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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 11 TOKYO 001725 
 
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 04/19/07 
 
 
1) Top headlines 
2) Editorials 
3) Prime Minister's daily schedule 
 
Comfort-women issue: 
4) Ambassador Schieffer says the comfort-women issue will not have 
great impact on the upcoming summit between Prime Minister Abe, 
President Bush 
5) Former LDP Secretary General Koichi Kato criticizes group of Diet 
members traveling to Washington to argue that WWII comfort women 
were not coerced 
 
6) 2008 G9 Summit: Government plans to split up locations of prime 
ministers', foreign ministers', and finance ministers' talks 
 
7) LDP group led by Koichi Kato, Taku Yamasaki to visit China, ROK 
starting on April 27 
 
Nagasaki mayor shooting: 
8) Defense Minister Kyuma cancels all official business and heads to 
Nagasaki for funeral of Nagasaki mayor, who was a close friend 
9) Government plans to tighten import restrictions on firearms in 
wake of Nagasaki mayor's assassination by a gangster 
10) Need to beef up protection of key public officials in the wake 
of the Nagasaki shooting of the mayor 
 
11) Commentary by social historian Koguma on US campus massacre: Gap 
between US Constitution and reality 
 
12) Panel to start study of collective sell-defense on April 25th 
 
13) Japan, Russia energy talks now focusing on Sakhalin 1 project 
 
Political agenda: 
14) Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan) seems to have lost its 
policy presence in the current Diet session 
15) LDP, New Komeito still at odds over the contents of revision of 
the political funds law regarding office expenses 
16) Report on Okinawa by-election campaign 
 
Articles: 
 
1) TOP HEADLINES 
 
Asahi, Mainichi & Tokyo Shimbun: 
FTC to raid independent administrative corporation under MAFF's 
supervision possibly today on suspicion of bid-rigging 
 
Yomiuri: 
Bill amending the Juvenile Law to be enacted by Lower House, 
allowing police to detain minors under 14 
 
Nihon Keizai: 
Under Health Ministry's five-year project, new medicines overseas 
will be approved in one and a half years with promotion of clinical 
trials with overseas pharmaceutical companies 
 
Sankei: 
Nagasaki mayor dies; Suspect's continued extortion rejected by city 
government 
 
Akahata: 
 
TOKYO 00001725  002 OF 011 
 
 
Nagasaki mayor dies after being shot 
 
2) EDITORIALS 
 
Asahi: 
(1) Assassination of Nagasaki mayor: Rise up against terrorism 
(2) National referendum bill: Minimum turnout must be discussed 
 
Mainichi: 
(1) Pension for part-timers: Fair treatment essential 
(2) Senshu University's Kitakami Senior High School: Review of 
Senior High School Baseball Charter needs to be discussed 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1) Amendment to Child Abuse Prevention Law: Swift enforcement 
essential 
(2) Natural gas-version of OPEC: Will Russia act like Saudi Arabia? 
 
 
Nihon Keizai: 
(1) Assassination of Nagasaki mayor an act of terrorism against 
democracy 
(2) We are determined to continue fair reporting and commentary 
without bowing to blackmail, violence, pressure 
 
Sankei: 
(1) Shooting at US university: Worry is prejudice against 
Asian-Americans may grow 
(2) Toilet seats catch on fire: Problems with the Washlet 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1) Assassination of Nagasaki mayor: Resolute attitude against 
terrorism 
(2) Shooting at US campus: How to keep balance between safety and 
freedom 
 
Akahata: 
Future of food: Municipalities should be more empowered to protect 
agriculture 
 
3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, April 18 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Full) 
April 19, 2007 
 
09:47 
Arrived at Kantei. 
 
10:15 
Met Special Envoy for the Middle East Peace Process Arima, Deputy 
Foreign Minister Yabunaka, and Middle Eastern and African Affairs 
Bureau Director General Okuda. 
 
11:02 
Met Harvard University Professor Emeritus Peter Ashton and other 
Japan Prize winners. 
 
12:00 
Met New Komeito leader Ota, followed by Kabuki actor Ichikawa 
Danjuro and others. Afterward met Internal Affairs and 
 
TOKYO 00001725  003 OF 011 
 
 
Communications Minister Suga and Financial Services State Minister 
Yamamoto. 
 
14:10 
Met Yabunaka and Okuda in the presence of advisors Koike and Seko. 
Afterward met Resources and Energy Agency Director General Mochizuki 
and others. 
 
15:43 
Met former Finance Minister Yosano, followed by US Ambassador to 
Japan Schieffer. Afterward met Defense Minister Kyuma. 
 
17:02 
Met Foreign Minister Aso, METI Minister Amari, MAFF Minister 
Matsuoka and others, followed by New Komeito deputy head Higashi. 
 
18:10 
Attended a new health frontier wise men's conference. Afterward met 
Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Matoba. 
 
19:27 
Dined at the Hotel Okura with secretaries and others. 
 
21:23 
Returned to his official residence. 
 
4) The comfort women issue "will not have much impact (on bilateral 
ties)" 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) 
April 19, 2007 
 
Prime Minister Abe yesterday met with US Ambassador to Japan Thomas 
Schieffer at the Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) and 
the two exchanged views ahead of Abe's visit to the United States 
starting April 26. After the session, Schieffer spoke to the press 
corps about the so-called "comfort women" issue: "It will not have 
much of an impact (on US-Japan relations). It was very good (that 
the prime minister) reaffirmed during a telephone conversation with 
President Bush that Japan would stand by the Kono Statement." 
 
5) Former LDP Secretary General Kato criticizes US visit by 
lawmakers on wartime comfort women issue 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
April 19, 2007 
 
Speaking of a group of lawmakers of the Liberal Democratic Party 
(LDP) who are considering visiting the US in connection with the 
resolution on the wartime comfort women issue submitted to the US 
House of Representatives, former party secretary general Koichi Kato 
yesterday said during a videotaping by Asahi Newstar, a CS 
broadcaster, "They say that they will explain that neither the 
former Japanese Imperial Army nor the state was involved and say 
that commercial vendors did it. I am concerned that their visit to 
the US might end up worsening the situation." He was referring to 
the Council of Diet Members to Consider the Future of Japan and 
Historical Education, who are planning to visit the US. 
 
6) Government plans to host 2008 G-8 summit, foreign ministerial, 
finance ministerial in separate places 
 
 
TOKYO 00001725  004 OF 011 
 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) 
April 19, 2007 
 
Japan will host the G-8 summit in 2008. In this regard, the 
government decided yesterday to hold the G-8 summit, the foreign 
ministerial, and the finance ministerial in three separate places 
and on different dates. 
 
In recent G-8 summits, the three conferences have been held on 
different dates and in different places. 
 
When Japan hosted the 2000 G-8 summit, the summit was held in 
Okinawa, the foreign ministerial in Miyazaki, and the finance 
ministerial in Fukuoka. 
 
Hokkaido; Yokohama and Niigata Cities; Kyoto, Osaka, and Hyogo 
Prefectures; and Okayama and Kagawa Prefectures are carrying out 
activities to host the 2008 G-8 summit. The Foreign Ministry made 
firsthand observations. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to 
make a final decision. 
 
Foreign Minister Taro Aso indicated his view in his meeting on April 
17 with Hokkaido Gov. Harumi Takahashi that the decision would be 
made after the April 22 unified local elections. 
 
7) Kato, Yamasaki to travel to China, ROK from April 26 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) 
April 19, 2007 
 
Koichi Kato, former secretary general of the ruling Liberal 
Democratic Party (LDP), and Taku Yamasaki, former vice president of 
the LDP, are to make a six-day trip to China and South Korea 
starting on April 26. They will meet with key government officials 
of those two countries and visit Yanji in Jilin Province near the 
China-North Korea border with the aim of highlighting their stance 
of placing emphasis on "Asia diplomacy" as well as "dialogue with 
North Korea." 
 
They will be accompanied by other lawmakers, including House of 
Representatives member Futada Koji (of the Niwa-Koga faction), who 
is a member of the Research Council on Asia Diplomacy and Security 
Vision, chaired by Kato, and who serves as the chief of secretariat 
for the faction, former Defense Agency Director-General Gen Nakatani 
(Tanigaki faction), and House of Councilors member Shinya Izumi. 
 
8) Defense Minister Kyuma cancels official duty to visit Nagasaki 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (Full) 
April 19, 2007 
 
Defense Minister Fumio Kyuma cancelled yesterday's all his 
schedules, including a courtesy call by the US Pacific Fleet 
commander, Adm. Gary Roughead. The reason for his cancellation was 
to organize the funeral of Itcho Ito, who was shot to death, and to 
choose a candidate for the Nagasaki city mayoral election in place 
of Ito, who was running in the race, as an influential lawmaker 
representing Nagasaki. Before leaving Tokyo, he told reporters: 
"Since no stalemate in politics is allowed, we must find a candidate 
taking the place of the mayor sometime today or tomorrow to field in 
the election." 
 
 
TOKYO 00001725  005 OF 011 
 
 
Kyuma said that he had asked Ito to run in the summer's House of 
Councillors election, but Ito had turned down his offer. He lamented 
Ito's sudden death, saying, "I think he had splendid character and 
was highly respected. How truly regrettable." 
 
9) Government to strengthen measures to prevent import of firearms: 
Import records must be engraved on guns and ammunition 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 1) (Full) 
April 19, 2007 
 
The government and the ruling camp will strengthen measures to 
prevent the smuggling of firearms into Japan. Main measures include 
obligating the engraving of import data, such as the year of import, 
on firearms and bullets to enable authorities to track down 
smuggling routes from abroad and smuggling rings. They plan to 
submit related bills, including an amendment to the Swords and 
Firearms Control Law, to the current Diet session. They had been 
pressing ahead with an effort to submit those bills from before. 
They have judged that it is necessary to strengthen such measures in 
the wake of the assassination of Nagasaki Mayor Itcho Ito on Apr. 
¶17. 
 
Consolidating domestic laws as a measure to deal with firearms will 
become necessary in order for Japan to ratify the Firearms Protocol 
under the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized 
Crime, which it signed in 2002. At present, 62 countries have signed 
the protocol. The government will aim at sharing information on such 
matters as smuggling rings with foreign investigative organizations 
by quickly ratifying the protocol so the inflow of firearms can be 
interdicted at the border, an effort that is difficult for Japan to 
carry out on its own. 
 
The protocol mandates signatory countries to engrave the names of 
manufacturing countries and manufacturers on firearms and bullets 
when they are manufactured. 
 
10) Strengthened VIP protection, firearms control now focused on the 
agenda in response to Nagasaki mayor's assassination 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
April 19, 2007 
 
In response to the incident in which Nagasaki Mayor Itcho Ito was 
shot by a gangster and died afterward, the government has begun to 
consider strengthening firearms control and police protection for 
important people. 
 
Gun ownership is prohibited in Japan. But the suspect fired a gun, 
which "he was not allowed to possess" (Chief Cabinet Secretary 
Shiozaki), at the incumbent mayor during his election campaigning at 
point-blank range. This is a serious challenge to democracy. 
 
According to statistics by the National Police Agency (NPA), 489 
guns were confiscated in 2005. The number has been on the decrease 
in recent years, but the government analyzes that the decline is 
attributed to an increase in cases in which organized criminal 
groups avoid attracting the attention of the police. 
 
The government's Gun Control Promotion Headquarters, composed of 
cabinet ministers and others, is tasked with working out 
comprehensive measures to control guns. In a press conference, 
 
TOKYO 00001725  006 OF 011 
 
 
Shiozaki, who heads the taskforce, emphatically said: "We must step 
up efforts to move ahead with countermeasures, such as strengthened 
cooperation among the police, customs, and the Japan Coast Guard." 
 
The taskforce, though, holds a meeting only once a year. Some 
persons point out that the body is turning into a mere shell. 
 
On VIP protection, police authorities select persons who come under 
police protection. Under National Public Safety Commission's rules, 
only the prime minister and guests of the state are designated as 
those under protection. If the NPA director general judges that a 
certain person might be exposed to serious harm in terms of life, 
limb, or assets because of his or her political assertions, the 
director general will place the person under guard. 
 
Those under 24-hour protection by security police (SP) are only the 
prime minister, cabinet ministers, and political party leaders. In 
the case of local government leaders, only when they are 
blackmailed, they are under police protection. Mayor Ito was not 
under protection. A Kantei source said, "There was no specific 
information beforehand." 
 
11) Interview with Eiji Koguma, professor at Keio University: US 
Constitution deviated from reality 
 
ASAHI (Page 6) (Full) 
April 19, 2007 
 
In connection with the incident in which a gunman massacred 32 
people on a university campus in the United States, the Asahi 
Shimbun interviewed Eiji Koguma, who authored the book , Citizens 
and arming. 
 
-- The Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States 
includes a provision pertaining to gun ownership. The US is in a 
quite different situation from Japan. 
 
In Japan, since Hideyoshi Toyotomi issued the sword-hunt order (in 
the late 17th century), only the government's military and police 
have been allowed to own weapons. In the US, however, citizens in 
villages carved out of the wilderness fought the American 
Revolutionary War with their own weapons. This provision is a 
product of this history. 
 
-- How has the provision in question been interpreted in US 
society? 
 
The public are split, with some saying that the amendment recognizes 
individuals' right to own arms but others insisting that 
restrictions should be placed on individuals having their own arms 
on the grounds that the provision was designed only to allow 
militiamen to carry weapons. The National Rifle Association insists, 
based on the first stance, that placing restrictions is a violation 
of individuals' right to bear arms. 
 
-- More than 200 years have passed since this amendment was added in 
1791, four years after the promulgation of the Constitution. 
 
When the Constitution was created, the US was a farming society, so 
no thought probably was given to individuals who left the carved-out 
villages. That was why a line was not drawn between individuals and 
civil soldiers regarding weapons ownership, I think. 
 
TOKYO 00001725  007 OF 011 
 
 
 
Until recently, weapons that citizens carried were pistols, at most. 
Since the 1990s, automatic rifles have been easily available through 
Internet shopping. 
 
The Constitution no longer matches conditions in American society 
today, not to mention the advances in weapons technology. Many 
therefore are calling for restrictions on gun ownership. The issue 
has become very difficult to resolve because of its linkage to the 
people's rights and freedom, the basic principles of the US. 
 
12) Blue-ribbon panel to be established on April 25 to study 
scenarios on the use of the right to collective defense 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) 
April 19, 2007 
 
The government yesterday decided to establish a council of experts 
to study particular cases concerning the right to collective 
self-defense. By announcing the establishment of the council ahead 
of Prime Minister Abe's tour of the United States starting on April 
26, the government apparently wants to stress a stance of 
strengthening the Japan-US alliance. The government will convene the 
first meeting of the panel after the Golden Week holidays from late 
April through early May and ask it reach a conclusion by this 
summer. 
 
Former Ambassador to the United States Shunji Yanai has been 
informally picked to chair the council. Former Ambassador to 
Thailand Hisahiko Okazaki, former Administrative Vice Defense 
Minister Ken Sato, former Joint Staff Council Chairman Tetsuya 
Nishimoto, University of Tokyo Prof. Shinichi Kitaoka (history of 
Japanese diplomacy), a former deputy permanent representative to the 
United Nations, National Defense Academy Professor Emeritus Masamori 
Sase (international politics), and Komazawa University Prof. Osamu 
Nishi (specialist on the Constitution) have been informally picked 
as members. The council is expected to be composed of 10 or so 
members. 
 
13) Sakhalin 1 next focus of development of natural gas: Japan seeks 
cooperation from Russia 
 
YOMIURI (Page 9) (Full) 
April 19, 2007 
 
Now that Gazprom, Russia's natural gas monopoly, has formally 
obtained a majority of shares of Sakhalin Energy, a mainstay company 
involved in the Sakhalin 2 project near Sakhalin, Russia, the focus 
will shift to the nearby Sakhalin 1 project. Exxon Mobil has signed 
a tentative contract with China for exports of natural gas from 
Sakhalin 1. Gazprom is said to have indicated a desire to obtain the 
right to sell natural gas from the Sakhalin 1 project to Japan and 
other countries. The Japanese government is working on Exxon to 
export products to Japan. Chances are that Japan and Russia may seal 
a tie-up deal over the Sakhalin 1 project. 
 
The Resources and Energy Agency of the Ministry of Economy, Trade 
and Industry has asked Exxon to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) 
to Japan, but it has not yet received a definite answer. According 
to an informed source, Gazprom wants to export natural gas to Japan 
by liquefying products drilled in the Sakhalin 1 project as well, 
using LNG facilities at the Sakhalin 2 project, which has come under 
 
TOKYO 00001725  008 OF 011 
 
 
its control. 
 
The Resources and Energy Agency this January sought cooperation from 
Gazprom over exports of natural gas from the Sakhalin 1 project to 
Japan and conveyed a decision to help its business tie-up with 
Japan's energy-related company in return. The Russian government has 
begun applying pressure on Exxon since the end of March, as can be 
seen in the fact that it has launched an investigation into 
environmental destruction at the Sakhalin 2 project site, as it did 
over the Sakhalin 1 project. The battle over natural resources in 
Sakhalin will likely heat up. 
 
14) DPJ upstaged in Diet 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
April 19, 2007 
 
The leading opposition Democratic Party of Japan (Minshuto) has 
totally lost its presence in the Diet. The DPJ has allowed a 
national referendum bill and other critical legislative measures to 
get through the House of Representatives, and the opposition leader 
has failed to show his presence in Diet debates. With the Diet 
entering into the latter stage of its current session, the DPJ wants 
to take the offensive against Prime Minister Abe and his 
administration, focusing on a Social Insurance Agency reform bill 
that will affect pensions. However, the ruling Liberal Democratic 
Party is playing hardball to steer the Diet with its coalition 
partner, the New Komeito. Meanwhile, DPJ President Ozawa is showing 
no interest in the Diet. Besides, the DPJ still has no control tower 
for Diet affairs. Can the DPJ map out a clear-cut strategy toward 
this summer's election for the House of Councillors? 
 
"As far as I can see, there are now many more LDP members-so many 
that I want to boil them in soy sauce for tsukudani. The LDP is 
arrogant and overbearing." With this, Yoshihiko Norota, a DPJ 
lawmaker, decried the LDP-led governing coalition over its way of 
steering the Diet in a plenary sitting of House of Representatives 
members on April 17 when three education-related bills introduced by 
the government entered into Diet deliberations. 
 
Three hours before the start of this plenary session in the lower 
chamber, the DPJ presented counterproposals in a hurry against the 
government-introduced package of legislative measures. The DPJ had 
called for the ruling coalition to put off the plenary session, but 
its proposition was pushed back. The DPJ had planned to present its 
counterproposals after the Golden Week holidays, but the party came 
up with the counterproposals earlier than scheduled. 
 
The DPJ's original plan was not to present its counterproposals 
right away. At first, the DPJ's Diet policy committee did not send 
in its list of members for special committees and even sketched out 
a boycott strategy. However, the ruling parties went ahead with Diet 
deliberations. The DPJ therefore changed its mind and showed up for 
fear of losing opportunities to challenge the LDP-led government in 
debate. "An over-easy egg is okay, but an over-easy bill is not." So 
saying, an executive of the LDP's Diet policy committee mocked the 
DPJ's wavering strategy. 
 
When the DPJ was led by Katsuya Okada and Seiji Maehara, the party 
weighed making counterproposals to hit problems in 
government-drafted bills. Ozawa, now leading the DPJ, declines to 
face off with the ruling bench. However, the DPJ cannot completely 
 
TOKYO 00001725  009 OF 011 
 
 
leave its counterproposition policy behind in order to show its 
governing competence. The DPJ has been failing to steer itself well 
on these two policy courses. 
 
What lies behind that is the DPJ's lack of its control tower. Ozawa 
is now on a tour of the nation ahead of this summer's House of 
Councillors election. This week, he is stumping in Tochigi, 
Kagoshima, and Kumamoto. Naoto Kan, who should be in charge of 
acting for Ozawa, has been also busy in the run-up to Tokyo's 
gubernatorial election and Diet by-elections for the House of 
Councillors. 
 
The DPJ is currently under the troika leadership of Ozawa, Kan, and 
Yukio Hatoyama, who is the party's secretary general. "Mr. Ozawa has 
not been in the Diet from the start. Mr. Hatoyama can't control our 
party in the Diet. Mr. Kan attends meetings but he only complains to 
the Diet policy committee chairman." With this, one of the DPJ's 
mid-level lawmakers hit the nail on the head. 
 
The DPJ will also come up with counterproposals to a bill revising 
the Iraq Special Measures Law and to a bill restructuring the Social 
Insurance Agency. The DPJ is aiming to reform the agency in 
particular. The party is thinking of presenting three bills to 
restore confidence in pensions, thereby trying to make an appeal on 
its presence. 
 
The question, however, is whether the DPJ can get its 
counterproposals spotlighted in campaigning for the forthcoming 
upper house election. The DPJ has to take the lead in steering the 
Diet with a well-combined setup of counterproposals and showdowns. 
However, one DPJ lawmaker on the Health, Labor and Welfare Committee 
of the Diet's lower chamber felt uneasy, saying: "I wonder how far 
the party leadership is thinking of facing off in a serious manner. 
That's what I don't know well." 
 
15) Coordination between LDP, New Komeito on revising political 
funds control law bogs down on issue of office expenses, as LDP 
reluctant to attach receipts to political fund reports 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Excerpts) 
April 19, 2007 
 
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and New Komeito Chief Representative 
Akihiro Ota yesterday agreed to submit a bill amending the Political 
Funds Control Law to the current session of the Diet. The agreement 
is aimed to play up the ruling coalition's stance of actively 
working together on the issue of "politics and money" prior to the 
April 22 Upper House by-elections in Okinawa and Fukushima. However, 
gaps between the two parties remain on the contents of the bill. The 
question is whether the LDP will accept the New Komeito's proposal 
that politicians be obliged to attach receipts for office expenses 
of more than 50,000 yen to political funding reports. 
 
The prime minister last might met separately with LDP Reform 
Implementation Headquarters Chief Nobuteru Ishihara and New Komeito 
Political Reform Headquarters Head Junji Azuma and he told them: 
 
"Mr. Ota and I have agreed to submit a bill to amend the Political 
Fund Control Law to the current Diet session. I want you to make 
efforts so that the ruling coalition's project team (PT) will have 
penetrating debate." 
 
 
TOKYO 00001725  010 OF 011 
 
 
Asked by reporters after his meeting with Abe about his view on the 
New Komeito's proposal that the bill stipulate that politicians 
would be required to submit receipts, Ishihara responded: "Our party 
is not thinking about such a requirement." He added: "As ruling 
parties, we will settle the issue as we should do. I want to craft a 
bill that acceptable to the public." Ishihara indicated the 
possibility that coordination in the ruling camp might be 
prolonged. 
 
LDP Secretary General Hidenao Nakagawa revealed in a press 
conference on April 9 that the ruling coalition would come up with 
the outline of a bill before the April 22 Upper House by-elections. 
A group of junior lawmakers, headed by Yasufumi Tanahashi, and 
former LDP Vice President Taku Yamasaki have expressed their 
approvals for submitting receipts. 
 
However, many in the LDP, including Ishihara, are reluctant to 
submit receipts. A mid-level lawmaker said: "The office expenses 
issue has passed over a critical point. Amid the cabinet approval 
rating on the increase, bringing up the issue will work the other 
way." 
 
The issue of huge utility expenses by Agriculture Minister 
Matsuoka's fund management organization has had a major impact on 
the amendment issue. A senior LDP member said: 
 
"If attaching receipts to political fund reports is decided, this 
will certainly give the opposition more ammunition to use. We will 
be put on the defensive at the second half of the current session, 
which has a long list of important legislation." 
 
16) Report on Upper House Okinawa by-election: Political parties 
struggling to determine public opinion on bases and Constitution 
 
MAINICHI (Page 5) (Abridged) 
April 19, 2007 
 
Yoshimasa Karimata, 57, a candidate backed by opposition parties for 
the April 22 Upper House by-election, delivered a campaign speech in 
Ogimi Village in the northern part of Okinawa's main island on April 
¶16. 
 
"Japan has not been embroiled in war over the last 62 years because 
of Article 9 of its constitution. The Abe administration is trying 
to revise Article 9. We will not let the government build a new base 
in the Henoko district." 
 
Karimata's speech elicited huge applause from the audience. 
 
The race is effectively a duel between Aiko Shimajiri, 42, a former 
Naha assembly member endorsed by the ruling coalition, and Karimata, 
a former Rengo (Japanese Trade Union Confederation) Okinawa 
chairman. The Karimata camp initially made the expanding social 
disparity a major campaign issue under the LDP-New Komeito 
administration. 
 
The reformist camp has traditionally appealed to local anti-base 
sentiment by playing up base issues in the prefecture. But the 
defeat of the candidate backed by the opposition camp in the 
gubernatorial race last year has made the opposition parties realize 
that they cannot destroy the thick LDP-New Komeito wall with antiwar 
and peace slogans alone. 
 
TOKYO 00001725  011 OF 011 
 
 
 
The major opposition Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan) intends to 
make social disparities and livelihoods major campaign issues in the 
Upper House election this summer. In fact, the base issue takes 
ninth place in Karimata's 10-item manifesto, reflecting the 
opposition camp's policy of not overly highlighting the issue. 
 
But that strategy is being reviewed. Complaints have come from 
within the Karimata camp about his lack of efforts to address such 
issues as the elimination from school history textbooks of 
descriptions on the use of coercion by the former Imperial Japanese 
Army behind the mass suicides in the closing days of the Battle of 
Okinawa and the intensifying constitutional debate through Diet 
deliberations on national referendum legislation. 
 
A Karimata camp election campaign official voiced difficulty making 
everyday issues campaign issues, saying, "In order to make a clear 
distinction with our rival, we need more than the social 
disparity." 
 
Meanwhile, Shimajiri spoke before some 350 supporters in Yaese Town 
in the southern part of Okinawa on April 16, saying: "I am going to 
change politics from the kitchen. The kitchen is a treasure house of 
innovative ideas. We can for instance utilize ideas on household 
budgets." 
 
It was a gamble for the LDP and the New Komeito to field Shimajiri, 
a native of Sendai who has served as a city assembly member only for 
three years. In addition, in the past, she was elected to the Naha 
city assembly on the Minshuto ticket and left the party only in 
August 2005. She might stir criticism from conservative forces. 
 
This has promoted the ruling coalition to play up Shimajiri's image 
in her campaign. In delivering campaign speeches, she now focuses on 
"the kitchen" as a mother of four, rarely touching on base issues. 
Although Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Okinawa on April 15, he 
refrained from referring to constitutional revision, a top priority 
for his administration. 
 
Another Upper House by-election will take place on April 22 in 
Fukushima Prefecture, where the Minshuto candidate is ahead. Both 
the ruling and opposition camps are determined to win the two 
by-elections, a prelude to the Upper House election this summer. 
 
But given the campaign issues, voter interest in the two 
by-elections is not necessarily high. For instance, a 34-year-old 
Naha housewife took this view: "Okinawa has been forced to host US 
bases throughout the postwar period, so I don't have much interest 
in national politics. The prime minister and party heads visit the 
prefecture only when they need our votes." 
 
Okinawa marked a record-low national election voter turnout (54.24% 
) in the 2004 Upper House election. Whether the prefecture can 
achieve better than that in the upcoming election remains to be 
seen. 
 
 
SCHIEFFER