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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 09 TOKYO 005657 
 
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 12/26/07 
 
 
Index: 
 
(1) Poll on Fukuda cabinet, political parties, MSDF Indian Ocean 
refueling mission (Mainichi) 
 
(2) Iwakuni mayor expresses intention to quit (Yomiuri) 
 
(3) Watanabe: "Ozawa proposed grand coalition" (Asahi) 
 
(4) Japan to release 10.3 billion yen in supplementary budget for 
helping Afghanistan (Tokyo Shimbun) 
 
(5) Editorial: Further strategy needed in extending ODA (Nikkei) 
 
(6) Prime Minister's schedule, December 21 (Nikkei) 
 
(7) TOP HEADLINES 
 
(8) EDITORIALS 
 
ARTICLES: 
 
(1) Poll on Fukuda cabinet, political parties, MSDF Indian Ocean 
refueling mission 
 
MAINICHI (Page 5) (Full) 
December 18, 2007 
 
Questions & Answers 
(T = total; P = previous; M = male; F = female) 
 
Q: Do you support the Fukuda cabinet? 
 
 T P M F 
Yes 33 (46) 31 35 
No 44 (30) 49 40 
Not interested 21 (21) 18 24 
 
Q: (Only for those who answered "yes" to the above question) Why? 
 
 T P M F 
Because the prime minister is from the Liberal Democratic Party 22 
(12) 19 24 
Because something can be expected of the prime minister's leadership 
11 (15) 8 13 
Because there's something stable about the prime minister 37 (58) 43 
33 
Because something can be expected of the prime minister's policy 
measures 13 (12) 15 12 
 
Q: (Only for those who answered "no" to the above question) Why? 
 
 T P M F 
Because the prime minister is from the Liberal Democratic Party 12 
(24) 14 10 
Because nothing can be expected of the prime minister's leadership 
28 (16) 29 26 
Because there's no fresh image about the prime minister 8 (13) 7 9 
Because nothing can be expected of the prime minister's policies 40 
(46) 37 42 
 
Q: Which political party do you support? 
 
TOKYO 00005657  002 OF 009 
 
 
 
 T P M F 
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) 26 (27) 26 26 
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) 27 (27) 33 22 
New Komeito (NK) 4 (5) 1 7 
Japanese Communist Party (JCP) 3 (3) 3 3 
Social Democratic Party (SDP or Shaminto) 1 (2) 1 1 
People's New Party (PNP or Kokumin Shinto) 0 (0) 0 0 
New Party Nippon (NPN or Shinto Nippon) 0 (1) 0 0 
Other political parties 1 (1) 0 1 
None 35 (32) 33 36 
 
Q: What do you think is the desirable form of coalition government? 
 
 T P M F 
Current LDP-NK coalition government 17  16 18 
LDP-DPJ grand coalition 23  18 28 
LDP single-party government 10  12 9 
DPJ-led coalition government 21  27 15 
DPJ single-party government 11  15 8 
Coalition government without LDP and DPJ 6  5 6 
 
 
Q: The Maritime Self-Defense Force halted its refueling mission in 
the Indian Ocean on Nov. 1 due to the Antiterrorism Special Measures 
Law's expiry. Do you think the MSDF refueling mission should be 
resumed? 
 
 T P M F 
Yes 41  45 37 
No 50  50 51 
 
Q: The government and ruling parties are going to enact a new law in 
order to resume the MSDF refueling mission. If the legislation is 
voted down in the House of Councillors, the ruling coalition will 
revote on it to override the House of Councillors' decision with a 
majority of two-thirds. Do you support this legislative process? 
 
 T P M F 
Yes 32  35 30 
No 57  58 56 
 
(Note) Figures shown in percentage, rounded off. "0" indicates that 
the figure was below 0.5 PERCENT . "No answer" omitted. Figures in 
parentheses denote the results of the last survey conducted Oct. 
20-21. 
 
Polling methodology: The survey was conducted Dec. 15-16 over the 
telephone across the nation on a computer-aided random digit 
sampling (RDS) basis. Answers were obtained from 1,528 persons. 
 
(2) Iwakuni mayor expresses intention to quit 
 
YOMIURI (Online) (Full) 
December 26, 2007 
 
Yamaguchi Prefecture's Iwakuni Mayor Katsusuke Ihara, who is opposed 
to the relocation of carrier-borne aircraft to the U.S. Marine 
Corps' Iwakuni Air Station along with the realignment of U.S. forces 
in Japan, submitted his resignation to the speaker of the city's 
municipal assembly. 
 
 
TOKYO 00005657  003 OF 009 
 
 
Ihara presented a supplementary budget plan to the city's assembly 
in its regular meeting this morning to make up for the cost of 
constructing the municipal government's new office building. 
Meanwhile, the government has called off its subsidization of the 
construction project due to the mayor's rejection of U.S. 
realignment plans. 
 
The budget plan has been voted down four times in the past. This is 
the fifth time for the mayor to present the budget plan. The city's 
assembly is expected to vote on the proposed budget plan this 
afternoon. However, it seems difficult for the budget to get the 
municipal assembly's approval. 
 
(3) Watanabe: "Ozawa proposed grand coalition" 
 
ASAHI (Page 2) (Full) 
Eve., December 22, 2007 
 
Appearing on an NTV program aired on Dec. 22, Tsuneo Watanabe, 
chairman and editor in chief of The Yomiuri Shimbun Holdings, 
asserted that Ozawa proposed the idea of establishing a grand 
coalition, saying, "It was Mr. Ozawa who broached the idea." 
Watanabe also explained that Ozawa had already decided on how to 
share cabinet posts between the coalition partners, noting that the 
failure in establishing a grand coalition was due to Mr. Ozawa. 
 
Watanabe continued: "He (Ozawa) said Mr. Fukuda broached the idea 
and that Watanabe acted as a go-between, but that was not true." 
 
After admitting his meeting with Ozawa, Watanabe said: "Mr. Ozawa 
was more alarmed by the current situation in the Diet and he had the 
view that the next Lower House election would be tough for his 
party, and that if the divided Diet (where the ruling bloc holds a 
majority in the lower chamber of the Diet but the opposition bloc 
dominates the upper chamber) goes as is, Japan would go in a wrong 
direction. Based on this idea, he attempted to take action." 
 
Furthermore, Watanabe noted: "Mr. Ozawa  apparently was like someone 
wearing the emperor's new clothes. He thought that leaders of his 
party would automatically support him if he made the proposal. This 
was the biggest reason why the grand coalition failed this time." 
 
Speaking of the conditions for a grand coalition to be created, 
Watanabe said: "The grand coalition should organize a policy 
consultative body and settle the issue of the antiterrorism special 
measures bill, whether to hike the consumption tax, and social 
welfare and pension problems." Watanabe added, "There was agreement 
that Mr. Ozawa would serve as a minister without portfolio and as 
vice prime minister, that 10 cabinet posts would go to the Liberal 
Democratic Party (LDP), six to the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), 
and one to the New Komeito. The six ministerial posts expected to be 
given to the DPJ includes the minister of land, infrastructure and 
transport, the minister of health, labor and welfare, and the 
minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries." 
 
Meanwhile, when reporters told Ozawa on Dec. 21 that Mr. Watanabe 
said Ozawa had broached the idea of establishing a grand coalition," 
Ozawa rebutted: "It's difficult to answer if you ask me about 
stories told by someone who did not join the party-head talks. At 
any rate, I want to say at least that that was not true." 
 
(4) Japan to release 10.3 billion yen in supplementary budget for 
 
TOKYO 00005657  004 OF 009 
 
 
helping Afghanistan 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Full) 
December 23, 2007 
 
The government as of Dec. 22 decided to provide 10.3 billion yen as 
humanitarian and reconstruction assistance to Afghanistan. This 
amount has been included in a supplementary budget bill for fiscal 
¶2007. Japan's aid will consist of measures to help Afghan refugees 
return home smoothly and measures to bring peace to that country. 
Through those measures, Japan intends to highlight its positive 
stance toward the war on terror as well as reconstruction of 
Afghanistan as it has now suspended the Maritime Self-Defense 
Force's (MSDF) refueling mission in the Indian Ocean. 
 
Reportedly, more than six million people have fled from Afghanistan 
in order to avoid tyranny of the former Taliban regime and 
airstrikes by the U.S. forces after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 
the United States. Some four million Afghan evacuees returned to 
Afghanistan by this past July, but still many are said to remain in 
regions near the Pakistani and Iranian borders. 
 
The Japanese government plans to help the Afghan government and the 
Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees reconstruct housing, 
waterworks, and medical facilities in preparation for returned 
refugees to re-settle down. Japan will also provide financial aid in 
the area of managing and disposing of weapons collected from former 
solders in the disarming process and in the area of organizing 
police. 
 
Japan has so far announced a total of 1.45 billion dollars or 165 
billion yen in aid and it has already provided1.24 billion dollars 
or 141 billion yen. Japan plans to host an international conference 
in Tokyo next February to discuss measures for the reconstruction of 
Afghanistan. 
 
(5) Editorial: Further strategy needed in extending ODA 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
December 23, 2007 
 
Official development assistance (ODA) aimed at assisting developing 
countries is one of Japan's important diplomatic tools. However, 
Japan's ODA is continuing to decline from year to year due to fiscal 
restrictions. The 2007 ODA White Paper noted that the track record 
of Japan's ODA last year, determined by subtracting repaid yen 
loans, dropped 15 PERCENT , compared with the preceding year's 
level, showing that Japan's rank as an ODA donor  slipped to third 
place, following the U.S. and the UK. 
 
It is regrettable that Japan's position as a donor has slipped. 
However, there are some unavoidable aspects. As the White Paper 
pointed out, Japan must challenge a difficult task of securing the 
amount of aid, while achieving cost reductions and carefully 
screening projects eligible for assistance. 
 
According to a projection by the Development Assistance Committee 
(DAC) of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development 
(OECD), there is a possibility of Japan continuing to slip down the 
ladder to sixth place, overtaken by Germany, France and Italy in 
¶2010. 
 
 
TOKYO 00005657  005 OF 009 
 
 
The Japanese government in July last year adopted basic policy 
guidelines on economic and fiscal management and structural reforms, 
which included a cut in the ODA budget by 2 PERCENT -4 PERCENT  over 
the period of five fiscal years from 2007 through 2011. The ODA 
budget for fiscal 2008 was compiled, based on this policy. 
Accordingly, a 4 PERCENT  cut in comparison with the current fiscal 
year's level was incorporated in the budget drafted by the Finance 
Ministry. 
 
Japan's possible fall to sixth place is not unrealistic at all. Amid 
other industrialized countries making efforts to boost foreign aid, 
Japan finds itself in a difficult situation. 
 
Even so, Japan cannot abandon its fiscal reconstruction policy. The 
government must keep its goal of moving the primary balance into the 
black in fiscal 2011 firm. It is not until fiscal reconstruction 
makes progress that the government can facilitate a foreign aid 
policy in a stable manner. 
 
We hope Japan's ODA budget will increase again some day. However, 
the restriction on the amount will be in place for the time being. 
As such, Japan must proceed with its aid policy in a strategic 
manner. The White Paper refers to key foreign aid areas, such as 
promoting efforts to strengthen government-private sector ties, 
securing resources and energy, and implementing measures to deal 
with global warming. 
 
Japan will host the Tokyo International Conference on Africa's 
Development (TICAD) and the G-8 next year. Aid to Africa will become 
a key aid item in the future, because fresh provision of yen loans 
to China will end this fiscal year. Both conferences are major aid 
conferences that will bring Japan's capability concerning the aid 
issue into question. We hope to see the two conferences result in 
success. 
 
(6) Prime Minister's schedule, December 21 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
December 22, 2007 
 
08:32 
Met Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Futahashi and Assistant Deputy 
Chief Cabinet Secretary Saka in the Diet building. Joined by Chief 
Cabinet Secretary Machimura. 
 
09:00 
Attended a cabinet meeting. Transport Minister Fuyushiba and 
Machimura stayed behind. Later attended a cabinet ministerial 
meeting on crime countermeasures. Then, met Administrative Reform 
Minister Watanabe and Machimura. Watanabe stayed behind. 
 
09:54 
Met Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry's Employment Security Bureau 
Director General Ota at the Kantei. 
 
10:15 
Talked on the phone with South Korean president-elect Lee Myung Bak. 
Met former Prime Minister Nam Duck Woo, chairman of the South 
Korea-Japan Cooperation Committee, and others, with former Prime 
Minister Nakasone, chairman of the Japan-South Korea Committee, and 
others present. 
 
 
TOKYO 00005657  006 OF 009 
 
 
11:00 
Met Lower House member Jinen Nagase, chairman of the LDP Employment 
and Livelihood Research Committee, and others. 
 
11:41 
Attended a luncheon party at the Imperial Palace. 
 
14:11 
Met at the Kantei with former Chief Cabinet Secretary Yosano. 
Followed by Chinese Ambassador to Japan Cui Tiankai. 
 
15:08 
Attended an award ceremony for long-service employees at the cabinet 
and the Cabinet Office. Later met Machimura. 
 
16:11 
Met Lower House member Takeo Kawamura, chairman of the ruling camp's 
project team on measures for A-bomb survivors, and others. Later met 
Lower House member Masatoshi Ishida, chairman of a group of junior 
lawmakers tackling a reform of the public servant system, and 
others. 
 
17:02 
Attended a meeting of the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy. 
 
19:18 
Dined with Nippon Keidanren Chairman Mitarai, Nippon Steel 
Corporation Honorary Chairman Takashi Imai, and others at a French 
restaurant in the Grand Prince Hotel Akasaka. 
 
21:30 
Returned to his private residence in Nozawa. 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, December 22 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
December 23, 2007 
 
.Spent all day at his private residence in Nozawa. 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, December 23 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
December 24, 2007 
 
11:36 
Met Chief Cabinet Secretary Machimura at the Prime Minister's 
Official Residence (Kotei). 
 
11:40 
Responded to questions by reporters at the Kantei on the lawsuits 
over infection with the hepatitis C virus. 
 
11:51 
Arrived at the Kotei. 
 
12:33 
Attended a ceremony for the birthday of the Emperor at the Imperial 
Palace. 
 
13:53 
Met his secretaries at the Kotei. 
 
TOKYO 00005657  007 OF 009 
 
 
 
18:10 
Dined with National Defense Academy President Makoto Iokibe, Keio 
University Professor Ryosei Kokubun, and others at a Chinese 
restaurant in Kudan-kita. 
 
20:58 
Returned to the Kotei. 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, December 24 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
December 25, 2007 
 
09:21 
Attended a meeting of the Security Council at the Kantei. Later 
attended a meeting of the Administrative Reform Promotion 
Headquarters. 
 
10:02 
Attended a cabinet meeting. Met Health, Labor and Welfare Minister 
Masuzoe. Followed by Education Minister Tokai. Later met Vice 
Finance Minister Tsuda, and then met Assistant Deputy Chief Cabinet 
Secretary Saka. 
 
SIPDIS 
 
11:04 
Met Kohan Kawauchi, songwriter, at the Grand Prince Hotel Akasaka. 
 
12:19 
Met METI Vice Minister Kitabata, Natural Resources and Energy Agency 
Director General Mochizuki, and others at the Kantei. 
 
13:32 
Met Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry Director General for Policy 
Planning Usui and Saka. 
 
14:35 
Returned to his private residence in Nozawa. 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, December 25 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
December 26, 2007 
 
08:31 
Attended a meeting of cabinet ministers responsible for emergency 
measures for subcontract companies suffering from oil price hikes at 
the Kantei. Later attended a meeting of the taskforce to map out 
measures for handicapped persons. 
 
09:20 
Met Economic and Fiscal Policy Minister Ota. Met Deputy Foreign 
Minister Yabunaka, Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau Director 
General Sasae, Natural Resources and Energy Agency Director General 
Mochizuki, and others. 
 
10:19 
Met Yabunaka, Sasae, Environment Ministry Global Environment Bureau 
Director General Minamikawa, and others. Followed by Science and 
Technology Minister Kishida, lawmaker Masuo Aizawa, a member of the 
Council for Science and Technology Policy, and others. 
 
 
TOKYO 00005657  008 OF 009 
 
 
11:24 
Met Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Futahashi. Held an informal 
meeting with reporters covering the prime minister. 
 
14:39 
Met deputy chief cabinet secretaries Ono, Iwaki, and Futahashi. 
Followed by Yabunaka, Sasae, and Mochizuki. 
 
16:00 
Met Japan-U.S. Economic Council Chairman Junichi Ujiie and others. 
Followed by Japan-China Association Chairman Takeshi Noda and 
others. 
 
16:41 
Attended a meeting of the Education Rebuilding Council. Attended a 
meeting of the Council for Science and Technology Policy. 
 
17:28 
Met plaintiffs who filed lawsuits over hepatitis C infection, with 
Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Ono. 
 
18:12 
Responded to an interview by three Chinese press companies. 
 
19:30 
Dined with Cabinet Press Club reporters at a Chinese restaurant in 
Kudan-kita. 
 
21:50 
Returned to his private residence in Nozawa. 
 
(7) TOP HEADLINES 
 
Asahi: 
Fukuchi to take office as NHK chairman; Appointment of person from 
outside for first time in 19 years 
 
Mainichi: 
Premier offers apology to plaintiffs: Those eligible for relief to 
be designated under law; Drug-induced hepatitis bill 
 
Yomiuri: 
Health Ministry research panel to keep ban on administering tamiflu 
to teenagers in place, while withholding judgment on causal 
association with abnormal behaviors 
 
Nikkei: 
Kansai Electric Power, Sumitomo Corp. to process nuclear power 
generation: Technology transfer for stable procurement of uranium 
 
Sankei: 
Abnormal behaviors of Tamiflu recipients fewer than non-recipients 
flu patients 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
Premier offers apology to victims of drug-induced hepatitis "from 
the bottom of his heart" 
 
Akahata: 
Drug-induced hepatitis: Policy Committee Chairman Koike calls for 
including state responsibility and apology in lawmaker-sponsored 
bill 
 
TOKYO 00005657  009 OF 009 
 
 
 
(8) EDITORIALS 
 
Asahi: 
(1) New NHK Chairman: We mistrust judgment of Management Committee 
(2) Annual tax code revision: Looking forward to Diet debate 
 
Mainichi: 
(1) New NHK Chairman: Public broadcasting is tasked with heavy 
mission 
(2) Education Revitalization Council: Image of reform not in sight 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1) Education Revitalization Council: Make most of proposals for 
improved education 
(2) New NHK chairman urged to achieve balance between improvement of 
efficiency and quality of programs 
 
Nikkei: 
(1) Ruling, opposition parties should come up with conclusions on 
tax system by the end of March next year 
(2) NHK should improve efficiency and contents of programs 
 
Sankei: 
(1) Prime Minister Fukuda's China visit: Japan's stance toward 
Taiwan must not change 
(2) Education reform: Including moral education in school curriculum 
absolutely necessary 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1) Prime Minister Fukuda's China visit: Deepen friendship with 
fruitful discussion 
(2) Third report on education: Not all children are brilliant 
 
Akahata: 
(1) Defense Ministry should withdraw environmental impact assessment 
plan that is defective 
 
DONOVAN