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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 11 TOKYO 001631 
 
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 04/13/07 
 
 
INDEX: 
 
1) Top headlines 
2) Editorials 
3) Prime Minister's daily schedule 
 
Visit of Premier Wen: 
4) Prime Minister Abe, Chinese Premier Wen agree that bilateral 
economic agenda should be set by political leaders, aided by 
high-level dialogue 
5) Ruling and opposition camp leaders impressed by Wen's open appeal 
for improved bilateral ties 
6) Reactions to Wen's Diet speech by a cross section of senior 
politicians 
 
7) Foreign Ministry plans to use ODA as priority tool for countering 
global warming 
 
Diet in action: 
8) Rowdy, tumultuous session last night ends with passage of revised 
national referendum bill over the objections of opposition camp 
9) Special measures bill on USFJ realignment expected to pass the 
Lower House today 
10) Special measures bill on USFJ realignment linked to promises of 
local subsidies a carrot-stick approach to obtain local acceptance 
 
11) Former Prime Minister Koizumi strangely silent on upcoming Upper 
House by-elections, refuses to stump for candidates, perhaps to 
avoid upstaging Abe 
 
CRS report on comfort women issue: 
12) Criticizes Prime Minister Abe for "contradictory" statements 
13) Points out direct involvement of Japanese military at all stages 
 
 
14) About 100 MSDF seamen have foreign wives 
 
Articles: 
 
1) TOP HEADLINES 
 
Asahi, Mainichi, Yomiuri, Tokyo Shimbun, and Akahata: 
Lower House committee approves national referendum bill; Legislation 
to clear Lower House today 
 
Nihon Keizai: 
Morgan Stanley to purchase 13 ANA hotels for 280 billion yen 
 
Sankei: 
100 MSDF officers have foreign wives 
 
2) EDITORIALS 
 
Asahi: 
(1) Wen's Diet speech: Positive assessment of Japan laudable 
(2) Human resource bank and elections are separate matters 
 
Mainichi: 
(1) Developments over national referendum bill inappropriate 
(2) Human resource bank must not be watered down 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1) Wen's speech heralds change in China's stance 
 
TOKYO 00001631  002 OF 011 
 
 
(2) Administration responsible for nursing care scandal 
 
Nihon Keizai: 
(1) Lower House approval of national referendum bill natural 
(2) "300-day issue" requires children's viewpoint 
 
Sankei: 
(1) Amakudari agreement a first step to administrative reform 
(2) Japan must display leadership even with shrinking ODA 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1) Wen's visit: Ice still not melted 
(2) National referendum legislation requires appropriate procedures 
 
Akahata: 
(1) Reckless step to destroy Constitution intolerable 
 
3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, April 12 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Full) 
April 13, 2007 
 
09:28 
Arrived at Kantei. 
 
10:04 
Listened to speech to the Diet by Chinese Premier Wen at Lower House 
chamber. 
 
11:31 
Met at Kantei with US Pacific Forces Commander Keating. Met 
afterward with Yukio Okamoto, diplomatic commentator. 
 
13:54 
Met with Minister in charge of Economic and Fiscal Policy Ota and 
Chief Cabinet Secretary Shiozaki. 
 
14:41 
Attended Japan-China high-level economic dialogue held at the 
Foreign Ministry's Iikura Guesthouse. 
 
15:26 
Met at Kantei with Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Matoba, followed 
by political commentator Hisayuki Miyake. 
 
16:01 
Met with Special Advisor Nemoto, followed by Assistant Deputy Chief 
Cabinet Secretary Saka. 
 
17:00 
Met with Vice Finance Minister Fujii, Budget Bureau Chief Tsuda and 
Tax Bureau Chief Ishii, followed by Internal Affairs and 
Communications Senior Vice Minister Ono and Fire and Disaster 
Management Agency Head Takabe. 
 
18:07 
Attended reception welcoming Chinese Premier Wen at Grand Prince 
Hotel Akasaka. 
 
18:57 
Dined with entertainer Tsurutaro Kataoka and journalist Tomoyo 
 
TOKYO 00001631  003 OF 011 
 
 
Nonaka at French restaurant Mikuni. 
 
20:05 
Attended event for Chinese intangible cultural heritage at National 
Theater in Hayato-cho. 
 
21:12 
Returned to his official residence. 
 
4) Japan, China to launch high-level talks: Economic issues to be 
settled at initiative of politicians 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 1) (Full) 
April 13, 2007 
 
The governments of Japan and China yesterday held a meeting in Tokyo 
to pave the way for the planned establishment of a high-level 
dialogue by economic ministers. Participants agreed on a policy of 
settling economic issues at the initiative of politicians. The 
meeting brought together Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Premier Wen 
Jiabao as well. Abe expressed hopes for future achievements, noting, 
"This dialogue will be a new step for Japan-China economic 
relations." The first formal meeting will take place in Beijing 
within this year. 
 
This is the first time for Japan to establish a setting for 
bilateral talks taken part in by cabinet ministers from more than 
one economy-related ministry, indicating its stance of attaching 
importance to relations with China. 
 
The planned dialogue will aim at cooperation in a wide range of 
areas, including energy, the environment, and the protection of 
intellectual property rights. The Japanese side wants to see 
improvement in investment conditions, including the easing of 
restrictions on foreign capital, while the Chinese side hopes Japan 
will transfer environmental and energy-conserving technologies. 
 
The meeting yesterday also brought together Foreign Minister Taro 
Aso, who is to play a leading role in the high-level economic 
dialogue; Finance Minister Koji Omi; Economy, Trade and Industry 
Minister Akira Amari; and State Minister for Economic and Fiscal 
Policy Ota from the Japanese side and Ma Kai, head of the National 
Development and Reform Commission; Commerce Minister Bo Xilai; and 
others from the Chinese side. 
 
Aso and Deputy Premier Zeng Peiyan were designated as co-chairmen. 
The Beijing talks will be the first meeting for Zeng to take part, 
since he did not come to Japan this time. 
 
Aso during the meeting indicated a perception that though Japan and 
China have forums for dialogues at the ministry level, it is 
necessary to settle difficult issues at a higher level. Aso made 
this comment with such issues as China's strengthened foreign 
capital regulation and opaque legal system in mind, which Japanese 
companies complain impede their business activities in China. 
 
Participants exchanged views on economic cooperation in Asia and 
efforts to make the yuan a more flexible currency. 
 
5) Ruling, opposition party leaders pay courtesy calls on Wen 
 
MAINICHI (Page 5) (Excerpts) 
April 13, 2007 
 
TOKYO 00001631  004 OF 011 
 
 
 
Leaders of the ruling and opposition parties paid courtesy calls on 
visiting Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao yesterday. Liberal Democratic 
Party Secretary General Hidenao Nakagawa, who supports Prime 
Minister Shinzo Abe's efforts to improve relations with China, and 
New Komeito President Akihiro Ota separately met with Wen and 
stressed the need for the ruling parties of the two countries to 
promote personnel exchanges. In the opposition camp, Minshuto 
(Democratic Party of Japan) President Ichiro Ozawa, Japanese 
Communist Party Chairman Kazuo Shii, and Social Democratic Party 
President Mizuho Fukushima met Wen separately. Both ruling and 
opposition parties indicated their eagerness to improve relations 
with China. 
 
LDP Secretary General Nakagawa, who visited China last month, told 
Premier Wen: "I would like to make utmost efforts to bring about a 
tour of China by Prime Minister Abe by the end of this year and a 
visit to Japan by President Hu Jintao at an early date. This is the 
wish of all LDP members." Executive Council Chairman Yuya Niwa, 
Policy Research Council Chairman Shoichi Nakagawa, Upper House 
Chairman Mikio Aoki, and Diet Affairs Committee Chairman Toshihiro 
Nikai were present when Nakagawa met Wen. Nakagawa implied his 
confidence as a leader in promoting political ties between Japan and 
China. 
 
Policy Research Council Chairman Nakagawa, though, has said that 
China poses a threat to Japan. Supposedly out of consideration for 
Wen, the secretary general said to him: "I hope you will cooperate 
in melting the ice between Japan and North Korea over the issue of 
Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea." New Komeito's Ota said 
to Wen: "I hope Japan and China will jointly tackle environmental 
issues," underscoring the idea that New Komeito gives priority to 
environmental protection. 
 
In a meeting with Minshuto's Ozawa, Premier Wen said, "Mr. Ozawa 
made great efforts to move friendly China-Japan relations forward." 
Ozawa replied: "I was profoundly impressed by your Diet speech. The 
speech reminded me of the visit to Japan by Deng Xiaoping." 
 
6) Wen's Diet speech draws variety of reactions, one describing it 
as "ice-melting" and another as "self-serving" 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (Full) 
April 13, 2007 
 
Visiting Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's Diet speech yesterday has 
elicited a variety of comments from ruling and opposition 
lawmakers. 
 
LDP Secretary General Hidenao Nakagawa: "It was a historical speech 
showing a strong resolve to place priority on Japan. It was 
significant that it touched on exchanges between Sun Wen and Zhou 
Enlai and Japanese people. His speech also emphasized a humanitarian 
spirit beyond Chinese people's postwar bitterness, showing the 
Chinese leadership's stance toward the history issue. He expressed 
hopes that Japan will play a greater role in the international 
community. It exemplified his ice-melting trip." 
 
LDP Diet affairs chief Toshiaki Nikai: "It was a historic speech 
clearly showing his wishes to make this trip a springboard for good 
sustainable Japan-China relations. It was passionate. Premier Wen 
waved his hand many times to the packed crowd. I believe such an 
event will surely melt the ice. He naturally urged us not to forget 
 
TOKYO 00001631  005 OF 011 
 
 
historical issues. We must not forget them. People's minds do not 
meet with unbending mindset." 
 
Former LDP Secretary General Koichi Kato: "He spoke of the history 
issue carefully yet clearly. He indicated that the last major war 
was an act of aggression and that some military leaders brought it 
about. In a sense, he said without reservation things that were the 
opposite of the historical views expressed by Prime Minister Shinzo 
Abe before assuming office. The premier perhaps wanted to nail down 
Prime Minister Abe's new policy, although it has improved 
substantially. The speech was well composed." 
 
Former LDP Vice President Taku Yamasaki: "Like his name, the speech 
was warm. He said, 'The mountain does not move with gales.' It means 
that despite an unfortunate history, the friendship between Japan 
and China will not change for generations to come, like a mountain. 
He also called for action by citing former Prime Minister Tomiichi 
Murayama's statement. That must be taken as a message showing 
China's view on the Yasukuni Shrine issue." 
 
New Komeito Representative Akihiro Ota: "It was a good speech, 
frankly expressing China's basic views and highlighting the 
importance of Japan-China relations to the peoples of the two 
countries. It portrayed China's future-oriented stance, positively 
evaluating Japan's postwar course without focusing on the country's 
grudges over historical issues." 
 
Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan) Secretary General Yukio 
Hatoyama: "We can expect that Japan-China relations will head in a 
better direction. The government must take squarely his speech that 
was dominated by historical issues, seeking deeds." 
 
LDP Lower House lawmaker Keiji Furuya: We did not have the text of 
his Diet speech, which was unusual. He skipped some parts, 
presumably intentionally. China's military spending has been growing 
yearly and it destroyed its own satellite. It's too self-centered 
for such a country to ask for assistance." 
 
LDP Lower House member Koichi Hagiuda: "He underscored 'mutually 
beneficial ties,' but I wanted to hear a speech that as 
well-balanced. His speech was somewhat condescending." 
 
LDP Lower House member Tomomi Inada: "Everyone applauded when he 
called for action, urging (the prime minister) not to visit Yasukuni 
Shrine. That was regrettable." 
 
Minshuto Lower House member Akihisa Nagashima: "In my view, his 
speech was aimed at leaving the impression that Japanese culture 
stemmed from China and that China showed its magnanimity regarding 
unfortunate past events. He had an air of a leader of a major 
international player, however. If things go like this, Japan won't 
be able to best China. Japan needs to make all-out efforts." 
 
Minshuto Lower House member Shu Watanabe: "He might have wanted to 
say that Japan's development started with Chinese culture and that 
the long history of friendship between the two countries has turned 
sour because of Japan. His speech was punctuated with China's 
traditional standpoints, albeit mildly. I felt China's strong 
wishes." 
 
LDP policy chief Shoichi Nakagawa: "It was pragmatic and was like a 
diplomatic negotiation." 
 
 
TOKYO 00001631  006 OF 011 
 
 
LDP General Council Chairman Yuya Niwa: "It was dotted with 
warnings, while giving consideration to Japan-China friendship." 
 
Former Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura: "There will be no true 
friendship unless the two countries move forward outstanding 
bilateral issues, such as the East China Sea issue." 
 
7) ODA to prioritize measures on global warming: MOFA advisory 
council calls for strengthening assistance for disaster prevention 
to be strengthened 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 3) (Full) 
April 13, 2007 
 
The Foreign Ministry's (MOFA) study group has looked into measures 
to assist developing countries, which are vulnerable to the impact 
of global warming. The panel has compiled a report seeking the 
preferential handling of proposals for helping them deal with the 
impact of global warming, including the prevention of disasters and 
the effective use of water in implementing official development 
assistance (ODA). 
 
The reason is because since it is already unavoidable for developing 
countries to be affected by global warming to some extent, it is a 
pressing issue to take measures against disasters and water and food 
shortages, which are expected to increase in the future. MOFA 
intends to expand assistance measures concerning climate change, 
including preferential interest rates on yen loans. 
 
Developing countries will unavoidably face increased disasters 
caused by climate change and a serious shortage of water. In 
particular, countries with weak social infrastructure will face 
problems that they cannot settle on their own, including poverty and 
the spread of infectious diseases. 
 
The report pointed out the need to strengthen their adaptability 
based on forecasts on the impact of global warming so as to settle 
those problems. It noted that all aid projects need to focus on 
strengthening adaptability right from the planning stage with future 
climate change in mind. 
 
The report specifically stressed the importance of comprehensive 
water resources control and water recycling in such areas as Africa, 
which are expected to face a serious water shortage. It also urged 
that ODA projects in areas where food production is expected to 
fall, including part of Asia, should give importance to 
consolidating a stockpiling system and improving cultivation 
technology in areas. 
 
8) Lower House panel passes national referendum bill; Bill to clear 
current Diet session 
 
MAINICHI (Top Play) (Full) 
April 13, 2007 
 
The House of Representatives Special Committee for Research on the 
Constitution yesterday approved a bill proposed by the ruling 
coalition that sets procedures for amending the Constitution by a 
majority of committee members from the ruling Liberal Democratic 
Party (LDP) and its junior coalition partner New Komeito. While 
opposition members, who opposed a vote on the bill, were swarming 
the committee chairman, a bill proposed by the main opposition 
party, Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan) was voted down. The 
 
TOKYO 00001631  007 OF 011 
 
 
ruling camp plans to pass the legislation at a plenary session of 
the Lower House today and start deliberating in the House of 
Councillors on April 16. It is now almost certain that the bill will 
clear the Diet during the current session. 
 
The bill is designed to outline procedures for a national referendum 
needed to amend the Constitution. If the bill is approved, 
constitutional amendment procedures will be set for the first time 
since the Constitution of Japan came into force in 1947. 
 
The opposition camp opposed the vote, saying deliberations had been 
insufficient. Committee Chairman Taro Nakayama, however, put the 
bill to a vote after declaring that time for debate was over. 
Minshuto has decided to oppose the bill at a Lower House plenary 
session today. 
 
Meanwhile, senior members of the LDP and New Komeito reconfirmed 
yesterday that they would approve the bill in the Lower House on 
April 13.  The two ruling parties intend to explain the purpose of 
their bill and to start deliberations at an Upper House plenary 
session and Upper House Special Committee for Research on the 
Constitution on April 16 after the bill clears the Lower House. They 
aim to pass the bill through the Diet before May 3, Constitution 
Day. 
 
The key elements of the legislation include: (1) the minimum age for 
granting voting rights would be set at 18, but the minimum voting 
age would be set at 20 until the voting age and adult age are 
lowered to 18 by revising the Public Office Election Law and the 
Civil Law; (2) approval of a majority of all valid ballots would be 
required for passage of an amendment; (3) although "constitutional 
committees" would be set in both chambers of the Diet, the panels 
would not carry out deliberations and constitutional amendment bills 
would not be submitted to the Die for three years after the law 
comes into being; and (4) constitutional amendments would be 
classified according to which items they relate to. 
 
The ruling coalition and Minshuto last May submitted their own 
bills. Although the ruling camp and the largest opposition party 
were discussing joint modifications, the ruling camp independently 
presented its own revised bill in March, and Minshuto also submitted 
this month another revised bill. The ruling coalition insisted that 
national referendums be held only for constitutional amendments, but 
Minshuto demanded that their scope be expanded. 
 
9) US force realignment bill to clear Lower House today 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (Full) 
April 13, 2007 
 
The Lower House Committee on Security yesterday took a vote on the 
US force realignment bill aimed at carrying out the US force 
realignment plans smoothly and approved it by a majority of votes 
from the ruling parties. The major opposition Democratic Party of 
Japan (DPJ) refused to take part in deliberations on the bill, 
claiming that the time for deliberations was insufficient, but it 
attended the voting session. The bill is to be approved in a Lower 
House plenary session today with a majority of votes from the ruling 
parties and be sent to the Upper House. 
 
This is a time-limited bill introduced by the government with the 
aim of steadily implementing the realignment of the US Forces Japan 
(USFJ) as stipulated in the agreement between the governments of 
 
TOKYO 00001631  008 OF 011 
 
 
Japan and the United States last May and with the understanding of 
municipalities that will be affected. The bill will establish a new 
system for subsidies for municipalities that will accept a new 
burden of US military facilities. In order to help the US to 
construct infrastructure in Guam ahead of the transfer of 8,000 US 
Marines from Okinawa to Guam, the bill will set a special exception 
for the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), whose major 
purpose is to finance developing countries. 
 
Municipalities subject to realignment-related subsidies will include 
Nago City, which houses Camp Schwab, the relocation site of the US 
Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station, as well as the local governments 
that house Self-Defense Forces (SDF) bases and will accept the 
separate transfer of fighter training now carried out at Kadena Air 
Base. 
 
10) Stick -- US force realignment bill -- likely to come with carrot 
-- new subsidies to affected local governments 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Full) 
April 13, 2007 
 
With the special measures bill on US force realignment certain to be 
passed during the current Diet session, the government will 
accelerate its efforts to facilitate the implementation of specific 
steps, including the relocation of US military facilities. In this 
regard, the government has already allocated in the fiscal 2007 
budget 5.1 billion yen in subsidies. It intends to begin possibly 
this fall distributing new subsidies to local governments willing to 
accept the relocation of US bases. But this has already met with 
opposition from some local officials who argue: "Is the government 
trying to buy us off with money?" Whether the central government's 
subsidy plan will go smoothly as it expects remains to be seen. 
 
The reason why the government and the ruling camp have prioritized 
the US force realignment bill during the current Diet session jammed 
with important bills is because of Shinzo Abe's first planned visit 
to the United States as prime minister starting April 26. For Abe, 
who stresses the importance of the Japan-US alliance, the bill if 
handled quickly is good material to impress President Bush with 
Japan's "enthusiasm." 
 
"The bill charts how Japan and the US will share the duties, roles, 
and capabilities in the Asia-Pacific region, and we hope it will be 
enacted as swiftly as possible," said Administrative Vice Defense 
Minister Takemasa Moriya at a press briefing yesterday. What he has 
envisioned is the unified effort of Japan and US in the military 
area, with cooperation advancing through such programs as the 
missile defense (MD) system. 
 
The US force realignment plan will affect 68 local municipalities. 
Certain municipalities, such as Okinawa's Nago City, the relocation 
site of the US Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station, will be eligible 
for new subsidies. In order to speed up (the US force realignment 
plan), the government will allocate subsidies to affected 
municipalities each time they clear one of four stages: (1) when 
they announce their acceptance of the relocation; (2) when an 
environmental survey is launched; (3) when construction starts; and 
(4) when the relocation is completed. 
 
it has been customary in Okinawa in the past to let the Defense 
Agency (now ministry) handle base issues, while regional development 
has been in the hand of the Okinawa Development Agency. But under 
 
TOKYO 00001631  009 OF 011 
 
 
the new arrangement, the Ministry of Defense will play a leading 
part in pushing for the result-oriented approach, as Defense Policy 
Bureau Director-General Kazuo Oko said: "We will determine the 
subsidy levels by rating by numbers the changes in facility space, 
the content of facility construction; new deployment of equipment, 
such as aircraft, changes in the number of personnel, and the 
contents of transferred training." 
 
As of the end of February, only 46 local governments announced they 
have accepted and understand the realignment plan. The US force 
realignment bill includes an item of raising the central 
government's grant rate for public works projects to be implemented 
by local governments cooperating with the realignment. 
 
Opposition parties are criticizing this "carrot and stick" approach 
by the government, with lawmaker Seiken Akamine of the Japanese 
Communist Party arguing: "It's a tactic to bring local governments 
into submission by the money power." The largest opposition 
Democratic Party of Japan (Minshuto) did not vote for the bill, 
arguing, "The grounds for the calculation of Japan's portion (some 
6.09 billion dollars) of the relocation cost of US Marines from 
Okinawa to Guam and how that money will be used are unclear." 
 
11) Koizumi keeps silent on by-elections in Fukushima, Okinawa, 
declining flood of requests, probably out of consideration for Abe 
 
MAINICHI (Page 5) (Full) 
April 13, 2007 
 
Former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has declined all requests to 
stump for candidates in the by-elections for House of Councillors 
seats in Fukushima and Okinawa. A close aide to Koizumi said" "If 
Koizumi takes action, a comparison will be surely made between him 
and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. He must have the view that doing 
nothing is the most effective support." By keeping silent, Koizumi 
seems to be giving consideration to the prime minister. 
 
Koizumi has kept a low profile since he stepped down, but when he 
made an exception and appeared at a speech to support the LDP-backed 
candidate for a House of Representatives by-election last fall, the 
hall was standing room only. Koizumi is still popular, so many 
requests are coming to him to stump for candidates for the Upper 
House election this summer. 
 
But Koizumi has decided not to accept such requests in principle. 
Isao Iijima, secretary to Koizumi, said, "He may stump for those who 
supported his postal-privatization plan." Even though the postal 
rebels have been allowed back into the party, Koizumi still appears 
to want to see his own privatization plan carried out. 
 
12) US Congressional Research Service report on military comfort 
women critical of Prime Minister Abe for contradictory statements 
 
AKAHATA (Page 7) (Excerpts) 
April 13, 2007 
 
By Shinji Yamazaki in Washington 
 
This newspaper has learned that a report of the Congressional 
Research Service (CRS) has criticized as "basically contradictory" 
the assertions of Prime Minister Abe and Japanese government that 
"there was not coercion" (by the Japanese military of wartime 
comfort women), while continuing to uphold the statement of then 
 
TOKYO 00001631  010 OF 011 
 
 
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono in 1993 that apologized to former 
comfort women. This newspaper obtained a copy of the CRS report on 
April 12 titled, "Japanese military's 'comfort women' system." 
 
The report, focusing on a series of remarks made by Prime Minister 
Abe this March, points out while Abe reconfirmed the Kono Statement, 
parts of his statements are contradictory. As an example, the 
government presented a written cabinet reply to a Diet question on 
March 16 that stated: "Among the documents discovered by the 
government, we could find nothing that indicated direct coercion by 
the military or constituted authorities." The report also points out 
the judgment of Dutch courts that Dutch women (in Indonesia) were 
forced by the Japanese military into prostitution and raped. 
 
13) US congressional report on wartime comfort women points out that 
there was military involvement at all stages 
 
AKAHATA (Page 6) (Excerpts) 
April 13, 2007 
 
By Shinji Yamazaki in Washington 
 
A report by the US Congressional Research Service (CRS) titled 
"Japanese military's 'comfort women' system," criticizes moves in 
Japan to revise the 1993 Kono Statement. It re-introduces previously 
revealed evidence about the wartime comfort women that clearly 
proves deep involvement of the Japanese government and Japanese 
military. 
 
The report cites as "moves to revise the Kono Statement in Japan the 
request for "a new study" by Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary 
Shimomura, the establishment of a panel of influential Liberal 
Democratic Party lawmakers "to consider Japan's past and historical 
education," and statements by LDP policy chief Shoichi Nakagawa and 
Foreign Minister Taro Aso denying government involvement in the 
setting up of comfort stations. 
 
The report lists much documented material that proves the existence 
of the comfort-women system. 
 
14) Survey finds about 100 MSDF members married to foreign 
nationals 
 
SANKEI (Top Play) (Excerpts) 
April 13, 2007 
 
A survey conducted by the Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) found 
that about 100 personnel are married to foreign nationals. The MSDF 
conducted the survey, taking seriously the fact that the wife of the 
petty officer second class who took home a floppy disk containing 
confidential data is a Chinese illegally living in Japan. 
 
SIPDIS 
 
When a SDF member gets married with a foreigner, no special 
permission is required, and there is no legal problem. A senior SDF 
member, however, said: "Although the freedom of marriage should be 
respected, members must use their discretion in marrying those who 
come from neighboring countries that could threaten Japan." 
 
Taking the recent intelligence-leak incident serious, the MSDF 
conducted a survey of about 40,000 members and found that about 100 
are married to foreign nationals. Most of them reportedly are from 
Southeast Asian countries or from China. The Ground Self-Defense 
Force and the Air Self-Defense Force, however, have not figured out 
 
TOKYO 00001631  011 OF 011 
 
 
how many members are married to foreigners and have no intention to 
conduct a survey in the future, according to their officials. 
 
MSDF personnel find it difficult to find a spouse, given that they 
have to undertake long-term voyages, have to keep their itinerary 
confidential, and are out of contact while at sea. For this reason, 
 
SIPDIS 
an increasing number of members have married foreign women. 
 
Each unit of the MSDF arranges matchmaking parties, but according to 
a senior MSDF member, "Young Japanese women do not join such parties 
in Yokosuka, and instead, foreigners working at restaurants and the 
like participate. Some of those foreigners get married to MSDF 
members." 
 
DONOVAN