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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 10 TOKYO 002799 
 
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 06/21/07 
 
 
1) Top headlines 
2) Editorials 
3) Prime Minister's daily schedule 
 
4) Coordination going on for visit to Japan by President Bush in 
September 
 
Diet action: 
5) Bill extending the Iraq Special Measures Law allowing ASDF 
dispatches is passed by the Diet 
6) By passing the amended Iraq Special Measures Law, Government 
desires to maintain the status quo with the US until the 
presidential election next fall 
7) Abe administration's desire to stress policy emphasis on US by 
passing extension of Iraq dispatch bill 
8) Three labor bills stalled with gap wide between two chambers of 
the Diet; NSC bill put on hold 
9) After six-year hiatus, a vote of no-confidence launched against 
Lower House speaker Yohei Kono 
 
North Korea problem: 
10) Assistant Hill reiterates likelihood of six-party talks 
restarting early July 
11) Japan concerned that is priority abduction issue will get short 
shrift in the restarted six-party talks 
 
12) China's Hu government clams up on "anti-Japanese rhetoric" as it 
roles out the red carpet for visiting Nakasone delegation 
 
13) With no progress in sight, Farm Minister Akagi breaks short his 
first trip abroad on WTO matters 
 
Articles: 
 
1) TOP HEADLINES 
 
Asahi, Mainichi, Yomiuri & Tokyo Shimbun 
Diet enacts legislation to extend Iraq mission for two years, to 
reform education system 
 
Nikkei: 
Social insurance Agency to check all 270 million pension records 
 
Sankei: 
Tokyo District Court questions Chongryon vice chairman over purchase 
deal 
 
Akahata: 
SDF monitors JCP gatherings in nasty manner 
 
2) EDITORIALS 
 
Asahi: 
(1) Extension of Diet session: Forcible attitude too much to 
tolerate 
(2) Spa blast: Danger hidden in "nature" in cities 
 
Mainichi: 
(1) Spa blast: Government urged to map out natural gas safety 
measures 
(2) Three education laws must be applied properly 
 
 
TOKYO 00002799  002 OF 010 
 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1) Substance should be given to three education laws 
(2) Spa blast: Urgently establish guidance, surveillance system 
 
Nikkei: 
(1) Split of Palestine: Reconstruction of peace process urged 
(2) Revised education laws should be applied flexibly 
 
Sankei: 
(1) Spa blast: Safety indispensable for healing 
(2) Revised education laws: Meaning of education boards' existence 
questioned 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1) Extension of Diet session: Risky gamble of anxious prime 
minister 
(2) Three education laws: Don't weaken the classroom 
 
Akahata: 
(1) Three education laws: We won't tolerate state intervention on 
strength of Constitution 
 
3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, June 20 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2)  (Full) 
June 21 
 
10:24 
Met with Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Suzuki at the Kantei. 
 
11:40 
Met with Lower House member Taro Nakayama. 
 
12:44 
Handed over official recommendation certificates to prospective 
candidate for Upper House proportional- representation 
constituencies. Aoki, head of the LDP caucus in the Upper House, and 
Katayama, secretary general of LDP members in the Upper House. 
 
12:50 
Arrived at the Kantei. 
 
13:43 
Lower House plenary session. 
 
14:09 
A meeting to honor memory of former Lower House member Motoo Shiina 
at ANA Intercontinental Hotel Tokyo. 
 
14:51 
Met with Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Matoba at the Kantei. 
 
15:02 
Met with National Police Agency Uruma. 
 
16:02 
Met with Seiken Sugiura, chairman of the LDP Doshu or Regional Bloc 
System. 
 
16:25 
 
TOKYO 00002799  003 OF 010 
 
 
Met with Finance Minister Omi, Vice Finance Minister Fujii, followed 
by Internal Affairs Minister Suga. Then met with Lower House member 
Tsutomu Takebe. 
 
SIPDIS 
 
17:12 
Local Treasure Discovery Contest hosted by the Cabinet Office. 
 
18:10 
Meeting held at Urban Center Hotel to report on the Heiligendamm 
Summit on the global warming issue. 
 
18:38 Returned to the official residence. 
 
4) Bush visit eyed for September 
 
SANKEI (Page 3) (Full) 
June 21, 2007 
 
The Japanese and US governments yesterday entered into coordination 
for US President Bush to visit Japan in early September, a Japan-US 
diplomatic source revealed. Bush last visited Japan in November 2005 
and will make his first visit to Japan since Prime Minister Shinzo 
Abe came into office. In their scheduled meeting, Abe and Bush are 
expected to talk about global warming, Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, 
North Korea, and the Durfur strife in the Sudan. 
 
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum is to meet in 
Sydney on Sept. 8-9, and Bush is to stop over in Japan around the 
time of a summit meeting of APEC leaders. Bush will make be making 
his fourth visit to Japan. 
 
The United States agreed in the recent summit of Group of Eight 
(G-8) leaders in Heiligendamm to create a new framework to cut 
greenhouse gas emissions in 2013 and afterward for the post-Kyoto 
Protocol setup. However, the United States has frowned on setting up 
a definite numerical benchmark. 
 
In July next year, Japan will host the G-8 summit to be held at Lake 
Toya in Hokkaido. "On that occasion," a senior official of the 
Foreign Ministry says, "the United States' cooperation is 
indispensable for an agreement." Abe therefore wants to exchange 
in-depth views with Bush. 
 
Meanwhile, the United Nations General Assembly is to meet in New 
York in mid-and late September, and the United Nations will host a 
high-level meeting to discuss climate change. Abe will attend both 
events, thinking to make an appeal again on his positive stance over 
environmental issues. 
 
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party is expected to fight an uphill 
battle in this summer's election for the House of Councillors. Abe 
wants ride out the election and would like to meet Bush in a 
stabilized political situation. 
 
5-1) Bill extending Iraq mission for two years and three education 
reform bills clear Diet 
 
MAINICHI (Top play) (Excerpts) 
June 21, 2007 
 
The bill amending the Iraq Special Measures Law and three education 
reform bills were endorsed at the Upper House plenary session 
 
TOKYO 00002799  004 OF 010 
 
 
yesterday and enacted with a majority vote by the Liberal Democratic 
Party and the New Komeito. The government and the ruling camp intend 
to take a vote next week on Social Insurance Agency (SIA) reform 
bills and the bill lifting the statute of limitations on pension 
claims in line with its plan to extend the current Diet session for 
12 days. The opposition camp, determined to continue pursuing the 
government's responsibility for the question of "lost pension 
payments," plans to submit a no-confidence motion against the 
cabinet timed with a vote on the SIA bill. 
 
LDP President Shinzo Abe, who is also prime minister, held a meeting 
yesterday with his New Komeito counterpart, Akihiro Ota, and reached 
an agreement to extend the Diet session for 12 days. The planned 
extension is likely to clear a Lower House plenary session on June 
¶22. As a result, the House of Councillors election, initially 
planned for July 22, will take place a week later, on July 29. 
Meanwhile, the Diet affairs chiefs of three opposition parties -- 
the Democratic Party of Japan (Minshuto or DPJ), the Social 
Democratic Party, and the People's New Party -- confirmed yesterday 
a line of opposing the Diet extension. 
 
In addition, the Upper House Diet affairs chiefs of the three 
opposition parties and the Japanese Communist Party met yesterday 
ahead of the Upper House plenary session and confirmed a plan to 
submit a motion demanding Education, Culture and Science Committee 
Chairman Yasu Kano and Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee 
Chairman Tadashi Taura, who had taken votes on the Iraq bill and the 
three education reform bills without obtaining the opposition camp's 
concurrence, be dismissed from the posts. The DPJ consequently 
submitted the motion but it was voted down by the ruling bloc. This 
was followed by the Upper House endorsement of the Iraq and 
education reform legislations. 
 
The Iraq legislation was necessary to extend the law, which is to 
expire July 31, for two years. The law has been the legal basis for 
the Air Self-Defense Force's airlift mission, which has been in 
place even after the Ground Self-Defense Force left southern Iraqi 
city of Samawah last July. 
 
5-2) ASDF's activities to be extended for one year 
 
MAINICHI (Page 1) (Full) 
June 21, 2007 
 
Following the enactment of the revised Iraq Special Measures Law, 
the government intends to make a cabinet decision in July on 
extending for one year the basic plan specifying the specific 
activities of the Air Self-Defense Force. Although the government 
had also considered extending the plan for six months in view of the 
deteriorating security situation in Iraq, it has decided on a 
one-year extension so as not to hamper the ASDF's support mission. 
 
The government, however, has yet to come up with any specific 
timeline for withdrawal. Defense Minister Fumio Kyuma told reporters 
yesterday: "We cannot make a decision unless we review the whole 
situation, such as the international community, the security 
situation, and the effect of the US troop increase." Given the 
situation, the Lower House has passed an additional resolution 
requiring: (1) a study of an exit strategy, and (2) disclosing 
information on civilian control. 
 
With the Antiterrorism Special Measures Law governing the Maritime 
 
TOKYO 00002799  005 OF 010 
 
 
Self-Defense Force's refueling activities in the Indian Ocean 
scheduled to expire in November, the propriety of extending the law 
is likely to be discussed in the fall extra Diet session. There are 
objections in the Liberal Democratic Party about enacting a special 
measures law each time for deploying the SDF's overseas. The debate 
on establishing a permanent law on the SDF's overseas missions might 
gain momentum. 
 
6) Iraq aid: Focus on ASDF's exit strategy 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Abridged) 
June 21, 2007 
 
A bill to revise the Iraq Reconstruction Assistance Special Measures 
Law cleared the House of Councillors in its plenary sitting 
yesterday. Under the now-revised law, the Air Self-Defense Force's 
current airlift activities in Iraq will be continued over the next 
two years. In Iraq, public security is not expected to be recovered 
with religious sectarian conflicts intensifying. The focus, looking 
ahead into the future, is on what kind of exit strategy the 
government will map out to withdraw the ASDF. 
 
"If they (ASDF) had to return home suddenly, that would have become 
an internationally serious problem. I'm happy." So saying, Defense 
Minister Kyuma looked relieved yesterday with the special measures 
law's revision. Meanwhile, another question from reporters was about 
when to recall the ASDF. "I don't know," Kyuma said, adding: "I 
can't make a judgment until I see the whole situation, such as how 
the international community will work for Iraq and what will become 
of public security in Iraq." With this, Kyuma admitted that he could 
not look ahead into the future. 
 
The ASDF, with its detachment based in Kuwait, has been engaged in 
the task of assisting Iraq with its reconstruction under the 
government's masterplan based on the now-revised special measures 
law. The GSDF pulled out of Iraq in July last year. Since then, the 
ASDF has been tasked primarily with airlifting personnel and 
supplies for US-led multinational forces. The government has not 
disclosed details about the ASDF's activities in Iraq for security 
and other reasons. However, one SDF officer has confessed that 80 % 
 to 90 %   are armed US troops and other multinational force 
troops. 
 
In Diet deliberations on the revised law, opposition parties 
insisted on the ASDF's early pullout. There were similar voices from 
within the ruling coalition as well. Hiroshi Takano, a House of 
Councillors member of New Komeito, the ruling Liberal Democratic 
Party's coalition partner, said: "If there is a change of 
administration in the United States, I think we're going to withdraw 
the ASDF. We need to work out an exit strategy." 
 
However, the ASDF's Iraq mission is a symbol of Japan's 
contributions to Iraq's reconstruction. The government therefore can 
hardly say Japan will pull the ASDF troops out of Iraq as long as 
public security in Iraq does not deteriorate to excess. 
 
7) ASDF deployment in Iraq to be extended for another two years with 
enactment of bill revising Iraq Special Measures Law, but no "exit 
strategy" in sight 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Abridged) 
June 21, 2007 
 
TOKYO 00002799  006 OF 010 
 
 
 
Following the passage of the bill to extend the Iraq Special 
Measures Law for two years, the government will decide in July on a 
basic plan for air-refueling service in Iraq by the Air Self-Defense 
Force (ASDF). The government initially planned to extend the term of 
the ASDF deployment in Iraq for a half year from August, but it 
changed this plan from a half year to one year. This length of the 
extension is to be included in the basic plan. The deployment of 
Japanese troops in Iraq, which Prime Minister Shinzo Abe inherited 
from his predecessor Koizumi administration, has become the "symbol 
of Japan's emphasis on the United States. Because of this 
circumstance, it is difficult for Abe to chart an "exit strategy," 
which will include the conditions for a pullout of Japanese troops 
from Iraq and in what way the pullout will be made. 
 
"We can't make a decision without taking into consideration the 
international situation, the security situation in Iraq, the effect 
of a troop increase by the US military, and the like," Defense 
Minister Fumio Kyuma said in response to a question about an exit 
strategy by reporters in the Diet after the passage of the bill. On 
the previous day, Kyuma also commented: "We'll keep them deployed 
there for a while. We'll do so in a matter-of-fact manner." While 
showing special consideration to the US, which has been put in a 
bind over its Iraq policy, Japan exposes the lack of its strategy. 
 
The ASDF started air-refueling service in March 2004. At present, 
the ASDF operates under a 200-man structure to transport, for 
instance, pharmaceuticals and United Nations officials to Baghdad or 
the northern Iraqi city Arbil. The total times of transport topped 
500 times and the volume transported exceeded 500 tons. But during 
the past month, the times of transport were no more than 13 and the 
weight amounted to only 1.3 tons. A senior Foreign Ministry 
official, however, emphasized: "Although the volume of transport is 
not so large, it is significant to participate in reconstruction 
assistance." 
 
Given that there is more than one year before the US presidential 
election set for November 2008, "It's unthinkable that the US troops 
will pull out from Iraq immediately," one official of the Ministry 
of Defense (MOD) said. The reason why Japan changed its 
initially-planned term of extension of a half year to one year is 
officially said to be avoid complicated procedures. But this change 
also reflects the government's ulterior motive of emphasizing its 
attitude of attaching importance to the US for a little longer. One 
national defense lobbyist lawmaker of the ruling Liberal Democratic 
Party (LDP) made this prediction: "Japan can't withdraw its troops 
from Iraq before President Bush steps down." 
 
8) Lower, Upper House remain divided over three labor bills 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Excerpts) 
June 21, 2007 
 
Senior members of the ruling coalition, including Liberal Democratic 
Party Secretary General Nakagawa and New Komeito Secretary General 
Kitagawa, met at a Tokyo hotel yesterday and discussed how to deal 
with pending bills after the Diet session is extended. They agreed 
to continue to discuss legislation for a Japanese-version national 
security council (NSC) and other key bills. On labor-related three 
bills, however, they remained divided. The Prime Minister's Official 
Residence (Kantei) and the House of Representatives want to enact 
the bills out of desire to underscore in the House of Councillors 
 
TOKYO 00002799  007 OF 010 
 
 
election campaign policymaking achievements for workers, while the 
Upper House asserts it is impossible to handle more bills. 
 
Chief Cabinet Secretary Shiozaki said regarding the three labor 
bills in a press conference yesterday: "We want to see the bills 
enacted in the current Diet session. The Japanese Trade Union 
Confederation (Rengo) and other political parties particularly deem 
the minimum wage bill as important legislation." Shiozaki and other 
Kantei members once gave up on passing the labor legislation through 
the current Diet session, giving priority to the passage of the 
bills to reform the Social Insurance Agency. Their about-face 
reflects their consideration to a strong call from Rengo, a support 
group of the Democratic Party of Japan (Minshuto), to pass the 
legislation. 
 
Major bills the ruling coalition plans to shelve in the current 
session 
 
Japanese-version NSC bill Reorganize the current Security Council of 
Japan into a Japanese-version NSC. Strengthen the Kantei's function 
as control tower for foreign and security policies (April 6). 
Broadcast reform bill Add a new administrative punishment that would 
authorize the internal affairs and communications minister to order 
a broadcasting station that caused a scandal, such as airing a 
fabricated program, to submit a plan to prevent a recurrence (April 
6). 
Pension unification bill Integrate the mutual pension program for 
public servants into the employees' pension program in 2010 (April 
13). 
Civil servant reform bill Strengthen regulations on the practice of 
former government officials finding employment in the private 
section and create a punishment on illegal approach by such 
bureaucrats to incumbents. 
 
9) House Speaker Kono's "dovish line" baffled in failure to 
undertake coordination between ruling and opposition parties 
 
MAINICHI (Page 5) (Full) 
June 21, 2007 
 
Takenori Noguchi 
 
"Lower House Speaker Yohei Kono has remonstrated the governing 
coalition against railroading bills, hasn't he?" Tsuneo Suzuki, 
member of the House of Representatives, who has acted together with 
Kono in the New Liberal Club and the former Kono faction of the 
ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), said in a rebuttal at a full 
session yesterday of the Lower House, when a no-confidence motion 
submitted by the opposition parties against the speaker was rejected 
by a majority from the governing coalition. 
 
This motion was introduced against a speaker for the first time in 
six and a half years. The opposition parties submitted it because 
the governing bloc single-handedly adopted a no-confidence motion on 
June 18 against the chairperson of the Committee on Discipline, who 
belongs to the opposition Democratic Party of Japan (Minshuto). This 
committee decides on the fate of lawmakers, for instance, by 
expelling them, so a senior Minshuto member concluded this 
development as "the case of the speaker rejecting parliamentary 
democracy." 
 
Referring to it, Kono himself noted: "Something that should never 
 
TOKYO 00002799  008 OF 010 
 
 
occur by the nature of things has occurred." Caught in between the 
giant ruling coalition pursuing a tough line and the opposition 
parties increasing their confrontational stance, Kono, who 
emphasizes the importance of undertaking coordination to help the 
ruling and opposition parties to reach agreement, was simply baffled 
in pursuing a "dovish line." 
 
10) Assistant Secretary Hill sees restart of six-party talks in 
early July 
 
SANKEI (Page 2) (Excerpt) 
June 21, 2007 
 
Assistant Secretary of State Hill, who is the chief delegate to the 
six-party talks on the North Korea nuclear issue, told the press 
corps after his meeting with Vice Foreign Minister Yachi yesterday 
at the Foreign Ministry that he expected the talks to restart 
possibly in early July. 
 
Hill noted, "China thinks we can get something going in early July," 
indicating his intention to coordinate among the other chief 
delegates and the like, while closely consulting with China, which 
chairs the talks. He said, "We may start the talks immediately after 
July 4 (the US' Independence Day holiday)." 
 
He also indicated the possibility of a six-party foreign ministerial 
to be convened around the time of the ASEAN-ARF that will take place 
on August 2. 
 
11) Six-party talks: As Upper House election approaches, government 
concerned about abduction issue being left behind 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
June 21, 2007 
 
In a bid to bring progress to the six-party talks on North Korea's 
nuclear development issue, Japan and the US on June 19 started a 
two-day meeting to undertake full-fledged coordination of views. 
Visiting Assistant Secretary of State Hill told Japanese negotiators 
his hope to resume the talks as early as early July. However, there 
is deep-seated caution on the Japanese side about the suggestion in 
view of the lack of progress on the abduction issue. 
 
Concern about the possibility of developments in the six-party talks 
affecting the upcoming Upper House election in a delicate manner is 
appearing in the Abe administration, which maintains a hard-line 
stance toward North Korea. Vice Foreign Minister Yachi yesterday 
once again conveyed Japan's position to Hill: "I believe you 
understand that bringing progress to the nuclear issue and settling 
the abduction issue are both important." Hill: "I understand that 
well." 
 
Hill also met with Asia and Oceanian Affairs Bureau Director General 
Kenichiro Sasae on the previous evening. He told reporters after the 
meeting, "I want to create a base so that a forward-looking result 
can be obtained regarding the abduction issue." 
 
However, Senior MOFA officials are cool toward Hill's comment with 
one saying, "Mr. Hill understands Japan's public opinion. However, 
there is no change in his desire to avoid being bound by Japan, 
which wants the US to make a settlement of the abduction issue a 
premise for removing North Korea from a list of state sponsors of 
 
TOKYO 00002799  009 OF 010 
 
 
terrorism." 
 
When to hold the next round of the six-party talks will be 
determined with the intentions of North Korea and China taken into 
consideration. If it is held in July, there is a strong possibility 
of the meeting clashing with the campaign period for the Upper House 
election. 
 
Prime Minister Abe plans to field Special Advisor to the Prime 
Minister Kyoko Nakayama, State Minister in charge of the abduction 
issue, in the LDP's proportional-representation constituency and 
make a public appeal of his enthusiasm to tackle the abduction 
issue. 
 
Chances are that if discussion on measures to provide North Korea 
with energy assistance takes place at such a time, Japan, which 
makes progress in the abduction issue a premise for its extending 
assistance to that nation, may be urged to make concessions. One 
government official said, "Both the abduction and nuclear issues 
will affect the Upper House election, if no achievements are made. 
However, we cannot say that the next round of the talks should be 
held after the election." 
 
Amid the Abe administration refusing to make a compromise, Yachi on 
the 18th told reporters: "Defining progress in the abduction issue 
and then discussing the energy assistance issue would not be 
productive." 
 
12) Hu administration containing domestic anti-Japanese movements, 
keeps social stability ahead of the CCP's convention in this fall 
 
YOMIURI (Page 7) (Excerpts) 
June 21, 2007/06/21 
 
Hiroyuki Sugiyama, Beijing 
 
Chinese President Hu Jintao on June 19 expressed to the Japan-China 
Youth Friendship Delegation (led by former Prime Minister Yasuhiro 
Nakasone), which was visiting Beijing, his determination to build 
better relations with Japan. This news was widely covered by Chinese 
media yesterday, helping his determination to be disseminated across 
the country. The Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) Central Propaganda 
Department has also indicated it would calm down reports critical of 
Japan. The Hu administration appears to be trying to carefully 
contain movements of anti-Japanese groups that enable the masses to 
mobilize in a way to shake up the society ahead of the 17th CCP 
convention set for this fall. 
 
Red-carpet media reports on Nakasone-led delegation 
 
The China Central Television (CCTV) yesterday aired the footage of a 
meeting between Hu and the Japan-China friendship delegation and a 
welcoming party for 10 minutes from the start of a 30-news program. 
Quoting Hu as saying, "China and Japan must step up cooperation on a 
bilateral basis, as well as on a regional and global basis," the 
program aired the footage of an entertainment part of the dinner 
party. The CCP's organ paper, the People's Daily, devoted two-thirds 
of the front page to stories about the delegation. 
 
This year will mark the 35th anniversary of the diplomatic 
normalization of Japan-China relations, as well as the 70th 
anniversary of the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, which triggered the 
 
TOKYO 00002799  010 OF 010 
 
 
Sino-Japanese War, and the Nanjing Incident. Japan-China relations 
would be profoundly affected by which memorial day China will attach 
more importance.  Hu apparently has chosen to attach importance to 
China-Japan friendship. The top leader's clear announcement of his 
policy would serve as "deterrent against behavior going against it," 
one Chinese official said. 
 
According to an informed source, the CCP's Central Propaganda 
Department instructed news services not to report negative aspects 
of Japan at their discretion. As a result, senior members of news 
companies reportedly have become extremely cautious about carrying 
articles critical of Japan that could fan the flames of 
anti-Japanese sentiments. There are news reports critical of Japan, 
but they are "too modest to provoke anti-Japanese sentiments in 
China," the same source said. 
 
The reason why China is stepping up its efforts to contain 
anti-Japanese movements is primarily because it concerns the 
stability of the administration from both a short-term to a 
long-term perspective. 
 
13) Agriculture Minister Akagi suddenly decides to return home 
midway through his German visit 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
June 21, 2007 
 
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Akagi, who has been 
visiting Germany for a Group of 4 ministerial meeting under the Doha 
Round (multilateral trade talks) at the World Trade Organization 
(WTO), has suddenly decided to return home. He explained that he 
made that decision because tension is growing in the Diet session, 
as can be seen in the fact that opposition parties are showing 
readiness to introduce a no-confidence motion against the cabinet. 
Akagi is visiting Germany in order to hold talks with G-4 cabinet 
ministers, but his first foreign visit since his inauguration as 
agriculture minister has apparently turned into a wasted effort. 
 
He is expected to leave Germany on June 20 and arrive at Narita 
Airport on the 21st. He said that he made a certain degree of 
achievements through his visit to Germany. He appears to have made 
the decision, based on the judgment that it would not be wise to 
travel abroad when tension is mounting in the Diet and that since it 
would be difficult to hold separate talks, he should avoid being 
criticized as staying in Germany meaninglessly. 
 
It is said that a ministerial meeting of the Group of 6 involving 
the G-4 nations plus Japan and Australia will be held in Germany 
around the 23rd. In that case, Akagi wants to visit Germany again. 
However, other participating countries are taking a cool approach to 
Japan with one minister saying, "The G-6 will become a venue for 
only explaining the outcome of the G-4 meeting." In addition, the 
ruling parties plan to enter into procedures for extending the Diet 
session. 
 
DONOVAN