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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 10 TOKYO 000039 
 
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 01/08/08 
 
 
Index: 
 
1) Top headlines 
2) Editorials 
3) Prime Minister's daily schedule (Nikkei) 
 
4) Assistant Secretary Hill, now in Tokyo, slams North Korea for not 
providing full information on its nuclear plans  (Yomiuri) 
 
5) Fujisaki named as new ambassador to the United States; Ebina to 
be envoy to UK  (Yomiuri) 
 
Diet agenda: 
6) Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) decides neither to vote on new 
antiterrorism bill in the Upper House nor to file a censure motion 
against the prime minister  (Yomiuri) 
7) With DPJ not acting on antiterrorism bill in the Upper House, the 
measure will be passed by the Lower House on the 12th, applying 
60-day constitutional rule  (Tokyo Shimbun) 
8) Final days of extraordinary Diet session lack tension, with 
ruling and opposition camps both trying to avoid confrontation - for 
awhile  (Mainichi) 
9) Bill to provide relief to Hepatitis-C victims will pass Diet 
tomorrow, with DPJ approval  (Nikkei) 
10) Regular Diet session, which opens on the 18th, is expected to be 
tumultuous  (Sankei) 
11) Defense scandal: Alleged "fixer" Akiyama to be called as a sworn 
witness to the Upper House defense committee  (Nikkei) 
 
12) Former postal rebel Hiranuma expects to form a new conservative 
party with 30 members  (Tokyo Shimbun) 
 
13) Japan fumes over EU's setting emission trading quotas regarded 
as excessive  (Yomiuri) 
 
14) Transport ministry to crack down on safety of foreign air lines 
after series of mishaps  (Asahi) 
 
Articles 
 
1) TOP HEADLINES 
 
Asahi: 
Hepatitis bill to be passed by Diet as early as this week; "This 
will pave the way for total settlement," say plaintiffs 
 
Mainichi: 
Drug-induced hepatitis: Victim relief bill to be passed into law 
this week: LDP, New Komeito introduce legislation to Lower House; 
Basic legislation to be carried over to next Diet session 
 
Yomiuri: 
Reorganization of industrial high schools, commercial high schools: 
Government, LDP considering introducing five-year vocational high 
school system 
 
Nikkei: 
Matsushita to develop TV with Internet capability jointly with 
Google 
 
Sankei: 
Vaccine against cervical cancer to be approved as early as before 
 
TOKYO 00000039  002 OF 010 
 
 
year's end 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
New refueling legislation to be adopted again in Lower House on Jan. 
12: DPJ decides not to put bill to vote in Upper House; 60-day 
regulation to be adopted 
 
Akahata: 
Sagawa Express affiliate found to have dispatched 10,000 temporary 
workers dispatched by Goodwill to other companies: Order to improve 
business practice to be issued 
 
2) EDITORIALS 
 
Asahi: 
(1) New refueling legislation: Do not abandon road to breakthrough 
(2) Peace process in Middle East: Put end to 60 years of conflict 
 
Mainichi: 
(1) Low stock prices; High crude oil prices; Do not hesitate to 
inject public money 
(2) EU: Time to show effects of integration and expansion 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1) Toward new order: Framework for policy promotion needed; 
Political stagnation stemming from opposition camp's control of 
Upper House 
 
Nikkei: 
(1) Road to low-carbon society: Initiative for environmental 
diplomacy that will impress international community needed 
 
Sankei: 
(1) Revitalization of public education: Nurturing awareness of 
discipline is urgent 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1) Thoughts at the start of the New Year: How should China issue be 
viewed? 
 
Akahata: 
(1) Osaka gubernatorial election: Bring change to administration 
jointly with prefectural citizens 
 
3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, January 7 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
January 8, 2008 
 
09:56 
Met at Kantei with Vice Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Erikawa. 
 
10:46 
Attended executive meeting at LDP headquarters. 
 
11:32 
Attended government / ruling coalition meeting. 
 
12:29 
Met with Chief Cabinet Secretary Machimura. 
 
TOKYO 00000039  003 OF 010 
 
 
 
14:02 
Attended New Year's party hosted by three economic organizations at 
New Otani Hotel. 
 
14:43 
Returned to Kantei. 
 
16:48 
Attended party hosted by Rengo (Japan Trade Unions Confederation). 
 
18:00 
Issued written official appointment to Toray President Sakakibara as 
member of the Council for Science and Technology Policy, attended by 
Machimura and Science and Technology Minister Kishida. Met 
afterwards with Environment Minister Kamoshita and Vice Environment 
Minister Murata. 
 
18:54 
Met with secretaries. 
 
22:30 
Returned to his private residence in Nozawa. 
 
4) U.S. Assistant Secretary Hill criticizes DPRK, saying, 
"Information from DPRK does not address nuclear programs" 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) 
January 8, 2008 
 
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, the U.S. chief 
delegate to the six-party talks, yesterday met with the Japanese 
chief delegate to the talks, Kenichiro Sasae, director-general of 
the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau of the Foreign Ministry at the 
ministry. The two officials agreed to continue to work together to 
call on North Korea to provide a "complete and correct declaration 
of its nuclear programs" as North Korea failed to meet its 
commitment to declare all its nuclear programs by the deadline of 
the end of last year. 
 
After the meeting, Hill indicated to the press that he would take a 
tough line, saying, "I held a number of discussions with North 
Korean officials, but the information they (provided me) did not 
include nuclear programs and nuclear facilities. Their declaration 
must be complete, and a 90 PERCENT  declaration is not acceptable." 
 
Moreover, Hill said, "They may intend not to make their nuclear 
programs open to the public. Another major reason would be that the 
North Korean government is highly closed," and criticized North 
Korea's response. 
 
Sasae said: "Correct and complete contents are more important than 
when (the declaration) is made." 
 
Prior to the meeting, Hill told reporters at Narita Airport: "The 
process of disabling nuclear facilities has been 75 PERCENT 
completed." 
 
5) Fujisaki to be named ambassador to U.S.; Ebihara to be ambassador 
to Britain 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) 
 
TOKYO 00000039  004 OF 010 
 
 
January 8, 2008 
 
The government yesterday held a cabinet meeting on personnel 
appointments at the Prime Minister's Official Residence. The meeting 
approved the voluntary retirement of Administrative Vice Foreign 
Minister Shotaro Yachi. It informally decided to promote Deputy 
Foreign Minister (for political affairs) Mitoji Yabunaka to the vice 
minister's post, replacing Yachi. The government will appoint Asian 
and Oceanian Affairs Bureau Director General Kenichiro Sasae to 
serve as a deputy foreign minister, succeeding Yabunaka; Akitaka 
Saiki, currently deputy chief of mission at the embassy in 
Washington, to be the successor to Sasae; and former Ambassador to 
Ireland Keiichi Hayashi to serve as deputy vice minister. Their 
appointments will be formally decided in a cabinet meeting in 
mid-January. 
 
The government has also decided to pick Ichiro Fujisaki, ambassador 
to the International Organizations in Geneva, as the replacement of 
Ambassador to the U.S. Ryozo Kato, and Ambassador to Indonesia Shin 
Ebihara as the successor to Ambassador to Britain Yoshiji Nogami. 
The ambassadors' appointments are expected to be formally decided in 
a cabinet meeting in late January or later. 
 
Ichiro Fujisaki, ambassador to the United States: Left Keio 
University's law faculty in mid-course in 1969; served as minister 
at the embassy in Washington, director general of the North American 
Affairs Bureau, and deputy foreign minister; born in Kagoshima 
Prefecture; age 60. 
 
Shin Ebihara, ambassador to Britain: Left the University of Tokyo's 
law faculty in mid-course in 1971; served in such posts as deputy 
chief cabinet secretary and ambassador to Indonesia; born in Tokyo; 
age 59. 
 
Keiichi Hayashi, deputy vice minister: Graduated from the University 
of Tokyo's law faculty in 1974; served as director general of the 
International Legal Affairs Bureau and ambassador to Ireland; born 
in Yamaguchi Prefecture; age 56. 
 
6) DPJ not to vote on new antiterror bill, postpone filing censure 
motion 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Abridged) 
January 8, 2008 
 
A government-introduced antiterrorism bill resuming the Maritime 
Self-Defense Force's refueling activities in the Indian Ocean is now 
before the Diet for a vote during its current session. The leading 
opposition Democratic Party of Japan (Minshuto) will seek to carry 
over the legislation to the next Diet session without voting on the 
bill in the House of Councillors. In addition, the DPJ has also 
decided not to submit a censure motion against Prime Minister Fukuda 
in the House of Councillors, even if the ruling parties vote again 
on the bill in the House of Representatives. The DPJ held a meeting 
of its executives yesterday at its headquarters, including President 
Ozawa, Vice President Kan, Secretary General Hatoyama, DPJ House of 
Councillors Chairman Azuma Koshiishi, and Diet Affairs Committee 
Chairman Kenji Yamaoka. In the meeting, they discussed the DPJ's 
future course of action for the Diet over the new antiterror 
legislation. 
 
If the new antiterror bill is not put to a vote in the House of 
 
TOKYO 00000039  005 OF 010 
 
 
Councillors before Jan. 12, the bill can be taken as being voted 
down in the House of Councillors and can be put to a second vote in 
the House of Representatives as stipulated in the Constitution. The 
DPJ had therefore intended to vote down the bill in the House of 
Councillors before that date in order to show its stance of opposing 
the legislation. However, the DPJ chose to let the ruling parties 
regard the bill as being voted down and vote again on the bill in 
the House of Representatives. "In that case," a DPJ executive said, 
"the ruling parties' overbearing attitude is clear in the public 
eye." 
 
Meanwhile, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition 
partner, New Komeito, will not agree to carry over the new 
antiterror bill to the next Diet session. The ruling coalition will 
vote again on the bill in the House of Representatives on Jan. 12 
and enact it into a law. 
 
The DPJ has now decided not to submit a censure motion against the 
prime minister during the current Diet session. The DPJ will reserve 
it as a 'trump card' to show when the party faces off with the 
governing parties in the Diet over gasoline tax rates, pension 
record-keeping flaws, and other issues that will directly affect 
public life. 
 
7) New refueling bill to be re-adopted in Lower House on Jan. 12 as 
DPJ decides to forgo taking vote on bill in Upper House 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Top play) (Full) 
January 8, 2008 
 
The current extraordinary session of the Diet has focused on the new 
antiterrorism special measures bill (new refueling bill) that will 
allow the Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) to resume the refueling 
mission in the Indian Ocean. This new refueling bill is now highly 
likely to be re-approved by two-thirds or more of votes from the 
ruling parties in the Lower House on Jan. 12 and be enacted into 
law. Behind this development is the major opposition Democratic 
Party of Japan's (DPJ) decision made after intra-party discussion on 
the bill not to take a vote on it in the Upper House and carry it 
over to the next session of the Diet. As the bill will mark the 60th 
day on Jan. 11 after it was sent to the Upper House, the ruling bloc 
considers the bill rejected by the Upper House in accordance with 
the provisions in Article 59 of the Constitution and intends to 
re-adopt the bill in the Lower House. 
 
Re-approving the bill in the Lower House and enacting it into law 
will be the first time ever since 1957. When it comes to bills that 
were re-adopted in the Lower House 60 days after they were sent to 
the Upper House, the new refueling bill will be the second case 
after the Special Measures Law for the Transfer of Assets Belonging 
to the Special Account of National Hospitals. 
 
The DPJ held a meeting of its four top officers, including President 
Ichiro Ozawa, yesterday afternoon for final discussion on how to 
treat the new refueling bill. Details of the discussion was not made 
clear, but the DPJ has called on the ruling bloc to deliberate on 
the new refueling bill and the DPJ's counterproposal together in the 
upcoming ordinary session of the Diet to be convened on Jan. 18. 
The opposition bloc is expected to take the procedures on Jan. 11 in 
the Upper House, which is under its control, to carry over the 
refueling bill to the next session of the Diet. 
 
 
TOKYO 00000039  006 OF 010 
 
 
Meanwhile, the government and the ruling bloc confirmed its policy 
at a liaison meeting yesterday that they would do their utmost to 
get the new refueling bill passed into law with the ruling Liberal 
Democratic Party's (LDP) Secretary General Bunmei Ibuki noting, "We 
stand firm in our resolve (to pass the bill into law)." They intend 
to swiftly re-adopt the bill in the Lower House on Jan. 12, the day 
that will mark the 61st day after the bill was sent to the Upper 
House. 
 
At a meeting yesterday afternoon of directors from the Upper House 
Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defense, the ruling bloc suggested 
taking a vote on the new refueling bill today (in the Upper House), 
but the DPJ presiding at the committee rejected the ruling bloc's 
proposal. 
 
The new refueling bill passed the Lower House on Nov. 13 of last 
year. The bill restricts the MSDF's activities in the area of 
supplying oil and water and it does not require Diet approval for 
(dispatch of the MSDF abroad). 
 
8) Sense of intensity absent from resumed regular Diet session; 
Ruling, opposition camps want to avoid head-on clash 
 
MAINICHI (Page 5) (Abridged slightly) 
January 8, 2008 
 
The extraordinary year-crossing Diet session resumed yesterday. The 
government and ruling parties intend to enact the new antiterrorism 
special measures bill, which is now a focus of attention, in the 
current session by taking a second vote in the House of 
Representatives on Jan. 12. The current Diet session is nearing its 
climax. However, a sense of intensity is lacking, as both the ruling 
and opposition camps truly want to avoid an "accidental" Lower House 
dissolution. 
 
Yesterday, major opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or 
Minshuto) Diet Affairs Committee Chairman Kenji Yamaoka had a 
meeting in the Diet building with his Liberal Democratic Party 
counterpart Tadamori Oshima. In the session, Oshima humbly said: 
"There is a rumor that we will have a (Lower House) election this 
year. We would like to value talks as much as possible." 
 
When the government decided in mid-December on a lengthy extension 
of the Diet session and the ruling bloc decided to have the Lower 
House readopt the new antiterrorism special measures bill, there was 
an observation in both the ruling and opposition camps that those 
decisions would result in a Lower House dissolution. 
 
Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, however, made moves to improve his 
image, as seen in his decision on lawmaker-initiated legislation to 
offer blanket relief to people with hepatitis C caused by tainted 
blood products. At the same time, his rejection of the idea of 
dissolving the Lower House before the Hokkaido Lake Toya G8 Summit 
in July has also prompted the opposition bloc to soften its 
arm-twisting approach. The DPJ, for instance, has decided to forgo a 
plan to submit a censure motion to the Upper House against the prime 
minister. To begin with, the DPJ does not want to see a Lower House 
dissolution resulting from the new antiterrorism legislation. 
Appearing on a television program yesterday, DPJ President Ichiro 
Ozawa indicated a plan to watch the situation for the time being, 
saying: "Even the use of a special technique will not be able to 
(result in Lower House dissolution)." The emerging plan to allow the 
 
TOKYO 00000039  007 OF 010 
 
 
Lower House to readopt bills without having the Upper House vote 
them down also reflects the opposition bloc's intention to reduce 
tension. 
 
The LDP, too, has already given up on a plan to have the Lower 
House's endorsement for amendments to the special taxation special 
measures law before the end of January in the next Diet session. 
Although the prime minister has managed to improve the image of his 
cabinet with his decision on the HCV issue, the cabinet support rate 
is still low. This does not now allow him to dissolve the Lower 
House. The prime minister also thinks it is not wise to irk the 
DPJ. 
 
The ruling and opposition camps, however, share the view that a 
series of scandals involving the Ministry of Defense could result in 
tumultuous developments toward the end of the current Diet session. 
Naoki Akiyama, a director of the Japan-U.S. Center for Peace and 
Cultural Exchange, is scheduled to testify before the Upper House 
Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee today. Any change in the 
current situation might push the DPJ back toward the hard-edged 
policy. 
 
9) Hepatitis relief bill to be enacted tomorrow 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
January 8, 2008 
 
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partner 
New Komeito submitted yesterday to the House of Representatives a 
bill to provide blanket relief to people who contracted hepatitis C 
after being administered with contaminated blood products. Following 
the submission of the bill, the ruling and opposition camps held a 
directors meeting of the Lower House Committee on Health, Labor and 
Welfare and the meeting agreed to take a vote on the bill today in 
the committee. It is certain that the legislation will clear the 
Lower House today and will be adopted in a plenary session tomorrow 
of the House of Councillors, since the main opposition Democratic 
Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) has expressed its intention to 
approve it. 
 
10) Next regular Diet session to open Jan. 18; Stormy developments 
expected; LDP split over fixed-deadline bills 
 
SANKEI (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
January 8, 2008 
 
In the wake of Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's decision to postpone 
shuffling his cabinet in January, the government and ruling parties 
decided yesterday to convene the next regular Diet session on Jan. 
¶18. It will run for 150 days through June 15. The focus would be the 
handling of 43 annual revenue-connected bills that are slated to 
expire at the end of March. A failure to enact them by the end of 
March would hinder fiscal resources. The major opposition Democratic 
Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto), however, is set to put up 
do-or-die resistance, demanding the abolition of the provisional tax 
rate on gasoline, now used for improving roads. With the House of 
Councillors Liberal Democratic Party strongly calling for the bills 
be sent to the Upper House before the end of January, the ruling and 
opposition camps are expected to clash head-on with each other from 
the start of the next Diet session. 
 
Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura called on the House of 
 
TOKYO 00000039  008 OF 010 
 
 
Representatives Rules and Administration Committee last evening to 
tell it the government's plan to make a cabinet decision on Jan. 8 
about opening the next regular Diet session on Jan. 18. The prime 
minister is expected to deliver his policy speech in both chambers 
of the Diet on Jan. 18, followed by interpellations by party leaders 
on Jan. 21-23. Deliberations on the supplementary budget bill 
totaling 1.78 trillion yen for agricultural and disaster recovery 
measures and other steps are likely to begin on Jan. 24. 
 
The government and ruling parties eye enacting bills with fixed 
deadlines before the current fiscal year ends on March 31, though 
the leaderships of the two chambers remain split on it. 
 
Upper House LDP Caucus Chairman Hidehisa Otsuji thinks that the only 
way to ensure the enactment of bills is to take second votes in the 
Lower House and that a time limit will result from calculating them 
backwards. For this reason, the Upper House LDP is strongly calling 
for the bills be sent to the upper chamber before the end of 
January, bearing in mind the application of the constitutional rule 
that the Upper House's inaction for 60 days after receipt of a bill 
is regarded as de facto rejection. 
 
But in such a case, the Diet will have to discuss the supplementary 
budget bill along with other bills with fixed deadlines. 
 
The Lower House is considering letting the Financial Affairs 
Committee deliberate on many deadline bills as one package by using 
the Budget Committee's unused time and making the General Affairs 
Committee discuss the local tax-connected bills. Machimura, however, 
indicated that in view of a political timetable, having them clear 
the Lower House before the end of January is difficult. 
 
11) Upper House panel to summon Akiyama today as unsworn witness 
over scandals involving Defense Ministry 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
January 8, 2008 
 
The House of Councillors Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defense 
will summon today Naoki Akiyama, the executive director of the 
Japan-U.S. Center for Peace and Cultural Exchange, as an unsworn 
witness. Akiyama is regarded as a pipeline between defense-related 
companies and the defense policy clique in the Diet. The center was 
subjected to a search by the special investigation squad of the 
Tokyo Public Prosecutors Office as an organization related to the 
case of embezzlement by a former executive of defense equipment 
trading house Yamada Corp., who was arrested for embezzling 
corporate funds. 
 
Since the center is suspected of receiving about 120 million yen 
from Yamada Corp., the Upper House committee aims to shed light on 
its relations with politicians and political maneuvering. The 
outcome of the Diet testimony will likely have an impact on future 
debate. 
 
12) Hiranuma aims at new party with over 30 members 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Full) 
January 8, 2008 
 
Former Economy, Trade, and Industry Minister Takeo Hiranuma, 
appearing on a Nippon BS Broadcasting program yesterday, revealed a 
 
TOKYO 00000039  009 OF 010 
 
 
plan to aim at a new party with some 30 conservative lawmakers from 
both houses of the Diet. He said: 
 
"I want over 30 lawmakers, including Upper House members. I have 
been associating with capable mid-level and junior Democratic Party 
of Japan lawmakers. Former LDP Policy Research Council Chairman 
Shoichi Nakagawa has launched a study group of (conservative 
members). I would like to make preparations for a third pole by 
closely associating with such people." 
 
He also indicated that he envisions teaming up with the People's New 
Party, as well, saying: "When a new situation results, we must 
discuss matters with the People's New Party, as well." 
 
13) Emissions trading requires overhaul: EU emissions quotas too 
generous; Challenge to Japan with G-8 close at hand 
 
YOMIURI (Page 8) (Full) 
January 8, 2008 
 
It was learned that the European Union (EU) allocated generous 
emissions quotas to several companies, based on its greenhouse gas 
emissions right trading system. The revelation indicates that this 
system needs a major overhaul. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and 
Industry (METI) and the Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren) 
have pointed out problems about the system beforehand, including the 
difficulty of setting fair emissions rights. They instead proposed 
another system of each industrial sector separately tackling 
emissions cuts. Japan is pressed to make a difficult decision, as it 
is necessary for it as the nation hosing the Lake Toya Summit in 
Hokkaido to display leadership in setting a long-term policy course 
for the world to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 
 
The EU tried to make an environment tax a showcase of its global 
warming preventive measures in 1997, when the Kyoto Protocol was 
adopted. However, meeting strong opposition from industrial circles, 
it ended with the introduction of an emissions right trading 
system. 
 
As such, the EU has allocated higher emissions quotas to companies 
in the region, by estimating higher growth rates. Since EU members 
include developing East European countries, companies in such 
countries with lax environmental regulations were apparently 
allocated with too generous quotas. If such companies sell their 
redundant emissions rights, they can procure funds to improve 
management efficiency without making efforts to cut emissions. 
 
However, the EU stands firm on its stance that further improvement 
of the system would lead to global-scale cuts in greenhouse gases. 
 
Japan in tight spot 
 
In Japan, industrial sectors are making efforts to cut greenhouse 
gas emissions 6 PERCENT  from the fiscal 1990 level as set under the 
Kyoto Protocol. However, it is not easy for them to meet the goal in 
the FY2008-FY2012 period. 
 
Since Japanese companies' technologies for environmental measures 
are already at the highest level in the world, a further reduction 
in emissions will cost them an enormous amount of money. 
 
For instance, Japan's steel industry has environmental technologies 
 
TOKYO 00000039  010 OF 010 
 
 
that are more advanced that those of Europe and the U.S., and yet it 
has to purchase emissions credits from foreign countries in order to 
achieve the goal. Other industry sectors might also suffer a decline 
in international competitiveness if they have to spend more money to 
cut greenhouse gas emissions. 
 
Chances are high that if Japanese industry's international 
competitiveness declines, growth of the Japanese economy could slow. 
In order to deal with the graying society, Japan needs to lead 
global efforts to create a mechanism for cutting carbon emissions. 
 
14) Gov't to boost safety guidance on foreign airlines 
 
ASAHI (Page 1) (Abridged) 
January 8, 2008 
 
There were troubles at domestic airports involving foreign airlines 
operating in Japan, such as a China Airlines plane's explosion into 
flames and an Air Canada jumbo jet's taxiing onto the wrong runway. 
In response to such events, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and 
Transport will strengthen its officials' boarding inspections of 
foreign planes arriving at Japanese airports in fiscal 2008. The 
ministry will assign special inspectors to domestic airports and 
step up safety oversight and guidance on a routine basis. The skies 
are now being liberalized with the government's Asia Gateway 
initiative, and foreign airlines are expected to extend low-priced 
flights to Japan. The ministry will therefore take steps for 
safety. 
 
The Land and Transport Ministry will establish a managerial post of 
"foreign aircraft safety inspection officer" in its Flight Standards 
Division in fiscal 2008. The ministry will post two officials under 
the inspection officer in the fall of this year to conduct guidance 
on foreign airlines, exchange information, and cooperate with 
foreign civil aviation authorities. In addition, the ministry will 
also assign more examination officers for on-the-spot inspections. 
 
The Land and Transport Ministry will set about strengthening its 
surveillance of foreign airlines due to their troubles. There were 
five mistakes that could have led to serious disasters. In January 
last year, a Korean Air Lines plane mistakenly landed on an approach 
at Akita Airport. In October and November, an Air Canada plane and a 
China Southern Airlines plane mistakenly entered the wrong runways. 
 
In August last year, a China Airlines plane exploded into flames at 
Naha Airport. This accident seriously damaged public faith in 
foreign airlines. In September last year, another China Airlines 
plane at Saga Airport was discovered to have a 77-centimeter crack. 
 
DONOVAN