VZCZCXRO9192
PP RUEHFK RUEHKSO RUEHNAG RUEHNH
DE RUEHKO #4803/01 2880234
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 150234Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8552
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//
RHMFIUU/USFJ //J5/JO21//
RUYNAAC/COMNAVFORJAPAN YOKOSUKA JA
RUAYJAA/CTF 72
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 6131
RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 3721
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 7385
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 2630
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 4427
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 9503
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 5556
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 6410

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 09 TOKYO 004803 
 
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 10/15/07-1 
 
 
Index: 
 
(1) Poll: Fukuda cabinet's support rate at 44 PERCENT  (Tokyo 
Shimbun) 
(2) DPJ Ozawa's remark, "Members who do not agree with the ISAF idea 
should leave the party," creating uproar (Yomiuri) 
(3) Former LDP Secretary General Nakagawa: New antiterrorism bill 
should be enacted in next ordinary Diet session (Yomiuri) 
(4) LDP gives in to New Komeito over disclosure of receipts for 
expenditures from political funds over single yen (Asahi) 
(5) Ozawa's fund management body to repay all rent income (Sankei) 
(6) Maritime interdiction drill held without China, South Korea; 
Program's effectiveness needs improvement (Yomiuri) 
(7) Ruling coalition team decides not to include provision banning 
refueling oilers in new legislation (Yomiuri) 
(8) Logbook disclosure needed for accountability on MSDF refueling: 
NPO chief (Asahi) 
(9) Japan, North Korea to unofficially meet in China to determine 
details for next session of working group on diplomatic 
normalization possibly later this year (Nikkei) 
(10) North Korea tells US that delisting it as state sponsor of 
terrorism and Japan-North Korea relations are separate issues 
(Asahi) 
(11) Japanese, Chinese governments in coordination on visit to Japan 
by President Hu; Prime Minister Fukuda likely to visit China in 
January (Nikkei) 
(12) Prime minister orders drastic review of independent 
administrative corporations: Gets down to work of consolidation and 
rationalization plan before year's end (Tokyo Shimbun) 
(13) Poll: 92 PERCENT  see need for newspapers (Yomiuri) 
 
ARTICLES: 
 
(1) Poll: Fukuda cabinet's support rate at 44 PERCENT 
 
TOKYO (Page 2) (Abridged) 
October 13, 2007 
 
The approval rating for Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's cabinet was 
44.1 PERCENT , according to a public opinion survey conducted for 
the month by Jiji Press on Oct. 5-8. His predecessor, former Prime 
Minister Shinzo Abe, stayed low in public support, remaining below 
30 PERCENT , when his cabinet was at its last stage. The Fukuda 
cabinet's support rate topped the Abe cabinet's. However, the Fukuda 
cabinet's inaugural support rate ranked eighth among its 
predecessors since the Ikeda cabinet that came into office in 1960, 
following the Sato cabinet (in a survey taken in November 1964). The 
disapproval rating for the Fukuda cabinet was 24.3 PERCENT 
 
The survey was conducted across the nation with a total of 2,000 
persons chosen from among men and women aged 20 and over. The 
retrieval rate was 66.3 PERCENT . 
 
(2) DPJ Ozawa's remark, "Members who do not agree with the ISAF idea 
should leave the party," creating uproar 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) 
October 14, 2007 
 
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) President Ozawa earlier said 
regarding the propriety of his controversial idea of Japan's 
participation in operations by the international Security Assistance 
 
TOKYO 00004803  002 OF 009 
 
 
Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan: "Those who do not agree with the idea 
should leave the party." This remark is creating a stir in the 
party. Now that the main opposition party is launching an attack on 
the government in the ongoing Diet session over the issue of whether 
to extend the Maritime Self-Defense Force's refueling mission in the 
Indian Ocean, the party executive is frantically trying to avoid 
internal discord. 
 
The Ozawa statement cropped up in a press conference on Oct. 10. 
Secretary General Hatoyama said in a press briefing on Oct. 12: "He 
 
SIPDIS 
might have said too much," but he then added: "He did not mean that 
those who do not agree with the ISAF idea should leave the party. He 
meant that showing no understanding of the policy platform (the 
party adopted last December) is contradictory to party decision." 
 
The executive intends to calm down the situation with the 
explanation that the idea is Ozawa's personal view and that his 
controversial remark is intended to ask the party members to respect 
the policy platform. 
 
On the idea of Japan's participation in the ISAF, former DPJ Policy 
Research Council Chairman Yukio Edano claimed: "It is irrational to 
say that the participation does not come under the category of 
invoking state power." Deputy President Seiji Maehara also 
criticized his United Nations-centered policy, saying: "(The 
international community) will not be able to take security steps 
unless China and Russia, permanent members of the Security Council, 
say 'yes' or abstain from voting." 
 
The party's policy platform also stops short of referring to whether 
the Self-Defense Force (SDF) or a UN stand-by force separate from 
the SDF - an idea advocated by Ozawa - should actively join UN 
activities. One member grumbled: "The current situation has been 
caused because the party has not fully discussed security policy out 
of fear of a conflict over policy direction." 
 
Ozawa, when heading the Shinshinto (New Frontier Party), did not 
come up with any specific policy principles. That was why the party 
was split and dissolved in the end. Keeping this in mind, a veteran 
lawmaker vented: "Mr. Ozawa seems to be showing his classic 
symptoms." A junior House of Councillors member grumbled: "I might 
not be able to receive official recognition in the next election. We 
had better refrain from making unwise remarks." 
 
(3) Former LDP Secretary General Nakagawa: New antiterrorism bill 
should be enacted in next ordinary Diet session 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) 
October 14, 2007 
 
In a speech in Higashi-Hiroshima yesterday, former Liberal 
Democratic Party Secretary General Hidenao Nakagawa indicated that 
the party aims at passing in the next ordinary Diet session the 
government's new antiterrorism special measures bill to extend the 
Maritime Self-Defense Force's refueling mission in the Indian Ocean. 
He said: "We should consider the possibility of continuing 
deliberations on the legislation in the ordinary Diet session (to be 
convened next January)." 
 
(4) LDP gives in to New Komeito over disclosure of receipts for 
expenditures from political funds over single yen 
 
 
TOKYO 00004803  003 OF 009 
 
 
ASAHI (Page 1 (Full) 
October 13, 2007 
 
The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the New Komeito yesterday 
held a meeting of the Project Team for Bringing Transparency to 
Political Funds in the Diet and agreed to disclose receipts for all 
expenditures. The LDP's previous stance on this issue was that 
receipts for expenditures exceeding a certain amount from political 
donations made by individuals, companies and organizations be 
disclosed. However, it has given in to the New Komeito, which had 
called for full disclosure. However, since the agreement is attached 
with conditions, there is a possibility of full disclosure becoming 
impossible in effect, depending on the course of future 
discussions. 
 
Both parties will work out such details as a method of disclosing 
receipts and then finalize bills amending related laws, such as the 
Political Funds Control Law and the Party Subsidies Law, for 
submission to the current Diet session. The meeting brought together 
Tsutomu Takebe, chairman of the LDP Reform Implementation 
 
SIPDIS 
Headquarters; Junji Higashi, chairman of the New Komeito Political 
Reform Headquarters; and others. Participants agreed that receipts 
for all spending items be disclosed and that such receipts be 
disclosed in an effective manner with consideration given to the 
prevention of administrative costs from expanding. 
 
The Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry, which is in charge 
of the issue, and the LDP noted that full disclosure would lead to a 
substantive increase in information disclosure work. For this 
reason, future discussion by the LDP and the New Komeito will likely 
focus on narrowing in effect items subject to disclosure on the 
grounds of preventing administrative costs from bloating. 
 
Participants in the Project Team meeting almost unanimously agreed 
to set up a committee to promote proper expenditures of political 
funds (tentative name), based on a proposal made by the LDP. 
Auditing by experts, such as certified public accountants, will 
likely be obligated. Regarding spending items subject to disclosure, 
the LDP wants to limit the scope to political organizations 
involving Diet members, while some New Komeito members want to cover 
local assembly members as well. Discussions on this matter will 
continue. 
 
The Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) has already 
finalized an amendment to the Political Funds Control Law, which 
will mandate all political organizations attach receipts for all 
expenditures. It will submit it to the Upper House possibly next 
week. Behind the LDP's policy switch is probably that it was 
motivated by the desire to avoid its members from falling out of 
step with the DPJ submitting a bill that is close to the New 
Komeito's stance. 
 
(5) Ozawa's fund management body to repay all rent income 
 
SANKEI (Page 3) (Full) 
October 14, 2007 
 
Democratic Party of Japan President Ichiro Ozawa's fund management 
body Rikuzan-kai, which is located in Minato Ward, Tokyo, revealed 
on Oct. 13 that it would return all rent income from condominiums 
purchased with political funds. Rikuzan-kai will repay S.A. 
Consulting, a consulting firm, which rented a condominium at 70,000 
 
TOKYO 00004803  004 OF 009 
 
 
yen per month for five years and nine months, the International 
Grass-Roots Exchange Center, which rented at 200,000 yen per month 
for three years and one month, and the Tokyo support group for 
Ichiro Ozawa, which rented at 100,000 yen per month for 11 years and 
four months. The fund management group will repay the three entities 
a total of approximately 26 million yen. The fund management body 
has already repaid S.A. Consulting, which terminated its rent at the 
end of September of a condominium in Minato Ward. 
 
A spokesperson for Ozawa's office said: "We though we would rent 
them free of charge. We think there was no problem. But the media 
have reported incorrectly, so we decided to repay the money so that 
we won't be misunderstood." 
 
(6) Maritime interdiction drill held without China, South Korea; 
Program's effectiveness needs improvement 
 
YOMIURI (Page 1) (Full) 
October 14, 2007 
 
A three-day maritime exercise called Pacific Shield 2007 to search, 
pursue, and climb aboard suspicious vessels as part of the 
Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) began on Oct. 13 in waters 
off Izu-Oshima Island, Tokyo. The number of countries taking part in 
the exercise has increased to seven from the four in 2004, when 
Japan last hosted the event. Although observers have also markedly 
increased to 40 countries from the 18, China and South Korea did not 
join the exercise. This has raised questions about the program's 
effectiveness. 
 
In principle, the PSI is not intended to deal with any specific 
situations or countries, the view prevalent in and outside Japan is 
that the exercise held in Japan effectively has North Korea in mind. 
In fact, in the wake of allegations that Syria has been pursuing a 
nuclear weapons program backed by North Korea, US President George 
¶W. Bush in September warned North Korea to stop nuclear 
proliferation. Meanwhile, China and South Korea, which have strong 
influence over North Korea, opted not to join the ongoing maritime 
drill, leaving Japan and Singapore as the only countries from East 
Asia taking part in it and raising questions about regional joint 
efforts against North Korea. China and South Korea seemingly decided 
not to antagonize the North, with the six-party talks and the recent 
inter-Korean summit in mind. A senior Foreign Ministry official said 
on Oct. 13, "We would like to urge the two countries to join the 
exercise as observers in the future." 
 
(7) Ruling coalition team decides not to include provision banning 
refueling oilers in new legislation 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Abridged slightly) 
October 13, 2007 
 
The Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito held on Oct. 12 a 
meeting of the ruling bloc Antiterrorism Special Measures Law 
project team, chaired by former LDP Vice President Taku Yamasaki. As 
a result, the team decided not to include in the envisioned new 
antiterrorism legislation a provision banning the Maritime 
Self-Defense Force from refueling foreign supply ships in the Indian 
Ocean. 
 
The major opposition Democratic Party of Japan (Minshuto or DPJ) has 
been pursuing the allegation that oil provided by the MSDF to a US 
 
TOKYO 00004803  005 OF 009 
 
 
oiler in the Indian Ocean was diverted for use in the Iraq war. In 
order to increase the transparency of the refueling mission, the 
idea of prohibiting the MSDF from providing oil to supply ships was 
circulating in the government and ruling bloc. 
 
The decision comes from the judgment that banning refueling foreign 
oilers under the new legislation might be taken as an admission of 
oil diversion and might end up excessively restricting the 
activities of other countries as well. To prevent Japanese oil from 
being used for other purposes, the ruling bloc will consider such 
steps as (1) Prime Minister Fukuda and others declaring during Diet 
deliberations on the new legislation not to allow diversion of oil, 
and (2) specifying measures to prevent oil diversion in a new basic 
plan on the refueling operation. 
 
In the project team meeting, the New Komieto insisted on setting the 
term of the new legislation at one year from the viewpoint of 
civilian control against the option of making it good for two years 
and requiring annual reporting to the Diet. As a result, the meeting 
failed to reach a final agreement. The government and ruling camp 
plan to hold a project team meeting again on Oct. 16 to discuss the 
contents of the new legislation. 
 
(8) Logbook disclosure needed for accountability on MSDF refueling: 
NPO chief 
 
ASAHI (Page 15) (Abridged) 
October 4, 2007 
 
Hiromichi Umebayashi, representing the Peace Depot 
 
Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force provided fuel to US naval 
vessels under the Antiterrorism Special Measures Law. The US 
military, however, is now suspected of having used the MSDF-supplied 
fuel for its Iraq operations. The government is aiming to continue 
the MSDF's refueling mission. Before doing so, however, the 
government should disclose information about the MSDF's activities 
so far and fulfill its public accountability. 
 
The suspicion came up in May 2003. Carrier Battle Group 5's Rear 
Adm. Moffit, who commands the USS Kitty Hawk, a US Navy aircraft 
carrier, revealed that his flattop was indirectly refueled by the 
Tokiwa, an MSDF supply ship. 
 
Following up the admiral's remarks, we looked into the Kitty Hawk's 
logs and other documents, using the United States' information 
disclosure system. As a result, we found that the Tokiwa fueled the 
USS Pecos, a US Navy oiler, with about 800,000 gallons on Feb. 25, 
2003, and that the Pecos thereafter ran through to the Kitty Hawk 
and refueled her on the same day. The Kitty Hawk then headed for the 
Persian Gulf and engaged in Operation Southern Watch (OSW) against 
Iraq and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) in Iraq. 
 
At first, the Japanese government explained that the amount of fuel 
provided by the Tokiwa to the Pecos was 200,000 gallons. However, on 
Sept. 21, the day after we pointed to the suspected diversion of 
fuel, the Japanese government owned up to its mistake and corrected 
the amount thereof to 800,000 gallons-equivalent to the amount of 
fuel for the Kitty Hawk to consume within a timeframe of about 5-7 
days. During that period of time, the Kitty Hawk was deep in the 
Persian Gulf. She was on stage in waters near Iran, a country that 
neighbors Afghanistan, where the war on terror is still going on. In 
 
TOKYO 00004803  006 OF 009 
 
 
those days, tensions were growing between the United States and Iran 
over Iran's suspected nuclear development. In response to the 
Japanese government's inquiry, the United States says it will look 
into facts. However, it would be extremely difficult to maintain 
that the Kitty Hawk was engaged there in the war on terror as well. 
 
We are concerned about whether the diversion of fuel was only for 
the Kitty Hawk that day. When standing on the US military's 
position, there is no reason to separate its warships for operations 
with an eye on Afghanistan, Iraq, and Iran. I wonder how Prime 
Minister Fukuda and his government will dispel such a natural 
suspicion. 
 
In the long run, information disclosure to the public will heighten 
the quality and credibility of administration. Unfortunately, the 
government has been failing to make us feel that it is serious 
enough to consider such an advantage. 
 
We made our information disclosure request to the United States. At 
the same time, we also requested the then Defense Agency to disclose 
MSDF vessels' logbooks to the public. However, the agency, now the 
Defense Ministry, did not disclose them, with the exception of only 
some publicly known information, such as when they left port and 
when they returned to port. The agency cited some points as reasons 
for its rejection of our request to disclose information, fearing 
that such information disclosure could make it difficult to ensure 
safety and could trouble Japan's relationship of mutual trust with 
other countries. We raised an objection to the agency, with copies 
of US naval vessels' logs attached. We asserted that the agency 
should not reel off theoretical possibilities that are low in 
probability. Yet, the agency did not change its conclusion. 
 
The United States-the main player in the war on terror-disclosed its 
naval fleet logs. That is probably because it is self-evident that 
terrorists can neither locate naval vessels nor attack them 
accurately and rapidly. At that time, the Defense Agency cited a 
sort of vague fear as a reason for its refusal to disclose 
information. This is nothing but to show authoritarianism or secrecy 
in old days. In other words, the government thinks it would be 
better to let us know nothing. Logbooks that record the Self-Defense 
Forces' overseas activities are historical documents, which are 
valuable for future researchers as well. They should not be shredded 
even after the retention period of archives. 
 
(9) Japan, North Korea to unofficially meet in China to determine 
details for next session of working group on diplomatic 
normalization possibly later this year 
 
NIKKEI (Page 1) (Full) 
October 14, 2007 
 
Japanese and North Korean officials in charge of negotiations on 
normalizing bilateral diplomatic ties arrived in Shenyang, China, on 
Oct. 13. The officials are expected to determine a timetable and 
agenda items for the next session of the working group on 
normalizing diplomatic ties to be held as part of the six party 
talks possibly later this year. Reflecting the Fukuda 
administration's emphasis on dialogue with the North, North Korea 
leader Kim Jong Il has indicated his stance of carefully watching 
moves by the Japanese government. The focus of attention is on to 
what extent progress will be made on negotiations on the issue of 
Japanese nationals abducted by North Korean agents. 
 
TOKYO 00004803  007 OF 009 
 
 
 
Working-level negotiations on normalizing bilateral relations, 
outside the framework of the six-party talks, will be held for the 
first time under the Fukuda administration. The officials who 
arrived in Shenyang include Foreign Ministry North and East Asian 
Division head Shigeo Yamada and Ambassador of North Korea to 
Normalization Talks with Japan Song Il Ho. No specific schedule, 
including how long the talks will last, has been determined yet. 
 
In the negotiations, Japan and North Korea are expected to reconfirm 
the need to accelerate talks on settlement of past accounts, 
including Japan's colonial rule over the North, in line with the 
abduction issue. Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura has indicated a 
positive stance of tackling the issue of liquidation of the past. 
 
However, Pyongyang has taken no specific move to resolve the 
abduction issue, whose settlement is vital for Japan. In the working 
group meeting held in early September, Japan urged the North to 
return all abducted Japanese nationals and clear up the details of 
the issue. But North Korea declined Japan's request, one official 
remarking: "Since Japan-North Korea relations have been 
deteriorated, we are not in a state of taking more steps." 
 
In the upcoming talks, too, it remains to be seen whether Pyongyang 
would respond to Japan's request for a reinvestigation on Japanese 
abduction victims. 
 
(10) North Korea tells US that delisting it as state sponsor of 
terrorism and Japan-North Korea relations are separate issues 
 
ASAHI (Page 1) (Full) 
Eve., October 13, 2007 
 
Washington, Kei Ukai 
 
North Korea does not consider improvement in its relations with 
Japan as a condition for the United States to delist it as a state 
sponsor of terrorism, a source familiar with North Korean affairs 
revealed on Oct. 12. The North has also insisted that if it is not 
delisted be the end of the year, it will discontinue the nuclear 
disablement process. Therefore, there is a possibility of 
Japan-North Korea relations preventing the nuclear disablement 
process. 
 
According to the source, Pyongyang asserted that since Japan-North 
Korea relations and US-North Korea relations are completely separate 
issues, the two issues should not affect each other and that the 
six-party talks will stall if the US insists on improvement in 
Japan-North Korea ties as a condition for delisting. The Japanese 
government, meanwhile, has called on the US government not to remove 
the North from its list of state sponsors of terrorism before the 
abduction issue is resolved. 
 
The six-party agreement released on Oct. 3 specifies that the US 
will live up to its promise in accordance with North Korea's 
response based on an accord in the working group of normalizing 
diplomatic ties between the US and North Korea. US Assistant 
Secretary of State Christopher Hill, US chief negotiator, stated: "I 
 
SIPDIS 
have clearly said that I want to see improvement in Japan-North 
Korea relations." This highlighted that there is a gap between 
Washington and Pyongyang on the agreement of the working group. 
 
 
TOKYO 00004803  008 OF 009 
 
 
The expectation is that the nuclear disablement process will speed 
up based on the agreed document. Georgetown University Prof. Victor 
Cha, former director for Asian affairs of the National Security 
Council, pointed out: "Delisting will be very difficult unless there 
is improvement in the abduction issue," since President George W. 
Bush, who will make a final decision, is sympatric about the issue. 
 
(11) Japanese, Chinese governments in coordination on visit to Japan 
by President Hu; Prime Minister Fukuda likely to visit China in 
January 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
October 14, 2007 
 
The governments of Japan and China are coordinating a visit to Japan 
by Chinese President Hu Jintao in mid-April, it was learned on Oct. 
¶13. Tokyo and Beijing have determined that it will be desirable for 
Hu to visit Tokyo after Japan's Diet completes deliberations, 
approving a state budget for fiscal 2008. It will be the first time 
for a Chinese president to come to Japan since then President Jiang 
Zemin visited in 1998. Prime Minister Fukuda, however, will likely 
visit China in January before an ordinary Diet session convenes. 
 
Former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori and Chinese Prime Minister Wen 
Jiabao agreed in their meeting in September in Beijing to set a 
schedule for Hu's Japan visit in the next spring. The two 
governments, therefore, have been under coordination. 
 
The expectation is that Hu will stay in Japan for five to seven 
days. The Chinese government is looking at the possibility of the 
president visiting Japanese local areas. 
 
The topics of discussion in the Japan-China summit will likely 
include 1) Japan's cooperation for China's energy conservation and 
environmental protection; 2) trade and investment issues, including 
intellectual property protection and food safety; and 3) 
macroeconomic policy such as the handling of the Chinese yuan. The 
Japanese side intends to ask the Chinese side for its cooperation 
for a settlement of the abductions of Japanese by North Korea. 
 
A visit to Japan by a Chinese president has been a pending issue due 
to a conflict over the remarks made by the Emperor when Jiang 
visited Japan, as well as over the Yasukuni Shrine issue in the 
government of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. 
 
(12) Prime minister orders drastic review of independent 
administrative corporations: Gets down to work of consolidation and 
rationalization plan before year's end 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 1) (Full) 
October 13, 2007 
 
The government and the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) yesterday 
decided to drastically review the organizations of all of 101 
independent administrative corporations  and their operations with 
an eye on the compilation of an independent administrative 
corporations consolidation and rationalization plan slated for the 
end of the year.  Though basic policy guidelines for revising such 
corporations were adopted at a cabinet meeting in August by the Abe 
administration, moves of various government agencies that have 
jurisdiction over them have been slow. The LDP Administrative Reform 
Promotion Headquarters will strengthen efforts at the order of Prime 
 
TOKYO 00004803  009 OF 009 
 
 
Minister Yasuo Fukuda. 
 
Receiving a report on Oct. 11 on the envisaged compilation of the 
plan from Koki Chuma, chairman of the LDP Administrative Reform 
Promotion Headquarters, and Hiroyuki Sonoda, Acting Chairman of the 
Policy Research Council, in the Diet, Fukuda replied, "It is 
necessary to take a second look at independent administrative 
organizations." 
 
At the prime minister's order, the LDP Administrative Reform 
Promotion Headquarters will conduct a hearing survey of all 
independent administrative corporations and fully look into the 
outcome of the survey with the possibility of abolishing some of 
their administrative works and projects or privatizing them. 
 
The government's Administrative Reform Promotion Headquarters 
yesterday started inviting public views on its website on the sale 
of projects by independent administrative corporations to the 
private sector. State Minister in Charge of Administrative Reform 
Yoshimi Watanabe indicated a plan to reflect public opinions in the 
envisaged consolidation and rationalization plan. 
 
The government and the LDP are now seriously tackling a review of 
independent administrative corporations partly in order to counter 
the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto), which has the 
initiative in adopting bills in the Upper House. The DPJ advocates 
abolition or privatization in principle of all independent 
administrative corporations within three years. 
 
However, the basic guidelines for independent administrative 
corporations adopted by the government at a cabinet meeting will 
likely meet fierce resistance from various government agencies, 
because it stipulates that all independent administrative 
corporations with the exceptions of those that are considered really 
necessary be scraped. 
 
(13) Poll: 92 PERCENT  see need for newspapers 
 
YOMIURI (Page 1) (Abridged) 
October 14, 2007 
 
The Yomiuri Shimbun recently conducted a face-to-face nationwide 
public opinion survey, in which respondents were asked if they 
thought they needed newspapers to get information or knowledge. In 
response to this question, a total of 92 PERCENT  answered "yes" or 
"yes to a certain degree." Respondents were also asked if they 
trusted newspaper reports. To this question, a total of 87 PERCENT 
gave affirmative answers with "very much" or "generally." 
 
There are an increasing number of new information-gathering 
resources like the Internet. Even so, the general public heavily 
weighed the role of newspapers as reliable media. The survey was 
conducted on Oct. 6-7, prior to Newspaper Week (Oct. 15-21). 
 
In the survey, respondents were further asked if they thought 
newspapers have been careful not to violate human rights or privacy 
in their reports. In response, 73 PERCENT  answered "yes." Asked 
about TV news reports, 46 PERCENT  answered "yes." 
 
SCHIEFFER