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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 12 TOKYO 002219 
 
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 05/17/07 
 
 
1) Top headlines 
2) Editorials 
3) Prime Minister's daily schedule 
 
Defense and security affairs: 
4) DFAA asks MSDF to join prior survey of site for relocation of 
Futenma Air Station 
5) MSDF's participation in prior survey of Futenma relocation site 
seen as unusual move by defense officials 
6) Election-conscious Komeito opposed to prime minister's experts 
panel studying reinterpretation of now banned use of right of 
collective self-defense 
7) Bill establishing National Security Council under prime minister 
will be withdrawn this Diet session due to lack of time for 
deliberation 
 
8) Prime Minister Abe attends Asia Corporate Conference in Tokyo 
 
Political agenda: 
9) Long-delayed debate between Prime Minister Abe, Minshuto 
President Ozawa in Diet covers no new ground 
10) Bills to reform education system likely to pass the Diet this 
session 
11) LDP presidential hopeful Machimura holds fund-raising party that 
attracts 4,100 participants 
12) Social Insurance Agency officials arrested for receiving 
kickbacks from scandal-rotted dental association 
 
13) Takeshima to stay on as chairman of Fair Trade Commission 
 
Social issues: 
14) Japan's cost of health care is way too high 
15) Troubled, overworked employees increasingly choosing suicide as 
way out 
 
16) Government announces Asia Gateway open skies strategy 
 
Articles: 
 
1) TOP HEADLINES 
 
Asahi: 
Record 205 people recognized as suffering work-related mental 
illness in FY2006; 40% of sufferers in their 30s 
 
Mainichi: 
Suicides from overwork up 57% to 66 people in FY2006 
 
Yomiuri: 
Japanese police performed autopsies in only 9% of cases of unnatural 
death 
 
Nihon Keizai: 
Pentax agrees to be bought by Hoya 
 
Sankei: 
JR East, JR Tokai, JR West to start mutual use of passes next 
spring 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
DFAA asked MSDF for cooperation for marine survey before Futenma 
relocation 
 
TOKYO 00002219  002 OF 012 
 
 
 
Akahata: 
3,200 people gather in Tokyo to protect the Constitution 
 
2) EDITORIALS 
 
Asahi: 
(1) Question Time: Prime Minister Abe and Minshuto President Ozawa 
should debate the Constitution 
(2) Aviation liberalization: Haneda Airport should be drastically 
internationalized 
 
Mainichi: 
(1) Party-heads talks: Abe, Ozawa did not debate what we wanted to 
hear 
(2) Takeover of Reuters: Trust is the key to the media 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1) Question Time in the Diet: We wanted Abe and Ozawa to conduct 
in-depth debate 
(2) Media mergers: Growth strategy in Internet ear starts moving 
 
Nihon Keizai: 
(1) Contentions should be made clear through one-on-one debate 
between Abe and Ozawa 
(2) Talk to somebody before putting abandoning a baby in the "baby 
post" 
 
Sankei: 
(1) Question Time: Party heads must talk about the Constitution 
(2) Education revitalization panel: Parental education morality 
urgent issues 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1) Party-heads debate: We want to know about difference 
(2) Takeover of Reuters: Will their reports change? 
 
Akahata: 
Medical service for the elderly: Need for drastic review of an 
inhumane system 
 
3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, May 16 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2)  (Full) 
May 17, 2007 
 
09:35 
Met with MEXT Minister Ibuki at the Kantei. 
 
10:32 
Met with former TV Asahi anchorwoman Tamayo Marukawa, followed by 
Special Advisor to the Prime Minister Nemoto. 
 
11:11 
Met with Special Advisor to the Prime Minister Seko and Assistant 
Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretaries Saka and Ando. 
 
12:08 
Met with Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Shimomura. 
 
 
TOKYO 00002219  003 OF 012 
 
 
15:00 
Party head debate in the Diet. 
 
16:33 
Asia Gateway Strategic Council meeting at the Kantei. 
 
17:09 
Met with Chairman Kanazawa of the Science Council of Japan. State 
Minister for Innovation was present. 
 
17:57 
Opening ceremony of the 17th Asia Business Conference at the Prince 
Park Tower Tokyo. 
 
18:41 
Plenary meeting of the alumni association of the former 16th High 
School, from which former Foreign Minister Shintaro Abe, his father, 
graduated, at ANA Intercontinental Hotel Tokyo. 
 
20:26 
Arrived at the official residence. 
 
4) MSDF to unusually assist in a survey of planned site for Futenma 
relocation 
 
MAINICHI (Page 1) (Full) 
May 17, 2007 
 
Teruhisa Mitsumori, Ryuko Tadokoro 
 
The Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) will assist in a survey of 
the planned site for the relocation of the US Marines' Futenma Air 
Station (in Ginowan City, Okinawa Prefecture) to a coastal area of 
Camp Schwab (in Nago City in the prefecture), sources revealed 
yesterday. This will be the first case of assistance by the 
Self-Defense Forces (SDF), whose missions are primarily focused on 
defense of Japan, international cooperation, and rescue operations 
in disasters, in the area of constructing a US military facility. In 
addition to this unusual assistance, many uncertain factors are 
found in the ASDF's planned activities in this regard. This move is 
certain to encounter oppositions from local residents, who are 
troubled about the base issue. 
 
The survey is to be carried out ahead of an environmental impact 
assessment. The Defense Facilities Administration Agency (DFAA) 
intends to launch the work of installing equipment for the survey in 
the coastal area of Camp Schwab. 
 
The assistance will be offered by the minesweeper support ship Bungo 
(with a displacement of 5,700 tons) based in the MSDF's Kure Base 
(in Hiroshima Prefecture). The Bungo left the Yokosuka Base in 
Kanagawa Prefecture on the morning of May 11 for Okinawa. 
 
According to the Ministry of Defense (MOD), the ship is on the way 
to Okinawa on the mission of "internal operation assistance" in 
response to the DFAA's request. Reportedly, divers aboard the Bungo 
are to assist a private firm that has contracted with the DFAA in 
installing equipment to survey coral eggs. 
 
5) Prelim survey for Futenma relocation: DFAA asked MSDF for 
cooperation; Minesweeper frogmen soon to dive 
 
 
TOKYO 00002219  004 OF 012 
 
 
TOKYO (Top play) (Full) 
May 17, 2007 
 
The Defense Facilities Administration Agency has asked the Maritime 
Self-Defense Force through the Defense Ministry to cooperate on a 
preliminary survey planned to be carried out for the purpose of 
looking into the current state of sea areas along with the work of 
relocating the US Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station in Okinawa 
Prefecture, sources revealed yesterday. The Bungo, an MSDF 
minesweeper tender, left the Yokosuka base on May 11 and is now in 
the sea near Okinawa. Frogmen onboard the MSDF tender are expected 
to begin an underwater survey in a day or two. There has been a 
strong reaction in Okinawa to the Self-Defense Forces' involvement, 
and some observers fear that the relationship of trust between 
Okinawa's local communities and the SDF could crumble. 
 
The Bungo will set about the work at Defense Minister Fumio Kyuma's 
orders. In addition to its captain, a minesweeper flotilla's 
commanding officer in the rank of rear admiral and several staff 
officers are onboard. Their presence points to the gravity of the 
task. 
 
The preliminary survey will be carried out before an environmental 
impact assessment required by law that is needed for the planned 
relocation of the functions of Futenma airfield to a coastal area of 
Camp Schwab, a US military base in the city of Nago. The survey is 
to be conducted in Nago Bay and other sea areas, where the MSDF will 
set up implantation boards and video cameras to monitor coral during 
their spawning season. 
 
The DFAA outsourced the work to a civilian research firm. However, 
local residents opposing Futenma relocation to Nago and other 
opponents are expected to stand in the way of the work. The DFAA has 
therefore asked the MSDF to do the same job. The Bungo is equipped 
with rafts and air tanks, and MSDF frogmen and civilian divers are 
expected to work together. 
 
The SDF's activities are required to be nonsubstitutable, meaning 
that the SDF is to be tasked with jobs that cannot be done by anyone 
else so that they do not take away jobs from private firms. However, 
the Defense Ministry has not unveiled the Bungo's mission itself for 
operational reasons. 
 
"We have no choice but to follow the defense minister's orders," an 
MSDF official said. "But," this official went on, "we have not 
undertaken an environmental survey like those conducted by private 
firms." He added, "Coastal security is the Japan Coast Guard's job, 
so we cannot do that." 
 
Okinawa's local media has been reporting on the SDF's involvement. 
"I don't know why they're coming," Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima 
told reporters. 
 
Commentary: Defense Ministry likely to come under fire for 
neglecting civilian control; Local trust rocked 
 
Shigeru Handa, Local News Section 
 
The Defense Ministry will neither confirm nor deny the SDF's 
involvement in a preliminary survey that is to be carried out in 
waters off Camp Schwab in Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, for the purpose 
of looking into the current state of sea areas. Instead, the 
 
TOKYO 00002219  005 OF 012 
 
 
ministry remains mum. If the undersea probe is carried out, the 
Defense Ministry will inevitably be criticized for making light of 
civilian control. 
 
The Defense Ministry's Operations Planning Bureau Director General 
Shinshiro Yamazaki, summoned to the House of Representatives Foreign 
Affairs Committee yesterday, was asked what task has been assigned 
to the Bungo, an MSDF minesweeper tender currently on stage in the 
sea near Okinawa. Yamazaki stated before the committee that the MSDF 
tender's mission "cannot be made public." He also stated that the 
MSDF vessel's ongoing task is legally grounded on the National 
Government Organization Law for "interdepartmental cooperation." 
 
The "interdepartmental" cooperation can be taken as denoting the 
fact that the DFAA asked the Defense Ministry to employ the MSDF. 
However, the DFAA is an external organ of the Defense Ministry. In 
other words, they are in the same family. "I've never heard of a 
DFAA request for SDF mobilization." With this, a senior official of 
the Defense Ministry was also surprised. 
 
The Defense Ministry's Administrative Coordination Division 
explains: "The National Government Organization Law requires 
cooperation between government offices. It's only natural to 
cooperate in the same family." If this logic passes muster, the DFAA 
can also ask the SDF to undertake its outsourced work of 
constructing US military facilities to the SDF. 
 
The SDF is to be tasked with what cannot be done by anyone else. 
This is what is required of the SDF in its activities. However, the 
Defense Ministry does not make public the SDF's missions. The Diet 
therefore cannot even check to see if what the SDF is doing cannot 
be done by anyone else. 
 
Okinawa's frustration with the SDF is growing. In 1972, the SDF was 
garrisoned in Okinawa right after its reversion to Japan. Okinawa's 
local residents looked upon the SDF in the same light as the 
now-defunct Imperial Japanese Army. In those days, SDF members 
posted to Okinawa were given the cold shoulder. SDF personnel could 
not register with local offices or even participate in a 
coming-of-age ceremony. As seen from such facts, the situation was 
abnormal. Thereafter, the SDF made steady efforts, such as 
airlifting emergency patients and disposing of unexploded ordnance. 
In the end, the SDF successfully won high praise from local 
communities in Okinawa. 
 
The SDF currently stations 6,680 personnel in Okinawa. The local 
backlash this time implies that the relationship of mutual trust, 
which took a long time to build, could collapse in an instant. 
 
6) New Komeito's Kitagawa warns blue-ribbon panel not to head for 
making changes to constitutional interpretation with Upper House 
election in mind 
 
MAINICHI (Page 5) (Abridged slightly) 
May 17, 2007 
 
New Komeito Secretary General Kazuo Kitagawa indicated in a press 
conference yesterday that his party is against the idea of allowing 
the country to exercise the right to collective self-defense. 
Kitagawa apparently intended to give a strong warning before the 
government establishes a blue-ribbon panel on its interpretation of 
the Constitution. Aware of the panel's likelihood to recommend make 
 
TOKYO 00002219  006 OF 012 
 
 
changes to the government's interpretation of Article 9, Kitagawa 
underlined his party's opposition to altering the interpretation 
with the upcoming Upper House election in mind, exposing discord 
within the government and the ruling coalition. 
 
In the press conference, Kitagawa categorically said: "At this 
point, there is no need to change the government's interpretation. 
The government's interpretation of Article 9 has long taken root in 
Japan. The government must make decisions individually from the 
viewpoint of independent self-defense or collective defense rather 
than to change its interpretation." He thus objected to the panel 
headed for change. 
 
Kitagawa's view comes from the concern that embracing the idea of 
collective defense would draw strong criticism from supporters, 
mostly the party's support base of Soka Gakkai, and that would 
adversely affect the party's cooperation with the LDP in the 
upcoming election. The New Komeito, a traditional pro-Constitution 
party, changed its stance in October 2002 from defending the 
Constitution to adding clauses to the Constitution while keeping 
Article 9 intact for the sake of going along with the LDP. A senior 
New Komeito member indicated that for the sake of its supporters, 
the party couldn't allow making changes to the interpretation of 
collective defense based on Article 9. 
 
7) Government, ruling coalition give up enacting JNSC legislation in 
current Diet session 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
May 17, 2007 
 
The government and the ruling coalition decided yesterday to give up 
on the idea of enacting a national security council establishment 
law in the ongoing Diet session to create a Japan National Security 
Council (JNSC). The decision came from the tight Diet schedule that 
includes deliberations on other priority bills, including one to 
amend the Iraq Special Measures Law. 
 
A senior Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker said last night: 
"Enacting JNSC legislation in the ongoing Diet session is not 
possible." 
 
8) Prime Minister Abe attends Asia Corporate Conference 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) 
May 17, 2007 
 
The New York-based Asia Society opened the 17th Asia Corporate 
Conference, sponsored by the Yomiuri Shimbun and other companies, 
yesterday, and Prime Minister Abe attended its dinner party held at 
a Tokyo hotel. 
 
Delivering a speech, Abe stressed the need for strengthened 
cooperation among Asian countries in the economic area, saying: "All 
countries in the region should make efforts to build an open, 
innovation-oriented Asia in which the countries, in an open minded 
manner, can move forward while benefiting each other. It is our big 
challenge to make efforts to that end." 
 
The prime minister also pointed out the importance of the presence 
of the United States, China, and India, remarking: "We must consider 
the meaning of the influence of a rising China, India, as well as 
 
TOKYO 00002219  007 OF 012 
 
 
the US, which has supported the Asian economy in every way," adding: 
"The three countries will support the sustainable economic growth of 
Asia as a whole. 
 
9) Lackluster Abe-Ozawa debate, with Abe playing up his reform 
achievements and Ozawa focusing on Abe's dangerous nature 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Abridged slightly) 
May 17, 2007 
 
The first party-head debate in the current Diet session took place 
between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and major opposition Minshuto 
(Democratic Party of Japan) President Ichiro Ozawa yesterday, about 
four months into the Diet session, which was the latest ever for 
such an event. Yesterday's party-heads debate was the first since 
November 8, 2006. In the session, Ozawa mostly touched on education 
and social and income disparities, while Abe played up his 
achievements in reform. There was no meeting of the minds. 
 
Ozawa: "Once we take power, we will realize (decentralization). We 
are not just criticizing the government with words." 
 
Abe: "The government and the ruling coalition are determined to 
fulfill our responsibilities by translating our words into action." 
 
Ozawa's questions and Abe's answers suggested that their minds are 
already on the Upper House election this summer. The 
question-and-answer session did not help the Liberal Democratic 
Party and the major opposition party clarify their campaign issues 
for the upcoming election. 
 
Ozawa-Abe debates took place twice last year in which the former 
asked questions mostly on the Constitution. In yesterday's session, 
Ozawa, referring to Abe's speech at the National Defense Academy 
graduation ceremony, said: "You urged the future senior SDF officers 
to take action based on their convictions. I could not understand 
it:" Ozawa apparently intended to highlight Abe's "dangerous 
ideas." 
 
Abe rebutted: "It does not run counter to civilian control. I simply 
discussed their mental attitude. Was that so strange?" Ozawa then 
shifted his focus to social disparities and the government's 
wasteful spending of taxes based on his nationwide tour. 
 
"Through my nationwide tour, I have become keenly aware of growing 
disparities among regions," Ozawa said. He went on to discuss a case 
in Fukui Prefecture in which a local government had been forced to 
build ski slopes in order to receive subsidies for snow-melting 
equipment but the ski areas have not been used for the last 12 
years. "It is the government's job to examine wasteful spending and 
change the system," Ozawa argued. 
 
In response, Abe played up the government's steps, saying: "We have 
promised to eliminate wasteful spending to build a lean 
government." 
 
After the debate, LDP Secretary General Nakagawa criticized Ozawa, 
saying: "He focused on finding faults with the LDP instead of 
discussing his party's policies and ideas." New Komeito leader Ota 
also commented disapprovingly, "Questions and answers did not mesh 
with each other. They could have done better." 
 
 
TOKYO 00002219  008 OF 012 
 
 
Minshuto Secretary General Hatoyama took this view: "The prime 
minister gave me the impression that he was avoiding points of 
contention." Another Minshuto member took a different view: "Mr. 
Ozawa's questions were too long and lacked punch. The themes were 
too abstract to appeal to the public." 
 
10) Three education bills likely to be enacted in current Diet 
session after clearing Lower House today 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
May 17, 2007 
 
The House of Representatives' Education Revitalization Council 
decided in its directors meeting last night that it will hold today 
a general interpellation on three education bills that the 
government deems important with the participation of Prime Minister 
Abe and take a vote on them the same day. The bills are likely to be 
adopted by a majority from the ruling parties. 
 
The bills are expected to clear the Lower House in its plenary 
session tomorrow and be sent to the House of Councillors the same 
day. The likelihood has now grown stronger that the three bills will 
be enacted in the current Diet session. 
 
11) Shifts in factional power: 4,100 persons participate in 
Machimura faction's party 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (Excerpts) 
May 17, 2007 
 
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) faction headed by former 
Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura held a party yesterday at a 
Tokyo hotel. Although factional politics has been weakening, about 
4,100 people attended the party. The number of participants at the 
party demonstrated the affluence of the LDP's largest faction 
(membership of 89), which has produced three prime ministers Yoshiro 
Mori, Junichiro Koizumi, and Shinzo Abe in succession. The leaders 
of other factions, who came to the party to congratulate the 
Machimura faction, had mixed feelings about the occasion. 
 
The party was held at the largest reception hall Goshiki in the 
Akasaka Grand Prince Hotel, in which the Machimura faction's office 
is located. However another hall was prepared for those who were 
unable to get into Goshiki Hall, since there were so many guests. 
 
Describing with deep emotion the rise and fall of the faction since 
the late Takeo Fukuda, a former prime minister, had formed it, 
Machimura proudly said: 
 
"We have taken action to build a dignified beautiful country. Prime 
Minister Abe is the person who has inherited that DNA and supporting 
the prime minister is the Machimura faction's mission." 
 
The heads of other factions had mixed feelings, however. Education 
Minister Bunmei Ibuki, who chairs his own faction, said: 
 
"I was impressed at the party. Since the faction is the largest in 
our party, I wonder the faction has huge income. I am still asked, 
"Does the Ibuki faction headed by Mr. Shizuka Kamei? So I envy Mr. 
Machimura." 
 
Foreign Minister Taro Aso, who also heads a LDP faction, made 
 
TOKYO 00002219  009 OF 012 
 
 
sarcastic remarks, saying, "I truly appreciate for giving the 
chairman of the smallest faction an opportunity to speak." LDP Diet 
Affairs Committee Chairman Toshihiro Nikai, who chairs his own 
faction, praised the Machimura faction, saying, "The prosperity of 
the Machimura faction will lead to the stability of Japan." 
 
12) Bribery involving Tokyo Dental College: SIA dental supervisor 
arrested; Alumni association covered drop in income 
 
SANKEI (Page 1) (Excerpts) 
May 17, 2007 
 
In a case of a dental supervisor of the Social Insurance Agency 
(SIA) allegedly having received more than 2 million yen from a 
senior member of Tokyo Dental College's alumni association in return 
for providing dentists who graduated from the college, his alma 
mater, with internal information on the auditing of medical fee 
receipts, the Metropolitan Police Department arrested Harumi Sato 
(57), an administrative inspector of the Social Insurance Agency's 
(SIA) Tochigi Regional Social Insurance Bureau, on charges of 
accepting bribes and two others, including Fumihiro Uchiyama (66), 
vice chairman of the alumni association and former executive 
director of the Japan Dental Association, on charges of offering 
bribes. 
 
Sato has become a medical supervisor at the request of the alumni 
association. The alumni association has provided money to Sato to 
cover a drop in his income as a result of quitting to practice as a 
dentist. He is estimated to have received more than 10 million yen 
in 10 years. The second investigation division will rush to unveil 
the collusion involving the alumni association. 
 
The other arrestee is Yoshimi Otomo (73), former vice chairman of 
the alumni association. Both admitted to the charges. Sato has 
allegedly saved the money received. 
 
13) Takeshima to stay on as chairman of Fair Trade Commission; 
Skills highly praised in the Abe administration 
 
Asahi On Line (Full) 
May 17, 2007 
 
The government has decided to retain Kazuhiko Takeshima in his post 
as chairman of the Fair Trade Commission of Japan (JFTC). He will be 
reappointed once agreement of the Diet is obtained. He has been in 
that position for five years. Since the Koizumi administration that 
appointed Takeshima has been replaced, it was expected that he would 
step down once his tenure ends in September. However, the Abe 
administration has lauded his skills, and it has decided to continue 
with the "Takeshima line" of running the JFTC. 
 
During the Koizumi administration, Takeshima, initially an assistant 
deputy chief cabinet secretary, played a role as a reform adviser. 
After he was appointed to head the JFTC, as well, he began to reform 
the organization that had the reputation of being "a watchdog that 
never barked," by actively tackling such issues as cracking down on 
large-scale bid-rigging practices. In addition, the government, 
aiming at deterring bid-rigging practices, plans to present to the 
regular Diet session in 2008 a bill revising the Anti-Monopoly Act 
to allow the imposition of large fines based on the case. 
Apparently, the government is counting on Takeshima's coordinating 
skills since he has channels to both the ruling camp and big 
 
TOKYO 00002219  010 OF 012 
 
 
business community. 
 
Takeshima is 64. After graduating from Tokyo University, he entered 
the Ministry of Finance in 1965. After having served in such posts 
as director-general of the National Tax Agency, director of the 
Cabinet Councillors' Office on Internal Affairs, and assistant 
deputy chief cabinet secretary, he was appointed head of the JFTC in 
July 2002. 
 
14) Overly high medical fees in Japan, according to Finance Ministry 
report 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) 
May 17, 2007 
 
The Finance Ministry put together cases of high costs for medical 
treatment into a report and released it in a meeting of the Fiscal 
System Deliberations, an advisory panel to the finance minister, 
yesterday. High medical fees have strained the government's 
finances. The report described the real situation in which the 
utilization rate of generic drugs, cheaper than new drugs, remains 
low and medical equipment is also high-priced in Japan. 
 
A generic drug can be legally produced for a drug whose patent has 
already expired, and it must contain the same active ingredients as 
the original formation. Such products are priced far lower than new 
drugs, but in many cases, small manufacturers produce generics, and 
generics have not been widely used in Japan. According to the 
Finance Ministry, the share of generics to total medicines marketed 
in Japan is 5.2% in value terms (in FY2004), less than half that in 
the United States and less than one-fourth of that in Germany. The 
Finance Ministry estimates that if all new medicines are replaced 
with generics, Japan could save 1.3 trillion yen out of the current 
about 7 trillion yen in annual pharmaceutical spending, or 10,000 
yen per head. 
 
Listed cases of high-priced medical equipment include (1) the prices 
of such medical equipment as cardiac pacemakers set 2 to 8 times 
higher than those in other countries; and (2) there are so many 
expensive equipment, such as CT and MRI, for the population. 
 
15) Payments of work-related compensation for workers' stress hit 
record in FY2006 
 
ASAHI (Top play) (Excerpts) 
May 17, 2007 
 
Some 205 individuals qualified for worker's accident compensation 
insurance in fiscal 2006 after being diagnosed with depression and 
other psychological disorders brought about by work-related stress, 
1.6 times that of the previous fiscal year, the Ministry of Health, 
Labor and Welfare (MHLW) said. Of the 205 persons, 66 committed 
suicide due to overwork (including one attempted suicide). This 
figure, too, hit a record. Some 66 persons qualified for worker's 
compensation for brain or heart, 1.6 times that of the previous 
fiscal year. While the economy is recovering, workers' health is 
deteriorating. 
 
Of the 205 persons, 106 were depression-related cases, and 99 were 
stress-related cases. By occupation, workers with specialized 
technical skills, such as system engineers and those working in 
health professions, made up the largest number of such cases, with 
 
TOKYO 00002219  011 OF 012 
 
 
¶60. By age, psychological problems were especially prominent among 
those in their 30s, regarded as mainstay workers, with a sharp jump 
to 83 cases from the 39 of the previous year. The figure accounted 
for 40% of the total. 
 
The number of applications for worker's compensation in this area 
has been on the rise, registering 819 cases in 2006, up 24.8% from 
the year before. 
 
A total of 355 individuals qualified for worker's compensation due 
to strokes and heart disorders, an increase of 7.6% and the 
second-consecutive increase. There were 146 cases of karoshi, down 
¶10. There were also a record number of 938 applications for worker's 
compensation in this area, up 7.9% from the previous year. 
 
16) Internationalization of Haneda Airport using landing and 
departure slots during early morning and nighttime hours; Government 
to propose open skies policy 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 1) (Full) 
May 17, 2007 
 
The government's Asia Gateway Strategic Council, chaired by Prime 
Minister Shinzo Abe, yesterday compiled an Asia Gateway Initiative 
aimed at promoting interchange with Asia. The panel has proposed 
expanding chartered flights at Haneda Airport using landing and 
departure slots during early morning and nighttime hours and 
adopting around-the-clock operations of international airports in 
major cities, based on an open skies policy, under which the state 
takes the initiative in deciding on destinations of flights and 
carriers to take part. The proposals will be incorporated in the 
basic policy guidelines on economic and fiscal management and 
structural reforms for fiscal 2007 to be realized in order of 
precedence. 
 
Emerging from the meeting, the prime minister underscored to 
reporters, "I will open Japan toward Asia and share Asia with the 
world using Japan as a conduit." 
 
According to the initiative, the internationalization of Haneda 
Airport will be promoted before the completion of a new runway in 
2010, and landing and departure spots during early morning and 
nighttime hours will be used actively. In particular, the initiative 
incorporated the launching of talks with related local governments, 
such as Chiba Prefecture, where Narita Airport is located, with the 
aim of realizing the operations of chartered international flights 
arriving at Haneda in the 6:00-8:30 AM timeframe and leaving in the 
8:30-11:00 PM timeframe. It also noted the realization of chartered 
flights between Haneda and Beijing during the Beijing Olympic Games 
in 2008. 
 
The limit to the number of flights at the Kansai and Chubu 
International Airport will be removed only in the event of Asian 
partner nations accepting an open skies system. The opening of new 
flight routes by local airports will be in principle liberalized. 
Other proposals included increasing the acceptance of foreign 
students to 350,000 by 2020, three times the present number, through 
reform of the customs clearance system. 
 
Main specifics of Asia Gateway Initiative 
 
Change in aviation policy leading to liberalization 
 
TOKYO 00002219  012 OF 012 
 
 
 
7 Aim at around-the-clock operations of Haneda Airport through 
expansion of chartered international flights during early morning 
and nighttime hours 
 
7 Promote liberalization of Kansai and Chubu International Airports 
through talks on a bilateral basis 
 
Reform of customs clearance system 
 
7 Currently each port has its own procedures. These procedures 
should be unified and simplified. 
 
SCHIEFFER