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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 10 TOKYO 002847 
 
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 06/25/07 
 
 
1) Top headlines 
2) Editorials 
3) Prime Minister's weekend schedule 
 
Hill visits to Pyongyang and Tokyo: 
4) Prime Minister Abe; Hill visit to Pyongyang produced a certain 
amount of result 
5) Abe will look now for action from the DPRK, stresses importance 
of resolving abduction issue 
6) Hill in meeting with Japan's delegate to six-party talks Sasae 
says he expects North Korea to shut down nuclear facility in three 
weeks 
7) Hill: North Korea did not show positive attitude toward abduction 
issue when he brought it up 
8) Japanese government heightens concern about lack of progress on 
abduction issue s DPRK seemingly moves on first stage of nuclear 
agreement 
9) Yomiuri editorial: DPRK urged to take concrete action toward 
scrapping nuclear program 
10) Mainichi editorial: Concern that US-Japan cooperation on 
denuclearization of North Korea might be lost 
 
11) Negative ad in Washington Post by Japan's anti-comfort-women 
issue forces pro backfires: Angry House of Representatives to vote 
on Honda resolution tomorrow 
 
Defense and security issues: 
12) USFJ Commander Lt. Gen. Wright justifies cost of USFJ 
realignment: Cheaper than war     9 
13) USFJ chief says Aegis data leak "very serious"     10 
14) Defense Minister Kyuma says that missile defense 99 % 
effective against missile attacks     10 
 
Articles: 
 
1) TOP HEADLINES 
 
Asahi & Yomiuri: 
Hokkaido police search meat processing firm over false labeling of 
ground beef, seek to establish fraud case 
 
Mainichi: 
Poll: five political parties call for reviewing 1997 cabinet 
decision to reduce number of medical students 
 
Nihon Keizai: 
SESC to review all investment funds starting in September 
 
Sankei: 
Winning 45 seats might save Prime Minister Abe's job 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
Chongryon real estate sale: Prosecutors may apply charges of fraud 
on agency 
 
Akahata: 
JCP Chairman Shii says on NHK program that pensions, poverty, and 
Constitution included in party's campaign pledges for Upper House 
election 
 
2) EDITORIALS 
 
 
TOKYO 00002847  002 OF 010 
 
 
Asahi: 
(1) Grand beef false labeling: both meat processing firm and 
administrative institutions responsible 
(2) Air pollution suit: Make best use of Supreme Court's 
recommendation to settle the case amicably 
 
Mainichi: 
(1) Palestinians, don't make independence dream wither away 
(2) Chytridiomycosis: Pay attention to crisis of ecosystem! 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1) Urban ozone: "Transborder smog" from China problematic 
(2) Doctor-Heli system: Improvement in critical care system urged 
 
Nihon Keizai: 
Need for new growth strategy 
 
Sankei: 
(1) Chongryun real estate sale: Shed light on involvement in the 
sale by Chongryun vice chairman 
(2) Grand beef false labeling is antisocial crime to ignore 
consumers 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1) Japan should play role to break deadlock in WTO talks 
(2) People's understanding of environmental technology will reduce 
green house gas emissions 
 
Akahata: 
Residential tax: Vent the anger on LDP and New Komeito 
 
3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, June 23 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2)  (Full) 
June 24 
 
08:43 
Left Haneda Airport by JAL 905. 
 
10:48 
Arrived at Naha Airport. 
 
11:30 
Offered a wreath at Okinawa National Cemetery for war dead in Peace 
Memorial Park in Itoman City, Okinawa. Then attended a memorial 
ceremony for all the war dead in Okinawa. 
 
13:25 
Met with Upper House President Ogi and Okinawa Governor Nakaima at 
Naha Airport. 
 
14:25 
Left Naha Airport by JAL 910. 
 
16:25 
Arrived at Haneda Airport. 
 
17:15 
Had a haircut at Barber Muragi at Hilton Hotel. 
 
 
TOKYO 00002847  003 OF 010 
 
 
19:11 
Arrived at the official residence. 
 
19:34 
Dined with his wife Akie and her father Akio Matsuzaki, advisor to 
Morinaga & Co., at a Chinese restaurant at Strings Hotel Tokyo 
Intercontinental. 
 
22:09 
Arrived at the official residence. 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, June 24 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Full) 
June 25 
 
09:00 
Appeared on a TV program at the NHK Chiyoda Broadcasting Hall at 
Kioi-cho. 
 
09:47 
Arrived at the official residence. 
 
13:15 
Left Haneda Airport by JAL 1259. 
 
13:50 
Arrived at Yamagata Airport. Greeted by Yamagata Governor Saito. 
 
14:06 
Inspected a cherry farm at Endo Farm in Higashine City. 
 
15:08 
Speech meeting hosted by the LDP's Yamagata Chapter at Yamagata Big 
Wing in Yamagata City. 
 
16:14 
Press conference at Yamagata Grand Hotel. Then met with Susumu 
Yamasawa, president of the Yamagata Chamber of Commerce and 
Industry. Lowe House member Toshiaki Endo was present. 
 
18:26 
Left JR Sendai Station by Hayate 28. 
 
20:08 
Arrived at JR Tokyo Station. 
 
0:19 
Arrived at the official residence. 
 
4) "Mr. Hill's North Korea visit has produced a certain degree of 
results," says prime minister 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) 
June 25, 2007 
 
Touching on the North Korea visit by Assistant Secretary of State 
Christopher Hill, top US envoy to the six-party talks, Prime 
Minister Abe, in a speech delivered in Yamagata City, took the view 
that Hill's visit to Pyongyang had produced a certain degree of 
results for the US-North Korea talks. He noted, "Fortunately, an 
atmosphere has been created for the holding of six-party talks and 
 
TOKYO 00002847  004 OF 010 
 
 
for North Korea taking initial denuclearization steps, including the 
dismantlement of the Yongbyon facility, as agreed on in February." 
But he also pointed out, "We must carefully monitor whether North 
Korea will actually carry out that action." 
 
5) Prime Minister Abe will "look now for action" by North Korea, 
stresses again the importance of resolving the abduction issue 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
June 23, 2007 
 
Commenting last evening on North Korea's having indicated its 
intention to carry out such commitments in the six-party agreement 
as shutting down and sealing a nuclear facility, Prime Minister 
Shinzo Abe pointed out last evening, "We must watch now to make sure 
this shows up in its actions, not just in its words." He then added: 
"Since the abduction issue is Japan's highest priority challenge, we 
must resolve it by cooperating with the international community." He 
was answering questions from the press core at his official 
residence. 
 
The government evaluates as "a first step forward" (senior Foreign 
Ministry official) the revealing that North Korea discussed the 
first stage measure as "the next step." However, the issue of 
transferring North Korea's funds, which became the reason for the 
delay in carrying out the first stage of the agreement, was never in 
the six-party agreement. Even if North Korea makes progress in 
carrying out the first stage, Japanese officials remain concerned, 
one saying, "The possibility cannot be denied that a new difficult 
problem might not emerge." 
 
Japan is concerned, too, that there is little interest in the 
abduction issue among the concerned countries. Foreign Minister Aso 
in a telephone conversation with Secretary Rice on June 21 stressed 
this point about Assistant Secretary Hill's visit to Pyongyang: "We 
would like him to tackle the abduction issue head on with North 
Korea." 
 
Hill in a press conference in Seoul stressed, "I urged them to 
tackle the resolution of the abduction issue," but according to 
aides to the prime minister, North Korea did not seem to respond 
with a forward-looking stance. The Japanese government plans to ask 
Hill, when he arrives in Tokyo on the 23rd, a day later than 
scheduled, to directly confirm North Korea's reaction and to give 
his outlook for the future course. 
 
6) Hill tells Sasae, "DPRK will shut down its facility within three 
weeks" 
 
YOMIURI (Page 1) (Full) 
Eve., June 23, 2007 
 
US Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, the chief US 
negotiator in the six-party talks, arrived in Japan this morning and 
met with his Japanese counterpart Kenichiro Sasae, director-general 
of the Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau. 
 
Hill said to Sasae that he confirmed during his meetings with North 
Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan, the chief negotiator in 
the six-party talks, and Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun North Korea's 
will to fully implement the first-stage action, including shutdown 
of the nuclear facility in Yongbyon, in line with the February 
 
TOKYO 00002847  005 OF 010 
 
 
agreement. Hill told Sasae that the shutdown of the facility would 
be completed within three weeks. Both Japanese and US negotiators 
agreed to accelerate talks to push North Korea to implement 
"next-phase action," including disabling all the nuclear facility. 
 
On the abduction issue, Hill told Sasae that he urged North Korea to 
address it positively, by noting, "Japan is the largest economic 
power in the world. It's important to improve relations with that 
country." On the other hand, Hill said, "There was no fresh response 
from the North Korean side." 
 
7) No progress in sight on abductions of Japanese citizens by North 
Korea 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
June 24, 2007 
 
Returning from North Korea, US Assistant Secretary of State 
Christopher Hill on June 23 met with Director-General Kenichiro 
Sasae of the Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau 
and told Sasae that North Korea did not come up with a positive 
response toward resolving the issue of abductions of Japanese 
citizens by North Korea. The government and the ruling parties had 
previously presumed that if there had been a sign of the abduction 
issue making progress, that would have helped buoy the government 
and the ruling parties in the upcoming Upper House election, because 
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attaches importance to the issue. But now 
some are expressing the concern that the stalled abduction issue 
could overshadow the election campaign. 
 
"I told the North Korean side that it's important to improve 
relations with Japan and to resolve the abduction issue, among other 
issues," Hill said on June 23 and emphasized that he urged North 
Korea to resolve the abduction issue. But no favorable remark came 
from the North Korean side. Hill explained: "Because I have said 
that to North Korea at every opportunity, North Korea was not 
surprised by my remark. Its response was the same as the one it had 
taken before." 
 
8) Hill's visit to Pyongyang: Japanese government heightens its 
concern about no progress on abduction issue prior to implementation 
of first stage of agreement 
 
ASAHI (Page 2) (Full) 
June 23, 2007 
 
"Only the toes of the North Koreans can be seen sticking out," said 
a Foreign Ministry official. Voices of concern have quickly risen in 
the Japanese government about the United States and North Korea 
having taken a stance of accelerating their dialogue before progress 
on the abduction issue and prior to even the North fulfilling the 
first stage of measures leading to the scrapping of its nuclear 
program. 
 
Even regarding Assistant Secretary of State Hill's statement of 
intention to see six-party talks resume in late July, officials are 
skeptical, one saying, "If you don't continue to pedal a bicycle, it 
will fall over." 
 
Foreign Minister Aso, at a press conference on the 22nd, indicated 
his outlook that the six-party talks process would not move forward 
as well as the US expects, saying, "My sense is that just going (to 
 
TOKYO 00002847  006 OF 010 
 
 
Pyongyang) would not immediately lead to settling things." 
 
An informed source on the Japanese side saw Hill as trying to grasp 
leadership over the entire six-party framework. Hill, who met on the 
June 19 in Tokyo with MOFA Asia-Pacific Bureau Director General 
Sasae proposed that instead of the usual dragged-out six-party 
talks, he as the senior delegate would have informal talks after 
which formal talks could be convened. He was thinking of a 
cabinet-level meeting in Beijing in mid-July. He floated the same 
idea in Pyongyang, as well. A government source said: "I sense that 
there will be a cabinet-level meeting. If there are no results from 
such a meeting, nothing will change, even with a ministerial 
meeting." 
 
On the other hand, regarding the priority issue of the abductions, 
there not even being any contacts with North Korea, Japan finds 
itself in the dilemma of staking its only chance on riding on 
progress between the US and North Korea. 
 
This time, too, Hill was asked prior to his Pyongyang trip to bring 
up this issue with the North Koreans. A top Foreign Minister leader 
on June 22 acknowledged the reality that Japan was up against the 
wall on this issue, saying, "All we can do is to continue to talk 
about the abduction issue every chance we get." 
 
9) Editorial: North Korea urged to take concrete action toward 
scrapping of nuclear program 
 
YOMIURI (Page 3) (Full) 
June 23, 2007 
 
Can North Korea be made to take concrete action toward its required 
carrying out of the dismantling of its nuclear program? 
 
Assistant Secretary of State Hill, who is the United States' top 
envoy to the six-party talks, traveled to Pyongyang where he met 
with North Korea's foreign minister and other senior officials. 
North Korea is still not implementing first-stage measures that it 
had promised at the six-party talks in February to do within 60 
days. 
 
Saying, "I would like to make up for lost time," the assistant 
secretary transmitted his intention to bring about progress in the 
 
SIPDIS 
process of the North's scrapping its nuclear program, and he stated 
that North Korea has indicated a desire to fulfill the agreement, 
such as shutting down a nuclear facility. 
 
North Korea last week announced that it would allow an IAEA 
delegation into the country. The US in keeping with the Feb. 
agreement worked to bring about the return of funds to North Korea 
that had been frozen in a Macao bank. The effort to remit the money 
finally is being carried out. 
 
It is only natural to ask North Korea now to quickly carry out its 
obligations. The problem is how far Pyongyang is willing to go in 
scrapping its nuclear program. 
 
In the next stage that will follow the first one, North Korea must 
report all of its nuclear plans and render inoperable its existing 
nuclear facilities. However, on the key issue of scrapping its 
nuclear weapons and existing plutonium, talks have yet to be carried 
out. 
 
TOKYO 00002847  007 OF 010 
 
 
 
Even in negotiations on the next stage, it is difficult to think 
that North Korea will take kindly to acknowledging its uranium 
enrichment program and respond by dismantling that nuclear facility. 
That is because it considers its nuclear weapons to be its single, 
most important card to play in order to guarantee the security of 
its own country. It likely wants to obtain if possible something in 
return by coming out with unreasonable demands, such as being 
offered light-water reactors. 
 
If it carries out the first stage measures, it would activate the 
diplomatic activities of concerned countries, such as the convening 
of a meeting of the foreign ministers of the six countries. The 
problem is whether the other five countries, Japan, the US, China, 
Republic of Korea, and Russia can agree on the action to be taken. 
The responses of the other countries must not fall out of line, 
giving North Korea the chance it has been waiting for. 
 
For Japan, it is crucial that close relations with the US continue 
to be upheld. In the Feb. agreement, the US promised to start 
efforts to remove North Korea from the list of countries designated 
as terrorist-sponsoring states. North Korea asked that its name be 
removed, its nuclear program scrapping premised on the US ending its 
policy of regarding North Korea as its enemy. However, it is 
difficult for Japan to accept such unless the current situation of 
no progress on the abduction issue front is ended. 
 
Prior to Assistant Secretary Hill's visit to Pyongyang, Foreign 
Minister Aso, in a telephone conversation with Secretary Rice, asked 
the US to work on North Korea to address its bilateral issues with 
Japan, including the abductions. The assistant secretary said he 
urged the North to have talks with Japan on the abduction issue. 
 
Japan must continue to maintain its stance of seeking a 
comprehensive resolution of the North Korea problem that includes 
the nuclear, abduction, and the missile issues. 
 
10) Editorial: Do not destroy the cooperation on nuclear 
non-proliferation between Japan and US 
 
MAINICHI (Page 5) (Excerpt) 
June 23, 2007 
 
"All of us have been waiting for you," said Yi Gun, America Bureau 
director general, displaying the North Korean sense of satisfaction. 
Yi had come out to greet the arrival in Pyongyang of Assistant 
Secretary of State Hill, the chief delegate to the six-party talks. 
 
SIPDIS 
When Hill left North Korea, he stated, "We had good talks." North 
Korea reportedly told him its intention to carry out the first-stage 
measures, which included shutting down and sealing a nuclear 
facility. We would like to welcome this development at this stage, 
but we note that actions are more important than words. 
 
This was the first visit to Pyongyang by a senior US official since 
then Assistant Secretary of State Kelly in October 2002. Immediately 
before Hill's surprise visit to North Korea, the effort of 
transmitting North Korea's funds in the BDA was completed. Since the 
BDA issue allowed the North to gain advantage by complaining, that 
country welcomed the visit of Hill with the first stage of the 
measures still unaccomplished. For the North Koreans, there could 
not have been a better measure of their success. 
 
 
TOKYO 00002847  008 OF 010 
 
 
Hill met with North Korean Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun and Vice 
Foreign Minister Kim Gye Gwan. After the visit, in a press 
conference in Seoul, Hill said the North Koreans stated that they 
were ready, in addition to implementing the first stage measures, to 
go on to the next step of rendering inoperative the Yongbyon nuclear 
facility. 
 
However, it is only natural that the North carry out the agreement 
(first stage measures) reached at the six-party talks, once the BDA 
issue is generally tidied up. We were concerned by Hill's view on 
North Korea's denuclearization, namely, that it was conceivable that 
it would take some time. Is he saying that during the Bush 
administration, it would not be possible to resolve the North Korea 
nuclear problem? Moreover, in order to have a denuclearized North 
Korea, it is necessary to know what the complete nuclear program is. 
There was no detailed explanation about what sort of talks there 
would be on the North presenting a comprehensive list. On this 
point, too, we remain dissatisfied. 
 
11) "Negative" advertisement in US on wartime comfort-women issue 
backfires with House resolution calling for apology likely to be put 
to vote tomorrow 
 
MAINICHI (Page 2) (Full) 
June 25, 2007 
 
Masaya Oikawa, Washington 
 
The US House Committee on Foreign Affairs is to take a vote tomorrow 
on the resolution calling on Japan to apologize for the wartime 
comfort-women issue. The resolution is expected to be adopted. In 
that case, the resolution will be the second one that has cleared 
committee, following the one last year. The focus is on whether the 
resolution will clear the full session of the House. 
 
The resolution is set to be put to the vote tomorrow morning (late 
at night, Japan time of that day). The resolution was introduced in 
late January by Japanese-American Representative Mike Honda (D-CA). 
The co-sponsors of the resolution have now numbered 145 out of the 
435 House of Representatives as of June 23 amid the growing interest 
in former comfort women as a human rights issue because of their 
miserable circumstances. The resolution is certain to be adopted 
with Committee Chairman Tom Lantos, as well, likely to favor it. 
 
At one point the resolution was scheduled to be put to the vote 
after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to the United States in late 
April, but the vote was tabled. 
 
However, observers note that because a bipartisan group of Japanese 
lawmakers, journalists and others put a full-page advertisement in 
the Washington Post in its June 14 edition that went, "No historical 
documents have been found to prove that the former Imperial Japanese 
Army forced comfort women to work as prostitutes," objections to 
Japan's attitude have grown stronger. Japanese Ambassador to the US 
Ryozo Kato on June 20 revealed: "I was asked about (the full-pace 
advertisement) by US government officials and members of Congress." 
 
The Japanese government, in its effort to block the adoption of the 
resolution, expressed sympathy toward comfort women through the 
prime minister's meetings with Lantos and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi 
during his tour of the US. But because South Korean-affiliated 
organizations continued to lobby for the resolution, Japan was 
 
TOKYO 00002847  009 OF 010 
 
 
unable to block the vote-taking. 
 
12) DEFENSE & SECURITY 
 
USFJ commander: Japan's share of relocation cost would be cheaper 
than war 
 
AKAHATA (Page 2) (Full) 
June 23, 2007 
 
USFJ Commander Lt. Gen. Bruce Wright delivering a speech in Tokyo on 
June 22 indicated that Japan's share of expenses for USFJ 
realignment estimated at over 3 trillion yen was just. He said, 
"Defense is costly, but it is cheaper than war." 
 
The commander said: "In estimation, Japan's share would come to 26 
billion dollars (3.22 trillion yen)." 
 
US Deputy Defense Undersecretary Richard Lawless mentioned the 
figure 26 billion dollars last March. Wright became the first USFJ 
commander to refer to that figure. 
 
Wright also pointed out that: (1) the United States annually 
disburses 5 billion dollars for USJF personnel and equipment, and 
(2) Japan's military spending to GDP is less than 1 %  , while that 
of the United States is over 3.5 %  . The commander pressed Japan to 
shoulder a large portion of the realignment costs, saying: "Although 
it seems large, if war broke out in this region, military spending 
would increase at an exponential rate." 
 
A newly-launched blue-ribbon panel on the right to collective 
self-defense has been studying the propriety of intercepting a 
ballistic missile fired at the United States. Touching on that new 
development, Wright said: "We appreciate such a discussion on a 
policy level. Once the discussion becomes mature and guidelines are 
shown to US forces and the Self-Defense Forces, who and at what 
point such a missile should be shot down would become clear." 
 
13) USFJ Commander: Leak of Aegis data "very serious" 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
June 23, 2007 
 
Speaking to the press corps in Tokyo on June 22, US Forces Japan 
Commander Lt. Gen. Wright called the incident of Aegis data 
belonging to the Maritime Self-Defense Force having been leaked a 
"very serious national-security issue." He stated that in his view 
it would be necessary for Japan and the United States to make joint 
efforts to determine the contents of the leaked data and take steps 
to correct the problem. Referring to the blue-ribbon panel appointed 
by Prime Minister Abe to consider the possible use of the right of 
collective-self defense, the commander welcomed the move, saying, "I 
highly appreciate it." 
 
On the temporary deployment from Feb. to May of the US' 
state-of-the-art F-22A Raptors, he noted, "The aircraft's first 
overseas deployment ended successfully." 
 
14) MD accuracy at 99 %  : Kyuma 
 
MAINICHI (Page 2) (Slightly abridged) 
June 25, 2007 
 
TOKYO 00002847  010 OF 010 
 
 
 
Defense Minister Fumio Kyuma delivered a speech yesterday at a hotel 
in Miyakojima City, Okinawa Prefecture. In his speech there, Kyuma 
referred to how Japan will defend itself if and when it comes under 
attack from foreign countries like North Korea with their ballistic 
missiles. "The current missile defense (MD) system can do away with 
99 %  ," Kyuma said. Japan's MD readiness is a two-tier system 
consisting of the Standard Missile 3 (SM-3), a sea-based missile 
intercept system, and the Patriot Advanced Capability 3 (PAC-3), a 
ground-based system. "The SM-3 can intercept more than 90 %  ," 
Kyuma said. "The PAC-3 will shoot down 90 %   of the rest," he 
added. 
 
Meanwhile, the Defense Ministry recently sent the Maritime 
Self-Defense Force to conduct an on-the-spot environmental survey 
for the planned relocation of the US military's Futenma airfield. 
"From now on, we will not have to do such a thing, and I think 
things will go smoothly," Kyuma said. With this, he indicated that 
the Self-Defense Forces would not be mobilized for Futenma 
relocation. 
 
SCHIEFFER