitama Prefecture, as well as in the Tokyo area. The emergency 
response guidelines will applied to the planed PAC-3 deployment. The 
PAC-3 is a mobile system with the range of several kilometers. 
Therefore, securing places for equipment will be an issue to be 
considered. 
 
12) Iraqi vice president asks for continuation of ASDF operation 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
March 24, 2007 
 
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met on March 23 with Iraqi Vice President 
Taril al-Hashimi. Hashimi asked Abe to continue Japan's Air 
Self-Defense Force's mission in Iraq, saying, "In order also to 
maintain friendly relations between Iraq and Japan, I want you to 
continue the ASDF operations." Abe then responded: 
 
"Iraqi's stability is indispensable for the stability of the 
international community. It is also extremely important for Japan's 
interests. So, we have decided to submit to the Diet a bill to 
extend the ASDF mission." 
 
13) Prime Minister Abe promises Japan's stable cooperation to Iraq 
Vice President Hashimi 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2)(Full) 
March 24, 2007 
 
 
TOKYO 00001321  009 OF 009 
 
 
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held talks with Iraq Vice President Taril 
al-Hashimi on the night of March 23. In the meeting, Abe told 
Hashimi that Japan would continue its Air Self-Defense Force mission 
in his country by extending the Iraq Special Measures Law for two 
years. The prime minister also promised Japan's cooperation for 
reconciliation among the people of Iraq, in which sectarian and 
ethnic conflicts have continued. 
 
The vice president expressed his gratitude and told Abe: 
 
"We are experiencing difficulties in improving security. But the 
sectarian conflict will be resolved soon or later. Since it is 
mainly the Sunnis that have carried out resistance activities, 
efforts are needed to win them over." 
 
Hashimi met also with Foreign Minister Taro Aso on the evening of 
the same day. 
 
The Japanese government will invite 15 influential Iraqi 
parliamentary members to hold a meeting with them from March 25. 
During the session, Tokyo will explain to them its experiences in 
bringing peace to Cambodia, as well as the views of Japan's experts, 
as part of its effort to indirectly support Iraq's reconstruction. 
In consideration of the balance of sects and ethnic groups, the 15 
Iraqi parliamentarians are made up of seven Shiites, four Sunnis, 
and one Turkmen. 
 
Final coordination is underway on a plan for a visit to Japan in 
April by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. Hashimi is a Sunni and 
Maliki is a Shiite. 
 
The purpose of Japan's invitations of influential Iraqi leaders is 
to build strategic relations with Iraq, which ranks third on the 
list of countries with crude oil deposits. 
 
SCHIEFFER