VZCZCXRO7333
PP RUEHFK RUEHKSO RUEHNAG RUEHNH
DE RUEHKO #1665/01 1070057
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 170057Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2694
INFO RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEAWJA/USDOJ WASHDC PRIORITY
RULSDMK/USDOT WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J5//
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RHHMHBA/COMPACFLT PEARL HARBOR HI
RHMFIUU/HQ PACAF HICKAM AFB HI//CC/PA//
RUALSFJ/COMUSJAPAN YOKOTA AB JA//J5/JO21//
RUYNAAC/COMNAVFORJAPAN YOKOSUKA JA
RUAYJAA/COMPATWING ONE KAMI SEYA JA
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 3153
RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 0702
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 4230
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 0014
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 1623
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 6611
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 2686
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3948

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 11 TOKYO 001665 
 
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 04/16/07 
 
1) Top headlines 
2) Editorials 
3) Prime Minister's daily schedule 
 
Opinion polls: 
4) Abe Cabinet support rate recovers to 40% in latest Asahi poll 
3 
5) Public split on early Diet passage of national referendum bill 
setting constitutional amendment procedures: Asahi poll 
6) Kyodo poll on constitutional amendment shows 57% approval, but 
support slips 4 points from last survey 
 
Defense and security affairs: 
7) Prime Minister Abe will not have Japan join Afghan reconstruction 
team (PRT) 
8) First joint maritime drill involving US, Japan and Indian vessels 
is aimed at checking China 
9) Aegis intelligence leaks: Police question MSDF officers, raid 
seaman's home 
 
10) China, Japan, South Korea wisemen's council proposes creation of 
an environment fund 
 
Political agenda: 
11) Ruling and opposition camps clash in Upper House over national 
referendum bill setting procedures for constitutional amendment 
12) Ruling parties aggressively pushing important bills through the 
Diet 
13) New YKK political alliance in LDP trying to set agenda for Asia 
diplomacy and encircle Abe camp 
14) Only five more days until the Upper House by-elections in 
Okinawa, Fukushima, with both ruling and opposition parties focusing 
on the latter race 
 
Articles: 
 
1) TOP HEADLINES 
 
Asahi: 
Poll on national referendum legislation: 80% think setting minimum 
turnout necessary 
 
Mainichi: 
TOTO to fix 180,000 toilets prone to catch fire 
 
Yomiuri and Sankei: 
Kanagawa Prefectural Police question MSDF officers, including 
lieutenant commander, to determine source of Aegis information leak; 
Apartment of petty officer 3rd class searched 
 
Nihon Keizai: 
Public organizations speeding up asset sales 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
21, including gunman, killed in Virginia Tech shootings 
 
Akahata: 
Campaigning for second round of local elections intensifying; JCP 
candidates vow to improve livelihood 
 
2) EDITORIALS 
 
 
TOKYO 00001665  002 OF 011 
 
 
Asahi: 
(1) High school baseball team to disband over scouting 
(2) 50-year-old EU still growing 
 
Mainichi: 
(1) Manifestos essential in second round of nationwide local 
elections 
(2) Child abuse law to be revised 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1) China must stop being piracy paradise 
(2) New science museum to open today 
 
Nihon Keizai: 
(1) Investors must be protected by solid rules 
(2) Russia needs freedom of assembly 
 
Sankei: 
(1) North Korea: Set deadline for talks on sanctions 
(2) Solid guidelines necessary on posthumous use of frozen sperm 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1) Part-time workers deserve better pension system 
(2) Take every preventive measure against collapse of buildings 
after quake 
 
Akahata: 
(1) Japan must not be turned into terrible country 
 
3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, April 16 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2)  (Full) 
April 17, 2007 
 
08:48 
Arrived at Kantei. 
 
10:00 
Met with Economic and Fiscal Policy Minister Ota and Chief Cabinet 
Secretary Shiozaki. Later joined by Special Advisor Koike. 
 
SIPDIS 
 
11:00 
Met with LDP Secretary General Nakagawa. 
 
12:13 
Had lunch with Kyoto University Prof. Nakanishi, Waseda University 
Prof. Shigemura, and Tsutomu Nishioka, vice chairman of the group to 
support the families of abduction victims. 
 
13:27 
Met with Italian Prime Minister Prodi. Held joint press conference 
with Prodi. 
 
15:15 
Met with Lower House member Taro Nakayama. 
 
16:02 
Viewed Leonardo da Vinci's painting at National Museum in Tokyo, 
along with Prodi and his wife. 
 
 
TOKYO 00001665  003 OF 011 
 
 
17:02 
Attended LDP board meeting. 
 
17:36 
Attended at Kantei a monthly economic report-connected cabinet 
ministers' meeting. 
 
19:08 
Hosted dinner party for Prodi and his wife. 
 
20:42 
Returned to his official residence. 
 
4) Poll: Cabinet support rate rebounds to 40% 
 
ASAHI (Page 1) (Abridged) 
April 17, 2007 
 
The rate of public support for Prime Minister Abe and his cabinet 
was 40%, the Asahi Shimbun found from its latest nationwide public 
opinion survey. The nonsupport rate for the Abe cabinet was 38%. The 
support rate for the Abe cabinet rebounded from the 37% rating in 
the last survey taken March 31 and April 1. In addition, the Abe 
cabinet's nonsupport rate decreased from 43% in the last survey. The 
approval rating topped the disapproval rating for the first time in 
three months since this January's survey. 
 
In the breakdown of public support for political parties, the ruling 
Liberal Democratic Party stood at 31%, with the leading opposition 
Democratic Party of Japan (Minshuto) at 14%. The two parties' 
respective popularity ratings leveled off from the last survey. The 
proportion of those who have no particular party to support 
decreased from 50% to 46%. 
 
5) Upper House starts debate on national referendum bill; Focus on 
minimum voter turnout; Committee fails to hold session due to 
opposition camp's resistance 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
April 17, 2007 
 
The House of Councillors yesterday started in its plenary session 
debating a bill setting procedures for a national referendum to 
amend the Constitution. The opposition bloc criticized the ruling 
coalition-proposed bill for: (1) failing to stipulate whether to set 
a minimum voter turnout, (2) restriction on political activities by 
civil servants; and (3) a limit on TV advertisements. Although the 
Upper House Special Committee for Research on the Constitution had 
planned to begin deliberations, the panel put them off due to 
objections from the opposition camp against replies at the plenary 
session by Lower House member Okiharu Yasuoka, who presented the 
ruling coalition's bill. 
 
Referring to the ruling bloc-proposed bill failing to include a 
minimum voter turnout system, Tadayoshi Ichida of the Japanese 
Communist Party (JCP) and Masamichi Kondo of the Social Democratic 
Party (SDP) pointed out that the constitutional amendment bill would 
be adopted by 10 to 20% of approval. 
 
"It is unclear what kind of political activities civil servants are 
prohibited," said Kondo. Ichida expressed concern about the bill 
that stipulates that TV advertisements would be allowed until two 
 
TOKYO 00001665  004 OF 011 
 
 
weeks before the voting day, saying, "A force that has ample funds 
will buy up advertising networks in order to develop a large-scale 
campaign for constitutional amendments." 
 
At the Upper House plenary session, Yasuoka stated: "Based on the 
debate at the Lower House, I think the Upper House will carry out 
intensive debate on items that were not deliberated in the Lower 
House." The opposition camp, however, negatively reacted against 
Yasuoka's statement, saying, "He thinks lightly of the Upper House." 
Yasuoka then apologized in a meeting yesterday of the Upper House 
Steering Committee, but a debate at the special committee and 
discussion on a timetable has been delayed to today and later. 
 
Taro Nakayama, the chairman of the Lower House Special Committee for 
Research on the Constitution, yesterday briefed Prime Minister 
Shinzo Abe on the reasons why he had taken a forced vote amid 
opposition by the main opposition party, Minshuto (Democratic Party 
of Japan). There is the view that with Minshuto's opposition the 
chance for constitutional reform is slipping away. Abe, however, 
expressed his hopes for cooperation with Minshuto, telling 
reporters, "Political circles will change." 
 
6) Kyodo poll: 57% support constitutional reform, down 4 points 
 
TOKYO (Page 1) (Abridged) 
April 17, 2007 
 
Kyodo News conducted a telephone-based nationwide public opinion 
survey on April 14-15, in which respondents were asked if they 
supported amending the Constitution. In response, "yes" totaled 
57.0%, with "no" reaching 34.5%. In a similar survey taken in April 
2005, "yes" totaled 61.0%, with "no" accounting for 29.8%. In the 
survey this time, there was a decrease in the proportion of 
affirmative answers, though only slightly, and an increase in the 
proportion of negative answers. 
 
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is eager to revise the Constitution while 
he is in office. A national referendum bill that provides procedures 
for constitutional revision has now cleared the House of 
Representatives. In the midst of such specific moves for 
constitutional revision, more people are apparently thinking it is 
now necessary to debate the issue in a cautious manner. 
 
Respondents were also asked if they thought it would be necessary to 
amend Constitution Article 9, which stipulates Japan's war 
renunciation and its maintenance of no war potential. In response, 
44.5% answered "no," with 26.0% saying "yes." As seen from these 
figures, negative answers markedly outnumbered affirmative ones. 
 
The rate of public support for the Abe cabinet was 44.2%, up 4.3 
percentage points from the last survey taken in March. The Abe 
cabinet's support rate, which tended to decline since October last 
year, rebounded for the first time. The nonsupport rate for the Abe 
cabinet was 38.3%, down 3.9 points. 
 
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Abe has made up his mind to change the 
government's interpretation, in which the government takes the 
position that the Constitution prohibits Japan from exercising the 
right to collective self-defense. Asked about the advisability of 
reinterpreting the Constitution, 54.6% preferred to uphold the 
government's current constitutional interpretation as is. Among 
other answers, 18.3% answered that the government should change its 
 
TOKYO 00001665  005 OF 011 
 
 
way of reading the Constitution so that Japan can participate in 
collective self-defense, with 18.7% insisting that the Constitution 
should be revised so that Japan can participate in collective 
self-defense. As seen from these figures, anti-revision answers 
outnumbered the total proportion of pro-revision answers. 
 
In the Diet, the House of Councillors yesterday entered into 
deliberations on the national referendum bill sent from the House of 
Representatives. Asked about this legislation, 55.6% answered that 
there was no need for the Diet to pass the bill during its current 
session, with only 19.9% saying it should be enacted into law at an 
early date. 
 
Polling methodology: The survey was conducted March 14-15 by Kyodo 
News Service on a computer-aided random digit dialing (RDD) basis. 
Among randomly generated telephone numbers, those actually for 
household use with one or more eligible voters totaled 1,474. 
Answers were obtained from 1,027 persons. 
 
7) Prime Minister Abe announces SDF will not participate in 
Afghanistan PRT 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
April 17, 2007 
 
Prime Minister Abe yesterday referred to the question of whether 
Japan will take part in the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) 
operating after the collapse of the Taliban government in 
Afghanistan and made clear his intention not to have the 
Self-Defense Forces (SDF) participate, saying: "I have no intention 
to have the SDF join the PRT. While working together with NATO's 
PRT, I plan to implement cooperation worth 2 billion yen over the 
coming several years." Abe was replying at a joint press conference 
after talks with Italian Prime Minister Prodi. 
 
Abe had until then implied that the SDF would participate in the PRT 
in a speech at a NATO's board of directors meeting in January and a 
press conference afterwards. 
 
In the PRT, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) work in the area 
of reconstruction assistance, such as building schools, while troops 
protect them. 
 
Initially, Abe was positive about the SDF's participation in the 
PRT. Following his positive stance, the government had launched 
discussions on whether to allow the SDF to take part in the PRT 
under a general law that newly stipulates comprehensive standards 
about overseas dispatch of the SDF. But there is the possibility of 
the SDF using armed force abroad, which is prohibited (by the 
Constitution), so many in the government were cautious about the 
dispatch of the SDF to the PRT, with one government official saying, 
"It may violate the Constitution." Given the current situation, the 
prime minister appears to have concluded that the dispatch of the 
SDF to the PRT is difficult. 
 
8) MSDF holds first joint drills with US, India, with eye on China's 
arms buildup 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Full) 
April 17, 2007 
 
The Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) conducted its first joint 
 
TOKYO 00001665  006 OF 011 
 
 
naval drills with the militaries of the United States and India in 
the Pacific Ocean off the Boso Peninsula in Chiba Prefecture 
yesterday. By strengthening ties with Australia and India, with the 
Japan-US alliance as the axis, Japan has stepped up efforts to apply 
pressure on China, which has boosted military spending. 
 
Defense Vice Minister Takemasa Moriya emphatically said in a press 
conference yesterday: "The joint drills are aimed at improving the 
maritime skills of the MSDF and the Indian military. The drills are 
very significant in boosting the friendly relationship and promoting 
defense exchange among Japan, the US and India." 
 
In addition to communications training, such as radio contact and 
flag signaling, the three countries conducted training of naval 
ships navigating side by side, assuming such scenarios as defending 
the sea lanes connecting the Middle East and Asia, as well as 
preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction by North 
Korea. 
 
Japan apparently is keeping China's recent military buildup in mind. 
A senior Defense Ministry official commented: "It is quite natural 
for Japan to try to apply pressure on China, which has frequently 
encroached into Japanese territory." Foreign Vice Minister Shotaro 
Yachi, however, stressed in a press conference yesterday: "The 
drills are aimed at boosting friendly relations and are not linked 
to China." 
 
9) Investigators question MSDF officers, including lieutenant 
commander, about leaked Aegis information; Apartment of petty 
officer 3rd class searched 
 
SANKEI (Top play) (Full) 
April 17, 2007 
 
Investigative authorities, including the Kanagawa Prefectural 
Police, have questioned about 10 Maritime Self-Defense Force 
officers, including the lieutenant commander who had compiled files 
containing information on the Aegis system, in connection with the 
removal of pivotal data on Aegis vessels by a 33-year-old petty 
officer 2nd class of MSDF Escort Flotilla 1 (Yokosuka City, Kanagawa 
Prefecture). Investigative authorities will conduct investigations 
to determine why and how the data including "special defense 
secrets" leaked out in order to establish a case against those 
 
SIPDIS 
officers on suspicion of violating the law on the protection of 
national security information under the Japan-US Mutual Defense 
Assistance Agreement. 
 
It has become clear through investigation that the hard disk taken 
out by the seaman to his home contained files on essential 
information on the Aegis system that are classified as "special 
defense secrets." The files bore the name of the lieutenant 
commander belonging to a program development division responsible 
for maintaining and managing the system. This prompted investigative 
authorities to question the lieutenant commander and several other 
officers who had been assigned to the same program development 
division. Authorities have also begun questioning a number of other 
officers who had been assigned to the same destroyer, the Hatsuyuki, 
with the petty officer 2nd class in question. 
 
Investigators also searched on April 13 the Yokosuka apartment of a 
30-year-old petty officer 3rd class based at the destroyer Shirayuki 
of the Yokosuka District who is believed to have given the petty 
 
TOKYO 00001665  007 OF 011 
 
 
officer 2nd class the data files in question on suspicion of 
violating the security information protection law. As a result, the 
investigators confiscated a personal computer and hard disk from the 
apartment. It is the first time that the law on the protection of 
national security information has been invoked since it took effect 
in 1954. 
 
The petty officer 3rd class told investigators that he had no 
recollection of exchanging files with the petty officer 2nd class. 
On the other hand, the petty officer 2nd class told investigators, 
"After I copied various files from the personal computer of the 
petty officer 3rd class, I found files containing information on the 
Aegis destroyers." 
 
10) Japan, China, South Korea in wise men's conference proposes 
creating environment fund, disbursing 5% of foreign currency 
reserves to set up fund to stabilize Asian currencies 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 1) (Excerpts) 
April 17, 2007 
 
Experts in the economic, political, and academic areas from Japan, 
China, and South Korea met to discuss measures to promote trilateral 
cooperative relations. The two-day wise men's conference, sponsored 
by the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, the New China News Agency, and the 
JoongAng Iibo, which wrapped up on April 16, put together a package 
of recommendations, including the creation of an environment fund 
designed for the three countries to assist environmental protection 
projects in Asia by issuing bonds in their respective currencies. To 
establish a fund aimed at stabilizing Asian currencies, the 
conference also proposed setting up a system under which 13 
countries - Japan, China, South Korea, and the ASEAN (Association of 
Southeast Asian Nations) members - would disburse 5% of their 
foreign currency reserves each. 
 
The second round of the conference, following the first one held in 
Seoul in February of last year, was joined by about 30 academics and 
business leaders, including former Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone, 
Toyota Motor Corp. Chairman Fujio Chou, former South Korean Prime 
Minister Lee Hong-Koo, and the Chinese Haier Group vice president. 
Besides a plenary session, the conference was proceeded with three 
working sessions regarding "currencies, finances, and economic 
integration;" "environment and energy," and "culture and 
private-sector exchanges." Each working session worked out a report 
of recommendations. 
 
In the session on finances and economic integration, the report 
included these measures: (1) Early establishment of an Asia currency 
unit (ACU) to calculate exchange rates in the region in a weighted 
average method; (2) building of mutual confidence to promote 
economic integration among Japan, China, and South Korea; and (3) 
holding of a trilateral summit regularly in order to accelerate 
negotiations on concluding a trilateral free trade agreement (FTA). 
 
If the notion of ACU is translated into action, the ACU will be the 
Asian version of the European Currency Unit (ECU), the predecessor 
of the unified currency euro in Europe. 
 
11) Poll: 80% see need for minimum turnout for constitutional 
referendum; Public opinion split over legislation during current 
Diet session 
 
 
TOKYO 00001665  008 OF 011 
 
 
ASAHI (Top play) (Full) 
April 17, 2007 
 
The Asahi Shimbun conducted a telephone-based nationwide public 
opinion survey on April 14-15, in which respondents were asked about 
the advisability of legislating a national referendum bill that 
provides procedures for amendments to the Constitution. A total of 
79% answered "yes" when asked whether the voting rate should be 
above a certain level. "Yes" also accounted for 80% among those who 
support the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition 
partner, the New Komeito. The bill, after clearing the House of 
Representatives, was sent to the House of Councillors yesterday for 
deliberations. It is now certain to be enacted into law during the 
current Diet session. However, the minimum necessary turnout for 
constitutional revision is likely to become a point at issue in Diet 
discussions. 
 
Public opinion was split over whether the national referendum bill 
should be enacted into law during the current Diet session, with 40% 
answering "yes" and 37% saying "no." In addition, "other answers" 
and "no answer" also totaled 23%. 
 
Among those in their 20s and 30s, "yes" accounted for nearly 50%. 
Among those over the age of 40, however, "no" somewhat outnumbered 
"yes." Broken down into political party supporters, "yes" accounted 
for 55% among LDP supporters. Meanwhile, "no" totaled 60% among 
those who support the leading opposition Democratic Party of Japan 
(Minshuto). 
 
The national referendum bill, currently under discussion in the 
Diet, does not stipulate the minimum necessary turnout, so the 
Constitution could be revised even if turnout was low. With this 
explanation given in the survey, respondents were asked if they 
thought the turnout of voters should be above a certain level. 
 
In response, "yes" accounted for a majority not only among male and 
female respondents but also in all age brackets. The figure reached 
79% among those who support the Abe cabinet and 80% even among those 
who think the legislation should be enacted into law during the 
current Diet session. Broken down into political party supporters, 
"yes" accounted for 80% among LDP supporters, 79% among New Komeito 
supporters, and 86% among DPJ supporters. 
 
"No" accounted for only 11% of all respondents. 
 
12) Ruling camp's bullish with number of key bills entering 
deliberations: Emphasis on results of Upper House election 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
April 17, 2007 
 
Now that the national referendum bill, on which Prime Minister Abe 
places importance, will likely obtain Diet approval during the 
current session, the ruling camp is increasingly bullish in its 
steering of the Diet. It has now begun shifting its target to early 
passage of bills amending the Juvenile Law and the United States 
Forces in Japan (USFJ) Realignment Special Measures Law. Diet 
deliberations on three bills related to education reform and a bill 
amending the Iraq Reconstruction Assistance Special Measures Law 
will also start in the Lower House. The ruling parties intend to 
focus on results with the Upper House election close at hand in 
July. 
 
TOKYO 00001665  009 OF 011 
 
 
 
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Secretary General Hidenao Nakagawa 
during a party executive meeting yesterday urged unity to pass the 
key bills: "There is a mountain of key bills. I would like you to 
steadily proceed with deliberations for their early passage." 
 
Prior to this meeting, Diet Policy Committee Chairman Toshihiro 
Nikai met with Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) Diet 
Policy Committee Chairman Yoshiaki Takagi and conveyed to him that 
the ruling parties are ready to hold intensive deliberations on the 
"politics and money" issue during the Lower House Budget Committee 
meeting on April 25. Takagi refrained from making a response. 
However, Nikai has judged that holding intensive deliberations as 
called for by the DPJ and other opposition parties will pave the way 
for passage of those bills. 
 
The ruling parties are about to finalize a deliberation schedule for 
key bills. The Lower House Steering Committee during a directors 
meeting yesterday decided to hold a session for the explanation of 
the education-related bills and a question-and-answer session at the 
plenary session on the 17th. They want to see passage of the bills 
carrying an Abe stamp, to which the prime minister attaches 
importance along with the national referendum bill. 
 
The ruling camp has decided not to insist on passage of the national 
referendum bill by May 3, Constitution Day, since it is now certain 
that it will obtain Diet approval, Nakagawa said. That is because 
they want to minimize a possible impact of its passage on other key 
bills. A certain LDP senior official revealed that the party intends 
to hold a session for explanations and interpellations on a bill 
amending the Social Insurance Agency on the 19th and the bill 
amending the Iraq Reconstruction Assistance Special Measures Law on 
the 24th. 
 
Regarding bills related to Japan-US matters, the ruling camp expects 
the USFJ Realignment bill to obtain Diet approval in mid-May and the 
bill amending the Iraq Special Measures Law in early June. Foreign 
and defense affairs officials are relieved, because criticism of the 
US by such officials as Defense Minister Akio Kyuma had caused a 
stir. The prime minister will touch on the progress of both bills 
during a Japan-US summit meeting slated for later in the month. 
 
13) New YKK trio of lawmakers moving to check Abe on Asia diplomacy 
 
MAINICHI (Page 5) (Excerpts) 
April 17, 2007 
 
Yudai Nakazawa, Tatsuo Eto 
 
Parliamentary groups dealing with diplomatic issues, including Asia 
diplomacy, are gaining steam, particularly in the ruling Liberal 
Democratic Party (LDP). For instance, the so-called "new YKK trio" 
consisting of former LDP Vice President Taku Yamasaki and former LDP 
Secretaries General Koichi Kato and Makoto Koga, who are now 
 
SIPDIS 
estranged from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, are moving to rally forces 
across the factions in the party with the aim of expanding anti-Abe 
forces. This move is taken as strategic preparation to form an 
alliance against Abe after the upcoming Upper House election. 
Meanwhile, lawmakers backing Abe's diplomacy are expected to launch 
their own parliamentary group in a move to oppose the anti-Abe 
force. 
 
 
TOKYO 00001665  010 OF 011 
 
 
Tug of war 
 
Early this month during a Lower House plenary session, Yamasaki 
asked Kato about his plans for the Golden Week holidays from late 
April through early May. 
 
Yamasaki: "How about traveling to a local area in addition to 
listening to a lecture at a study meeting?" 
 
Kato: "That's a good idea. I know a good place to travel. It's near 
the China-Korea border." 
 
Both agreed to do so and decided to make a five-day trip to China 
starting April 27. Their trip includes a visit to a town in Jilin 
Province near the border with North Korea. In contrast to Abe's 
"pressure" line toward North Korea, they emphasize the importance of 
dialogue. The official purpose of their China trip is to look into 
China-North Korea trade, but their real intention is apparently to 
forestall Abe and break a stalemate in Japan-North Korea relations. 
 
Meanwhile, on March 26, a parliamentary association assisting the 
2008 Beijing Olympics (composed of some 250 lawmakers) was launched. 
The chair of the association is Lower House Speaker Yohei Kono, who 
is seen as a representative of the doves. This group is a supraparty 
parliamentary group, and secretaries general of the LDP and the 
opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) have been 
named deputy chairmen. On the membership list are "pro-China 
lawmakers," such as former Home Affairs Minister Takeshi Noda, 
former Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda, Yamasaki, Kato, Koga, 
former Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki, and former Defense Agency 
Director-General Fukushiro Nukaga. Noda serves as secretary general 
of the association and Fukuda as vice chairman of the association. 
 
All these parliamentary moves stem from three study meetings: the 
Research Council on Asia Diplomacy and Security Vision (with a 
membership of 40 or so lawmakers) established by Kato in cooperation 
with Yamasaki and others; the Asia Strategic Research Council, 
establishment of which Koga was deeply involved in; and the Asia and 
Africa Issues Research Council chaired by Lower House Speaker Kono. 
Affecting these three councils, the new YKK trio meet regularly and 
exchange views. "It's important to set the stage for (the foundation 
of the government) to broaden to involve middle-of-the-road 
lawmakers. If realized, a highly political decision can be made," 
Koga said. The moves of the faction led by Tanigaki, who is critical 
of Abe's diplomatic approach, are particularly drawing public 
attention. On April 3, Yamasaki and his faction's senior members and 
Tanigaki and his faction's senior members, including former Health 
Minister Jiro Kawasaki, met and agreed to deepen cooperation among 
the three factions, including the Koga faction. 
 
14) Upper House by-elections: Ruling, opposition parties putting all 
efforts into Okinawa ahead of April 22 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Slightly abridged) 
April 17, 2007 
 
Less than one week is left until the April 22 Upper House 
by-elections. The ruling parties are desperately trying to solidify 
their support organizations in Okinawa. "We must not be defeated in 
two elections in order to avoid negative effects on the summer's 
House of Councillors election," said one senor member of the ruling 
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). 
 
TOKYO 00001665  011 OF 011 
 
 
 
According to the results of a Yomiuri poll, in the Upper House 
by-election in Okinawa the candidate recommended by the ruling 
coalition and a candidate recommended by opposition parties are now 
fiercely competing against each other. In the by-election in 
Fukushima Prefecture, the candidate backed by Minshuto (Democratic 
Party of Japan) is ahead of the LDP-backed candidate. 
 
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters last night: "I'm glad that 
I was able to speak about my policy and my idea of building a nation 
directly (to voters in Okinawa and Fukushima)." In a meeting earlier 
in the day, LDP Secretary General Hidenao Nakagawa gave a pep talk: 
"We have gained 70% of LDP supporters, but we need more support." 
 
The opposition held the two Upper House seats in Okinawa and 
Fukushima before the by-elections. If the ruling coalition wins one 
seat, it will be able to decrease by one the number of seats it 
needs to win in the summer's Upper House race and maintain its 
majority in the Upper House. 
 
The LDP thinks that it is uncertain that the present good mood will 
lead to gaining votes in Okinawa. The party, therefore, will call 
again on its lawmakers, support organizations, and corporations to 
work harder. In Fukushima as well, the LDP intends to call on 
prefectural assembly members and organizations for their support. 
 
Minshuto President Ichiro Ozawa held a press conference last 
yesterday in Utsunomiya City. Referring to the campaign situation in 
Okinawa, he pointed out: 
 
"In the gubernatorial election (last November), we were defeated in 
urban areas, including Naha City. Especially in Naha, this situation 
continues. Minshuto supporters do not know well about the candidate 
backed by Minshuto." 
 
Ozawa stressed that his party would make efforts to gain support in 
urban areas. 
 
SCHIEFFER