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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 13 TOKYO 003974 
 
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 08/28/07 
 
 
Index: 
 
1) Top headlines 
2) Editorials 
3) Prime Minister's daily schedule 
 
Abe Cabinet re-launched: 
4) Abe launches new cabinet with veteran Yosano as chief cabinet 
secretary, Abe critic Masuzoe as health minister, and defense expert 
 
SIPDIS 
Nukaga as finance minister 
5) Prime Minister Abe says he will focus on rectifying income gap in 
society, admits he shuffled cabinet because he could no longer take 
responsibility for it 
6) No change in "beautiful country" policy line: Abe 
7) Biggest challenge for the new Abe cabinet will be passing the 
bill extending the Anti-Terrorist Special Measures Law 
8) New Defense Minister Komura says revision possible of bill 
extending anti-terror law in order to get it passed by the Diet 
9) New Foreign Minister Machimura: No change in giving top priority 
to resolving abduction issue in North Korea policy 
10) Abe appointed vocal critic Masuzoe to rid cabinet of image of 
being filled with his friends 
11) Though three cabinet members are not party faction members, the 
cabinet overall reflects balance of LDP's conservative factions 
12) Unusually long period for background checks of cabinet 
candidates to make sure there were no hidden money scandals 
13) Average age of cabinet is slightly younger than previous Abe 
lineup 
14) Former Prime Minister Mori cynically refers to new cabinet as a 
scissors-and-paste compilation 
15) Opposition parties all rap the new cabinet as lacking freshness, 
resembling musical chairs, and still unable to read the mood of the 
country 
 
Defense issues: 
16) China trying to get hold of missile defense information from 
Japan: Former company president in Japan being questioned in 
connection with possible breach 
17) Aegis leaks came from MSDF lieutenant: police 
 
18) Kyodo News issues rare retraction of article as false: There was 
no meeting between Japanese and North Korean ambassadors 
 
Articles: 
 
1) TOP HEADLINES 
 
Asahi: 
Reshuffled Abe cabinet to revise reform policy to prolong 
administration: Masuzoe as health, labor and welfare minister; 
Former Iwate Prefecture Governor as internal affairs and 
communications minister 
 
Mainichi: 
Party unity that gives consideration to factions and public opinion: 
Yosano picked as chief cabinet secretary; Masuzoe as welfare 
minister; Masuda as internal affairs minister 
 
Yomiuri: 
Cabinet reshuffle: Old-guard lineup aimed at buoying up 
administration: Machimura as foreign minister; Komura as defense 
minister 
 
TOKYO 00003974  002 OF 013 
 
 
 
Nikkei: 
Heavyweights appointed for party unity: Nukaga as finance minister 
 
Sankei: 
Reshuffled Abe cabinet: Abe picks technocrats, giving up on 
preferred lineup 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
Old guard picked: Importance also given to socioeconomic disparities 
between urban and rural districts 
 
Akahata: 
Reshuffled Abe cabinet launched: Sticks to constitutional revision, 
structural reforms; No reflection of people's judgment 
 
2) EDITORIALS 
 
Asahi: 
(1) Reshuffled Abe cabinet launched: What is it going to do without 
Abe imprint? 
 
Mainichi: 
(1) Priority given to Diet instead of Abe imprint: Still on edge of 
precipice 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1) Vigorously push forward necessary policies 
 
Nikkei: 
(1) Reshuffled Abe cabinet has its back against the wall: The only 
way out can be found in reform initiative 
 
Sankei: 
(1) Reshuffled Abe cabinet sticks to reform policy with concerted 
efforts 
(2) Old-guard lineup to face opposition-dominated Diet 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1) Reshuffled Abe cabinet launched: Can it wipe away sense of 
belatedness? 
 
Akahata: 
(1) Abe failed to responded to people's judgment in reshuffling his 
cabinet 
 
3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, August 27 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
August 28, 2007 
 
08:53 
Met at party headquarters with Foreign Minister Aso, Diet Affairs 
Committee Chairman Nikai, and Deputy Secretary General Ishihara. 
Joined by Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Suga, 
Secretary General Nakagawa, Party Ethics Committee Chairman 
 
SIPDIS 
Sasagawa, and Executive Council Chairman Niha. 
 
10:03 
Attended a special Executive Council meeting. Posed for a photo with 
 
TOKYO 00003974  003 OF 013 
 
 
new executive members. Later, attended an executive meeting. 
 
11:03 
Arrived at the Kantei. 
 
13:03 
ttended a special cabinet meeting. Followed by former Internal 
Affairs and Communications Minister Suga. 
 
15:33 
Met New Komeito President Ota, with new Secretary General Aso and 
New Komeito Secretary General Kitagawa present. Later, met Aso, 
Upper House Chairman Otsuji, Ota and others. Had new cabinet members 
join them. 
 
17:03 
Met Special Advisor Yamatani. Then met Special Advisor Nakayama. 
 
19:01 
Attended an informal representation at the Imperial Palace. Later, 
attended an imperial attestation ceremony for the new cabinet 
members. 
 
21:00 
Gave a press conference at the Kantei. Issues official appointments 
to the cabinet members. Attended the first cabinet meeting. 
 
2:05 
osed for a photo with the new cabinet members. 
 
22:27 Returned to his official residence. 
 
4) New Abe cabinet launched, Yosano as chief cabinet secretary, 
Masuzoe as health and welfare minister; All-party approach 
emphasized 
 
NIKKEI (Top play) (Full) 
August 28, 2007 
 
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe inaugurated a new cabinet last night, 
appointing influential lawmakers as key ministers. For instance, 
Kaoru Yosano, a veteran lawmaker known as a policy expert, was named 
chief cabinet secretary, and House of Councilors policy chief Yoichi 
Masuzoe, who has been critical of Abe, was appointed as health, 
labor and welfare minister in charge of pension and other issues. 
The appointments of factional leaders to major cabinet posts 
apparently reflect Abe's effort to achieve unanimity in the party. 
Although Abe is aiming to revamp his administration with the new 
cabinet lineup, whether or not he can settle mounting outstanding 
issues and regain momentum remains to be seen, given the 
opposition-controlled Upper House. 
 
In hopes of doing away with the widely criticized "clubby" image of 
his first cabinet, Abe this time has given key cabinet posts to 
experienced, veteran lawmakers, appointing Nobutaka Machimura who 
heads his own faction as foreign minister, Masahiko Komura who also 
heads his own faction as defense minister, and Fukushiro Nukaga, who 
is deputy chief of the Tsushima faction, as finance minister. Abe 
has also decided to retain Education, Science and Technology 
Minister Bunmei Ibuki who heads his own faction. 
 
Yasuhisa Shiozaki, Abe's close aide who served as chief cabinet 
 
TOKYO 00003974  004 OF 013 
 
 
secretary, has not joined the new cabinet, and the number of prime 
 
SIPDIS 
ministerial advisors has also been reduced from the five to two. 
 
Importance is placed on the government's efforts for addressing the 
pension issue and the growing socioeconomic disparities between 
urban and rural areas that contributed to the ruling bloc's crushing 
defeat in the July Upper House election. In view of popular will, 
the prime minister has appointed Masuzoe, who has repeatedly 
criticized Abe, as health, labor and welfare minister. Former Iwate 
governor Hiroya Masuda was also named internal affairs and 
communications minister and state minister in charge of correcting 
regional disparities to push ahead with decentralization. 
 
Only two have joined the new cabinet from the private sector -- 
Masuda and Hiroko Ota, who will continue to serve as state minister 
in charge of economic and fiscal policy. The new cabinet also 
includes only two female members -- Ota and Yoko Kamikawa, who has 
become state minister in charge declining birthrate. 
 
In addition, five will retain their posts, including Economy, Trade 
and Industry Minister Akira Amari, Construction and Transport 
Minister Tetsuzo Fuyushiba, and State Minister in Charge of 
financial Policy and Administrative Reform Yoshimi Watanabe. The 
number of new faces which was 11 when the Abe cabinet was first 
launched last September has dropped to seven. 
 
In terms of the number of posts assigned to factions, the Tsushima 
faction has the most with three, followed by the Koga and Yamasaki 
factions with two each. Previously, the Machimura faction held four 
posts, but it now holds only one. No one from the Tanigaki faction 
has joined the new cabinet. 
 
5) Abe determined to fire cabinet ministers unable to fulfill 
accountability regarding "politics-and-money" issue, give more 
consideration to regional disparities 
 
NIKKEI (Page 1) (Abridged slightly) 
August 28, 2007 
 
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, after reshuffling his cabinet, held a 
press conference last night at the Kantei (Prime Minister's Official 
Residence). The prime minister expressed his determination to revamp 
his administration, stating: "In order to restore public trust in 
politics and the government, I will do my best with the new cabinet 
ministers and to make achievements." About his response to the 
question of money and politics, Abe indicated that he would 
discharge those who fail to fulfill their accountability, saying: 
"The new cabinet ministers are ready to quit if they cannot offer 
appropriate explanations." 
 
Abe also made it clear that he would place high priority on 
addressing the issue of growing disparities between urban and rural 
areas, saying: "Politics must give more consideration to this 
problem, and that is what we have learned from the July House of 
Councillors election. We must consider ways to alleviate pain 
associated with reform. We must work harder than before." 
 
At the same time, Abe emphasized that he would continue with his 
reform policy course, noting: "Reform is essential for Japan. I will 
continue to pursue reform no matter how difficult it may be." Abe 
also made this statement about his administration's basic policy 
lines, such as breaking away from the postwar regime: "We will 
 
TOKYO 00003974  005 OF 013 
 
 
review the postwar system by returning to the starting point." 
 
He also revealed a plan to revise relevant legislation to establish 
strict rules to deal with the question of politics and money, 
saying: "We will work hard to increase transparency. We will have to 
revise the Political Funds Control Law." 
 
6) Prime Minister Abe: "Beautiful country" policy remains unchanged 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 29) (Slightly abridged) 
August 28, 2007 
 
In a press conference at the Prime Minister's Office starting at 
9:00 p.m., Prime Minister Abe in a morning suit said in a calm tone: 
"I reorganized my cabinet in order to restart reforms to create a 
'beautiful country,' a 'new country.'" He had not referred to 
"beautiful country" in the public since his party suffered a 
crushing defeat in the July House of Councillors election. 
 
Reflecting on the fact that his "beautiful country" policy, 
represented by constitutional revision, was not understood by the 
people, the prime minister had sealed this policy in effect. His 
first reference to the policy after many days supposedly was 
intended to underline that he has made no policy switch. Regarding 
his slogan of "emerging from the postwar regime," as well, at which 
even Liberal Democratic Party members lashed out, Abe stressed: 
"There is no change in my intention to review such postwar systems 
as the education and public servant ones." 
 
Upon saying: "Politicians should have given more consideration to 
the disparities between central and local governments," the prime 
minister emphasized: "In order to ease the pains from reforms, we 
must make more efforts than before." 
 
The prime minister also included the wording "beautiful country, 
Japan" in a statement adopted in the first cabinet meeting held 
afterward, as well as in the new cabinet's policy guidelines. 
 
7) Question of extension of antiterrorism law likely to be first 
challenge for reshuffled Abe cabinet 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Excerpts) (Full) 
August 28, 2007 
 
The first hurdle for the reshuffled Abe cabinet will be the upcoming 
extraordinary session of the Diet to be opened next month. The focus 
of debate in the extraordinary Diet session will be the question of 
extending the Antiterrorism Special Measures Law, which expires on 
Nov. 1. The government and the ruling parties want to extend the law 
by revising it, but the major opposition Democratic Party of Japan 
(DPJ or Minshuto), the first party in the Upper House, has made 
clear its opposition to the extension. An intense battle between the 
ruling and opposition parties is bound to occur. 
 
Nobuteru Ishihara, who yesterday assumed the post of chair of the 
ruling Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) Policy Research Council, 
referred to that law at a press briefing and emphasized his attitude 
to consult with the DPJ on the law, telling reporters: "The question 
of extending the law concerns other countries' confidence in Japan. 
We'll fully explain the law in the Diet to make the public 
understand it. Some DPJ members are in favor of extending the law, 
so we want to discuss the law in detail with the DPJ." 
 
TOKYO 00003974  006 OF 013 
 
 
 
During the extraordinary Diet session after the LDP lost a majority 
of seats in the Upper House election in 1998, Ishihara worked at the 
forefront of promoting consultations with junior DPJ members in 
order to enact into law a set of bills intended for financial 
revitalization. At the time he was dubbed as a new breed of 
policy-planners. 
 
But, given that the DPJ now holds the key posts related to the 
conduct of proceedings in the Upper House like the president and the 
chair of the steering committee, Ishihara is likely to face much 
more difficulties in doing so than he did in 1998. 
 
8) Defense chief implies revisions to antiterror law 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) 
August 28, 2007 
 
Defense Minister Komura, meeting the press yesterday, indicated that 
he would be flexible about retouching a bill extending the 
Antiterror Special Measures Law. The leading opposition Democratic 
Party of Japan (Minshuto) is likely to call for the ruling coalition 
of the Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito to revise the 
legislation. "I think there also can be revisions," Komura said. He 
also said, "I'm not in a position to say there must be no revision." 
He added, "The cabinet is going to study whether to go on as is or 
whether to incorporate the DPJ's views." 
 
9) Abduction issue to remain priority in regard to policy toward 
DPRK: Foreign Minister Machimura 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
August 28, 2007 
 
The reshuffled Abe cabinet's focus in the foreign policy and 
security fields will be on North Korea's nuclear and abduction 
issues and bringing progress to the realignment of US Forces in 
Japan. Prime Minister Abe will aim at pursuing vocal diplomacy with 
the appointment of Nobutaka Machimura, chairman of the faction to 
which he belonged and whose political creed is close to his, as 
foreign minister. However, it is unclear whether Abe can shore up 
his administration using foreign and security policy, because all of 
pending issues in that area are thorny problems. 
 
The foreign minister during a press conference after the first 
cabinet meeting yesterday evening stressed, "If the abduction issue 
makes progress, it would be possible for Japan to play a more 
positive role in such areas as economic and energy aid." He thus 
indicated his stance of abiding by the government's basic principle 
that there will be no aid without progress in the abduction issue. 
 
Tokyo and Pyongyang are undertaking coordination with the 
possibility of holding a normalization working group meeting as 
agreed upon during the six-party chief delegates' meeting in July. 
The government is envisaging a strategy of eliciting a sincere 
response from Pyongyang regarding the abduction issue, even by 
putting the issue of settling past accounts on the negotiating 
table. 
 
North Korea is persistently criticizing the prime minister for his 
hard-line stance. Washington and Pyongyang are visibly getting 
closer to each other over the nuclear issue. There is a growing mood 
 
TOKYO 00003974  007 OF 013 
 
 
at the six-party talks for giving priority to the nuclear issue. As 
such, bringing progress to the abduction issue will not be an easy 
job. 
 
Another challenge is the realignment of US Forces in Japan, which 
includes the issue of relocating the US Marine Corps' Futenma Air 
Station in Okinawa Prefecture. The Defense Ministry on Aug. 7 
submitted an environmental impact assessment method report, the 
first step of formal procedures for the relocation of the Futenma 
Air Station. The report included a facility plan for a steady 
implementation of the relocation scheme based on the Japan-US 
agreement. 
 
However, the prefecture has withheld the acceptance of the report, 
demanding a revision of the Japan-US agreement. Relations between 
the government and Okinawa Prefecture have become strained, giving 
rise to a secret deal rumor that former Defense Minister Yuriko 
Koike sought understanding for the submission of the report in 
return for the dismissal of then Vice Defense Minister Takemasa 
Moriya, who had been taking a hard-line stance toward Okinawa. 
 
In order to complete the relocation, it is absolutely necessary for 
the government to obtain understanding from the local community. 
Machimura and Defense Minister Masahiko Komura yesterday evening 
confirmed their determination to aim at bringing progress to the 
issue in cooperation. 
 
10) New Abe cabinet takes critic Masuzoe into cabinet, aiming to 
erase image of "friend cabinet" 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 29) (Excerpts) 
August 28, 2007 
 
The support rating for the administration remains at a low level 
since one cabinet member after another stepped down due to 
office-expense scandals and gaffes. Under such a situation, the new 
Abe cabinet was launched yesterday, about one month after the 
Liberal Democratic Party's historic defeat in the July House of 
Councillors election. Prime Minister Abe took lawmakers critical of 
his administration, as well as a former Iwate governor, into the 
cabinet in a bid to play up his determination to tackle the issue of 
disparities between urban and local areas. By appointing such 
lawmakers, the prime minister aims to erase the image of a "friend 
cabinet," but in on-the-street interviews, many expressed negative 
views about the new cabinet, with one saying: "It is intended to 
court public favor;" and another remarking: "It conveys no message." 
The prime minister stressed in an interview his determination to 
forge ahead with his reform plans, including building a "beautiful 
country," which was rejected by the voters in the Upper House 
election. New cabinet members, including LDP leading members, spoke 
in press conferences yesterday of their aspiration to make efforts 
to recover public trust, but it will be a tough "second challenge" 
for the prime minister. 
 
Yoichi Masuzoe, who was sharply criticizing the Abe cabinet in the 
LDP, was appointed to head the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry. 
In a press conference after the announcement of the new cabinet 
lineup, Masuzoe made this explanation about why he accepted the 
offer from Prime Minister Abe: "It is now necessary for all party 
members to work together to reconstruct their party." 
 
Whenever controversy over cabinet ministers' gaffes occurred, 
 
TOKYO 00003974  008 OF 013 
 
 
Masuzoe gave candid advice to the prime minister, saying: "If you 
keep silent, the people will leave you." When Abe expressed his 
intention to stay in power before the result of the count was 
announced in the earlier Upper House election, Masuzoe criticized 
the prime minister, saying: "He does not understand what society 
sees as common sense." 
 
By getting Masuzoe into the cabinet, the Prime Minister's Office 
(Kantei) apparently aims to eliminate the image of a "cabinet being 
filled with the prime minister's close friends." 
 
Some might say that Masuzoe was drawn into such a plot of the 
Kantei, but he emphasized: "(My words and deeds) do not stem from my 
personal feelings, such as that I dislike this or that minister or 
the prime minister." 
 
All the more because he made up his mind to go into politics, based 
on his experience of taking care of his mother, he appears to be 
excited about attaining the top post for health, labor and welfare 
administration. He commented: "The government must correct what must 
be corrected, including the pension issue. Since such a role has 
been awarded to me, I will do my best. It will be my responsibility 
to the voters." 
 
11) Three with no factional affiliation assume key cabinet 
portfolios 
 
NIKKEI (Page 4) (Excerpts) 
August 28, 2007 
 
The average age of ministers of the new Abe cabinet is 60.4, 
slightly younger than the 60.9 of the previous Abe cabinet, which 
was inaugurated last September. The youngest minister is Fumio 
Kishida, state minister in charge of Okinawa and Northern 
Territories, who is 50. Land, Infrastructure and Transport Minister 
Tetsuzo Fuyushiba, 71 years old, is the oldest minister in the 
reshuffled Abe cabinet. 
 
The number of cabinet ministers (excluding the prime minister) is 
17, which is the same as that of the first Abe cabinet. Of the 17 
ministers, only one came from the New Komeito. The number from the 
private sector is two: Hiroko Ota, state minister in charge of 
economic and fiscal policy, and Internal Affairs and Communications 
Minister Hiroya Masuda. Female ministers are Ota and Yoko Kamikawa, 
state minister in charge of population and gender-equality issues. 
 
Three ministers came from the Tsushima faction, giving that faction 
the largest number of cabinet seats. No Tsushima faction members 
were in the cabinet before Abe shuffled it because both Defense 
Minister Fumio Kyuma and Administrative Reform Minister Genichiro 
Sata had stepped down from their posts. 
 
Three lawmakers who do not belong to any faction in the Liberal 
Democratic Party (LDP) were given cabinet portfolios. The three are 
Chief Cabinet Secretary Kaoru Yosano; Yoichi Masuzoe, health, labor 
and welfare minister -- responsible for pension system reform, 
including the pension record-keeping debacle; and Administrative 
Reform Minister Yoshimi Watanabe. 
 
Abe appointed Nobutaka Machimura as foreign minister. Machimura is 
the only one member who assumed a cabinet post from the largest LDP 
faction, headed by Machimura. The Machimura faction did not get any 
 
TOKYO 00003974  009 OF 013 
 
 
LDP executive posts. The Koga faction got only two cabinet posts, 
decreasing from four. 
 
Abe gave no cabinet post to the Tanigaki and Aso factions. However, 
there is a big difference in the situations between the Aso faction, 
whose leader, Taro Aso, became chief cabinet secretary, and the 
Tanigaki faction, which has never had a cabinet post under Abe. Both 
Aso and Tanigaki ran in the LDP presidential election last 
September. The Tanigaki faction has been treated unkindly in terms 
of Abe's appointments. 
 
Number of cabinet ministers picked from LDP factions 
 
Faction Number of cabinet ministers Increase or decrease from the 
first Abe cabinet 
Machimura 1 -3 
Tsushima 3 +1 
 
SIPDIS 
Koga 2 -2 
Yamasaki 2 +1 
Ibuki 1 -1 
Tanigaki 0 0 
Aso 0 -1 
Komura 1 0 
Nikai 1 +1 
Nonaffiliated 3 +3 
 
N.B. Prime Minister Abe excluded. One New Komeito member and two 
politicians not included. 
 
12) Unusually long time taken for "checkups" 
 
MAINICHI (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
August 28, 2007 
 
One of the buzzwords in the cabinet reshuffle this time was 
"politics and money." In Nagata-cho (Japan's political center), it 
took "unprecedentedly long time," according to a government source, 
to do a checkup on potential candidates for cabinet posts. If some 
problem was found with one candidate, even if it were a minor fault, 
the candidate reportedly was removed from the list. 
 
A symbolic case is former House of Councillors Tetsuro Yano of the 
Liberal Democratic Party, who was viewed as certain to join the 
cabinet but did not. Yano, upset at the decision, made a phone call 
to Chief Cabinet Secretary Kaoru Yosano last night, asking why he 
was not picked." Since Yosano gave no clear reply, Yano called a 
secretary to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Abe called back to Yano, 
 
SIPDIS 
saying: "A problem was found in a 'checkup (related to a politics 
and money problem)' 
 
In the Abe cabinet, which was inaugurated last September, a number 
of politics-and-money scandals cropped up in succession. Should a 
new scandal involving a new cabinet member emerge, it might prove to 
be the administration's eventual downfall. The prime minister 
reportedly gave priority to "innocence" in selecting cabinet 
members. 
 
13) First-time ministers decrease; Average age of cabinet ministers 
drops 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (Full) 
August 28, 2008 
 
TOKYO 00003974  010 OF 013 
 
 
 
The number of first-time ministers of the reshuffled cabinet of 
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is seven (including non-politicians), down 
from the 11 -- the largest number -- after the realignment of 
central government offices in January 2001. Abe retained five 
ministers in their posts and appointed five lawmakers who had 
previously served in cabinet posts. Compared to the previous Abe 
cabinet, which was ridiculed as a cabinet made up of friends of Abe, 
the prime minister appears to have picked veteran lawmakers. 
 
The average age of cabinet ministers is 60.4, which is six months 
younger than that of the previous cabinet. The youngest minister is 
Fumio Kishida, minister in charge of Okinawa and Northern 
Territories, while the oldest minister is Tetsuzo Fuyushiba, 
minister of land, infrastructure and transport. 
 
Justice Minister Kunio Hatoyama has been elected 10 times to the 
House of Representatives, the most among the cabinet ministers. Yoko 
Kamikawa, state minister in charge of declining birthrate and 
gender-equality issues, is now serving in her third term, making her 
the shortest-serving Diet member in the cabinet. The average number 
of times elected to the Diet is 6.8 terms, almost the same as 6.5 
terms of the previous cabinet. 
 
The number of cabinet ministers who have served more terms than 
(Prime Minister Abe's five terms), is nine, down two from the 
previous cabinet. Of the 18 cabinet ministers, seven are now serving 
their eighth term in the Diet. 
 
Two non-politicians -- Economic and Fiscal Policy Minister Hiroko 
Ota and Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Hiroya Masuda, 
the former Iwate governor -- were appointed. 
 
Abe picked three Tsushima faction members, two members each from the 
Koga and Yamasaki factions, one member each from the Machimura, 
Ibuki, Komura, and Nikai factions, and three nonaffiliated persons 
as cabinet ministers. He did not name any members from the Tanigaki 
and Aso factions. 
 
Six ministers -- the largest number -- are graduates of the 
University of Tokyo. Nine ministers graduated from national 
universities. The number of female ministers is two, the same number 
as that of the previous Abe cabinet. 
 
14) Mori sarcastically portrays reshuffled cabinet as "being biased 
in favor of 'family' members" 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) 
August 28, 2007 
 
Evaluation of the reshuffled cabinet and the new leadership of the 
ruling Liberal Democratic Party is divided even in the LDP. 
 
Former Prime Minister Mori of the LDP yesterday said in a speech in 
Kobe City: "Mr. Ishihara (chair of the LDP Policy Research Council), 
Mr. Watanabe (Minister in Charge of Financial Services), and Mr. 
Amari (Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry) are left in the 
major posts. The previous cabinet had younger members called 
'children' and it was called a 'cabinet of friends.' In other words, 
they were a group of 'juniors,' and the current one consists of a 
little bit 'older' friends." Mori thus sarcastically described the 
reshuffled cabinet as "being biased in favor of family members." 
 
TOKYO 00003974  011 OF 013 
 
 
Referring particularly to Policy Research Council Chairman Ishihara, 
Mori said: "If (Abe) intends to attach importance to rural areas, I 
hoped to see someone elected in a rural area be chosen as chair of 
the Policy Research Council Chairman. In this sense, it's bad." 
 
Meanwhile, Secretary General Aso told reporters: "I think the 
reshuffled cabinet and the new LDP leadership would gradually widen 
support as time goes by." 
 
15) Opposition parties all criticize reshuffled cabinet 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Full) 
August 28, 2007 
 
Opposition parties yesterday all criticized the reshuffled cabinet 
and the new lineup of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). One 
opposition party leader said, "They can't change public sentiment." 
Ahead of an extraordinary session of the Diet to be convened in the 
fall, opposition parties are gearing up to pursue hard the 
government and the ruling bloc, including Prime Minister Abe, who 
reshuffled the cabinet and the LDP leadership, in terms of the 
ministers' qualifications for the posts. 
 
The major opposition Democratic Party of Japan's (DPJ or Minshuto) 
Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama said to reporters in Tokyo: "It's a 
 
SIPDIS 
surprise that there was no surprise regarding the selection." Also, 
Hatoyama stressed: "Mr. Taro Aso, who was the first to declare his 
support for Prime Minister Abe's intention to stay on in the post, 
and like-minded persons assumed the three top (LDP) posts, and the 
heads of factions have occupied the ministerial portfolios. These 
lineups can't change public sentiment." 
 
When asked whether to respond to consultations between the ruling 
and opposition parties as called for by the ruling bloc over the 
question of how to manage the Diet from now on, Hatoyama noted: "If 
they expect to have the past consultations between the ruling and 
opposition parties, in which both sides argued against each other in 
public while being engaged in secret maneuvering behind the scenes, 
things are not that simple." Speaking of Hiroya Masuda, who was 
called a reformist governor and has now joined the reshuffled 
cabinet, Hatoyama expressed concern: "Once he became a cabinet 
member, he would be involved in sectionalism among ministries and 
agencies and he would be affected by government offices' way of 
thinking." 
 
The Japanese Communist Party's Secretary General Tadayoshi Ichida 
criticized the reshuffled cabinet at a press conference: "It's a 
scratch cabinet by scraping up (kakiatsume) and bringing together 
(yoseatsume) hawkish persons to install them in key posts. The vogue 
expression at present is 'KY' (which means inability to sense the 
atmosphere). In the sense of kakiatsume and yoseatsume, I call the 
reshuffled cabinet the 'KY cabinet.'" The Social Democratic Party's 
head Mizuho Fukushima told a press briefing: "Former cabinet members 
are chosen to be ministers again but in different ministerial 
portfolios. In this sense, I call the reshuffled cabinet a 
'seat-changing cabinet' or a 'deja vu cabinet.' We'll endeavor to 
make (this cabinet) the last one of the LDP." 
 
The People's New Party's Secretary General Hisaoki Kamei casts doubt 
on the reshuffled cabinet, by noting, "I don't think the policy 
direction will change." The New Party Nippon issued a statement in 
the name of Representative Yasuo Tanaka, in which Tanaka said: "Even 
 
TOKYO 00003974  012 OF 013 
 
 
if (Abe) simply declares he will continue reforms, if he fails to 
make clear for whom he continues reforms, the public will further 
move away from him." 
 
16) China targeted MD info 
 
SANKEI (Page 1) (Abridged) 
August 28, 2007 
 
A Chinese national associated with his home government is alleged to 
have told a 56-year-old former Japanese trading company president to 
secure Japan's special defense secrets (tokubetsu boei himitsu). In 
this incident, China wanted to get confidential information about 
Japan's joint research with the United States on technologies for a 
missile defense (MD) system, sources revealed yesterday. The Chinese 
official is said to have asked for information about the MD research 
project and operational plans. The former trading house chief is 
also suspected of having received orders from the People's 
Liberation Army urging him to secure information. Police authorities 
will question the former president, suspecting him to have violated 
the Japan-US Information Security Law, which stipulates special 
defense secrets. 
 
In March 2005, the police authorities searched the former trading 
company president's home and related locations to investigate 
information leakage involving a 65-year-old former engineering 
official of the Defense Agency, now the Defense Ministry. In that 
incident, the former engineering official was suspected of having 
removed documents for internal use only about the Maritime 
Self-Defense Force's submarines. At the time, the police seized 
directive documents written in Chinese with a description of 
information China wanted about the MD research project. The police 
later discovered that the directive documents had a description 
telling the former trading house chief to collect information 
falling under the category of special defense secrets. 
 
The ex-trading house chief is alleged to have asked the former 
engineering official to provide a research paper on special steel 
used for submarine hulls. However, China needed it to improve the 
capabilities of its submarines, such as evading the MD dragnet to 
launch missiles from the sea. The research is closely related to 
Japan's joint research with the United States on MD systems. 
 
17) Aegis data leaked by MSDF lieutenant: police 
 
YOMIURI (Page 35) (Abridged) 
August 28, 2007 
 
Kanagawa prefectural police and the Maritime Self-Defense Force's 
shore police have been investigating Aegis vessel data leaks from 
the MSDF. In this incident, they have concluded that a 48-year-old 
lieutenant, who was an instructor at the MSDF's 1st Service School, 
had removed a magnet-optical disk (MO) out of a desk of a 
41-year-old lieutenant commander, who was the chief instructor at 
the service school. The lieutenant did not ask for the lieutenant 
commander's permission. The removed MO disk had contained data in 
the category of special defense secrets (tokubetsu boei himitsu). 
The lieutenant stated that he collected those data "for educational 
purposes." The lieutenant was later assigned to the DDG Shimakaze. 
The police have also discovered that the lieutenant had leaked data 
to crewmen on board the destroyer. 
 
 
TOKYO 00003974  013 OF 013 
 
 
The lieutenant-currently assigned to the Guided Weapons Education 
and Training Unit in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture-is suspected of 
having violated the Information Security Law, which is incident to 
the Japan-US Mutual Defense Assistance Agreement. Kanagawa police 
and MSDF investigative authorities will search the unit and the DDG 
Shimakaze today to hurry up their final-stage investigations to 
indict the lieutenant and others involved in the incident. 
 
According to investigations, the lieutenant removed an MO disk 
containing Aegis vessel data from the lieutenant commander's desk 
without permission between 2002 and 2003 when the lieutenant was an 
instructor at the 1st Service School. The lieutenant copied the data 
onto CDs, which were distributed to his students at the service 
school and others who were not authorized to access confidential 
information. He is therefore suspected of having leaked special 
defense secrets. In police questioning, the lieutenant stated that 
he removed the MO disk to collect data files for the purpose of 
using them in his class at the service school. He gave those data 
files to students. Asked why, he stated he thought the data files 
would be useful in the future. At the service school, chief 
instructors used to hand down Aegis vessel data and other data files 
to their successors. The MO disk removed by the lieutenant had 
contained highly confidential information secured by the lieutenant 
commander from an MSDF Program Service Unit person the lieutenant 
commander knows. The investigative authorities suspect that the 
information falls under the category of special defense secrets. 
 
18) Kyodo News retracts report on Japan-North Korea talks 
 
SANKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
August 28, 2007 
 
The Kyodo News Service yesterday retracted its report dispatched in 
the early hours of Aug. 27, citing a mistake in the report, in which 
Kyodo wrote that the ambassadors of Japan and North Korea held an 
informal meeting in Dalian, China. 
 
The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied the report yesterday 
after reconfirming that Kyodo found that the person with whom it had 
interviewed was not the ambassador. 
 
Kyodo's editor in chief Kenji Goto said: "There was a mistake in the 
report. We apologize to the ambassador and those concerned for 
causing inconveniences." 
 
MESERVE