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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 10 TOKYO 005217 
 
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 11/13/07 
 
 
Index: 
 
Prime Minister Fukuda going to Washington 
1) US-Japan summit scheduled for Nov. 16 (Sankei) 
2) Bush-Fukuda meeting set for Nov. 16 (Yomiuri) 
3) N. Korea delisting also on agenda: CCS Machimura (Nikkei) 
4) Prime Minister Fukuda in meeting with President Bush to propose 
expediting Yokota AB dual use (Tokyo Shimbun) 
 
Opinion polls: 
5) Yomiuri poll: 51 PERCENT  support continuing MSDF refueling 
mission for OEF-MIO operations in Indian Ocean (Yomiuri) 
6) 44 PERCENT  support resuming MSDF refueling activities in Nikkei 
poll (Nikkei) 
7) Fuji-Sankei poll shows 51 PERCENT  support new antiterrorism 
legislation (Sankei) 
8) 55 PERCENT  don't support LDP-DPJ grand coalition in Nikkei poll 
(Nikkei) 
 
Diet battle over new antiterror legislation: 
9) New antiterror bill clears special committee, to pass House of 
Representatives today (Yomiuri) 
10) New antiterror bill to clear Diet's lower chamber today, but 
unlikely to get through upper chamber (Sankei) 
11) DPJ to put new antiterror bill on backburner (Mainichi) 
12) DPJ to refuse early discussion on new antiterror legislation 
(Yomiuri) 
13) DPJ's Ozawa before meeting Prime Minister Fukuda mulled 
participation in refueling activities (Mainichi) 
 
Foreign relations: 
 
14) Former top defense executive Miyazaki wined and dined senior US 
officials aiming at obtaining US force-realignment projects (Asahi) 
 
15) Hinode Sanso memorial opens in commemoration of 'Ron-Yasu' 
friendship (Tokyo Shimbun) 
16) MOFA's vice minister deems it difficult to hold 6-party talks 
within the year (Sankei) 
17) Japan, China to hold foreign ministerial over East China Sea gas 
field development (Yomiuri) 
 
Articles: 
 
1) Prime Minister Fukuda's schedule for overseas travel officially 
decided; Japan-US summit to occur on Nov. 16 
 
SANKEI (Page 3) (Full) 
November 13, 2007 
 
Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's schedules to visit the United States 
and Singapore were decided yesterday. The prime minister will leave 
for Washington on Nov. 15 and meet on the 16th with US President 
George W. Bush. He will return home on the 17th. He will then leave 
for Singapore on the 19th and return to Tokyo early on the morning 
of the 22nd. In Singapore, Fukuda is expected to attend a summit of 
the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Plus Three 
(Japan, China and South Korea), as well as an East Asia summit. 
 
Referring in a press conference to the fact that the US government 
has been considering delisting North Korea as state sponsor of 
terrorism, Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura expressed 
 
TOKYO 00005217  002 OF 010 
 
 
concern, saying, "The abduction issue is different from other 
issues, because it is deeply related to the sentiments of Japanese 
public. The abductions are a state crime, and the issue means a 
violation of the human rights of many Japanese nationals. (Delisting 
the North as state sponsor of terrorism) will not have a positive 
impact on Japan-US relations." 
 
2) Japan-US summit to take place on Nov. 16 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) 
November 13, 2007 
 
Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura announced in a press 
conference last evening that Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda will leave 
for the United States on Nov. 15 and hold talks with President 
George W. Bush on the 16th. It will be the first overseas trip for 
the prime minister since he took office. 
 
Fukuda is expected to tell Bush of Japan's policy of strengthening 
the Japan-US alliance, as well as of promoting Asia policy. 
 
Fukuda told the press last night: 
 
"Japan's relations with the United States are very deep and wide. I 
want to tell the President my views on Japan's foreign policy and 
other issues. I would like to hear the US views, as well." 
 
3) Chief Cabinet Secretary Machimura: Issue of delisting North Korea 
as state sponsor of terrorism will be discussed in Japan-US summit 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
November 13, 2007 
 
Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura revealed yesterday the 
expectation that the question of whether the United States will 
remove North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism will 
be discussed in the upcoming meeting on Nov. 16 between Prime 
Minister Yasuo Fukuda and US President George W. Bush. Machimura 
stated in a press conference yesterday: 
 
"The United States has reiterated that it will not try to improve 
relations with North Korea at the expense of the Japan-US 
relationship. At any rate, this issue will be discussed in the 
Japan-US summit." 
 
Asked how Japan would respond if the US delisted the North as a 
state sponsor of terrorism with no progress on the abduction issue, 
Machimura pointed out: "The abduction issue has a significance that 
differs from other topics of discussion. (Delisting) would not have 
a positive impact on Japan-US relations." 
 
4) Prime minister to ask US president to turn dual use of Yokota 
Base into reality 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 3) (Full) 
November 10, 2007 
 
Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said yesterday that he would ask United 
States President Bush during their meeting planned for next week to 
turn a plan to use Yokota Air Base as joint military-civilian 
airport into reality at an early date. 
 
 
TOKYO 00005217  003 OF 010 
 
 
In replying to questions from reporters at the Prime Minister's 
Official Residence (Kantei) last night, the prime minister said: "It 
is necessary (for Japan and the US) to further discuss the issue at 
working-level talks. . . .  This is an idea that our side should 
take up (during the Japan-US summit)." 
 
Prior to this, Fukuda met with Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara at 
the Kantei. Ishihara urged the prime minister to work on the US to 
move forward the talks on military-civilian joint use of the base, 
remarking: "Securing air access in the Tokyo metropolitan area will 
lead to securing national power." 
 
The Japanese and US leaders agreed in their meeting in May 2003 to 
look into the feasibility of military-civilian joint use of Yokota 
Base. Following the agreement, both sides started talks in October 
last year. They planned to wind up the talks within 12 months, but 
they have yet to reach a conclusion. 
 
5) Yomiuri Shimbun poll: 51 PERCENT  approve continuation of 
refueling operations in Indian Ocean, reaching majority for first 
time; 56 PERCENT  negative about Ozawa remaining in office 
 
YOMIURI (Page 1) (Excerpts) 
November 13, 2007 
 
Yomiuri Shimbun carried out a nationwide opinion poll on 
continuation of refueling operations in the Indian Ocean by the 
Maritime Self-Defense Agency (MSDF) on Nov. 10-11, based on an 
interview formula. The poll found that 51 PERCENT  were in favor of 
continuing the operations, while 40 PERCENT  were against it. This 
is the first time the Yomiuri opinion poll has seen majority support 
for continuing the MSDF operation. Likewise, to a question on the 
new antiterrorism special measures bill to be put to a vote in a 
Lower House plenary session on Nov. 13, 49 PERCENT  approved it, 
topping the 39 PERCENT  who opposed it. 
 
Looking at the results by party affiliation, 69 PERCENT  of Liberal 
Democratic Party (LDP) supporters were in favor of continuing the 
operation, while 24 PERCENT  were against it. Among Democratic Party 
of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) supporters, 36 PERCENT  supported it, 
while 62 PERCENT  opposed it. Among swing voters, support was 53 
PERCENT  and opposition 42 PERCENT . 
 
The public approval rating for the Fukuda cabinet dropped to 52.2 
PERCENT , down 6.9 points from the October poll. The nonapproval 
rating increased to 36 PERCENT , up 9.3 points from the previous 
survey. The poll was carried out for the first time since the effort 
to create an LDP-DPJ coalition came to light. Support for the LDP 
dropped to 34.3 PERCENT , down 3.5 points, while support for the 
DPJ, which rejected the grand coalition proposal, rose to 22.5 
PERCENT , up 4.5 points. 
 
6) Nikkei poll: 44 PERCENT  support resumption of refueling 
operations, 37 PERCENT  opposed; Support for resumption a majority 
in three surveys in row 
 
NIKKEI (Page 3) (Full) 
November 13, 2007 
 
According to a Nikkei poll on the Maritime Self-Defense Force's 
(MSDF) refueling operation in the Indian Ocean, 44 PERCENT  of 
respondents replied that the operations should be resumed, exceeding 
 
TOKYO 00005217  004 OF 010 
 
 
37 PERCENT  who opposed the idea. This is the fourth questionnaire 
regarding the MSDF refueling operations, and the first since the 
MSDF ended the operations with the expiration of the Antiterrorism 
Special Measures Law on Nov. 1. The number of those who supported 
the operation topped the respondents who opposed it in the second 
poll. Since then supporters have had a majority in three polls in a 
row. 
 
Regarding those who supported resuming the operation, differences in 
stances according to party affiliation were distinct, with 60 
PERCENT  of Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) supporters in favor of 
it, while only 38 PERCENT  of Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or 
Minshuto) supporters favored it. However, compared with the previous 
survey, the support rate among LDP supporters has dropped by 8 
points, but support jumped by 4 points among DPJ supporters. 
Likewise, the number of LDP supporters who were against continuing 
operations rose by 5 points, while this rate among DPJ supporters 
dropped by 8 points. 
 
Among swing voters who have no party affiliation, those who replied 
that the operation should not be resumed reached 50 PERCENT , up 19 
points. These who said that the operation should be resumed slipped 
to 23 PERCENT , down 15 points. 
 
The results indicated that understanding of the refueling operation 
has deepened, compared with the results of the August poll, in which 
more than 50 PERCENT  of respondents were against an extension of 
the antiterror special measures law. However, the number of polliees 
who supported a resumption of the operation still falls short of a 
majority. Public opinion will likely affect whether a decision will 
be reached on the legislation and deliberations on a censure motion 
against Prime Minister Fukuda, which the opposition camp is 
considering. 
 
7) Sankei-FNN Poll: 51 PERCENT  favor revote on new terrorism bill; 
Fukuda support rate plummets to 41.1 PERCENT 
 
SANKEI (Page 3) (Excerpts) 
November 13, 2007 
 
In an opinion poll conducted by the Sankei Shimbun and FNN on Nov. 
10-11, the support rate for the cabinet led by Prime Minister Yasuo 
Fukuda plummeted to 41.1 PERCENT , down 14.2 percentage points from 
55.3 PERCENT  in the previous survey (on Sept. 26-27). This figure 
is almost the same as the nonsupport rate of 40.3 PERCENT . 
Observers see this result as reflecting public criticism of the 
grand-coalition idea proposed during earlier meetings between Fukuda 
and Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) President Ichiro Ozawa, as well 
as of Fukuda's failure to come up with measures to deal with the 
current state in which the opposition camp has control of the House 
of Councillors. 
 
In the survey, 60.5 PERCENT  voiced opposition to the idea of a 
grand coalition between the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the 
DPJ, while only 26.8 PERCENT  favored it. Even so, 68.4 PERCENT 
praised the fact that party head talks were held. The survey also 
showed that many respondents favor talks between the ruling and 
opposition blocs on necessary policies, with 90.9 PERCENT 
expressing support for policy talks between both sides. 
 
Asked about Ozawa's announcement and then retraction of his 
resignation, 67.1 PERCENT  said that it was hard to understand, but 
 
TOKYO 00005217  005 OF 010 
 
 
45.9 PERCENT  said his decision was good, while 40.8 PERCENT  were 
against it. The survey thus found many people placing high 
expectations on Ozawa's capabilities. 
 
The support rate for the LDP stood at 32.2 PERCENT , down 1.7 points 
from 33.9 PERCENT  in the previous survey, while that of the DPJ was 
also down 1.6 points to 26.5 PERCENT  from 28.1 PERCENT . 
 
Asked about the propriety of the Maritime Self-Defense Force's 
refueling mission in the Indian Ocean, those who supported the 
operation increased 0.8 point to 51.8 PERCENT , outnumbering the 
percentage of those against it at 38.2 PERCENT . The survey also 
showed that 51.2 PERCENT  supported the use of the ruling camp's 
two-thirds majority in the House of Representatives in order to 
enact the antiterrorism bill in the Lower House if the bill is 
rejected in Upper House, surpassing 37.2 PERCENT  opposition. The 
survey found that a majority is in favor of the MSDF continuing its 
refueling mission. 
 
8) Poll: 55 PERCENT  don't support 'grand coalition' initiative 
 
NIKKEI (Top play) (Abridged) 
November 13, 2007 
 
The Nihon Keizai Shimbun conducted a public opinion survey on Nov. 
10-12, in which respondents were asked if they supported the "grand 
coalition initiative" that came up in a recent meeting of Prime 
Minister Yasuo Fukuda, who is president of his ruling Liberal 
Democratic Party, and Ichiro Ozawa, president of the leading 
opposition Democratic Party of Japan (Minshuto). In response to this 
question, only 27 PERCENT  answered "yes," with 55 PERCENT  saying 
"no." The rate of public support for the DPJ was 28 PERCENT , down 4 
percentage points from the last survey taken in late October. This 
result can be taken as reflecting the recent flap over Ozawa's 
once-announced intent to resign. The popularity gap between the DPJ 
and the LDP increased again. 
 
In the breakdown of public support for political parties, the LDP 
rose 4 points to 42 PERCENT , with the DPJ falling to the level 
before this July's election for the House of Councillors. The severe 
rating for the DPJ is expected to affect the tug of war between the 
ruling and coalition camps over how to schedule Diet deliberations 
for the days ahead and when to dissolve the House of Representatives 
for a general election. 
 
The approval rating for the Fukuda cabinet was 55 PERCENT , leveling 
off from the last survey. The disapproval rating was 33 PERCENT , up 
2 points. 
 
The survey was taken by Nikkei Research Inc. over the telephone on a 
random digit dialing (RDD) basis. For the survey, samples were 
chosen from among men and women aged 20 and over across the nation. 
A total of 1,514 households with one or more voters were sampled, 
and answers were obtained from 919 persons (60.7 PERCENT ). 
 
9) Lower House special committee adopts new antiterrorism bill with 
majority approval by LDP, New Komeito; Legislation to clear Lower 
House today 
 
YOMIURI (Top play) (Excerpts) 
November 13, 2007 
 
 
TOKYO 00005217  006 OF 010 
 
 
The House of Representatives Special Committee on Prevention of 
Terrorism yesterday adopted a new antiterrorism special measures 
bill to resume the Maritime Self-Defense Force's refueling operation 
in the Indian Ocean with majority approval by the Liberal Democratic 
Party and the New Komeito. The bill is expected to clear a Lower 
House plenary session today and be sent to the House of Councillors. 
The government and ruling parties intend to explain the bill and 
take questions at an Upper House plenary session tomorrow to begin 
deliberations. However, the major opposition Democratic Party of 
Japan (DPJ or Minshuto), which holds the initiative in the Upper 
House, is set to put up do-or-die resistance in the chamber. Given 
the situation, deliberations on the bill (in the Upper House) are 
unlikely to start until after Nov. 19, after Prime Minister Yasuo 
Fukuda returns home from the United States. 
 
In the event the new antiterrorism legislation is rejected by the 
Upper House, the ruling bloc is likely to call a Lower House plenary 
session to readopt it there by a two-thirds majority. That might 
prompt the DPJ to submit a censure motion against the prime 
minister, setting off a pitched battle between the ruling and 
opposition camps. 
 
The new antiterrorism bill, designed to replace the Antiterrorism 
Special Measures Law which expired on Nov. 1, stipulates that (1) 
the MSDF's activities are to be limited to providing water and fuel 
oil to vessels of the United States, Britain, and other countries 
engaged in the maritime interdiction operation; (2) the area of 
activities is limited to the Indian Ocean, including the Persian 
Gulf; and (3) the term of the activities is set at one year. 
 
10) No prospects for Upper House deliberations on new antiterrorism 
bill after it clears Lower House today 
 
SANKEI (Top play) (Excerpts) 
November 13, 2007 
 
The new antiterrorism special measures bill to resume the Maritime 
Self-Defense Force's refueling operation in the Indian Ocean was 
adopted last evening by the House of Representatives Special 
Committee on Prevention of Terrorism by a majority vote by Liberal 
Democratic Party and the New Komeito. With the bill expected to 
clear the Lower House in a plenary session this afternoon, the 
battle between the ruling and opposition camps is now likely to 
shift to the House of Councillors, which is controlled by the 
opposition bloc. Although the LDP and New Komeito are planning to 
enact the bill before the current Diet session ends on December 15, 
the opposition camp is expected to put up do-or-die resistance. Even 
a slight impasse in the deliberations might result in a re-extension 
of the Diet session. Even if the Upper House forcibly takes a vote, 
the bill is certain to be voted down (by the opposition parties). In 
such a case, the focus should be whether or not the ruling camp 
readopts it in the Lower House in accordance with the two-thirds 
majority clause. 
 
11) DPJ plans to prioritize Iraq legislation over new antiterrorism 
bill 
 
MAINICHI (Page 5) (Full) 
November 13, 2007 
 
The major opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) 
held at its party headquarters yesterday a Diet liaison meeting of 
 
TOKYO 00005217  007 OF 010 
 
 
President Ichiro Ozawa and Diet Affairs and policy chiefs of the two 
chambers of the Diet. In the session, they confirmed a policy course 
to prioritize deliberations on a (DPJ-presented) bill to abolish the 
Iraq Special Measures Law over a new antiterrorism bill. 
 
Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama explained the reason this way to 
 
SIPDIS 
reporters at party headquarters: "The Air Self-Defense Force has 
been cooperating with the US military in Iraq. The bill regarding 
Iraq is more important than the new antiterrorism regarding 
Afghanistan. It is also our national obligation to thoroughly pursue 
the improprieties involving the Defense Ministry." He thus revealed 
the DPJ's short-term plan to pursue the cover-up of the amount of 
fuel oil the Maritime Self-Defense Force provided to a (US) oiler 
and the lavish entertainment of former Vice-Defense Minister 
Takemasa Moriya. 
 
12) DPJ to reject early Upper House deliberations on new terrorism 
bill; Government, ruling parties struggling to readjust timetable 
 
YOMIURI (Page4) (Full) 
November 13, 2007 
 
Given the certainty of a new antiterrorism bill clearing a House of 
Representatives plenary session today, the ruling and opposition 
blocs are in a pitched battle over a timetable for the bill's 
deliberations in House of Councillors. The Democratic Party of Japan 
(DPJ or Minshuto), which holds the initiative in the Upper House, 
plans to block the government's and ruling camp's plan to begin 
Upper House deliberations early. The government and the ruling bloc 
are now being forced to readjust the timetable by, for instance, 
changing the schedules for the prime minister's foreign trips. 
 
Liberal Democratic Party Diet Affairs Committee Chairman Tadamori 
Oshima after the adoption yesterday of the new antiterrorism 
legislation by the Lower House Special Committee on Prevention of 
Terrorism indicated to reporters that there would be no problem with 
a committee vote, saying: "Showing maximum understanding to the 
opposition bloc's demands, we have conducted sufficient 
deliberations and Diet testimony by sworn and unsworn witnesses." 
 
The government and ruling parties plan to make utmost efforts to 
enact the bill before the current Diet session closes on December 
¶15. Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda stressed at a government and ruling 
parties' liaison meeting, held at the Prime Minister's Official 
Residence (Kantei) yesterday, that the policy course to (enact the 
new antiterrorism legislation during the current Diet session) 
remains unchanged. 
 
Meanwhile, DPJ Secretary-General Yukio Hatoyama said: "With his 
summit meeting with President George W. Bush coming up, Prime 
Minister Fukuda forcibly took a vote in order to take a souvenir to 
Washington. It was outrageous." 
 
Unlike the Lower House, where the ruling bloc holds a two-thirds 
majority, it would be extremely difficult to conduct deliberations 
at the ruling bloc's pace in the opposition-controlled Upper House. 
 
The government and the ruling parties initially planned to explain 
the new antiterrorism bill and take questions at an Upper House 
plenary session on Nov. 14 in the presence of the prime minister. 
However, in yesterday's meeting between the LDP and DPJ Diet affairs 
committee chairmen, DPJ Upper House Diet affairs chief Susumu Yanase 
 
TOKYO 00005217  008 OF 010 
 
 
argued, "We would like the Diet to deliberate on the (DPJ-presented) 
bill to rescind the Iraq Special Measures Law first. Otherwise, we 
cannot accept the plan to deliberate on the antiterrorism 
legislation." The two sides failed to find common ground. 
 
Upper House plenary sessions are regularly held on Mondays, 
Wednesdays, and Fridays. Because the prime minister will be visiting 
the United States on Nov. 16, if the Upper House fails to begin 
deliberations on Nov. 14, the next regular session will be Nov. 19. 
 
The government and ruling parties originally considered the prime 
minister's foreign trip to be "for one week from Nov. 15." But they 
have changed the prime minister's return home to Nov. 17 with 
deliberations at a Nov. 19 Upper House plenary session in mind. 
 
13) DPJ head Ozawa before party head talks with Fukuda orders party 
to include in counterproposal possible participation in refueling 
activities, leaving room for talks with government, ruling parties 
 
MAINICHI (Page 1) (Full) 
November 13, 2007 
 
Mainichi Shimbun learned that Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or 
Minshuto) President Ichiro Ozawa in mid-October prior to the party 
head talks with Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda had ordered a senior 
official of the Policy Research Committee, which is now drafting a 
counterproposal to the new antiterrorism special measures 
legislation, to incorporate the phrase "will consider possible 
participation in water-and-oil-supply operations," though subject to 
a UN resolution. This order, which could leave room for revision 
talks with the government and the ruling parties, will likely affect 
future deliberations on the bill in the Upper House. 
 
Regarding the party head talks, which took place on Nov. 2, the 
ruling camp insisted that Ozawa indicated a stance of cooperating 
for passage of the new antiterrorism special measures bill, provided 
that the ruling camp agrees to confer on a permanent law allowing 
the overseas dispatch of Self-Defense Forces (SDF) personnel. 
However, Ozawa gave a conflicting response, "The prime minister 
pledged that if a grand coalition is formed, he would not insist on 
passage of the new antiterror legislation." 
 
Ozawa's pet argument on a permanent law enabling the overseas 
dispatch of SDF personnel is that it must be premised on a UN 
resolution. If the government accepts this principle in talks with 
the DPJ on a permanent law, and the new antiterror legislation is 
revised based on it, Ozawa's instruction would mean that he was 
looking into the possibility of his argument being accepted. 
 
Ozawa during a press conference on Nov. 7 revealed that some person 
approached him about a possible grand coalition two months ago. 
There is the possibility that he gave that order with a grand 
coalition in mind. According to a senior official of the Policy 
Research Committee, Ozawa himself presented a paper that 
incorporated water-and-oil supply operations during talks with 
senior officials of the panel. In response to the order given by 
Ozawa, the Foreign and Defense Affairs Division responsible for 
compiling a counterproposal looked into the possibility at an 
executive meeting, but deleted the phrase, with a number of 
participants noting that such a phrase could lead to a 
misunderstanding that the DPJ will support the antiterrorism special 
measures bill. A senior Policy Research Committee official pointed 
 
TOKYO 00005217  009 OF 010 
 
 
out, "When we were given that order, we did not understand its 
meaning. However, it might have been a strategic move for Ozawa to 
respond to revision talks." 
 
14) Former top defense executive Miyazaki wined and dined senior US 
officials aiming at obtaining US force-realignment projects (Asahi) 
 
ASAHI (Top play) (Excerpts) 
November 10, 2007 
 
Motonobu Miyazaki, a former senior managing director of Yamada Yoko 
Corp., a trading firm specializing in defense-equipment procurement, 
has been arrested on charges that include embezzlement of company 
funds. It has been learned from an informed source that Miyazaki 
used a secret slush fund from his company's money, which he dug up 
under the pretext of it being an executive reward, to wine and dine 
senior US government officials. It was also learned that former top 
executive Miyazaki had said his aim was to gather information about 
such matters as projects that would accompany the realignment of US 
forces in Japan. The defense-related trading firm Nihon Mirise, 
which Miyazaka established last fall after he left Yamada Corp., 
planned to participate in realignment projects then being planned, 
such as the one on Guam. 
 
According to the Ministry of Defense's investigation, whenever 
senior US government officials were treated to dinner, former Vice 
Defense Minister Moriya was sometimes present. The special 
investigation team of the Tokyo Prosecutors Office is continuing its 
investigation to find out whether the former executive took 
advantage of that opportunity. 
 
According to informed sources at Yamada Corp., when senior officials 
and former officials from the Pentagon, where there were good 
contacts, and from the State Department visited Japan, former senior 
executive Miyazaki would repeatedly wine and dine them, such as 
taking them to a high-class Japanese restaurant in Tokyo. 
Reportedly, he used slush-money from a special account at bank to 
cover the costs. 
 
15) Opening ceremony of museum at former Prime Minister Nakasone's 
Hinode Lodge 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 10) (Slightly abridged) 
Evening, November 10, 2007 
 
A private lodge called "Hinode Lodge," which former Prime Minister 
Yasuhiro Nakasone had owned before he donated it to Hinode Town in 
Tokyo last year, will be opened to the public as a museum on Nov. 
¶11. Prior to the opening of the museum, a commemorative ceremony was 
held on the 10th with the attendance of Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara 
and other officials. At the lodge, the Japan-US summit was held on 
Nov. 11, 1983, between Nakasone and then US President Ronald Reagan. 
The two top leaders had a close relationship, calling each other 
"Ron" and "Yasu." Nakasone served Japanese tea to the president and 
his wife. 
 
Nakasone revealed that he had proposed to Reagan, "Why don't we hold 
a meeting on Japanese soil, not on the red carpet or under the 
chandelier?" He then added: "The lodge was an important place for me 
to refresh myself from the heavy burden as prime minister. It is an 
honor that the lodge will be used as a cultural property." 
 
 
TOKYO 00005217  010 OF 010 
 
 
16) Vice Foreign Minister Yachi: Six-party foreign ministerial 
within the year difficult 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (Full) 
November 13, 2007 
 
Administrative Vice Foreign Minister Shotaro Yachi indicated in a 
press conference yesterday that it would be difficult to hold a 
six-party foreign ministerial before the end of this year. Yachi 
pointed out: "The six countries have yet to decide what issues they 
should discuss in a foreign ministerial and what results they want 
to produce." China, which chairs the six-party talks, has sounded 
out the other five countries on holding a foreign ministerial 
sometime in early- or mid-December. US Assistant Secretary of State 
Christopher Hill has said, however, that holding a foreign 
ministerial will be difficult due to the difficulty of coordinating 
the schedules of the foreign ministers of the six countries. 
 
17) Japan-China talks on gas-field development to be upgraded to 
ministerial level 
 
YOMIURI (Page 1) (Full) 
November 12, 2007 
 
Foreign Minister Masahiko Koumura intends to focus on the issue of 
developing gas fields in the East China Sea during an upcoming 
meeting with his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi in Beijing on Nov. 
¶30. He plans to urge the Chinese government to make a political 
decision to resolve the issue. 
 
In the gas-field talks held so far by bureau-chief-level officials 
from both sides, Japan has proposed jointly developing gas fields 
near the Japan-set exclusive economic zone (EEZ) median boundary 
line. China, however, has declined Japan's offer, calling for joint 
development of the gas fields on the Japanese side of the line. The 
two countries have decided to hold the 11th bureau-chief-level talks 
in Tokyo on Nov. 14 to continue to discuss where they should be 
jointly developed. 
 
However, Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau 
Director General Kenichiro Sasae said in a meeting of the Liberal 
Democratic Party's special committee on maritime issues on Oct. 31: 
"China told us in an unofficial meeting that it would be possible 
(to jointly develop gas fields around the median line), depending on 
how Japan deals with the issue." Keeping such a change in China's 
attitude in mind, the Foreign Ministry hopes to move the talks 
forward by upgrading the bureau-chief-level meeting to a foreign 
ministerial. 
 
In a press conference on Nov. 10, Koumura expressed his desire to 
see substantive progress on the gas-field issue before Prime 
Minister Fukuda visits China at the end of this year or early next 
year. 
 
DONOVAN