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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 09 TOKYO 001507 
 
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 04/06/07 
 
 
1) Top headlines 
2) Editorials 
3) Prime Minister's daily schedule 
 
US ties: 
4) Former Ambassador Baker meets Prime Minister Abe, concurs on 
strengthening bilateral cooperation over North Korea issues 
5) LDP lawmakers to lobby against US congressional resolution over 
comfort women 
6) Defense Minister Kyuma to ask US to provide F-22 stealth fighter 
data for FX selection 
 
Fallout from Aegis data leakage: 
7) Police likely to quiz MSDF lieutenant commander today over Aegis 
data leaks 
8) Classified info contained in Aegis data taken out 
9) Aegis data shared by MSDF echelon, used for in-house briefings 
 
Political issues: 
10) Prime Minister Abe to set up expert panel on collective 
self-defense, eyes strengthening bilateral alliance before leaving 
for US 
11) Prime Minister Abe to launch expert panel to study collective 
security 
12) Campaigning for Diet by-elections kick off in Okinawa, Fukushima 
 
13) Tokyo Gov. Ishihara still ahead of all other candidates in 
gubernatorial race 
14) 46% favor constitutional revision in Yomiuri poll 
Economic topics: 
15) Japan's business leader urges FTA with US 
16) Japan, China experts to meet on East China Sea gas field project 
 
 
Articles: 
 
1) TOP HEADLINES 
 
Asahi: 
Revised domestic violence prevention law to protect victims from 
intimidation 
 
Mainichi: 
Civil code over 300-day birth registration by divorced women to be 
revised 
 
Yomiuri: 
Companies received 1,207 unreasonable demands last year 
 
Nihon Keizai: 
Government aims for 70% of young, married women in workforce in 10 
years 
 
Sankei: 
Police authorities to interview MSDF lieutenant commander as early 
as today on suspicion of Aegis data leakage 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
Kumamoto City gives hospital "baby hatch" OK 
 
Akahata: 
Severe judgment should be given to political parties that decided 
 
TOKYO 00001507  002 OF 009 
 
 
substantial increase in residential taxes 
 
2) EDITORIALS 
 
Asahi: 
(1) Professional baseball leagues must reveal backdoor money paid to 
amateur players in the past 
(2) Tsunami came to Solomon earlier than warning 
 
Mainichi: 
(1) Dismantling of Takamatsuzuka tomb: Repair and preservation 
needed so that we will not regret later 
(2) Seibu Lions scandal: Amateur players also responsible 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1) Poll on Constitution: Drive to revise top law must stay on 
course 
(2) Aegis system intelligence: MSDF must not spill the beans 
 
Nihon Keizai: 
(1) Lessons from DaimlerChrysler 
(2) Take advantage of change in diplomatic environment in Middle 
East 
 
Sankei: 
(1) Another North Korean abduction of Japanese nationals: Abduction 
issue has yet to be resolved 
(2) Seibu Lions' shady fund: Professional baseball leagues must 
clear up their own houses 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1) Expansion of baseball backdoor money scandal: Amateur players 
must make clean start 
(2) Concealing of nuclear plant accidents: Need for perfect safety 
measures 
 
Akahata: 
Final stage of campaigning for unified local elections: JCP protects 
people's lives and livelihoods 
 
3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, April 5 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2)  (Full) 
April 6, 2007 
 
10:00 
Handed official notifications appointing former Mitsubishi 
Corporation Vice President Hidetoshi Kamezaki, former Mitsui Ferry 
President Seiji Nakamura members of the Bank of Japan Policy Board. 
 
10:27 
Met with actress Noriko Sakai and table tennis player Ai Fukuhara, 
who serve as goodwill ambassador for the Japan-China cultural and 
sports exchange year. Nippon Keidanren Chairman Mitarai, chairman of 
the implementation committee of the exchange year, was present. 
 
10:55 
Met with State Minister for Innovation Takaichi and Toyota Motors 
Chairman Katsuaki Watanabe, chairman of the experts research council 
of the IT Strategic Headquarters IT New Reform Strategy Appraisal. 
 
TOKYO 00001507  003 OF 009 
 
 
 
11:25 
Met wit former Prime Minister Nakasone, chairman of the 
Parliamentarians' League to enact a new constitution. 
 
14:30 
Met with former US Ambassador to Japan Baker. 
 
15:10 
Met with State Minister for Economic and Fiscal Policy Ota. 
 
16:15 
Met with Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Matoba, followed by Cabinet 
Intelligence Director Mitani. 
 
17:01 
Security Council meeting. Then met with Foreign Minister Aso. Then 
IT Strategic Headquarters meeting. 
 
19:10 
Returned to the official residence. 
 
4) Abe, Baker agree to strengthen cooperation on North Korea issue 
 
SANKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
April 6, 2007 
 
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe received a courtesy call from former US 
Ambassador to Japan Howard Baker yesterday at the Prime Minister's 
Official Residence. Baker expressed his gratitude for Japan having 
decided to extend the Iraq Special Measures Law for two years. He 
also said, "The United States is interested in possible progress" on 
the relationship between Japan and China. Abe then responded: 
"Building up concrete bilateral cooperation in a broad range of 
areas, we will expand common strategic reciprocal relations." 
 
Abe and Baker shared the view the Japan and the US would strengthen 
bilateral cooperation in dealing with the North Korea issue and 
cooperate in resolving the abduction issue. 
 
5) LDP lawmakers to lobby against a US house "comfort women" 
resolution 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
April 6, 2007 
 
The Parliamentary League to Consider Japan's Future and History 
Education (chaired by former Education Minister Nariaki Nakayama), a 
group of lawmakers in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), 
decided to send some members of the league, including Yasuhide 
Nakayama, chair of the league's subcommittee, to the United States 
before the US House of Representatives takes a vote on a resolution 
calling on Prime Minister Abe to apologize for former comfort women. 
The purpose of their US visit is to work on congressional members 
not to vote for the resolution. 
 
The parliamentary league has been actively calling for a review of 
the so-called Kono statement (a government statement issued in 1993 
by then Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono). In order to avoid 
affecting Prime Minister's planned tour of the US starting on April 
26, members of the league are expected to travel to the US after the 
prime minister's visit. 
 
TOKYO 00001507  004 OF 009 
 
 
 
6) Kyuma to seek information on F-22 for determining next mainstay 
fighter 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
April 6, 2007 
 
Defense Minister Fumio Kyuma decided yesterday to ask during the 
Japan-US defense ministerial talks to be held in Washington on April 
30 for information on the F-22 Raptor, a new US stealth fighter jet, 
as a candidate to become Japan's next-generation mainstay fighter 
jet. Japan has not been able to obtain information on the F-22 
because its exports are prohibited under US law. The defense 
minister intends to ask the US to relax its law to provide Japan 
with information on the F-22, a promising candidate. 
 
According to the Mid-Term Defense Buildup Program (FY2005-2009), the 
Air Self-Defense Force is to procure seven aircraft as the follow-on 
model of the F-4 fighter. The Defense Ministry plans to determine 
the new model by next summer. Besides the F-22, Japan is studying 
six other models as candidates including the Eurofighter that was 
jointly developed by four European countries and the F-35 stealth 
fighter now under joint development by the United States, Britain 
and other countries. 
 
For determining the winner, the Defense Agency needs information on: 
(1) operational conditions, (2) detailed capabilities and 
characteristics, and (3) a logistical support system involving 
military personnel and the maker. Japan has received replies about 
three of the six models and has completed field surveys. Surveys 
have not been conducted on the remaining three models that include a 
model under development. Although the United States is expected to 
lift the ban eventually on exporting F-22s, the defense minister has 
decided to refer to the model because information on it is not 
available at present due to US legal constraints. 
 
7) Police to question MSDF lt. cdr who drafted Aegis data that 
leaked out 
 
SANKEI (Top play) (Excerpts) 
April 6, 2007 
 
Police authorities, including the Kanagawa Prefectural Police, have 
decided to question as early as today a Maritime Self-Defense Force 
lt. commander who is believed to have drafted highly confidential 
data on the Aegis system that have found their way to a 33-year-old 
male MSDF petty officer 2nd class under the command of Escort 
Flotilla 1, who took the information out of the office. Police 
authorities believe that MSDF personnel, including the petty officer 
2nd class, accidentally leaked the data in the process of copying 
private files. Accidentally leaking data on the Aegis system that 
are classified as special defense secret (tokubetsu bouei himitsu) 
is subject to punishment. For this reason, they have recognized the 
need to closely question the lt. commander about the process from 
how the data was compiled to how they were leaked out. 
 
Undergoing the questioning is a lt. commander in his forties who was 
responsible for the management and maintenance of the Aegis system. 
According to investigators, the file containing the secret 
information bore his name as the creator. The prefectural police 
have found out that he is an incumbent lt. commander working at an 
SDF facility in Tokyo. 
 
TOKYO 00001507  005 OF 009 
 
 
 
The leaked information falls under the category of special defense 
secret in the Secret Protection Law under the Japan-US Mutual 
 
SIPDIS 
Defense Assistance Agreement specifying how confidential SDF 
information must be handled. According to the law, such acts as 
illicitly detecting, collecting, and leaking information by persons 
handling such information in the line of duty could face up to 10 
years in prison. 
 
According to the prefectural police, the lt. commander belonged to 
the Program Operational Unit responsible for the management and 
maintenance of pivotal data on the Aegis system from September 1997 
through March 2000. When the system was shifted in March 1998, he 
was sent to the US Navy that developed and manufactured the Aegis 
system to acquire the necessary operational knowledge. 
 
According to the MSDF and other sources, the lt. commander after 
returning from the United States was assigned to a post responsible 
for explaining the new system to MSDF maintenance personnel. Police 
believe that 800 pages of data that leaked out had been compiled at 
that time as a briefing material. 
 
8) MSDF intelligence leak: Data include special defense secrets 
 
ASAHI (Page 38) (Full) 
April 6, 2007 
 
An investigation by the Kanagawa Prefectural Police into a case in 
which a petty officer 2nd class, 33, who is a crewman assigned to 
the destroyer Shiane under the command of Escort Flotilla 1 based in 
Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, and who took home secret information 
on an Aegis ship, found that the leaked information was data 
compiled by the program development department as presentation 
materials and that the files contained special defense secrets of 
more than 10 pages. 
 
According to investigative authorities, the petty officer 2nd class 
bought the external hard disk, which contained the information, 
three years ago. Regarding the route through which he obtained the 
information, the petty officer said that he obtained it from his 
colleague. As reasons for obtaining such information, he said that 
he wanted to keep the information at hand, as he was interested in 
military intelligence on destroyers. 
 
According to the prefectural police, this colleague in his thirties 
is not a crewmember of the Shirane. He is not in a position to 
access information on Aegis ships. He has reportedly refused to 
provide information in voluntary questioning, saying, "I have not 
handed such information to anybody." 
 
For this reason, the investigative authorities are cautiously 
investigating the case, because the confession by the petty officer 
has many ambiguous points. 
 
9) Senior officer creates Aegis files as explanatory materials for 
MSDF senior officials around 1998 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 1) (Full) 
April 6, 2007 
 
A Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) petty officer second class, 33, 
who is a crewman of the destroyer Shirane based at the port of 
 
TOKYO 00001507  006 OF 009 
 
 
Yokosuka in Kanagawa Prefecture, has now been found to have taken 
home a floppy disk containing data on records about destroyers and 
Aegis vessels. The Defense Ministry classifies such data as 
confidential. According to the Kanagawa prefectural police 
 
SIPDIS 
yesterday, the data in question was created as explanatory materials 
about the renewed Aegis system for MSDF senior officials. 
 
The materials reportedly were created around 1998 by an MSDF 
lieutenant commander. The materials are believed to contain highly 
confidential information, such as the core part of the Aegis system, 
 
SIPDIS 
which is classified as "special defense secrets (tokubetsu boei 
himitsu). 
 
In lecturers on the operation of the Aegis system, such explanatory 
materials, handled as predesignated secret, are distributed to 
senior officials and are collected after the lecture. 
 
In police questioning, the lieutenant commander reportedly said that 
he and the petty officer had no connections at work and that he had 
received the data in exchanging information with his colleague. But 
his explanations have changed again and again. In addition, the 
Aegis data was not found in that colleague's personal computer. The 
prefectural police and the MSDF Shore Police Command are 
investigating the route of the intelligence leak. 
 
10) Abe to strengthen "Japan-US alliance" ahead of his visit to US 
by establishing expert panel by end of month to discuss propriety of 
use of right to collective self-defense 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
April 6, 2007 
 
Nakahiro Iwata 
 
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe yesterday decided to launch by the end of 
the month a panel of experts aimed at studying cases relating to the 
use of the right to collective self-defense. The United States is 
anticipating Japan will authorize the exercise of the right to 
collective self-defense as part of its efforts to strengthen the 
Japan-US security alliance. The Abe administration also plans to 
introduce today in the Diet a bill revising the Security Council 
Establishment Law aimed at setting a Japanese-style national 
security council (NSC) modeled after the US. Ahead of his planned 
visit to the US late this month, Abe is hurriedly paving the way for 
Japan to work in much closer cooperation with the US. 
 
Abe has emphasized the need to study the right to collective 
self-defense: "We need to rebuild a legal basis for security that 
will meet the needs of the times in order to further contribute to 
the peace and stability of the world." In essence, his notion comes 
to strengthen the Japan-US alliance. 
 
The right to collective self-defense is a right to fight back 
against an enemy if an ally comes under attack from that enemy. 
Japan is not allowed at present to exercise that right. So, if Japan 
is attacked by a foreign country, the US will defend Japan, but 
Japan cannot take part in any counterattack if the US is attacked by 
another country. Abe's idea is to change this sort of "unilateral" 
alliance to a "bilateral" one binding on both sides. 
 
Former Deputy Secretary of State Armitage and other US officials 
have also contended: "Japan's ban on the use of the right to 
 
TOKYO 00001507  007 OF 009 
 
 
collective self-defense has shackled the Japan-US alliance." 
Pro-Japanese Americans' expectations of Abe allowing the exercise of 
that right also have served as encouragement for him to move to do 
so. 
 
But the question of allowing the use of the right to collective 
self-defense involves a review of the current interpretation of the 
Constitution and will be certain to split public opinion. Presumably 
for this reason, Abe has until now promoted discussions of the 
question in a "quiet manner," but he has now decided ahead of his 
planned US visit to make his idea crystal clear and translate it 
into action. 
 
By announcing that idea, Abe also aims to make it a campaign issue 
in this July's Upper House election. It has long been under taboo to 
make the Constitution and security affairs campaign issues, but Abe 
is apparently going to demonstrate his imprint without avoiding 
subjects that could split public opinion in two. 
 
11) Government to set up panel to review collective defense, 
focusing on use of police authority 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
April 6, 2007 
 
The government has decided to set up an expert panel by the end of 
this month to discuss four scenarios in connection with exercising 
the right to collective self-defense under the current Constitution, 
with the aim of reaching a conclusion as quickly as possible. Prime 
Minister Abe, before coming into office, insisted on studying the 
issue. The government also hopes to underscore its efforts to 
enhance the effectiveness of the Japan-US Security Treaty ahead of 
the prime minister's planned first visit to the United States 
starting on April 26. 
 
The four scenarios under which Japan would be allowed to exercise 
the right to collective defense are: (1) Japan intercepts ballistic 
missiles heading toward the US under the missile defense (MD) 
system; (2) the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) fights back when a naval 
vessel navigating along with a Maritime Self-Defense Force warship 
is attacked on international waters; (3) SDF troops rush over and 
counterattack if troops from another country are attacked in a joint 
operation with a common purpose, like reconstruction assistance in 
Iraq; and (4) SDF personnel use weapons to remove obstructions to 
the execution of their duties in United Nations peacekeeping 
operations (PKO). 
 
On the first scenario, US Ambassador Thomas Schieffer urged Japan's 
quick response in a press conference last October. 
 
The government cites as the ground for allowing intercepting a 
missile "the use of police authority" to "protect the safety of the 
people from a dangerous projectile flying above Japan." "Protecting 
Japan from enemies" falls under the category of exercising the right 
to individual self-defense, so Japan is not allowed to intercept a 
missile passing over Japan, because it is unknown where it is 
heading. The panel is expected to discuss if "police authority" can 
be invoked to shoot down a missile that is apparently heading toward 
the US. 
 
In the course of discussing counteractions on international waters 
or during Iraq reconstruction aid operations, the government has so 
 
TOKYO 00001507  008 OF 009 
 
 
far interpreted that the use of weapons in the case of SDF troops 
being free of risk might be deemed as the exercise of collective 
defense and infringe on the Constitution. Even so, there is the view 
that in a case where a counterattack by an attacked country is 
recognized as legitimate self-defense and is not designated as "the 
state of war," SDF troops' use of weapons should be interpreted as 
the use of minor self-defense, and not as the use of collective 
defense. In the Iraq Reconstruction Assistance Special Measures Law, 
SDF members are allowed to use weapons to protect those under the 
control of these SDF members, even if they do not take joint action. 
An expansion of this scope is also likely to be discussed. 
 
12) Three new-face candidates run in Upper House by-election in 
Okinawa and Fukushima 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) 
April 6, 2007 
 
As of 5:00 p.m. yesterday, the deadline for entry into the 
now-announced House of Councillors by-elections in Okinawa and 
Fukushima prefectures, three candidates have filed their candidacies 
for each by-election. The voting will take place on April 22. 
 
The by-election in Okinawa will be a race among three new-face 
candidates backed by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and 
the LDP's junior coalition partner New Komeito, supported by four 
opposition parties, Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan), the 
Japanese Communist Party (JCP), the Social Democratic Party (SDP), 
and the People's New Party, or backed by no parties. The by-election 
in Fukushima will be contested by three new-face candidates: one 
backed by the LDP, another on Minshuto's ticket, and the remaining 
one on the JCP's ticket. In the two races, the ruling and opposition 
camps will rock horns. In Okinawa, the candidates -- Yoshimasa 
Karimata and Aiko Shimajiri who have set up their own political 
organizations -- are backed by political parties. 
 
The two elections will take place to fill Upper House seats that 
fell vacant after two Upper House members ran in the gubernatorial 
elections last November. All the more because the outcome of the two 
races will affect the setting of the lower threshold for victory in 
this summer's Upper House election, political parties intend to make 
all-out efforts for the two Upper House by-elections. 
 
13) Tokyo gubernatorial race: Ishihara still lead other candidates 
 
MAINICHI (Page 1) (Excerpts) 
April 6, 2007 
 
The Mainichi Shimbun conducted a telephone-based poll of voters in 
Tokyo on April 4-5 and also interviewed voters to probe public views 
on the Tokyo gubernatorial election as campaigning entered the final 
stage. Like the results of the previous survey on March 31 and April 
1, incumbent Gov. Shintaro Ishihara, 74, has an edge on all other 
candidates. However, former Miyagi Gov. Shiro Asano, 59, has 
slightly boosted his support rate. Of the respondents, 77%, up four 
points from the previous poll, said that they would definitely go to 
the voting, which will take place on April 8. The figures showed the 
growing public interest in the race. 
 
14) Poll: 46% in favor of constitutional revision 
 
YOMIURI (Page 1) (Abridged) 
 
TOKYO 00001507  009 OF 009 
 
 
April 6, 2007 
 
A total of 46% favor revising Japan's postwar constitution, while 
39% do not, the Yomiuri Shimbun found from its recent face-to-face 
nationwide public opinion survey conducted March 17-18. Those for 
constitutional revision outnumbered those against it for the 15th 
straight year. However, the proportion of pro-revision respondents 
dropped 9%age points from last year's survey. It declined for the 
third year in a row. Meanwhile, the proportion of anti-revision 
respondents increased 7 points from last year. 
 
15) JCCI President Nobuo Yamaguchi urges quick progress of Japan-US 
FTA talks 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 9) (Full) 
April 9, 2007 
 
Commenting on a possible impact of the conclusion of the US-South 
Korea free trade agreement (FTA) talks, Japan Chamber of Commerce 
and Industry (JCCI) President Nobuo Yamaguchi during a press 
conference yesterday noted, "Japan will be slightly disadvantaged in 
trade with the US. Industry circles want the government to promptly 
promote FTA talks, including talks with the US." He thus called for 
an early conclusion of a Japan-US FTA. 
 
He then said: "FTAs will have a major impact on Japanese 
agriculture. However, looking to 20-30 years ahead, it will not be 
good to continue the current protective policy based on high 
tariffs. It will be in the interests of Japan to make a plan quickly 
and implement countermeasures." 
 
Kakutaro Kitashiro, director of the Japan Association of Corporate 
Executives (Keizai Doyukai), has also expressed concern about the 
US-South Korea FTA, "It will have an impact on Japan's 
export-oriented industry, such as the electric and auto 
industries." 
 
Touching on the issue of reforming the public servant system, 
Yamaguchi insisted, "Amakudari (literally "descent from heaven" or 
government bureaucrats' post-retirement practice of moving into 
public corporations or private businesses) that leads to influence 
peddling must be eliminated, but competent human resources must be 
used. I am concerned that rushing to reform the system may have an 
adverse effect on Japan." 
 
16) Japan-US expert meeting on gas field development 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Full) 
April 6, 2007 
 
Tokyo and Beijing will hold a technical experts meeting in Beijing 
starting this afternoon to discuss joint development of natural gas 
fields in the East China Sea. Shin Hosaka, director of the Petroleum 
and Natural Gas Division of the Natural Resources and Energy Agency, 
and others will take part in the meeting from the Japanese side. 
Participants will pursue boiling-down talks with Chinese Premier Wen 
Jiabao's visit to Japan scheduled close at hand for Apr. 11. 
 
SCHIEFFER