VZCZCXRO8263
PP RUEHFK RUEHKSO RUEHNAG RUEHNH
DE RUEHKO #0068/01 0100120
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 100120Z JAN 08
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0848
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 7774
RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 5379
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 9044
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 4067
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 5996
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1010
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 7078
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 7737

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 12 TOKYO 000068 
 
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 01/10/08 
 
Index: 
 
1) Top headlines 
2) Editorials 
3) Prime Minister's daily schedule (Nikkei) 
 
4) Prime Minister Fukuda at G8 Summit will pledge 1 trillion yen in 
aid over five years to developing countries for measures to counter 
global warming  (Nikkei) 
 
5) Chief Cabinet Secretary Machimura welcomes possibility of a 
female U.S. president  (Nikkei) 
 
6) Reciprocal visits between Japan, South Korea confirmed  (Nikkei) 
 
 
Diet agenda: 
7) Antiterrorist bill to restart MSDF refueling in Indian Ocean will 
be enacted tomorrow by Lower House override of rejection vote by 
Upper House  (Tokyo Shimbun) 
8) Democratic Party of Japan's painful miscalculation: Forced to 
reverse decision on antiterrorist bill when other opposition parties 
balked at continuing deliberation  (Mainichi) 
9) DPJ wants resolution to respect views of Upper House in order to 
seek to constrain ruling camp's abuse of two-thirds vote  (Tokyo 
Shimbun) 
10) Lower House to charge former Defense Vice Minister Moriya, now 
under arrest for receiving bribes, for perjury when he testified as 
a sworn witness  (Tokyo Shimbun) 
 
11) Fukuda and DPJ head Ozawa engage in first party heads debate in 
the Diet but skirt sensitive issue of "grand alliance" discussed in 
prior meeting  (Tokyo Shimbun) 
 
12) Fukuda tells Ozawa in Diet debate that he does not agree there 
was a broken promise to the public on the missing pension account 
mess  (Mainichi) 
13) Exchange between Fukuda, Ozawa on the antiterrorist legislation 
(Tokyo Shimbun) 
 
Political agenda: 
14) Fukuda favors establishing a "consumer agency" to focus 
attention of key issues like food safety  (Yomiuri) 
15) Fukuda wants to use consumer agency idea to appeal to public but 
even his cabinet is not fully on board  (Yomiuri) 
16) LDP asks well known political scientist Kabashima to run in 
Kumamoto gubernatorial race  (Asahi) 
17) Former Prime Minister Abe wants to make comeback by rallying 
together conservative political forces  (Nikkei) 
 
Defense and security issues: 
18) Local community is not welcoming the possibility of NLP practice 
by U.S. jets at Mage Island in Kagoshima  (Yomiuri) 
19) Government to toughen punitive measures for leaking defense 
secrets  (Nikkei) 
 
SIPDIS 
20) With eye on G8 summit, future Olympics, Tokyo developing 
high-tech system to detect presence of terrorists entering Japan 
(Tokyo Shimbun) 
 
Articles: 
 
1) TOP HEADLINES 
 
TOKYO 00000068  002 OF 012 
 
 
 
Asahi, Mainichi, and Tokyo Shimbun: 
New antiterrorism law to be enacted tomorrow 
 
Yomiuri: 
Prime minister eyes creation of "Consumer Agency" to ensure food 
safety 
 
Nikkei: 
Prime minister to announce that Japan will extend 1 trillion yen in 
aid in five years to developing nations to help cut greenhouse gas 
emissions 
 
Sankei: 
Government civil servant reform panel to call for compensation 
system to pursue retired government officials' responsibility for 
irregularities 
 
Akahata: 
Upper House committee to take vote on new antiterrorism legislation 
today 
 
2) EDITORIALS 
 
Asahi: 
(1) Party-head debate needs more heat 
(2) Obama stealing U.S. presidential race 
 
Mainichi: 
(1) Fukuda-Ozawa debate failed to touch on grand coalition plan 
(2) Organization for revitalizing local economies to be launched 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1) Is this all we can expect of debate among leaders? 
(2) U.S. presidential race: Future course of "change" needs to be 
watched 
 
Nikkei: 
(1) Fundamental pension reform must be discussed in party-head 
debate 
(2) Management of official documents requires solid legal system 
 
Sankei: 
(1) Party-head debate: National administration a responsibility for 
ruling and opposition camps 
(2) Extra nighttime classes must help increase teachers' quality 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1) Lackluster Fukuda-Ozawa debate 
(2) U.S presidential face: Will change of tsunami occur? 
 
Akahata: 
(1) War-assisting legislation must be scrapped 
 
3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, January 9 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
January 10, 2008 
 
09:51 
 
TOKYO 00000068  003 OF 012 
 
 
Arrived at Kantei. 
 
12:04 
Met with Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Futahashi. 
 
14:31 
Met with Chief Cabinet Secretary Machimura. 
 
15:00 
Attended one-on-one debate with DPJ President Ozawa at Diet. 
 
17:24 
Met at Kantei with Deputy Foreign Minister Kono. 
 
18:08 
Met with Economic and Fiscal Policy Minister Ota. 
 
20:33 
Returned to his private residence in Nozawa. 
 
4) Global warming preventive measures: Premier to announce package 
of financial assistance worth 1 trillion yen for developing 
countries over five years 
 
NIKKEI (Top Play) (Full) 
January 10, 2009 
 
A package of financial assistance to developing countries aimed at 
preventing global warming, which Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda is 
expected to announce shortly, was revealed yesterday. The package 
features a total of 10 billion dollars (approximately 1.1 trillion 
yen) in the form of grant aid or yen loans according to purposes, 
such as emissions cuts and the dissemination of alternative energy 
sources. The government wants to consolidate conditions that 
developing countries, which are lagging behind in terms of the 
implementation of global warming preventive measures, would find 
acceptable, in creating a framework replacing the Kyoto Protocol, 
which is to end in 2012, 
 
Developing countries to be urged to take part in post-Kyoto 
framework talks 
 
Fukuda will announce this policy in a speech to be delivered this 
month at the outset of the regular Diet session and in a speech to 
be given at the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (Davos 
Conference), regarding which coordination on his attendance is now 
underway. 
 
The Kyoto Protocol only targets industrialized countries. The 
challenge is whether it is possible to involve developing countries, 
whose greenhouse gas emissions are gradually increasing, in a new 
framework starting in 2013. Japan wants to help developing countries 
tackle global warming in the form of achieving a good balance 
between economic growth and emissions cuts, thereby taking the 
initiative in the creation of a new framework. 
 
The package mentions that unlike assistance to developing countries 
in the past, the new financial assistance is aimed at proactively 
changing recipient countries' policies through consultations with 
them. Specifically, the government has prepared three types of 
assistance measures: (1) assistance to developing countries 
alleviating global warming by reducing greenhouse gas emissions; (2) 
 
TOKYO 00000068  004 OF 012 
 
 
assistance for adaptation to global warming intended to help 
developing countries, such as Asian countries, map out a disaster 
prevention plan; and (3) the dissemination of alternative energies, 
such as solar and geothermal power. 
 
Projects eligible for Japan's assistance will likely include 
improving the efficiency of China's outdated coal plants and helping 
developing countries map out disaster prevention plans through the 
creation and monitoring of meteorological data. For the 
dissemination of the use of alternative energies, the government is 
considering helping agricultural villages shift to the use of 
electricity. 
 
Funds will be provided through the Japan Bank for International 
Cooperation (JBIC) and trade insurance, as well as in the form of 
grant aid or yen loans. As the first step in that policy agenda, 
Japan has started talks with Indonesia. An agreement on specific 
measures will likely be reached as early as March. Funds will also 
be extended to Tuvalu, which is on the verge of being submerged due 
to the rise in sea level caused by global warming. 
 
Britain has announced a plan to set up an environment reform fund to 
provide 800 million pounds (approximately 170 billion yen) to 
developing countries over three years. Japan's assistance will 
exceed that amount. 
 
With an eye on the G-8 (Lake Toya Summit) in July, where prevention 
of global warming will top the agenda, Fukuda intends to rush to 
coordinate domestic and foreign views on the adoption of mid-term 
numerical targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, following 
the announcement of the package of financial assistance. 
 
Main points of new financial assistance 
 
? Extending financial assistance worth 10 billion dollars to 
developing countries over five years 
? Three forms of assistance measures, including assistance for 
alleviating the impact of global warming and assistance for 
adaptation to global warming 
? Promoting global warming preventive measures through policy talks 
with developing countries 
? Promoting participation of developing countries in post-Kyoto 
Protocol framework talks 
? Helping developing countries achieve a good balance between 
environmental conservation and economic development, using 
energy-conserving technologies. 
 
5) Machimura welcomes possibility of woman president 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
January 10, 2008 
 
In a press conference, Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura 
made the following comment about Senator Hillary Clinton vying for 
the U.S. presidency: "The image of the United States is that women 
are in a strong position. It would not surprise me if the country 
elected a female president. It's up to the American people, and I 
don't know their decision." 
 
6) Resumption of Japan-ROK reciprocal visits confirmed 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
 
TOKYO 00000068  005 OF 012 
 
 
January 10, 2008 
 
Vice Foreign Minister Shotaro Yachi held talks in Seoul on Jan. 9 
with Lee Gyong Suk, chairman of the preparatory committee for the 
new Korean administration to be launched in February. The two 
leaders confirmed a policy direction to make efforts to 
strengthening bilateral relations by, for instance, resuming annual 
reciprocal visits of the top leaders of the two countries. Yachi 
also expressed hope for resuming free trade agreement (FTA) talks, 
which have been on hold. 
 
They also agreed on working closely in dealing with the North Korean 
nuclear issue. Regarding the issue of Japanese abducted by North 
Korea in the past, Yachi also asked for cooperation, saying, "We 
would like see (South Korea) actively address it from a humanitarian 
perspective." 
 
7) New refueling bill to be enacted tomorrow 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Top play) (Excerpts) 
January 10, 2008 
 
The Upper House Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defense in its 
directors' meeting yesterday decided to take a vote at its meeting 
this afternoon on the government-sponsored new antiterrorism special 
measures bill (new refueling bill) that would allow the Maritime 
Self-Defense Force (MSDF) to resume its mission in the Indian Ocean. 
It will also vote on the major opposition Democratic Party of 
Japan's (DPJ) counterproposal bill. Both bills are likely to be 
rejected by a majority of votes in a committee meeting. It has 
become certain that the new refueling bill, after being voted down 
in the Upper House plenary session tomorrow, will be put to the 
second vote on the same day in the Lower House, where the ruling 
bloc holds a two-thirds majority of seats, and enacted the same 
day. 
 
The ruling bloc's initial plan was that if the new refueling bill 
were not put to the vote in the Upper House plenary session by Jan. 
11, the ruling bloc would put the bill to a second vote in 
accordance with the Constitution's provision that states the Upper 
House's failure to take final action within sixty (60) days after 
receipt of a bill passed by the Lower House may be determined by the 
Lower House to constitute a rejection of the said bill by the Upper 
House. Jan. 12 will mark the 60th day after the Upper House's 
receipt of the new refueling bill. The DPJ intended to shelve taking 
a vote on the new refueling bill in the Upper House in order to 
strongly show its criticism of the ruling bloc's "tyranny of the 
majority," but the Japanese Communist Party (JCP), the Social 
Democratic Party (SDP), and the People's New Party opposed the move. 
As a result, the DPJ's Upper House executives again discussed the 
party's previous policy and, switching gears, decided to take a vote 
after all on the new refueling bill. 
 
Meeting the press yesterday, the DPJ's Upper House Diet Affairs 
Committee Chairman Susumu Yanase explained the reason why the party 
had shifted its previous policy: "We did so because leaving the 
Upper House's resolution of the issue to history is something the 
public can easily understand." 
 
The DPJ does not hold a sole majority in either the Upper House 
plenary session or the Upper House Committee on Foreign Affairs and 
Defense. If the DPJ is unable to obtain cooperation from the other 
 
TOKYO 00000068  006 OF 012 
 
 
opposition parties, it cannot carry over the refueling bill to the 
next Diet session. Apparently, these circumstances also forced the 
DPJ to reverse its previous policy. 
 
Yanase also declared that the DPJ had considered submitting a 
censure motion against Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda as a 
counteraction to the ruling bloc's move to take the second vote on 
the new refueling bill, but that the DPJ would not do so. 
 
8) DPJ decides in reversal to take a vote on new antiterrorism 
legislation at Upper House -- miscalculation for the party 
 
MAINICHI (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
January 10, 2008 
 
The main opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) 
yesterday, at the last moment, shifted its stance of carrying over 
deliberations on a new antiterrorism special measures bill to the 
next Diet session after it failed to obtain approval from the 
Japanese Communist Party (JCP) and Social Democratic Party (SDP). 
The DPJ had calculated that it would be easier for it to justify its 
decision to forgo a censure motion against the prime minister if the 
bill was not put to a vote at the House of Councillors, but it found 
that it had no choice but to show the "will of the Upper House," 
facing opposition from the other parties. The switch shows that the 
DPJ does not necessarily absolutely control the upper chamber of the 
politically divided Diet. Moreover, the uneasiness created in the 
coalition of opposition parties will likely affect their cooperation 
as a coalition in the next House of Representatives election. 
 
SDP Chairperson Mizuho Fukushima made an ironical remark at a press 
conference: "It is not true that the DPJ alone controls the Upper 
House. The DPJ has a misunderstanding about that. It is now in 
internal disarray." The number of seats the parliamentary group of 
the DPJ and People's New Party occupy in the Upper House falls short 
of a majority (122). Therefore, when the JCP (seven seats) and SDP 
(five) opposed the DPJ, it proved to be impossible to carry the 
deliberations on the bill over to the next session. The PNP also 
refused to carry them over. 
 
9) Idea of passing resolution to respect the Upper House being 
floated in DPJ in order to seek to constrain ruling camp's abuse of 
two-thirds vote 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Full) 
January 10, 2008 
 
The new antiterrorism special measures bill to resume Japan's 
refueling mission in the Indian Ocean will be put again to a vote 
tomorrow in the House of Representatives. Following this, the main 
opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) has come up 
with the idea of adopting on Jan. 15 in the Upper House plenary 
session a "resolution to respect the right to deliberate bills in 
the House of Councillors." 
 
According to a senior DPJ lawmaker, the party's intent in drafting a 
resolution is to constrain the ruling camp from abusing its 
two-thirds majority vote in the Lower House. 
 
Since the DPJ has decided to forgo a censure motion against Prime 
Minister Yasuo Fukuda, even if the new antiterrorism bill is 
readopted in the Lower House, it plans to show its stance of 
 
TOKYO 00000068  007 OF 012 
 
 
criticizing the ruling bloc by approving the resolution at the Upper 
House. Prior to the Jan. 18 convocation of the ordinary Diet 
session, the DPJ also aims to shore up the coalition of opposition 
parties, which fell apart in the second half of the current 
session. 
 
The DPJ will carry out coordination with the Japanese Communist 
Party, Social Democratic Party, and People's New Party, aiming at 
approval of the resolution by all the opposition parties. 
 
10) Lower House committee to charge suspect Moriya with perjury 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 1) (Excerpts) 
January 10, 2008 
 
The Lower House Special Committee on Prevention of Terrorism 
(chaired by Takashi Fukaya) yesterday decided to charge former 
Administrative Vice Defense Minister Takemasa Moriya for violation 
of the Diet Testimony Law. 
 
The committee will approve this decision at a meeting today of its 
directors. And bringing a charge of perjury against Moriya will be 
approved during the current session of the Diet. 
 
The committee summoned suspect Moriya as a sworn witness on Oct. 29 
of last year. At the time Moriya was asked whether he paid for day 
golf outings offered by the former senior managing director of the 
defense contractor Yamada Corp. and testified: "I paid 10,000 yen 
(for one round). Moriya also denied providing favors in connection 
with procurement of defense equipment. 
 
The committee judged such testimony by Moriya constituted perjury. 
 
11) Prime Minister Fukuda's first party-heads debate in Diet with 
DPJ President Ozawa: Both skirt issue of forming "grand coalition" 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 1) (Slightly abridged) 
January 10, 2008 
 
Prime Minister Fukuda (president of the ruling Liberal Democratic 
Party (LDP)) held the first party-head debate yesterday in the Diet 
since taking office as prime minister with the major opposition 
Democratic Party of Japan's (DPJ) President Ichiro Ozawa. On the 
problem of the 50 million missing pension premium payment records, 
Fukuda said: "We must revamp the (pension) system into a reliable 
one that can convince the public. A swift resolution of this problem 
would lead to restoring the public's confidence." He emphasized his 
intention to devote every effort to resolve the problem. A 
party-heads debate between the LDP and the DPJ had not been held 
since last May, when former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Ozawa 
sparred. 
 
On the pension mess, Ozawa argued, "The public has paid pension 
premiums from money he or she sweated and slaved for. The problem 
must be resolved at any cost." In response, Fukuda again offered an 
apology: "The Social Insurance Agency has kept pension records in a 
sloppy manner over 40 years. All I can do now for that is to offer 
an apology." 
 
Meanwhile, referring to the new antiterrorism special measures bill 
(new refueling bill), Fukuda noted, "The (previous) antiterrorism 
special measures law was enacted in 2001. At the time, the DPJ gave 
 
TOKYO 00000068  008 OF 012 
 
 
support to the law," and sought the DPJ's understanding about the 
new refueling bill. 
 
Neither Fukuda nor Ozawa touched on their meeting last fall, in 
which they discussed the idea of forming a grand coalition between 
their parties. 
 
The party-head debate between Fukuda and Ozawa was initially planned 
for the end of last October, but it was not realized because the two 
held their own dialogue ahead of the planned official debate. Since 
then the party-heads debate was repeatedly deferred. One reason was 
the confusion in the DPJ caused by Ozawa when he announced his 
intention to resign as president of the party. 
 
12) Prime minister does not acknowledge breach of campaign pledge on 
pension problem in first debate with Ozawa 
 
MAINICHI (Page 1) (Excerpts) 
January 10, 2008 
 
Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and Democratic Party of Japan President 
Ichiro Ozawa held their first Diet debate yesterday. On the pension 
record-keeping fiasco, Ozawa pointed out that the Liberal Democratic 
Party violated its campaign pledge in the House of Councillors 
election to complete the identification process of all unidentified 
pension accounts by the end of March. He then said: "The problem 
will not be resolved only with (the prime minister's) apology." The 
prime minister offered an apology, remarking: "Considering what 
happened in the past, I must apologize to the people." But on the 
problem of a breach of the election promise, the prime minister just 
said: "(Whether the promise was broken or not) depends on how the 
public takes it. I have no intention of making any excuses." 
 
13) Main points from Fukuda-Ozawa debate 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 7) (Abridged) 
January 10, 2008 
 
The following is a gist of yesterday's parliamentary one-on-one 
debate between Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and Democratic Party of 
Japan (Minshuto) President Ichiro Ozawa. 
 
New antiterror legislation 
 
Ozawa: What is the government's principle, including constitutional 
interpretation, to send the Self-Defense Forces overseas? 
 
Fukuda: The Maritime Self-Defense Force's refueling mission in the 
Indian Ocean does not correspond to the use of armed force. It is 
for international peace activities. We don't have to bring up the 
Constitution. The Diet will close soon. I hope the House of 
Councillors will reach a conclusion. 
 
Ozawa: You say we don't have to bring up the Constitution? That's a 
serious statement. That means the government can send the SDF 
whenever the government thinks it's intended for international 
contributions. We can't say this does not conflict with Article 9 of 
the Constitution. How do you interpret the Constitution to say this 
does not conflict with the Constitution? 
 
Fukuda: Under Japan's contributions to the international community, 
this one does not fall under the (constitutionally prohibited) use 
 
TOKYO 00000068  009 OF 012 
 
 
of armed force. If Japan stops its activities, it will likely give 
terrorists a chance. In 2001, the Antiterrorism Special Measures Law 
was enacted. Since then, we have sufficiently explained our 
constitutional interpretation. At that time, the DPJ also gave its 
approval regarding that legal thinking. 
 
14) Prime minister eyes creation of consumer agency to place 
importance on such daily-life issues as food safety 
 
YOMIURI (Top Play) (Excerpts) 
January 10, 2008 
 
Prime Minister Fukuda decided yesterday to study the possibility of 
creating a "consumer agency," with the aim of tightening regulations 
to protect consumers and unifying the administration of the tasks 
now being carried out by various relevant ministries. Given recent 
incidents undermining the credibility of products and services, such 
as the mislabeling scandals, the prime minister wants to drastically 
reform consumer affairs administration in order to ensure the safety 
and security of the people's daily lives. He is placing 
"administration that gives priority to ordinary citizens and 
consumers" at the front of his policy agenda. Based on this stance 
and also with an eye on the next House of Representatives election, 
he intends to launch a discussion shortly on specifics of his plan 
in the government and the ruling camp, with the goal of creating the 
new agency in 2009. 
 
Fukuda indicated a willingness to establish a consumer policy agency 
last night for the first time. Speaking before reporters at the 
Prime Minister's Official Residence, he said: "It might be desirable 
to set up a unified agency that serves as a liaison center for 
consumers." 
 
The prime minister emphasized the need to reform the current 
administrative organization, remarking: "Setting aside whether the 
envisioned entity will be called the 'consumer agency,' we must 
rectify the current situation in which people point out that the 
administration (of consumer affairs) is difficult to grasp." 
 
On Jan. 4, the prime minister indicated his plan to push ahead with 
the unification of the authorities responsible for consumer 
administration, including food safety. The creation of a consumer 
agency will be a key measure to promote this plan. 
 
The envisioned new agency will be tasked with monitoring wrongdoings 
by producers and clamping down on fraudulent business practices. By 
establishing a unified body that will liaison with consumers, the 
government aims to enable relevant problems to be smoothly 
resolved. 
 
15) Prime minister proposes creating consumer policy agency with 
viewpoint of people in mind, but some cabinet members remain 
cautious 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) 
January 10, 2008 
 
(Commentary) 
 
Prime Minister Fukuda has decided to discuss a plan to create a 
consumer policy agency. He aims to make this concept a symbol of his 
policy of pursuing people-centered politics. 
 
TOKYO 00000068  010 OF 012 
 
 
 
After he assumed office in late September, when public support for 
his cabinet was considerably high, the prime minister told his 
aides, keeping in mind a series of scandals involving such problems 
as falsified quake-resistance standards for housing, food 
mislabeling, and deaths caused by gas heaters: "The current politics 
and administration must be changed into consumer-friendly ones." He 
has been looking for specific measures. Early this year, Fukuda also 
said: "The reliability of the consumer administration has been 
undermined so seriously that even the National Consumer Affairs 
Center of Japan has been listed as an object of reform." 
 
The prime minister now finds it difficult to demonstrate his own 
policy imprint because government-sponsored bills have not been 
easily enacted given the opposition's control of the Upper House, 
and also because a cabinet reshuffle has been delayed. Given the 
situation, Fukuda apparently expects that the concept of creating a 
consumer policy agency will be favorably accepted by the people, 
with an eye on the next House of Representatives election. This 
concept was initially discussed at the Liberal Democratic Party's 
council on consumer issues, chaired by Seiko Noda. 
 
However, some cabinet members remain cautious about this concept. 
Chief Cabinet Secretary Machimura expresses his skepticism about the 
idea, remarking: "Even if all authorities concerned are unified, all 
problems will not necessary be settled." Since the concept will lead 
to reducing the authority of government agencies concerned, such 
authorities will inevitably put up resistance. To translate this 
concept into action, the prime minister's powerful leadership will 
be required. 
 
16) LDP to ask Tokyo University Prof. Kabashima to run in Kumamoto 
gubernatorial race 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
January 10, 2008 
 
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Kumamoto prefectural 
chapter decided yesterday in a board meeting to ask Ikuo Kabashima, 
60, professor at the University of Tokyo, to run in the May 
gubernatorial election of Kumamoto Prefecture. Kabashima is positive 
about his candidacy for the race, saying, "I take the decision 
seriously as the LDP's formal request." But he has yet to make a 
formal decision, noting: "I need support from many political 
parties, including the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or 
Minshuto)." 
 
Kabashima was born in Yamaga City, Kumamoto. He became a political 
scientist after studying in the United States. Before studying 
abroad, he worked at an agricultural cooperative in Kumamoto. LDP 
Kumamoto chapter head Hidehisa Yamamoto said: "Mr. Kabashima 
underwent hardships. He is well versed in agricultural affairs, 
which is a qualification for assuming the governorship. He is a 
person who represents Kumamoto." Since there is not much time until 
the election, the LDP will move its campaign into full gear before 
Kabashima announces his candidacy. 
 
The DPJ Kumamoto chapter also had looked into the possibility of 
backing Kabashima, but it will find ways to support another 
candidate or to allow its members to vote on their own decision. 
 
17) Former Prime Minister Abe eager to rally conservative forces 
 
TOKYO 00000068  011 OF 012 
 
 
together 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
January 10, 2008 
 
Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of the Liberal Democratic Party has 
contributed an essay to the monthly magazine Bungei Shunju that will 
go on sale today expressing strong eagerness for bringing 
conservative forces together. 
 
The essay says about his future political activities: "In order to 
enroot full-fledged conservative politics in Japan, I will give my 
all and sacrifice myself." It also gives a positive assessment of a 
study group launched by Shoichi Nakagawa and others, saying that it 
is significant to establish a variety of study groups as venues for 
conservative forces to rely on. 
 
18) Locals reconfirm opposition to U.S. military facility 
construction on Magejima 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) 
January 10, 2008 
 
The government has now selected Magejima, an island belonging to the 
city of Nishinoomote, Kagoshima Prefecture, as the most likely 
candidate site for the construction of a permanent facility for U.S. 
carrier-borne aircraft's night landing practice (NLP) along with the 
realignment of U.S. forces in Japan. On this issue, a consultative 
council consisting of municipal heads from the neighboring islands 
of Tanegashima and Yakushima reconfirmed their intention to oppose 
the construction of an NLP facility on the island of Magejima. They 
will send in a petition tomorrow to Kagoshima Gov. Yuichiro Ito 
against it. 
 
In February last year, Magejima was reported to be on the list of 
NLP candidate locations. In March last year, one city and three 
towns set up the consultative council. This is the second time for 
the local communities to send in a petition to the Kagoshima 
prefectural government. 
 
19) Stricter punishments for defense secret leaks called for 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
January 10, 2008 
 
The government's Defense Ministry Reform Council, an experts' panel 
chaired by Tokyo Electric Power Co. advisor Nobuya Minami, met 
yesterday at the Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) to 
discuss the Defense Ministry and the Self-Defense Forces. Currently, 
anyone who leaks "special defense secrets," "defense secrets," or 
"ministry secrets" faces prison terms of ten, five, and one years, 
respectively. Based on a leak of pivotal data on the Maritime 
Self-Defense Force's Aegis vessels, some panel members called for 
harsher penalties. One also said, "There are too many ministry 
secrets. They must be selected strictly in view of the need of 
 
SIPDIS 
information disclosure." 
 
20) Security cameras to pick out terrorists in town 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 26) (Full) 
January 10, 2008 
 
 
TOKYO 00000068  012 OF 012 
 
 
With its bid to host the 2016 Olympics, Tokyo will beef up its 
countermeasures to crack down on terrorists. The Tokyo metropolitan 
government decided yesterday to develop a "face check system" that 
can identify terrorists from security camera footage on the spot. 
The Metropolitan Police Department will start joint research with a 
university and a private business in the new fiscal year for test 
operation in three years. 
 
The Tokyo metropolitan government is earmarking a total of 500 
million yen in its new fiscal year budget for advanced systems to 
crack down on terrorists and provide for major disasters, using 
state-of-the-art technologies. In response to a gunman's shootout in 
the city of Machida, the MPD will introduce radar that can detect 
indoor human motion from an outdoor location. 
 
The face check system changes the mug shots of terrorists and wanted 
criminals into 3-D images, which will be registered with the MPD's 
server. The MPD will check its face data with images from security 
cameras in town and identify them in 0.01 second. 
 
Tokyo will start research in the new fiscal year to change face 
photos into 3-D images and check them in a shorter time. The 
metropolitan government plans to start model area test operation in 
fiscal 2010. 
 
In July this year, Japan will host the G-8 summit at Toyako (Lake 
Toya) in Hokkaido. Tokyo is the venue for a cabinet ministerial 
meeting to be held before the Toyako summit. The metropolitan 
government will also introduce hi-tech equipment, including a 
terahertz wave detector for the MPD that can check hidden weapons. 
 
DONOVAN