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RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 5485

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 09 TOKYO 003820 
 
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 08/20/07 
 
 
Index: 
 
1) Joint survey shows attitudes of Chinese toward Japan have 
improved recently 
 
Abe diplomacy: 
2) Prime Minister Abe departs for Asia tour of Indonesia, India, and 
Malaysia, but his party is on tenterhooks over cabinet shuffle when 
he returns 
3) Post-Kyoto Protocol will be a main feature of Abe's India visit, 
with cooperation focused on energy conservation 
 
4) Former defense chief Ishiba on TV talk show criticizes North 
Korea for stalling for time in 6-party talks, doling out concessions 
in small doses 
 
5) Japan's ambassador to the US, Ryozo Kato, has been in his post a 
record 2,124 days as of Aug. 19 
 
Defense and security affairs: 
6) JCS Chairman Gen. Pace in Tokyo stresses importance of MSDF 
Indian Ocean contribution, hopes to see anti-terror special measures 
law extended 
7) GSDF command and control to be speeded up with information 
technology 
8) DPJ's Hosono sees need to enact a permanent SDF dispatch law 
9) Koike-Moriya tiff finally settled with selection of another 
candidate, career defense official, Kohei Masuda, as next vice 
defense minister 
10) Views are mixed in the LDP regarding Koike being reappointed 
defense minister, but LDP bigwig Hidenao Nakagawa weighs in on her 
behalf 
 
Political scene: 
11) Prime Minister Abe announces officially he will shuffle his 
cabinet on Aug. 27 
12) Abe trying to apply "cosmetics" to his "beautiful country" theme 
but livelihood issues are dominating his agenda 
13) LDP Secretary General Hidenao Nakagawa wants more accountability 
in Abe's next cabinet: clear cut resolution of "politics and money" 
scandal is such appears 
 
Articles: 
 
1) Japan-China joint poll: More than half see China's sentiment 
toward Japan as "improved" 
 
TOKYO (Page 3) (Abridged) 
August 18, 2007 
 
BEIJING-Genron NPO, a nonprofit organization made up of political, 
business, and opinion leaders, conducted a joint public opinion 
survey with Beijing University in Japan and China and released its 
results yesterday. In Japan, 66% answered that their impressions of 
China were "not good." In China, however, the negative figure about 
Japan was 36%, showing an improvement of 20 percentage points. Asked 
about changes over the past year as well, more than half of those 
polled in China answered that their impressions of Japan have 
improved. Japan and China have now resumed communications between 
their top leaders. In response, China's public sentiment toward 
Japan has changed for the better. 
 
 
TOKYO 00003820  002 OF 009 
 
 
The survey was conducted in May. This year's survey was the third 
one. Answers were obtained from 1,000 persons in Japan and 1,609 
persons in China. 
 
2) Prime Minister Abe leaves for three-nation Asian tour; Attempts 
to firm up government through diplomacy, but LDP members interested 
in posts in reshuffled cabinet 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
August 20, 2008 
 
Jakarta, Yuji Kihara 
 
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrived yesterday afternoon in Jakarta, 
the first city of his Asian tour of three countries -- Indonesia, 
India, and Malaysia. He intends to rebuild his administration 
through his first overseas tour of the three Asian countries since 
his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) suffered a devastating defeat in 
the July House of Councillors election. However, many LDP lawmakers 
are interested in the reshuffling of the cabinet and party executive 
posts, which Abe is expected to carry out after he returns. It will 
be difficult for the prime minister to regain his hold over the 
party just through diplomatic achievements. He is therefore probably 
considering the selections of new cabinet and LDP executive 
members. 
 
Prior to his departure on the morning of Aug. 19, Abe expressed his 
determination ahead of a visit to India to reporters in front of his 
official residence, saying: "Relations between Japan and India are 
bilateral relations that have the most hidden potential." 
 
Abe's surprise visits to China and South Korea last October improved 
relations with the two countries that had been strained under the 
administration of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. In the Group of 
Eight Summit in Heiligendamm, Germany, in June, Abe took the lead in 
discussions on global warming. Since he has confidence in his 
diplomatic achievements so far, he plans to address during his 
oversees trip this time his stance of placing importance on 
relations with Asian countries, as well as on environmental 
measures. 
 
In India, where will arrive on Aug. 21, Abe is expected to release a 
joint statement on measures to prevent global warning along with his 
Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh. With an eye on the 2009 G-8 
Summit in Japan, in which global warming will be a major topic of 
discussion, he apparently will play up his enthusiasm to stay in 
office. 
 
After returning home, Abe will have a tightly packed schedule, 
including a visit to Japan by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and 
participation in the summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation 
Forum (APEC) to be held in Sydney, as well as in the UN General 
Assembly. 
 
His trips to the three Asian countries had been decided ahead of the 
July Upper House election. It is difficult for Abe to produce 
achievements on the domestic political front for the time being, 
since his ruling coalition has handed its control in the upper 
chamber to the largest opposition party, Minshuto (Democratic Party 
of Japan). A senior ruling camp member made a cool comment: 
"Diplomacy is the only arena in which Abe can display his presence." 
 
 
TOKYO 00003820  003 OF 009 
 
 
 
Contrary to Abe's enthusiasm, many in the LDP are interested only in 
the upcoming reshuffling of the cabinet and the LDP executive posts. 
Since mid-August, junior and mid-level lawmakers have called on Abe. 
The dominant view is that position-hunting moves have already 
started. Senior members of the LDP factions will hold meetings to 
exchange views on the reshuffle. 
 
3) Japan-India joint statement to specify India's cooperation in 
creating post-Kyoto framework, energy conservation Singh 
 
NIKKEI (Page 1) (Full) 
August 19, 2007 
 
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh 
are scheduled to issue a joint statement on environmental protection 
and energy on August 22. The statement will specify Japan's proposal 
for halving greenhouse gases by 2050 and an international effort for 
creating a new framework to prevent global warming in cooperation 
with the United States, China, and India. The statement will also 
mention greater cooperation in energy conservation and the 
stockpiling of oil. 
 
India is a major greenhouse gas emitter along with the United States 
and China. Japan eyes India's assurance to actively combat global 
warming with the aim of facilitating discussion at next year's G8 
Summit at Lake Toya, which is expected to focus on an effort for a 
post-Kyoto framework. 
 
Abe and Singh are scheduled to release the joint statement following 
their summit talks on August 22. The statement will focus on greater 
cooperation in two areas: the prevention of global warming and 
energy. In preventing global warming, the statement will specify 
India's commitment to an effort for creating a new framework that 
will replace the Kyoto Protocol, scheduled to expire 2012. 
 
India and China fear that their participation in an international 
effort to create a new framework would block their economic growth. 
In issuing the planned joint statement, Japan and India reached an 
agreement on a new framework allowing both industrial nations and 
developing countries to bear responsibilities according to their 
respective abilities. 
 
The two counties are also expected to reach an accord on Japan's 
proposal to accelerate the effort to create a fundraising mechanism 
to assist the developing countries addressing global warming. 
 
4) Ishiba: North Korea stalling for time, doling out concessions on 
nuclear issue in small doses 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (Excerpts) 
August 20, 2007 
 
Appearing on Fuji TV's Hodo 2001 program Aug. 19, former Defense 
Agency Director General Shigeru Ishiba, National Institute for 
Defense Studies (NIDS) Chief Research Hideshi Takemi, and Sankei 
Shimbun's Seoul Bureau Chief Katsuhiro Kuroda discussed North 
Korea's nuclear and missile development issue. 
 
-- What are your views of the North's miniaturization of atomic 
warheads? 
 
 
TOKYO 00003820  004 OF 009 
 
 
Ishiba: The North is moving ahead with it at a fairly rapid pace. If 
we examine from every angle last October's nuclear weapon's test by 
North Korea, we can't overlook the possibility that they have been 
successful in reaching a certain level of miniaturization. Since 
missile defense (MD) is not perfect, we need to drills to protect 
the nation and evacuate civilians. It is very dangerous to pay 
attention only to the optimistic arguments, such as the nuclear test 
being a simple failure. 
 
Kuroda: South Korea in recent years is wrapped up in a mood of 
South-North reconciliation, and not only does it not harbor a sense 
of crisis about the (nuclear) technology (the North is developing), 
it has no interest in it. Basically, South Korea is optimistic 
because it sees (the nuclear weapons) as unconnected to it, being 
aimed at Japan and the United States. 
 
Takemi: We must block North Korea from developing weapons of mass 
destruction through diplomatic efforts at the six-party talks. With 
the abduction issue also mixed into the issue, we need a national 
strategy that will contain North Korea's various activities, such as 
missile development and nuclear-warhead development. 
 
-- Do you think that North Korea is developing highly-enriched 
uranium (HEU)? 
 
Ishiba: We must consider our defense policy based on such a premise. 
It is vital that we put together a three pronged approach: a 
punitive deterrence, under which something terrible will happen if 
such is used; a negative deterrence, involving the deployment of MD, 
to make them think if they use it, it would be meaningless; and a 
diplomatic deterrence through diplomatic negotiations. Although the 
US' aim is to stop nuclear proliferation, North Korea has adopted a 
strategy of stalling for time by dealing out (concessions) in small 
doses. 
 
5) Ryozo Kato will have served 2,124 days on Aug. 19 in current post 
as ambassador to US, becoming longest-serving ambassador to US in 
postwar period 
 
SANKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
August 18, 2007 
 
Takashi Arimoto, Washington 
 
Ryozo Kato will become Japan's longest-serving postwar ambassador to 
the United States on Aug. 19, marking 2,123 days on the 18th, tying 
the record set by Koichiro Asaka. 
 
Kato was promoted to the ambassadorial post from deputy foreign 
minister without assuming the position of vice minister post due to 
the confusion in the days of Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka. He 
supported the US-Japan "honeymoon" under then Prime Minister 
Junichiro Koizumi and President Gorge W. Bush. 
 
The longevity record, including the days of before the status of not 
being upgraded to ambassador, is held by Kogoro Takahira, serving 
for 2,512 days as envy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary 
and ambassador to the US. He also took part in the peace conference 
of the Russo-Japanese War. 
 
According to the US Department of State, Kato was the 26th-longest 
serving ambassador among the ambassadors to the US as of the end of 
 
TOKYO 00003820  005 OF 009 
 
 
July, and the second-longest serving one among the ambassadors of 
the Group of Eight member countries. 
 
6) MSDF role important: US top brass 
 
SANKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
August 18, 2007 
 
Visiting US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Pace, who is at the top 
of all US military personnel, met Japanese reporters yesterday at 
the American Embassy in Akasaka, Tokyo. In a press interview, Pace, 
referring to the Maritime Self-Defense Force's refueling activities 
in the Indian Ocean under the Antiterrorism Special Measures Law, 
underscored the importance and effectiveness of Japan's 
contributions, expressing hope that Japan will extend the law that 
is to expire Nov. 1. 
 
The leading opposition Democratic Party of Japan is opposed to 
extending the law. The legislation is a big focus of this fall's 
extraordinary Diet session. 
 
In the interview, Pace indicated that it would not be impossible for 
another country to take over the MSDF's refueling activities. 
However, Pace added that it would be "very difficult," explaining 
that the MSDF is handling special fuel. 
 
In the meantime, US Ambassador to Japan Schieffer has indicated that 
the US government would be ready to disclose even classified 
information to Japanese lawmakers in order to obtain their 
understanding for extending the law. Touching on this fact, Pace 
took the position that one does not need classified information to 
know the importance of Japan's contributions. With this, he stressed 
the significance of the MSDF's refueling activities. 
 
"To protect another country's freedom is to protect ours," Pace 
added. With this, he reemphasized the justification of antiterrorism 
operations being conducted in Afghanistan. Pace is to retire in 
September, and Chief of Naval Operations Mullen has been named to 
chair the JCS as Pace's successor. 
 
7) GSDF to quicken command, control with IT 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
August 20, 2007 
 
The Ground Self-Defense Force will introduce a new system in October 
to command and control front troops in an effective way. The new 
command and control system uses information technology equipment 
like personal digital assistance (PDA) or personal computers. The 
GSDF will test the system in October and lay down a network of 
information for its field troops, aiming to help the GSDF quicken 
its transmission of enemy information and command orders. The system 
is modeled after the US Army's stryker brigade combat teams. 
 
The newly planned IT system is called "radio-electronic combat 
support" or "ReCS" for short. The GSDF will use reconnaissance 
helicopters, unmanned drones, and infrared sensors to locate enemy 
troops. In addition, the GSDF will also use a global positioning 
system (GPS) to track friendly forces. This information will be 
integrated into a central processing unit set up at regimental 
headquarters to grasp the whole situation. 
 
 
TOKYO 00003820  006 OF 009 
 
 
A frontline platoon commander carries a PDA system and a company 
commander is equipped with a personal computer. Light-armed vehicles 
are loaded with a digital communication system to share information 
with their regimental headquarters. The headquarters issue orders 
all troops on the front. In response, the frontline troops will 
quickly move into action. The headquarters and frontline troops will 
change voice radio communications to imagery and data 
communications. The GSDF will use its own encryption technologies to 
prevent monitoring or information leakage. 
 
8) DPJ's Hosono highlights need to discuss permanent legislation on 
SDF overseas missions 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) 
August 20, 2007 
 
House of Representatives member Goshi Hosono of the major opposition 
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) appearing on a TV-Asahi 
program yesterday expressed his opposition to extending the 
Antiterrorism Special Measures Law, scheduled to expire in November. 
He said: "I wonder if it is appropriate to make a decision on the 
overseas deployment of the Self-Defense Forces -- a crucial national 
decision -- based on a time-limited special measures law. We need a 
set of rules on when to deploy (SDF troops) overseas and what they 
should do." 
 
Hosono apparently underlined the need for discussing a permanent law 
on the SDF's overseas missions. 
 
9) Feud between Koike and Moriya settled with appointment of Masuda 
as vice defense minister 
 
ASAHI (Page 1) (Excerpts) 
August 20, 2007 
 
The government held a personnel affairs meeting on August 17 to 
settle a feud over who should be named the next administrative vice 
defense minister. As a result, the government informally decided to 
have Vice Defense Minister Takemasa Moriya, 62, retire and replace 
him with Kohei Masuda, 56, who currently heads the Personnel and 
Education Bureau. The appointment of Masuda is expected to be 
approved at a cabinet meeting on August 28. He will become the 
youngest person in the nation to hold the post of administrative 
vice defense minister. The fierce feud between Defense Minister 
Yuriko Koike and Vice Minister Moriya escalated into a situation 
involving the Kantei (Prime Minister's Official Residence), raising 
questions about Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's management ability as 
well. Given the situation, the government recognized the need to 
settle the situation speedily under the initiative of the Kantei. 
 
Some in the government and ruling coalition have raised questions 
about Koike's responsibility for causing the turmoil. How Prime 
Minister Abe will treat Koike in reshuffling his cabinet on August 
27 remains to be seen. 
 
Koike had attempted to replace Moriya with Tetsuya Nishikawa, 
currently the head of the Defense Ministry's secretariat and a 
former National Police Agency official. Moriya, on the other hand, 
recommended Operations Planning Division Director Shinshiro 
Yamazaki, who has been at the ministry for his entire career. But 
Koike and Moriya's plans fell through in the end. Both Nishikawa and 
Yamazaki will retire. 
 
TOKYO 00003820  007 OF 009 
 
 
 
Koike, who had independently tried to replace Moriya with Nishikawa, 
drew fire from Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki, who 
chaired the personnel affairs meeting. Abe at one point intended to 
repeal Koike's plan and allow the new defense minister to determine 
Moriya's replacement after the cabinet reshuffle on August 27. 
 
But Koike continued to lash out at Moriya, saying: "I made a call to 
(Mr. Moriya's) cell phone at night but he did not return my call 
until the following morning. This has raised questions about his 
crisis management capability." 
 
Concluding that allowing the turmoil to drag on would harm the 
administration's momentum, Prime Minister Abe and Chief Cabinet 
Secretary Shiozaki discussed the matter on the phone on the morning 
 
SIPDIS 
of August 17 and decided to hold a personnel affairs meeting on the 
same day to settle the matter speedily. Based on their decision, 
Koike that morning sounded out Moriya on replacing him with Masuda, 
and Moriya agreed to it. 
 
10) Attention being focused on prime minister's decision on whether 
to keep Koike in defense chief post 
 
SANKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
August 20, 2007 
 
Attention is being focused on whether Defense minister Yuriko Koike 
will resign or stay on in the cabinet reshuffle on Aug. 27, in 
connection with the ongoing feud with Vice Defense Minister Moriya 
over the selection of his successor. In the government and the 
ruling camp, many in criticism of Moriya for putting up resistance 
to Koike's idea are calling for Koike remaining in office. But some 
in the Defense Ministry have expressed concern about a lack of her 
ability to do the groundwork. The key issue of an extension of the 
Antiterrorism Special Measures Law is high on the agenda for the 
extraordinary Diet session in the fall. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe 
will be pressed to make a hard decision. 
 
On an Asahi TV program yesterday, Liberal Democratic Party Secretary 
General Hidenao Nakagawa stressed his view that Koike should be kept 
in her post, saying: "If Ms. Koike is replaced, many might think 
that the prime minister, in face of resistance from the vice 
minister, made the decision. In such a case, the situation will be 
upset." 
 
Nakagawa criticized Moriya, remarking: "The outgoing vice minister 
raised resistance. This is the most serious problem." Appearing on 
the Fuji TV program "Hoodoo 2001" yesterday, former Defense Agency 
Director General Shigeru Ishiba also defended Koike, saying: "The 
minister has the right of personnel management. The administrative 
vice minister is a Self-Defense Force (SDF) member, so even if he is 
dissatisfied with the minister's decision, he must submit to 
civilian control." Koike had initially desired to appoint Tetsuya 
Nishikawa to be vice minister. Ishiba evaluated this idea to some 
extent, saying: "This might be a personnel appointment based on 
thorough consideration." 
 
Should Koike be replaced only less than two months after coming into 
office, her replacement will unavoidably give the impression that 
the cabinet minister vested with the right of personnel management 
was pressed to take responsibility for the row caused by a 
bureaucrat's resistance. Even so, there is criticism of the means 
 
TOKYO 00003820  008 OF 009 
 
 
Koike employed. Former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, a member of the 
Machimura faction, to which Koike and Nakagawa also belong, said in 
a TV program on Aug. 17: "Her deed is similar to striking with a 
sword from behind at a person who was about to commit hara-kiri. 
That was undesirable." LDP Upper House Policy Council Chairman 
Yoichi Masuzoe also posed a question on Aug. 18 about the 
appointment of Koike as defense minister. He said: "Since she was 
not familiar with personnel relations (within the Defense Ministry), 
the feud took place." 
 
A senior member of the Defense Ministry commented: "Now I feel that 
we are beneath a deep blue sky after a heavy rain cloud 
disappeared." But this member also expressed his anxiety about 
Koike's abilities as defense minister, saying: "Ms. Koike has 
criticized Democratic Party of Japan President Ichiro Ozawa, who has 
opposed to an extension of the Antiterrorism Law, but even if she 
speaks before reporters earnestly, it will not be easy to have the 
bill pass the Diet." 
 
Kohei Masuda, personnel education bureau director general of the 
ministry, has been tapped to replace Moriya. He will attend the 
extraordinary Diet session without making preparations. If Koike 
stays on, the party will have to urgently strengthen its unity under 
the aim of having the Antiterrorism Law extended beyond its 
expiration. 
 
11) Prime Minister Abe formally announces cabinet reshuffle will 
occur on Aug. 27 
 
MAINICHI (Page 1) (Full) 
August 20, 2007 
 
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe formally announced yesterday that he would 
reshuffle the cabinet and Liberal Democratic Party executive posts 
on Aug. 27. When asked by reporters whether he decided to reshuffle 
on the 27th, Abe responded: "I would like to basically think of it 
in that direction. I'm now thinking thoroughly about it. I want to 
consider various aspects." He was replying to questions by the 
reporters in front of his official residence prior to his departure 
for three Asian countries. 
 
12) Prime minister to modify "beautiful country concept" to reflect 
livelihood issues after LDP defeat in Upper House election 
 
MAINICHI (Page 2) (Full) 
August 20, 2007 
 
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has started looking into modifying his 
slogan of making Japan into a "beautiful country." During the July 
House of Councillors' election campaign, the concept met criticism, 
with many claiming that its meaning was unclear. As a result, his 
party suffered a crushing defeat in the election. He put his 
political ideals into this concept, but the prime minister now 
intends to include livelihood-friendly measures in the concept. 
 
Even candidates backed by the Liberal Democratic Party for the Upper 
House election severely criticized the beautiful country concept, 
one grumbling: "I feel like I'm being ridiculed." In contrast to 
livelihood-oriented policies stressed by candidates supported by the 
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), LDP-backed candidates felt that the 
beautiful country concept was out of tune with the people's 
awareness. The prime minister has also hardly referred to the 
 
TOKYO 00003820  009 OF 009 
 
 
concept since the Upper House election. 
 
The "beautiful country" defined by the prime minister (in his policy 
speech last September) is a country (1) valuing culture and 
tradition; (2) being a free society in principle; and (3) having 
energy for potential growth; and (4) being trusted by the 
international community. Based on this concept, the government 
translated education reconstruction policies into practice over the 
opposition of the opposition bloc. 
 
Despite the LDP's devastating defeat in the Upper House election, 
the prime minister said: "I do not think that the voters rejected my 
reform direction." The prime minister, though, seems to have judged 
it necessary to reflect livelihood-related policies in the concept. 
Special Advisor Hiroshige Seko, in charge of promoting the 
government's project on creating a beautiful country, also stressed 
the need to rewrite the concept, reflecting ordinary citizens' point 
of view. 
 
The Prime Minister's Office is reviewing the concept, based on about 
3,500 letters of proposal sent to the project team. The prime 
minister will announce the revised version when his cabinet is 
reorganized. 
 
13) Nakagawa urges problematic lawmakers not to join new cabinet 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) 
August 20, 2007 
 
Liberal Democratic Party Secretary General Hidenao Nakagawa 
appearing on a TV-Asahi program yesterday made this comment about 
the planned cabinet reshuffle: "It is essential to appoint persons 
who have been following clear rules on politics and money and can 
explain matters appropriately. They must examine themselves and 
those whose accounts are not clear have no other option but to step 
back voluntarily." Nakagawa thus urged lawmakers to reexamine their 
political funds reports and to remove from consideration those who 
have found problems with their reports. 
 
MESERVE