VZCZCXRO8927
PP RUEHFK RUEHKSO RUEHNAG RUEHNH
DE RUEHKO #3163/01 1920826
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 110826Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5387
INFO RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEAWJA/USDOJ WASHDC PRIORITY
RULSDMK/USDOT WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J5//
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RHHMHBA/COMPACFLT PEARL HARBOR HI
RHMFIUU/HQ PACAF HICKAM AFB HI//CC/PA//
RUALSFJ/COMUSJAPAN YOKOTA AB JA//J5/JO21//
RUYNAAC/COMNAVFORJAPAN YOKOSUKA JA
RUAYJAA/CTF 72
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 4413
RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 1993
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 5582
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 1085
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 2790
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 7827
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 3887
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 4970

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 07 TOKYO 003163 
 
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: DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 07/11/07-1 
 
 
Index: 
 
(1) Defense Minister Koike asks for US cooperation on provision of 
data on next-generation fighter planes during talks with US 
Ambassador to Japan 
 
(2) Japan-US drill under ballistic missile defense premised on a 
joint strategy 
 
(3) Poll: 10 %  switch from LDP to DPJ for voting in proportional 
representation 
 
(4) Poll: LDP faced with public backlashes 
 
(5) Upper House Election - 2400 participated in national opinion 
poll; Strong signs of "performance evaluation" 
 
(6) LDP desperate to put end to Agriculture Minister Akagi's office 
expenses problem 
 
(7) Editorial: Agriculture Minister Akagi must not underestimate the 
public 
 
ARTICLES: 
 
(1) Defense Minister Koike asks for US cooperation on provision of 
data on next-generation fighter planes during talks with US 
Ambassador to Japan 
 
Sankei On-Line 
July 11, 2007 
 
Defense Minister Yuriko Koike on the morning of July 11 met with US 
Ambassador to Japan Schieffer at the Defense Ministry. During the 
meeting she sought US cooperation regarding provision of data on 
follow-on mainstay fighter planes, which Japan plans to choose by 
next summer. She also indicated her intention to uncover the overall 
picture of the incident of the leaking of key data on Aegis-equipped 
destroyers and stressed her determination to prevent a recurrence of 
such an incident. 
 
In response, Schieffer pointed out that the US took the incident 
very seriously. Regarding the selection of next-generation mainstay 
fighter aircraft, the ambassador noted that Japan should consider 
the issue not only from a microscopic view of the world, namely, 
what airplane should we choose, but also from a perspective of what 
is important for Japan's peace and security. 
 
Koike conveyed to Schieffer her intention to visit the US after the 
Upper House election and meet with Secretary of Defense Gates. 
 
(2) Japan-US drill under ballistic missile defense premised on a 
joint strategy 
 
ASAHI (Page 16) (Excerpt) 
Eve., July 11, 2007 
 
It has been learned that in the joint drill under ballistic missile 
defense (BMD) carried out on July 6 between the US armed forces and 
the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) that intelligence, such as the 
expected impact point that was picked up by Aegis vessels on both 
sides was transmitted to an intercept squadron at the US forces' 
 
TOKYO 00003163  002 OF 007 
 
 
Kadena Air Base (Okinawa Prefecture), where Patriot-3 guided 
missiles (PAC3) are operating to intercept ballistic missiles, and 
to SDF headquarters. This is the first time for such a type of 
training exercise to be carried out. 
 
With content of the drill premised on adopting a joint strategy 
between Japan and the US in order to respond to North Korean 
ballistic missiles, the training exercise can be said to have 
entered the actual combat stage. 
 
According to an informed source, the US forces deployed the Aegis 
destroyer, John S. McCain, from Yokosuka Naval Base, and the SDF, 
the Aegis vessel, Myoukou, to the Sea of Japan. The SDF flew AWACS 
over the Sea of Japan to play a relay role for data communications. 
Additionally, the US forces transmitted the data gathered the by the 
Aegis destroyer to the intercept squadron at Kadena Air Base. 
 
(3) Poll: 10 %  switch from LDP to DPJ for voting in proportional 
representation 
 
NIKKEI (Page 1) (Full) 
July 10, 2007 
 
Ahead of July 29's election for the House of Councillors, the Nihon 
Keizai Shimbun conducted an online poll on July 6-9 to probe changes 
in public attitudes. Among those who chose the ruling Liberal 
Democratic Party for proportional representation in the first online 
poll conducted two weeks ago, 10 %  changed their mind and chose the 
leading opposition Democratic Party of Japan (Minshuto) in the poll 
this time. Meanwhile, the proportion of those who switched from the 
DPJ to the LDP was only 2 % . The voter is turning a more severe eye 
toward the governing party against the backdrop of the government's 
failure to keep the records of payments into public pension plans 
and the public criticism of politics-and-money scandals. 
 
The poll was conducted by Nikkei Research Inc. on the Internet 
throughout the country with a total of 3,000 persons chosen from 
among men and women aged 20 and over. The first in the online 
polling series was conducted June 22-25, with valid answers obtained 
from 35.3 % . In the second poll this time, the rate of valid 
respondents was 34.9 % . 
 
In the choice of political parties for proportional representation, 
the DPJ rose 6  percentage points to 39 % , with the LDP up only 1 
point to 20 % . 
 
Respondents were also asked which political party's candidate they 
would vote for in their electoral districts. To this question, 41 % 
said they would vote for a DPJ candidate, up 4 points from the last 
survey. However, the proportion of those who said they would vote 
for an LDP candidate leveled off at 22 % . Among those who answered 
in the last survey that they would vote for an LDP candidate, 8 % 
answered this time that they would vote for a DPJ candidate, with 8 
%  saying they "don't know." 
 
In the survey this time, a total of 40 %  have now chosen a 
political party for proportional representation, up 7 points from 
the last survey. For electoral districts as well, the proportion of 
determined voters rose 6 points to 35 % . Among DPJ supporters, the 
proportion of those determined for proportional representation rose 
8 points to 51 % , with the proportion of those determined for 
electoral districts also up 11 points to 46 % . Among LDP 
 
TOKYO 00003163  003 OF 007 
 
 
supporters, however, the proportion of those determined for 
proportional representation rose 4 points to 42 % , with the 
proportion of those determined for electoral districts up only 2 
points to 38 % . 
 
Among floating voters with no particular party affiliation, 84 % 
remain undecided for electoral districts, with 77 %  wavering for 
proportional representation. It is a big challenge for the ruling 
and opposition blocs in their campaigns to win over these undecided 
voters. 
 
Voter trends grasped in serial polling 
 
In the online polling of voters on the upcoming election for the 
House of Councillors, a total of 3,000 persons are randomly sampled 
out of about 140,000 cooperative monitors on Nikkei Research Inc.'s 
nationwide roster. They are asked via email for cooperation and 
answer on the screen of a designated website. The same monitors will 
be asked for answers until the election. 
 
For this serial online polling, samples are balanced with gender, 
age strata, and localities factored in. However, online sampling is 
prone to be biased to those highly interested in politics or 
Internet access. In the breakdown of respondents, 57 %  are male. 
The average age of respondents is 49, about five years younger than 
those chosen for ordinary telephone-based public opinion surveys. 
However, online polling, in a way, can better grasp public interest 
in the House of Councillors election and changes in public voting 
behavior. 
 
(4) Poll: LDP faced with public backlashes 
 
NIKKEI (Page 3) (Abridged) 
July 10, 2007 
 
A recent online poll conducted by the Nihon Keizai Shimbun on the 
upcoming election for the House of Councillors discovered the 
deep-seated criticism of the government's pension fiasco. In 
addition, there is another issue involving Agriculture, Forestry and 
Fisheries Minister Norihiko Akagi over his shady office operating 
expenses. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party is in a whirlwind of 
public backlashes. The leading opposition Democratic Party of Japan 
(Minshuto) is playing the role of an alternative to a certain extent 
for those critical of the Abe government. With the House of 
Councillors election just around the corner, voters are highly 
concerned about the government's failure to keep the records of 
people's payments into public pension plans and politics-and-money 
scandals. 
 
"Are you interested in the House of Councillors election?" In 
response to this question, the total proportion of those "very 
interested" and those "somewhat interested" reached 87 % , up 4 
percentage points from the last survey. With the election to be 
announced July 12, public interest is growing. 
 
The ruling and opposition camps are both aiming to secure a majority 
of the seats in the House of Councillors, including those not up for 
reelection. In the survey, respondents were asked if they would like 
the ruling coalition to sustain its current majority of the seats in 
the House of Councillors. To this question, "yes" accounted for 23 % 
, down 1 point. Meanwhile, the proportion of those who would like 
the ruling coalition to lose its majority rose 3 points to 63 % . 
 
TOKYO 00003163  004 OF 007 
 
 
 
In addition, respondents were also asked what if the ruling 
coalition failed to secure a majority of the seats in the House of 
Councillors. To this question, 33 %  answered that Prime Minister 
Abe should dissolve the House of Representatives for a general 
election. This answer topped all other answers. Among other answers, 
24 %  said Prime Minister Abe should step down, with 20 %  saying 
the prime minister should shuffle his cabinet. Respondents were 
further asked to pick one or more policy issues they would consider 
when voting in the House of Councillors election. In response, a 
total of 63 %  picked "pensions," which ranked first and topped 50 % 
 in all age brackets. Among other answers, "healthcare, nursing 
care, welfare" accounted for 52 % , with "politics and money" at 47 
% . 
 
(5) Upper House Election - 2400 participated in national opinion 
poll; Strong signs of "performance evaluation" 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 11) (Full) 
July 11, 2007 
 
Yoshiaki Kobayashi, Professor at Keio University 
 
If the election were held tomorrow, the Liberal Democratic Party 
(LDP) would probably face a much harsher result than the previous 
Upper House election in 2004. 
 
Looking at the breakdown of party support rates, at present, the LDP 
(at 40 % ) enjoys almost double the support of the Democratic Party 
of Japan, or Minshuto, (at 21 % ). At first glance, it appears that 
the LDP can win all the single-seat constituencies, but the election 
is not so simple. 
 
This is because the unaffiliated voters (22 % ) could throw their 
support behind the Minshuto candidates, or the crucial  percentage 
of LDP supporters who actually vote for LDP candidates (the yield 
rate) could decline. 
 
Taking a look at the attitude of the unaffiliated voters, unlike the 
2004 election, which served as a referendum on the issue of postal 
privatization, the upcoming election shows signs of becoming a 
"performance evaluation" of the current government. 
 
For example, 79 %  of unaffiliated voters (in analyzing the most 
recent Tokyo Shimbun nationwide poll) responded that they "cannot 
rely" on "the government's response to the pension problem," and 
among these voters, 33 %  would vote for Minshuto in the 
proportional representation bloc as compared to 6 %  who would vote 
for the LDP. Regarding the issue of "transparency in politics and 
expenses," 83 %  of unaffiliated voters said they "did not 
appreciate" the government's efforts, and among these, 33 %  would 
vote for Minshuto compared to 7 %  who would vote for the LDP. 
 
In other words, many unaffiliated voters do not appreciate the 
government's handling of the pension fiasco or political funds 
issues, and they are starting to lean towards Minshuto. 
 
Meanwhile, among LDP supporters, the  percentage saying they would 
vote for the LDP in the proportional representation bloc has 
remained at 58 % . Compared to the 74 %  shown in polls taken at a 
similar point in time during the 2004 election, this is a 16 point 
drop in the yield rate. 
 
TOKYO 00003163  005 OF 007 
 
 
 
Furthermore, 44 %  of LDP supporters do not appreciate the 
government's response to the pension fiasco, and 38 %  do not 
appreciate the government's approach to political fund regulation. 
Among these LDP supporters who do not support the current Cabinet, 
the  percentage that would vote for the LDP in the proportional 
representation bloc (27 % ) far trails the  percentage that would 
vote for Minshuto (40 % ). 
 
Some say that these political attitudes of LDP supporters are a 
replay of the political environment surrounding the 1989 Upper House 
elections, however I would point out one difference - the fact that 
Prime Minister Abe has not run away from the pension fiasco is the 
ruling coalition's saving grace. 
 
In 1989, the opposition camp attacked the LDP with the "daily life 
issue" of the consumption tax (TN: the consumption tax had just been 
introduced that year). The LDP, foreseeing the fall of the Berlin 
Wall that was to happen at the end of the year, focused on broader 
"ideological issues," asking voters to choose between the economic 
systems of capitalism and socialism. This approach, however, failed 
to attract voters and in the battle of election issues, the LDP 
suffered a humiliating loss. 
 
If in this election the LDP had decided to skirt the "daily life 
issue" of pensions and introduced a broader "ideological issue," 
they may have faced similar results. Yet, because they took up the 
handling of the pension issue as the main focus of the election, 
there remains the possibility this time around that in the time 
remaining, the LDP can turn things around. 
 
In closing, the factor we must worry about most is low voter 
turnout. This is because the winners of the upcoming Upper House 
election will remain in office until 2013, and depending on the 
situation, they may be in a position to vote on issues such as 
constitutional revision or a move to the regional system - a once in 
a lifetime opportunity to make a decision regarding the most 
important issues of the postwar period. 
 
It is imperative that the public will to select these important 
politicians be strong. If voter turnout is less than 50 % , the will 
of 25 %  of the population will decide the future of the country. 
 
"One second of voting equals a hundred years in a country's 
history." This entry in a 1928 catchphrase contest, the year of 
Japan's first regular elections, can be applied to the upcoming 
Upper House election. If democracy is "deciding one's matters by 
oneself," it is meaningless unless voters go to the polls. 
 
(6) LDP desperate to put end to Agriculture Minister Akagi's office 
expenses problem 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Full) 
July 11, 2007 
 
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is now desperately trying 
to put an end to Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister 
Norihiko Akagi's money scandal in an attempt to avoid negative 
impact on the outcome of the July 29 House of Councillors election. 
However, the LDP's move could backfire, prompting voters to lash out 
at the government and LDP. 
 
 
TOKYO 00003163  006 OF 007 
 
 
The LDP executives shared in a meeting yesterday the view that Akagi 
did not violate the law and the public would understand if he gave 
them a full explanation. 
 
Should the LDP enter the campaign for the Upper House race without 
ending the issue, it will inevitably have an uphill battle in the 
election. The LDP leadership has a choice to urge Prime Minister 
Shinzo Abe to sack Akagi. 
 
However, if Akagi becomes the fourth minister in the Abe cabinet to 
be dismissed, Abe's responsibility for appointing him will be 
severely called into question. As a result, the support rating for 
the Abe cabinet will decline further, inflicting a mortal wound on 
the cabinet. Therefore, the LDP executive has determined that it 
would better for the party to wait for the Akagi scandal to die 
down, rather than to sack him. 
 
A senior member of the LDP caucus in the Upper House said: "This 
issue is over now. The candidates have no other choice but do their 
best to win the election, facing adverse wind." 
 
Secretary General Hidenao Nakagawa instructed Acting Secretary 
 
SIPDIS 
General Nobuteru Ishihara to review the internal regulations so that 
the flow of funds of the Diet members' political organizations will 
become clearer. The move was apparently aimed to play up the party's 
stance of making efforts for dealing with the matter. 
 
Akihiro Ota, leader of the New Komeito, the LDP's coalition partner, 
stated yesterday in interviews to the Tokyo Shimbun and other 
newspapers: "I would like him to fulfill his responsibility as 
agriculture minister to make a full explanation." He indicated in 
his remarks that the New Komeito might call on Abe to dismiss 
Akagi. 
 
Meanwhile, Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan) President Yukio 
Hatoyama told reporters in Nagoya City in a strong tone: "The 
(agriculture minister) has not at all fulfilled his accountability. 
The prime minister should sack him." Since the opposition intends to 
step up its attack, there is no guarantee that the LDP's plan will 
work out as is its intention. 
 
(7) Editorial: Agriculture Minister Akagi must not underestimate the 
public 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 5) (Full) 
July 11, 2007 
 
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Norihiko Akagi 
re-explained the question of his shady offices expenses yesterday. 
He repeatedly denied any transfer of expenses or fictitious 
expenses, while refusing to produce receipts. His explanation was 
simply insufficient to convince the public. 
 
Akagi said: "There has been no mixture of private matters and public 
ones, like funding my parents' living expenses with my support 
association's expenses." Seeing his parent's large estate on 
television, nobody thought of such a thing. Akagi might have used 
his office to conceal dubious expenses -- this is the point of the 
suspicion. He seems unaware of the severity of the situation. 
 
The "Norihiko Akagi support organization," which is the farm 
minister's political organization, registered his parent's house as 
 
TOKYO 00003163  007 OF 007 
 
 
its main office and declared about 90 million yen as office expenses 
over 10 years up to 2005. The public wants to know whether or not 
the 90 million yen was really used as office expenses, and if not, 
how it was actually used. 
 
In yesterday's press conference, Akagi explained his office expenses 
this way: "My parent's house has been serving as the base in my home 
constituency. About 90 million yen was the sum total of the expenses 
incurred for my offices in Mito, Shimotsuma, and my parent's house." 
He did not give any new information. Such an explanation is 
meaningless. 
 
Days earlier, Akagi's parents and a representative of his supporters 
association indicated that the parent's house has not been used as 
an office. But they later retracted their words as if to align 
themselves with Akagi's explanation yesterday. Their about-face has 
left an awkward impression rather than dispelled suspicion. Some 
even suspect that those individuals made certain they would tell the 
same story. 
 
We have urged the agriculture minister to produce receipts in 
explaining his office expenses, believing that was the only way to 
wipe out strong public distrust. 
 
"I have reported on office expenses properly based on the law," 
Akagi said, expressing his unwillingness to produce receipts. Prime 
Minister Shinzo Abe, too, indicated that there was no need to 
disclose receipts, saying, "A set of rules have been established 
from a viewpoint of freedom of political activities. Following those 
rules is essential." 
 
Under the revised Political Funds Control Law, fund management 
organizations are required to attach receipts to their fund reports 
for every item costing 50,000 yen or more. The law does not apply to 
political organizations, like the one run by Akagi, however. 
 
Refusing to disclose receipts on the strength of the loophole-filled 
law runs counter to the spirit of the very law that is intended to 
increase the transparency of political funds. It also conflicts with 
the political ethics guidelines that a lawmaker under suspicion must 
make every effort to clear his name. 
 
After the press conference, the farm minister left for Europe for 
talks with World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Pascal 
Lamy and others. If he does not want to be criticized for getting 
away from the scandal, the minister must hold a press conference 
immediately after returning home to fulfill his accountability. 
 
SCHIEFFER