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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 08 TOKYO 000876 
 
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 03//07 
 
 
INDEX: 
 
(1) US to quickly provide North Korea with humanitarian assistance 
including food and power generator, after it ascertains nuclear 
facility has been shut down 
 
(2) Economy high on agenda in talks between Japanese, Russian prime 
ministers, with territorial issue also in mind; Disappointment with 
scant achievements 
 
(3) Scanner column -- Japanese version of NSC: Kantei to take lead 
in charting security strategy; How to eliminate divided 
administrative functions remains challenge 
 
(4) Government has to give order of priority for key bills 
 
(5) Education Minister Ibuki keeps mentioning his stock arguments; 
He made controversial remarks last year as well: Japan is a 
homogeneous country (Nov. 28); if you gorge yourself with human 
rights, you will develop metabolic syndrome (Nov. 30) 
 
(Corrected copy) 3,600 candidates to run in 44 prefectural assembly 
elections 
 
ARTICLES: 
 
(1) US to quickly provide North Korea with humanitarian assistance 
including food and power generator, after it ascertains nuclear 
facility has been shut down 
 
MAINICHI (Top play) (Excerpts) 
Eve., March 1, 2007 
 
Toshihiko Kasahara in Washington 
 
It was learned on Feb. 28 that if North Korea carries out the terms 
of its agreement at the six-party talks on the nuclear issue, 
including shutting down and sealing its Yongbyon nuclear facility in 
the northwest portion of that country, the United States government 
in return plans to provide the North with emergency humanitarian 
aid. The information was briefed to this newspaper by senior US 
officials. Until now, the Bush administration has taken a cautious 
stance about an early provision of assistance in return (for 
fulfilling the agreement), so by deciding to actually provide aid, 
the US has moved closer toward a shift in its policy line toward 
North Korea. 
 
Regarding emergency energy aid, a high-level US official explained: 
"The 50,000 tons of heavy oil at international market prices is 
equivalent to approximately $15 million dollars (approximately 1.8 
billion yen) in aid, which (the five countries) will implement." The 
official added: "Although the US cannot provide heavy oil, we are 
considering emergency humanitarian aid, such as food and some other 
form of energy." Another US official concerned said, "The specific 
contents have not yet been decided, but a power generator or 
shipment of diesel fuel to a hospital is possible as humanitarian 
aid." 
 
In addition, the high-level US official clarified the policy course 
of close contact between the US-DPRK and Japan-DPRK normalization 
working groups and of urging North Korea to take a positive stance 
in the Japan-DPRK working group. The same official expressed the 
view, "Japan is a key player in the six-party talks, so if North 
 
TOKYO 00000876  002 OF 008 
 
SUBJECT:  DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 03//07 
 
Korea does not cooperate with Japan in their talks, we will not be 
able to have a successful conclusion." 
 
(2) Economy high on agenda in talks between Japanese, Russian prime 
ministers, with territorial issue also in mind; Disappointment with 
scant achievements 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Slightly abridged) 
March 1, 2007 
 
Masahiko Ota, Miho Tanaka, Hideaki Abe 
 
Prime Minister Abe and Russian Premier Fradkov reaffirmed in their 
talks yesterday that both sides would continue efforts to come up 
with a resolution acceptable to both sides. But in the talks this 
time, their energies were focused mostly on "creating an environment 
for resolving the territorial issue" via strengthening economic 
ties, a Foreign Ministry official said. 
 
No progress on oil project 
 
Coinciding with the premier's visit to Japan, the Russian economic 
minister and a large group of Russian corporate leaders came to 
Japan. On the Siberia-Pacific pipeline project for the 
transportation of oil from East Siberia to the Pacific coast, 
Russian Industry & Energy Minister Khristenko in a meeting with 
Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Amari promised: "We 
will complete the construction of the pipeline to reach Japan." But 
they went no further than to confirm previous plans. Japan aimed at 
negotiating with Russia over interests in oil resource development, 
but negotiations made no headway, as Russia is moving to put natural 
resources under state management. A senior official of Japan's 
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) lamented, 
"Oil-producing countries hold a strong position." 
 
On nuclear energy, as part of efforts to cope with the escalating 
price of uranium, Japan suggested promoting cooperation so that it 
can ask Russia to enrich spent uranium, and Russia agreed. But in 
order for Japan to do so, the two countries need to sign a nuclear 
energy cooperation agreement. Given this, the progress is seen as a 
half step forward, not a full step. 
 
The aim of the Russian mission to Japan this time was apparently to 
expand investment from Japan not only in the area of resources and 
energy but also in such other areas as automobiles and IT and 
telecommunications. But Japanese firms are still highly skeptical 
about investment in Russia. In fact, at the Japan-Russia investment 
forum held in Tokyo yesterday, Kunio Anzai, an advisor to Tokyo Gas, 
said in a speech: "Some progress has been seen in the investment 
environment, but uncertainties still lie ahead when it comes to 
administrative procedures." 
 
Investment rule-setting 
 
Trade value between Japan and Russia is on the increase, but it is 
yet only one-sixteenth of that between Japan and the United States 
and one-fifteenth of that between Japan and China. In order to 
improve this situation, the governments of Japan and Russia signed 
an agreement yesterday for expanding cooperation on trade and 
investment in a bid to improve the investment environment. A senior 
METI official noted: "Taking advantage of Russia's enthusiasm for 
investment expansion, we have now been able to set the rules. This 
will sooner or later bring about progress in negotiations on 
 
TOKYO 00000876  003 OF 008 
 
SUBJECT:  DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 03//07 
 
energies." 
 
"Strengthening relations at various levels will lead to forming the 
foundation for resolving the territorial issue," a Foreign Ministry 
official noted, finding hope of resolving pending issues even in 
economic-oriented exchanges this time. 
 
No breakthrough came in the stalled territorial talks under the 
Koizumi administration, but Prime Minister Abe met with President 
Putin in Hanoi in last November soon after coming into power. This 
past January, Administrative Vice Foreign Minister Shotaro Yachi 
visited Moscow and had the first strategic talks with his Russian 
counterpart. Opportunities for bilateral talks are on the increase. 
Relations with Russia are becoming more and more important in 
dealing with the North Korean nuclear issue and the abduction issue, 
as Russia is a close friend of North Korea. 
 
Territorial issue ultimately depends on Russia's response 
 
Even if Japan-Russia relations are strengthened, the territorial 
issue ultimately "depends on how Russia wants to change its 
relations with Japan," a senior Foreign Ministry official commented. 
No one can tell what will happen with the future of bilateral 
relations. 
 
(3) Scanner column -- Japanese version of NSC: Kantei to take lead 
in charting security strategy; How to eliminate divided 
administrative functions remains challenge 
 
YOMIURI (Page 3) (Excerpts) 
February 28, 2007 
 
Kiyoshi Miyamoto 
 
Will a national strategy for foreign and security policies be 
determined swiftly? A Japanese version of the US National Security 
Council (NSC), establishment of which Prime Minister Abe is aiming 
at, was outlined yesterday. We examine the mechanism of Japan's NSC 
as proposed in the final report released by the Council to 
Strengthen the Prime Minister's Official Residence's Functions on 
National Security and the challenges. 
 
In step with US 
 
"I received an excellent idea. We can swiftly deal with foreign and 
security issues, responding to the change of the times," Abe told 
reporters late yesterday with a satisfied look when asked about a 
Japanese version of the US NSC, establishment of which was mentioned 
in the final report. 
Up to now, foreign and security policies have been handled each by 
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and the Ministry of Defense 
(MOD), but now a system is taking shape to allow the Kantei to lead 
the process of charting a national strategy. 
 
Abe came up with the idea of creating a Japanese version of the US 
NSC, learning lessons from North Korea's missile launches last July, 
when he served as chief cabinet secretary. Abe was impressed by the 
fact that US National Security Adviser Hadley, whom Koizumi at the 
time made contact with, had powerful authority. Abe then keenly 
realized the need to have the equivalent of America's national 
security adviser by creating an organization like the US NSC in the 
Kantei so that Japan can act in concert with the US. 
 
 
TOKYO 00000876  004 OF 008 
 
SUBJECT:  DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 03//07 
 
US Deputy National Security Adviser Crouch, who is number two in the 
NSC, yesterday met with Special Advisor to the Prime Minister Yuriko 
Koike at the Kantei. After the meeting, Crouch told the press corps: 
"We are looking forward to deepening cooperation (with Japan's NSC 
or JNSC)." 
 
Anticlimax 
 
Whether Japan's NSC will function like the US NSC as Abe expects is 
questionable, however. There are some in Japan that think the NSC 
system is not fit for Japan's political system. 
 
Norihiko Narita, vice president of Surugadai University, cited the 
difference in the political system between the US, where 
administrative power is concentrated in the president, and Japan 
with a parliamentary system of government: "Abe has no experience of 
serving as a minister heading a ministry, even though he served as 
chief cabinet secretary. That's why he came up with a Japanese 
version of the US NSC. If an advisor to such an entity gives orders 
to MOFA, MOD, and other ministries, ignoring their ministers, 
government offices would only be thrown into confusion." 
 
The JNSC will be far smaller in size than the US NSC. The US entity 
has a staff of 200 at its secretariat, while Japan's is expected to 
have a staff of only 10-20. Shinichi Kitaoka, the professor at the 
University of Tokyo who wrote the final report, explained: "Our idea 
is that it is better to see at a glance who the members of the 
organization are. A large staff would easily turn the organization 
something bureaucratic." But according to one member of the advisory 
panel, many insist that the "staff is too small." 
 
At one point putting the Overseas Economic Cooperation Council under 
the JNSC was discussed, but the final report brushed that idea aside 
on the grounds that "an experts' council will be organized as need 
arises." 
 
There is a view that the JNSC's authority will be limited because 
the finance minister, who has budgetary discretion, will not take 
part in the JNSC. 
 
At the same time, the information-gathering and analytical functions 
are spun off from the JNSC. "That is because if the policy-planning 
sector and the information sector exist in the same entity, it is 
impossible to collect and analyze information in an objective 
manner," Kitaoka said. 
 
The final report states, "It is desirable for the JNSC advisor to 
the prime minister to take part in a meeting for the cabinet 
intelligence director to brief the prime minister." But it is 
questionable whether the JNSC can gather necessary information. 
 
Horse-trading on top JNSC post 
 
Following the release of the final report, maneuvering over the post 
of chief of the JNSC secretariat, who will manage the JNSC, has 
begun. 
 
Among MOFA officials, many are recommending Ambassador to the US 
Ryozo Kato for the post, but MOD officials are alarmed by this move, 
arguing that the entity would be reduced to a MOFA branch office. 
Some MOD officials are expecting the administrative vice defense 
minister to assume the post. A tug of war between MOFA and MOD for 
leadership over the JNSC is likely to intensify in the days ahead. 
 
TOKYO 00000876  005 OF 008 
 
SUBJECT:  DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 03//07 
 
 
(4) Government has to give order of priority for key bills 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Slightly abridged) 
March 1, 2007 
 
In the current Diet session, now that deliberations on the FY2007 
budget bill are in the final stage, the focus of attention has been 
shifted to the fate of the key bills on the Diet agenda. Over most 
of these bills, since the ruling and opposition camps have been at 
loggerheads, it is difficult to enact all of them. The government 
and the ruling parties have to set the order of priority for the 
bills. 
 
Whether to select SIA reform bills (to slash public servants) or 
labor legislation (to rectify social disparity) directly affects 
LDP's Upper House election strategy 
 
The Liberal Democratic Party and the New Komeito held a meeting of 
their secretaries general and Diet Affairs Committee chairmen in 
Tokyo yesterday. After an agreement was reached to have the budget 
bill clear the House of Representatives tomorrow, one participant 
broached this in the meeting: "There is not much time for 
deliberations after the Golden Week holidays due to the House of 
Councillors election (set for July). We need to select bills that we 
must enact in the current session without fail." 
 
In the Welfare and Labor Committee, six bills, including ones 
related to labor and the others reforming the Social Insurance 
Agency (SIA), are on the agenda. It is not easy to have all the 
bills enacted within the limited number of days because unified 
local elections will be held (in April). The competent minister is 
Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Yanagisawa. Due to his 
controversial remark calling women "baby-making machines," the 
opposition bloc might continue to grill him, and eventually 
deliberations could bog down. 
 
The government and the ruling parties have yet to set the order of 
priority, but LDP Secretary General Hidenao Nakagawa is particularly 
eager about enacting the SIA reform bills. The bills are designed to 
dismantle the SIA and to deprive of its members' official status. In 
the LDP presidential election campaign last fall, Prime Minister Abe 
emphasized: "The current Social Insurance Agency is no longer 
functioning properly. I am determined to drastically reform it." As 
it stands, the ruling parties appear to be aiming to win broader 
support from unaffiliated voters by "slashing the number of public 
servants" and to apply pressure to Minshuto (Democratic Party of 
Japan) for being supported by labor unions of central and labor 
governments and public corporations. 
 
Meanwhile, Upper House Chairman Mikio Aoki and the New Komeito have 
strong aspirations to address the social disparity issue. Behind 
such eagerness is their apprehension that "If they sidestep the 
social disparity issue, they might be unable to put up a good fight 
in the Upper House election" at a time when Minshuto has asserted 
that in the current session, priority should be given to tackling 
the social disparity problem and has challenged the ruling parties 
to a debate on the issue. 
 
Of the labor-related bills, the ruling camp is aiming at quickly 
passing three bills, including a bill amending the Part-Time Labor 
Law, which is linked to the budget. Regarding the remaining three 
bills, including a bill amending the Minimum Wage Law, no prospects 
 
TOKYO 00000876  006 OF 008 
 
SUBJECT:  DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 03//07 
 
are in sight for their enactment. But if all these bills are enacted 
into law, it will become possible for the ruling camp to dodge an 
attack from the opposition camp to some extent in Upper House 
election campaigning. 
 
The reason why the ruling parties remain unable to set the order of 
priority is because it is extremely difficult to ascertain which 
bills will benefit them, with an eye on the Upper House election. 
 
If the focus is placed on the SIA reform bills, the pension issue 
will be inevitably highlighted. In the Upper House election three 
years ago, Minshuto, which touted pension reform, won a victory. The 
ruling camp fears a repetition of this outcome. 
 
On the other hand, if the ruling camp gives priority to the bills 
aimed at redressing the social disparity, it means that the ruling 
side agreed to step into the ring of Minshuto. Minshuto is ready to 
present an emergency measures bill to narrow the existing social 
disparity. Setting aside their feasibility, the bill includes 
measures generous for workers, such as a bill requiring the minimum 
wage to be set at 1,000 yen per hour across the nation. 
 
Abe eager to enact national referendum bill, educational reform 
bills 
 
A national referendum bill governing the process of revising the 
Constitution has become a major contentious issue. 
 
In his policy speech, the prime minister emphasized, "I strongly 
expect the referendum bill to be enacted in the current Diet 
session." In an executive meeting on Feb. 26, the prime minister 
also referred to the referendum bill, saying, "I hope you will fully 
discuss the bill, with the aim of enacting it by Constitution Day on 
May 3." 
 
In the ruling bloc, there naturally are some who take cool views 
toward the prime minister's eagerness about the referendum bill, 
with one member remarking, "The people do not think this is an 
imminent issue," based on the view that this is not a bill that 
should be prioritized in the current Diet session, ahead of the 
Upper House election. 
 
Minshuto has not clarified its response to the national referendum 
bill. If the ruling parties try to ram the bill through the Diet, 
the Diet might be thrown into an all-out confrontation between the 
ruling and opposition parties. In such a case, the possibility might 
fizzle out of the establishment of both bills aimed at slapping 
public servants and others designed to rectify the social 
disparity. 
 
The prime minister has also been sticky on passing three 
education-related bills and a bill to create a Japanese version of 
the National Security Council (JNSC). These bills also could have 
some effect on the fate of other key bills. 
 
(5) Education Minister Ibuki keeps mentioning his stock arguments; 
He made controversial remarks last year as well: Japan is a 
homogeneous country (Nov. 28); if you gorge yourself with human 
rights, you will develop metabolic syndrome (Nov. 30) 
 
AKAHATA (Page 2) (Full) 
March 1, 2007 
 
 
TOKYO 00000876  007 OF 008 
 
SUBJECT:  DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 03//07 
 
Bunmei Ibuki, minister of education, culture, sports, science and 
technology, has made such controversial remarks as, "Japan is a 
homogeneous nation governed by the Yamato (Japanese) race"; and he 
has even compared the human rights to butter, "If you eat too much 
of it, you will develop metabolic syndrome." However this was not 
the first time for Ibuki has made such controversial comments. 
 
Taking the fact that former Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone 
described Japan as a "homogeneous" nation and came under fire from 
inside and outside Japan into consideration, Ibuki said: "I didn't 
say a homogeneous race." 
 
During a meeting on Nov. 28 last year of the House of Councillors 
Special Committee on the Basic Education Law However, however, Ibuki 
categorically stated: "Japan has been kind of a homogeneous and 
monocultural country." 
 
Ainu indigenous people and many South and North Korean residents 
live in Japan. Ibuki made the above remarks when the committee was 
discussing a set of bills revising the Basic Education Law forcing 
the public "to love the nation," giving no consideration to 
individual's personal freedom or their thinking. Ibuki's recent 
comment describing Japan as a homogeneous country seems to be his 
stock argument. 
 
Moreover, at a House of Representatives Budget Committee session on 
Feb. 27, he stated: "Human rights are important, but if you eat too 
much of it, you will develop human rights metabolic syndrome." He 
made the remarks based on his pet arguments. 
 
In a session of the Upper House Special Committee on the Basic 
Education Law on Nov. 27 last year, Ibuki said: 
 
"It has been said meat, milk, and butter are healthy. But no matter 
how healthy they may be, eating too much of them will lead to 
metabolic syndrome. It is necessary to change the Basic Education 
Law and other laws in accordance with the situations in society." 
 
At a meeting on Nov. 28 last year of the said Upper House special 
committee, he compared the rights of individuals to eggs, milk, and 
butter, and said, "If you eat too much of them, you will develop 
metabolic syndrome." Comparing human rights to milk, butter and 
meat, he stated on Nov. 30: "As we are now in an age of plentiful 
food, we eat too much food. So we have developed metabolic 
syndrome." 
 
Ibuki is well known as the person who called jobless workers "lazy 
persons." Grilled at the Feb. 27 Lower House Budget Committee 
session, he stressed: "Human rights and individual rights are 
important." But everybody knows his real intent. 
 
In the wake of successive offensive outbursts by cabinet ministers, 
it is clear that the Abe cabinet lacks awareness of human rights. 
 
(Corrected copy) 3,600 candidates to run in 44 prefectural assembly 
elections 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Full) 
March 1, 2007 
 
About one month is left until the official campaign for the unified 
local elections, will begin on March 30. Unified local assembly 
elections will be held in 44 prefectures, except for Ibaraki, Tokyo, 
 
TOKYO 00000876  008 OF 008 
 
SUBJECT:  DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 03//07 
 
and Okinawa. According to a survey compiled by Kyodo News Agency as 
of yesterday, 3,581 persons are now preparing to run in the 
elections, but the number of prospective candidates is 121 less than 
that in the 2003 elections. The number of prospective female 
candidates also decreased by 14 to 328. One of the reasons is that 
the number of total seats in the election has been cut to 2,544. The 
competition ratio would be about the same as last time: about 1.4 
times more candidates than seats. 
 
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party is expected to file 1,439 
candidates, a drop of 50 from the previous election. The reason 
seems to be changes in electoral districts due to the integration of 
municipalities. The main opposition party, Minshuto (Democratic 
Party of Japan), will file a total of 470 candidates, including 29 
to run in the Iwate prefectural assembly election, aiming to win a 
majority of the 48 seats, and more than 40 candidates in the 
Hokkaido, Kanagawa, and Aichi races. 
 
The New Komeito has endorsed 181 persons as its candidates -- the 
number is the same as that of the previous race, with the aim of 
having all the candidates win. The Japanese Communist Party planned 
to field 279 candidates and the Social Democratic Party, 75, hoping 
to hold on to the number of seats they currently have. The People's 
New Party will field four candidates in the elections. 
 
A total of 1,088 persons have announced their candidacies as 
independents. The 1,088 include 432 ruling camp-affiliated 
candidates, 320 opposition camp-affiliated candidates, and 326 other 
candidates. 
 
A total of 1,316 people are planning to run in 15 government 
ordinance city assembly elections, the official campaign for which 
will start on March 30. 
 
DONOVAN