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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 09 TOKYO 003749 
 
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 08/15/07 
 
 
Index: 
1) Top headlines 
 
2) Editorials 
 
3) Prime Minister's daily schedule 
 
4) Foreign Minister Aso, Israeli counterpart agree to support 
Palestinian leader Abbas 
 
5) Prime Minister Abe looking forward to meeting the late Justice 
Pal's family in India 
 
6) Japan developing rare metals in South Africa as part of its 
strengthened resource diplomacy 
 
7) Prime Minister Abe remains ambiguous about Yasukuni Shrine visit 
issue 
 
8) Former Prime Minister Koizumi to visit Yasukuni Shrine today 
 
9) Defense Minister Koike, Vice Defense Minister Moriya meet but 
issue of his replacement not resolved 
 
10) Truce called for time being in Koike-Moriya feud 
 
11) Preparations start to move the Army's I-Corps command to Camp 
Zama 
 
12) Abe thinking of appointing Komura and Hori into his new cabinet 
 
13) Abe has changed style with TV cameras: no longer faces audience 
but turns toward reporter 
 
14) Justice Minister Hagese's political funding sources a tangle 
with 41 separate support groups working for him 
 
15) (Corrected copy) Commotion over position of vice defense 
minister; Chief cabinet secretary says next minister to decide; 
Defense Minister Koike threatens to resign 
 
Articles: 
1) TOP HEADLINES 
Asahi: 
46 million Matsushita-made cellphone batteries recalled; Nokia: 
cellphones could overheat 
 
Mainichi: 
Sapporo firm shipped confectionery containing staphylococcus; 
"Shiroi Koibito" confectionery expiration date altered 
 
Yomiuri: 
Matsushita batteries: 46 million cellphones recalled; Batteries made 
for Nokia may overheat, expand when charging 
 
Nikkei: 
Pension Fund Association to invest in real estate development; Hopes 
for high rental income though partnership with big companies 
 
Sankei: 
One month after Niigata Chuetsu Offshore Earthquake: Lacking homes 
to return to, anxiety grows 
 
TOKYO 00003749  002 OF 009 
 
 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
46 million Matsushita-made cellphone batteries recalled; Fear of 
overheating 
 
2) EDITORIALS 
Asahi: 
History of the war: Have you ever seen as many as 1,000 flies? 
 
Mainichi: 
Anniversary of end of World War II: Living security necessary 
 
Yomiuri: 
Mark August 15 in calm circumstances 
 
Nikkei: 
(1)  Japan should be a friend of Asia without forgetting history of 
the war 
(2)  Internal trouble in the Defense Ministry 
 
Sankei: 
August 15: Think about the weigh of requiem history 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
Anniversary of end of the war: Message from the extreme situation 
 
3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, August 14 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
August 15, 2007 
 
Spent the morning at his official residence. 
12:37: 
Arrived at the Kantei. 
14:00: 
Met Cabinet Special Advisor Kurokawa. Followed by Deputy Chief 
Cabinet Secretary Matoba. Later met UN Ambassador Takasu. 
15:27: 
Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Suga. 
16:07: 
Met State Minister in Charge of Economic and Fiscal Policy Ota. 
Followed by Matoba. 
17:28: 
Returned to his official residence. 
 
4) Japanese, Israeli foreign ministers agree on support of Chairman 
Abbas of Palestinian Authority 
 
SANKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
August 15, 2007 
 
Makiko Tagami, Jerusalem 
 
Foreign Minister Taro Aso, currently visiting Israel, met his 
Israeli counterpart Tzipi Livni on the afternoon of Aug. 14, local 
time. The two foreign ministers agreed to continue to support 
Chairman Abbas of the Palestinian Authority government, who has 
adopted a peace-oriented policy. Aso asked that Israel make more 
efforts to build up confidence with the Palestinian Authority by 
taking such measures as further reducing the number of checkpoints 
 
TOKYO 00003749  003 OF 009 
 
 
in the west bank of the Jordan and removing its unauthorized colony 
base. 
 
Aso spelled out Japan's plan of providing the Palestinian Authority 
government with 20 million dollars or approximately 2.4 billion yen 
in economic aid, saying: "Japan would like to positively help Israel 
and the Palestinian Authority to work together for mutual harmony 
and benefit." 
 
Livni expressed strong apprehension about Iran's nuclear development 
program, remarking: "The international community has no time left." 
 
Aso replied: "It is necessary for the international community to 
take a resolute attitude and to continue to call on Iran to 
cooperate with the international community. Japan has also continued 
to talk with Iran." 
 
Later, Aso met Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense 
Minister Ehud Barak separately. 
 
5) Prime Minister Abe: "I look forward to meeting" with family 
member of war tribunal judge Pal 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
August 15, 2007 
 
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reveled yesterday that when he visits 
India, he will meet a descendant of the late Radhabinod Pal, who 
served as a judge at the International Military Tribunal for the Far 
East. He told the press corps at the Prime Minister's Official 
Residence: "Judge Pal is associated with Japan. I look forward to 
hearing the story about the father (Pal)." 
 
Pal was the only person who argued that all Japanese, who were 
charged with Class-A war criminals, including wartime prime minister 
Hideki Tojo, should be found not guilty. When asked by reporters 
that the planned meeting might provoke Asian countries, Abe 
responded: "I don't think such will happen." 
 
6) Resource diplomacy to be strengthened: Government to shortly 
reach agreement with South Africa on development of rare metals 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 3) (Full) 
August 15, 2007 
 
The government yesterday decided to strengthen its resource 
diplomacy starting with developing rare metals, materials that are 
in dispensable for home electronics. It will likely reach an 
agreement with South Africa shortly on the joint development of rare 
metals and technical cooperation. The government will also sound out 
Latin American countries for cooperation in a bid to secure crude 
oil. 
 
Demands for rare metals and crude oil are increasing throughout the 
world due to the economic expansion in Japan, the US and European 
countries and economic growth in newly emerging countries. Their 
prices are also surging. As such, the government has judged that it 
would be necessary to strengthen relations with resource-rich 
countries in Africa, South America and Central Asia. 
 
China is trying to secure resources, such as crude oil, through 
top-level diplomacy with African nations. Japan intends to counter 
 
TOKYO 00003749  004 OF 009 
 
 
China by offering technology and building industrial infrastructure 
in resource-rich countries. 
 
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and leading 
trading houses will dispatch a delegation to South Africa as early 
as September. The two countries are expected to reach an agreement 
to conduct a joint exploration of rare metals and launch efforts to 
put the development of such metals into shape. South Africa produces 
80 percent of platinum produced in the world. Platinum is used for 
auto parts. The production of chrome and vanadium by that nation 
accounts for 40 percent of the amount produced globally. The 
delegation will consider visiting Madagascar as well, which has 
nickel and cobalt reserves. 
 
China, which is ahead of Japan regarding resource diplomacy, is also 
a precious metal producing country. It has exported precious metals 
to Japan as well. However, its domestic use of the materials has 
increased due to expanded industrial production. It is recently 
constraining exports of rare metals. Japan's industrial circles are 
increasingly feeling alarmed about the situation. 
 
7) Today is 62nd anniversary of end of war 
 
SANKEI (Page 3) (Full) 
August 15, 2007 
 
August 15 is the 62nd anniversary of the end of the war. In addition 
to a ceremony held by the Japanese government at the Budokan in 
Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, in order to commemorate the country's war dead, 
local governments, relatives of the deceased, and civilian groups in 
every area are planning to have commemorative services or 
gatherings. Meanwhile all sixteen members of Prime Minister Abe's 
cabinet seem ready to forgo visits to Yasukuni Shrine -the first 
such time since 1955, when many cabinet members began to visit the 
shrine, that no cabinet members will pay a visit to the shrine on 
the anniversary of the end of the war. 
 
Yesterday, when asked whether or not he would visit Yasukuni on 
August 15, Prime Minister Abe maintained his secrecy, repeating that 
he would not reveal his plans. The prime minister responded to a 
question at his official residence (Kantei). 
 
The Emperor and the Empress, Prime Minister Abe, and about 7200 
relatives of the deceased are scheduled to attend the ceremony 
commemorating the country's war dead. They will be praying for the 
souls of the approximately 3,100,000 people (about 2,300,000 
soldiers and civilian personnel and about 800,000 civilians) who 
died during the war. After a speech by Prime Minister Abe, everyone 
will observe a minute of silence at noon. After the Emperor says a 
few words, the presidents of both the Upper and Lower House and 
representatives from the families of the war dead will give 
commemorative speeches, following which representatives from the 
attendees will offer flowers at the ceremonial platform. 
 
8) Former Prime Minister Koizumi to visit Yasukuni Shrine today 
 
MAINICHI (Page 3) (Full) 
August 15, 2007 
 
It was learned yesterday that former Prime Minister Junichiro 
Koizumi will visit Yasukuni Shrine on Aug. 15, the day marking the 
end of World War II. He will be visiting the shrine this day for the 
 
TOKYO 00003749  005 OF 009 
 
 
second consecutive year. He is presumably aiming at making an appeal 
that his stance remains solid even after stepping down as prime 
minister. Since nearly a year has passed since he resigned as prime 
minister, his visit to the shrine is expected to have only a minimal 
impact on neighboring countries, such as China. 
 
9) Defense ministry personnel appointment issue: Defense Minister 
Koike says, "My thinking is unchanged," following meeting with Vice 
Minister Moriya, which ended without agreement 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
August 15, 2007 
 
The uproar in the Defense Ministry over the appointment of an 
administrative vice minister continued unabated on Aug. 14, and it 
seems likely that it will be a long drawn-out affair. Minister 
Yuriko Koike yesterday met for approximately 20 minutes with Vice 
Minister Takemasa Moriya in the ministry to propose once again that 
Chief of the Secretariat Tetsuya Nishikawa, who hails from the 
National Police Agency, be promoted to vice minister. She pressed 
for Moriya to resign, saying, "My thinking is unchanged." Moriya 
argued that she did not follow proper procedures and refused to 
agree. The meeting ended without agreement. 
 
Koike had set up the meeting after Prime Minister Abe on Aug. 13 
froze the appointment of a vice minister until after he shuffles his 
cabinet. The meeting was another clash reflecting the stubbornness 
and face-consciousness of the two, with Koike using her appointment 
authority to try to grasp real authority in the ministry, and 
Moriya, displaying his political power that transcends the cabinet. 
 
10) Defense Minister Koike, Vice Defense Minister Moriya lay down 
arms for awhile over personnel rotations 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
August 15, 2007 
 
Prime Minister Yuriko Koike met yesterday at her ministry with 
Administrative Vice Minister Takemasa Moriya, relations with whom 
have been strained since she told him to step down from his post. 
Regarding Moriya's retirement and the appointment of his 
replacement, which have been frozen at Chief Cabinet Secretary 
Yasuhisa Shiozaki's decision, Koike told Moriya: "The new defense 
minister will appoint the next vice minister after the cabinet is 
reshuffled." They agreed to postpone settlement until after the 
cabinet reshuffle slated for Aug. 27. 
 
In the about 20-minute meeting, Koike first told Moriya; "Let us not 
to cause trouble to Mr. Abe." Moriya responded: "I agree with you." 
Koike got briefed on the dismantlement of the Defense Facilities 
Administration Agency, the organizational plan of a Defense 
Examination Headquarters, which will be created when the ministry is 
reorganized in September. 
 
Completely changed from the day before yesterday when sparks flew 
between them when they separately visited the Prime Minister's 
Official Residence. This time, they reportedly carried out the 
meeting in a calm manner. 
 
Koike told reporters after the meeting: "We work for the defense of 
Japan, but we are not defending ourselves." 
 
 
TOKYO 00003749  006 OF 009 
 
 
11) DFAB to set up team to prepare for moving US Army 1st Corps 
command to Camp Zama 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 3) (Full) 
August 15, 2007 
 
The United States and Japan have agreed to transfer the US Army 1st 
Corps command to US Army base Camp Zama in Sagamihara, Kanagawa 
Prefecture, as part of the planned realignment of the US forces in 
Japan. Officials of the Yokohama Defense Facilities Administration 
Bureau (DFAB) visited the Zama municipal government yesterday and 
revealed a plan to establish a team in Camp Zama around August 20 to 
advance preparations for the transfer plan. 
 
According to the bureau, the US military will dispatch 15 members 
each from the Headquarters of the US Forces in Japan and the US Army 
Command in the US to engage in investigative activities in 
preparation for drawing up staff-assignment and other plans for the 
new headquarters. A decision has been made to complete the transfer 
plan by September 2008, but nothing had been unveiled about 
practical moves to promote the transfer. 
 
12) Prime minister considering appointing Komura, Hori to his 
cabinet 
 
YOMIURI (Page 1) (Full) 
August 15, 2007 
 
Prime Minister Abe is considering the possibility of appointing 
former Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura, 65, chairman of the Komura 
faction of the Liberal Democratic Party, and former Education 
Minister Kosuke Hori, 72, to serve in his cabinet when he shuffles 
it on Aug. 27. Abe has expressed his determination to make a fresh 
start by reorganizing his cabinet. He apparently plans to appoint 
influential LDP members with cabinet experience and policy expertise 
to solidify unity in the government and the ruling camp in an effort 
to rebuild his administration. 
 
Komura, who has been elected to the House of Representatives nine 
times, has so far held such cabinet posts as foreign minister and 
justice minister. Some observers speculate that the prime minister 
might be thinking of giving the environment portfolio to him, 
thinking of Japan hosting the 2008 Lake Toya Summit, in which a 
post-Kyoto framework to contain global warming will take center 
stage. 
 
Komura chairs the Japanese Association of Dietmembers League for 
Japan-China Friendship. Focusing on the next Olympic Games in 
Beijing in August of next year, there are calls for him to become 
foreign minister in order to strengthen ties with China. 
 
Hori, who has been elected 10 times to the Lower House, engaged in 
drawing up a bill amending the Fundamental Law of Education as 
chairman of a study group in the ruling camp. Keeping this 
experience in mind, some recommend that Hori should be awarded with 
the post of education, culture, sports, science and technology 
minister to steer education reform. 
 
Hori was one of the so-called postal rebels who left the LDP because 
of his opposition to the postal-privatization bill, but he returned 
to the party last December. Some surmise that the prime minister 
might be aiming to play up a policy of intraparty reconciliation by 
 
TOKYO 00003749  007 OF 009 
 
 
appointing a postal rebel to his new cabinet. 
 
13) Prime Minister Abe changes attitude in responding to questions 
by reporters 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
August 15, 2007 
 
There has been a change in Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's usual stance 
of turning his eyes on the TV camera at press briefings everyday. He 
has now changed from just gazing at the camera to turning his eyes 
to look at the reporters. He used to try to talk directly to the 
public by staring into the camera while answering questions by the 
reporters. However, the press were unhappy with this stance. He 
appears to have reflected on the situation since his party suffered 
a humiliating defeat in the July House of Councillors election. 
 
Abe meets the press once every day before the TV cameras. He has 
been gazing the camera while answering questions, not turning his 
eyes on reporters since mid-April, noting that he was responding to 
the public rather than to questions from reporters. 
 
However, Mickey Yasukawa, a media personality, told Abe on a radio 
program, on which Abe was a guest before the Upper House election: 
"It is not good that you speak while gazing at one point like a 
dragonfly." Producer Terry Ito also advised him to change his 
attitude, saying, "Speaking always in the same tone is not 
appealing." 
 
Therefore, Abe now looks at reporters when he answers questions. He 
has refrained from provoking reporters when they question him, as 
well. Abe's aide said: "He is explaining in a polite way." Asked by 
reporters about the change in his attitude, Abe responded with a 
forced smile: "I don't see any particular change." 
 
14) Justice Minister Nagase has as many as 41 political 
organizations that mutually make donations in a complicated manner 
 
MAINICHI (Page 2) (Full) 
August 15, 2007 
 
It was learned that the fund management organizations of four 
cabinet ministers are in a dormant state. Of the four, Justice 
Minister Jinen Nagase (Lower House Toyama Constituency No. 1) has at 
least 41 political organizations, including Chosei-kai, a fund 
management organization. Following the major setback in the Upper 
House election, discussions to amend (the Political Funds Control 
Law) to mandate all political organizations to attach receipts for 
expenditures over 1 yen are going on in the Liberal Democratic Party 
(LDP). However, many members are opposing the idea citing an 
increase in administrative work as the reason. There appears to be a 
situation in which politicians who have more than one political 
organization are making administrative work complicated. 
 
As far as the election committee has confirmed, Nagase has 41 
political organizations (as reported to the Toyama Prefectural 
Election Committee of the Internal Affairs Ministry), the largest 
amount among the four in question. 
 
According to Nagase's political fund payment report for 2005, 11 
political organizations related to him have offices in the same 
building in Toyama City. Another six organizations also have offices 
 
TOKYO 00003749  008 OF 009 
 
 
in the same office building in Uozu City, Toyama Prefecture. 
Nagase's local secretaries are serving as accountants and 
administrative clerks at most of these political organizations. 
However, some of these organizations such as "Koron Circler" or 
"Monday Club" bear names which make it impossible to tell whether or 
not they are Nagase's political organizations. Chosei-kai, Nagase's 
fund management organization, has an office in a building in Chiyoda 
Ward, Tokyo, along with two other political organizations related to 
him. 
 
Those organizations make donations to each other in a complicated 
manner. There have been cases of two organizations with the same 
address having made donations to each other. Of 8 million yen 
reported by Chosei-kai as expenses for political activities, 7 
million yen was found to have been used as a donation to the "New 
Age Policy Research Center", which has an office in the same 
location as Chosei-kai. 
 
Regarding the fact that Nagase has many political organizations and 
that there is a complicated flow of funds, an official of his office 
noted, "All organizations are independent. We understand that 
political organizations that pursue political activities make 
donations in compliance with law." 
 
15) (Corrected copy) Commotion over position of vice defense 
minister; Chief cabinet secretary says next minister to decide; 
Defense Minister Koike threatens to resign 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) 
August 14, 2007 
 
Yesterday, the Japanese government decided to wait on a decision 
about the post of vice defense minister until after the 
reorganization of the cabinet on August 27. Chief Cabinet Secretary 
Shiozaki met with Defense Minister Koike and informed her of the 
government's decision saying: "The person who is selected as the 
defense minister in the new cabinet lineup will decide on the next 
vice defense minister." Koike is strongly protesting this 
pronouncement. She told Shiozaki that she will take it as her 
responsibility to get Tetsuya Nishikawa (60), director-general of 
the defense minister's secretariat, appointed. She also suggested 
that she will consider resigning as defense minister. 
 
Koike had decided to retire Vice Defense Minister Takemasa Moriya 
(62) in September and replace him with Nishikawa, who formerly 
worked at the National Police Agency. Moriya, who holds the real 
power in the defense ministry, has been in his post for an unusually 
long period of over four years. Koike has said: "I must think of the 
rejuvenation of the organization." 
 
However, Koike did not consult Moriya about her plans regarding the 
post of vice defense minister, nor were preparations made for a 
cabinet meeting to discuss new personnel. These cabinet meetings are 
usually held when deciding on new top officials for each ministry, 
and they are a place where chief and deputy secretaries can take a 
look at candidates before the final decision is made. 
 
According to a government source, four chief and deputy cabinet 
secretaries, including Shiozaki, met unofficially regarding this 
 
SIPDIS 
issue on August 7, while Koike was visiting the US. They agreed 
first that they would not accept personnel decisions that had not 
gone under review in an official cabinet meeting, and second that 
 
TOKYO 00003749  009 OF 009 
 
 
the person who will be defense minister after the cabinet 
reorganization will decide on the post. Last night, Prime Minister 
Abe told reporters that "the personnel issue has not yet been 
decided. The Chief Cabinet Secretary will hold a cabinet meeting to 
discuss personnel matters." It appears that for the time being, he 
is taking a wait-and-see attitude towards the situation. 
 
Meanwhile, Moriya, who heard about his retirement in a shocking 
manner, is making moves behind the scenes, reaching out to those in 
the office of the prime minister in attempts to affect the choice of 
his successor. Moriya has in mind Shinshiro Yamazaki (60), head of 
the defense facilities administration bureau who previously belonged 
to the former Defense Agency. 
 
Defense strategies in recent years have grown complicated as the 
Japan-US alliance has grown stronger. Moriya wants to leave matters 
in the hands of someone who has experience with defense policy 
rather than someone from a different agency or ministry. As for 
Moriya's post-retirement plans, he rejected Koike's offer that he 
become "Defense Ministry special advisor" in charge of Okinawan 
affairs. 
 
This is not the first time that there has been a battle over the 
post of vice minister. In January 2002, then Foreign Minister Makiko 
Tanaka asserted that she wanted to replace then Vice Foreign 
Minister Yoshiji Nogami. Then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi ended 
up sacking both Tanaka and Nogami. 
 
MESERVE