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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 11 TOKYO 000086 
 
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 01/11/08 
 
 
Index: 
 
1) Top headlines 
2) Editorials 
3) Prime Minister's daily schedule (Nikkei) 
 
Japan rejoins war on terror: 
4) Lower House to enact antiterrorism bill today, overriding 
rejection by opposition-controlled Upper House; MSDF mission 
restarts in February  (Mainichi) 
5) It took three months and 90 hours of debate but the antiterrorism 
bill will finally be enacted today  (Sankei) 
6) Despite months of Diet debate, why the MSDF's refueling mission 
had to be resumed is still unclear  (Nikkei) 
7) Overshadowed by discussions on MOD scandals and permanent 
legislation, justification for resuming refueling operation remains 
unclear  (Tokyo Shimbun) 
8) Prime Minister Fukuda: Aspects of the ISAF mission would not be 
unconstitutional for Japan to carry out  (Yomiuri) 
 
Good vibrations in South Korea: 
9) Former Prime Minister Mori, now visiting Seoul, meets 
president-elect Lee and the two agree that Japan, U.S., and ROK must 
cooperate on DPRK nuclear issue  (Nikkei) 
10) Prime Minister Fukuda considering visiting South Korea next 
month, Mori tells Lee  (Sankei) 
11) ROK President Lee to visit Japan in May with discussion 
including FTA, North Korea  (Nikkei) 
 
12) Experts panel calls for comprehensive discussion at Lake Toya G8 
Summit on the nuclear issue  (Yomiuri) 
 
Political agenda: 
13) Prime Minister Fukuda to appoint a minister in charge of 
consumer affairs, forgoing establishment of a consumer agency for 
the time being  (Mainichi) 
14) Fukuda cautious about regulation forbidding close contacts 
between politicians and bureaucrats, leaving administrative reform 
minister high and dry  (Mainichi) 
15) Democratic Party of Japan finally readies its action plan, 
calling 2008 the year the party will take the helm of government 
(Sankei) 
 
16) Prime minister to announce plan to provide $10 billion over five 
years to developing countries to help them combat global-warming 
effects  (Yomiuri) 
 
Articles: 
 
1) TOP HEADLINES 
 
Asahi: 
Corporations that received government subsidies found to have 
contributed to 16 cabinet members in 2006 
 
Mainichi & Tokyo Shimbun: 
New antiterrorism legislation to be enacted today after re-approval 
in Lower House; MSDF will resume refueling mission in February 
 
Yomiuri: 
Survey of schools: 1,100 public elementary and junior high schools 
likely to vanish due to low birth rate and fiscal pinch 
 
TOKYO 00000086  002 OF 011 
 
 
 
Nikkei: 
JFE, IHI to merge their shipbuilding sectors to become the top maker 
at home with 20 PERCENT  market share 
 
Sankei: 
Olympic year in China -- Dramatically changing society: Beijing's 
criteria for clear skies do not meet international criteria 
 
Akahata: 
New antiterrorism bill voted down by Upper House, the first case of 
rejection of bills relating to overseas dispatch of SDF 
 
2) EDITORIALS 
 
Asahi: 
(1) LDP to put new antiterrorism bill to second vote in Lower House 
(2) Police intervention must be restricted in investigating medical 
accidents 
 
Mainichi: 
(1) Low birth rate and strengthening international competitiveness 
included in national land development plan: Japan breaks free of 
focus on development 
(2) Handball: Do not create deep fissure in Asia 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1) Toward new order: Consumption tax should be shifted into social 
welfare-purpose tax 
 
Nikkei: 
(1) Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. to be reborn as Panasonic 
(2) DPJ's attitude in Diet incomprehensible 
 
Sankei: 
(1) Gakken publisher should be more sensitive to sovereignty issue 
(2) Annual spring wage negotiations: Show way to raising the 
birthrate 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1) Bush's tour of Middle East: Need to work out the way for Israel 
and Palestine to co-exist 
(2) Tokyo Olympic bid: Olympics for the future 
 
Akahata: 
(1) Permanent relief measures for all drug-caused hepatitis C 
patients need to be established 
 
3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) 
 
Prime minister's schedule, January 10 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
January 11, 2008 
 
09:10 
Met with Toyota Motors Chairman Fujio Cho and Acting Secretary 
General Hosoda at a restaurant at Grand Prince Hotel Akasaka. 
 
10:28 
Met with Cabinet Affairs Office Director General Chishiro. 
 
 
TOKYO 00000086  003 OF 011 
 
 
12:53 
Met with Chief Cabinet Secretary Machimura. 
 
13:00 
Upper House Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting. 
 
16:10 
Met with Deputy Foreign Minister Yachi, followed by Foreign Ministry 
Foreign Policy Bureau Director General Kawai, Defense Ministry 
Operational Policy Bureau Takamizawa and Assistant Deputy Chief 
Cabinet Secretary Yanagisawa. 
 
17:24 
Met with Machimura. 
 
20:21 
Returned his private residence in Nozawa. 
 
4) New antiterrorism bill to be passed by two-thirds vote today; 
Resumption of refueling mission expected in February 
 
MAINICHI (Top Play) (Excerpts) 
January 11, 2008 
 
The government's new antiterrorism bill to resume the Maritime 
Self-Defense Force's refueling mission in the Indian Ocean was voted 
down yesterday in the House of Councillors' Foreign Affairs and 
Defense Committee by an opposition-bloc majority. A counterproposal 
submitted by the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) was also rejected 
by a majority from the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), the New 
Komeito, the Japanese Communist Party (JCP), and the Social 
Democratic Party (SDP). The new antiterror bill is expected to be 
voted down at an Upper House plenary session this morning, but the 
ruling camp will override and pass the bill at a plenary session of 
the House of Representatives this afternoon on the strength of its 
two-thirds majority. Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba instructed the 
MSDF to start preparations to resume the refueling mission. The 
government will hold a cabinet meeting next week to approve it, with 
the aim of resuming the operation in mid-February. 
 
In a question-and-answer session held in winding up the committee 
meeting yesterday, Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda emphasized: "If other 
countries see the suspension of Japan's refueling mission was caused 
by the nation's political situation, they may change the way they 
look at Japan. Japan must resolutely resume the mission." The new 
antiterror bill is valid for only one year, so the government is 
considering the introduction of a permanent law to dispatch 
Self-Defense Force (SDF) troops overseas. Asked about permanent 
legislation, Fukuda responded to LDP member Ichita Yamamoto: "Such 
legislation will be important for the future. The issue will be 
discussed in the ruling camp. If there is an opportunity, we want to 
discuss it with the DPJ, too." 
 
The DPJ continued to express its opposition to the new antiterror 
bill, with one lawmaker remarking: "The government has yet to 
fulfill its accountability for the past six years of the refueling 
mission." The JCP and the SDP take the view that the new 
antiterrorism bill is against the Constitution and should be 
scrapped. The two opposition parties also opposed the DPJ 
counterproposal, arguing that the bill would result in expanding the 
scope of the use of weapons by the SDF. 
 
 
TOKYO 00000086  004 OF 011 
 
 
5) Despite 90 hours of deliberations on new antiterrorism 
legislation over past three months, no in-depth discussion held 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (Excerpts) 
January 11, 2008 
 
Hiroyuki Kano 
 
The Upper House Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defense yesterday 
turned down the government-sponsored new antiterrorism special 
measures bill by a majority of votes from the major opposition 
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) and other opposition parties. 
 
Discussion on the new antiterrorism bill aimed at allowing the 
Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) to resume the refueling mission 
in the Indian Ocean began in last October, and nearly three months 
were devoted to debate on the bill. During that time, the old 
Antiterrorism Special Measures Law expired on Nov. 2. The old law 
was enacted after a total of 11 hours or so of deliberations in both 
chambers of the Diet during its extraordinary session in the fall of 
2006, but the time spent for the debate on the new antiterrorism 
bill totaled some 90 hours. Despite that, no in-depth discussion 
occurred. 
 
The correction of the amounts of fuel supplied by the MSDF to other 
countries' vessels and the bribery scandal involving suspect 
Takemasa Moriya (former Administrative Vice Defense Minister) are 
problems of great importance in terms of civilian control, an 
essential element for the mobilization of the Self-Defense Forces 
(SDF). Those problems in a way were related to the new antiterrorism 
bill. But at one point the DPJ put aside any discussion of the bill 
and instead stuck to the question of whether politicians joined a 
dinner with Moriya. 
 
Meanwhile, the DPJ somehow cobbled together a counterproposal - a 
"special measures bill aimed at preventing international terrorism" 
-- and submitted it to the Diet. This was a good move because the 
relaxation of the weapons use standards included in the DPJ's bill 
could be an important point of an agreement (between the ruling 
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the DPJ) in future debate on the 
creation of a permanent law aimed at dispatching the SDF abroad as 
needed. Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda in his Diet replies yesterday 
referred to the question of such a permanent law: "Many of the DPJ 
seem to be in favor of such legislation. I want to discuss it fully 
and enact it." 
 
The DPJ's counterproposal, however, according to Ichita Yamamoto, a 
House of Councilors member of the LDP, "Has a couple of 
bottleneck-like requirements that will prevent dispatching the SDF 
abroad," such as a cease-fire agreement between the Afghan 
government and the Taliban and a United Nations resolution,. At this 
point in time, the ruling and opposition parties remain wide apart. 
 
6) Gov't to ready MSDF for refueling mission 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Abridged) 
January 11, 2008 
 
A newly introduced refueling bill is now certain to get through the 
Diet today, and the government will ready the Maritime Self-Defense 
Force for an order to resume refueling activities in the Indian 
Ocean as soon as possible. The government had initially expected to 
 
TOKYO 00000086  005 OF 011 
 
 
send an MSDF supply ship in late February. However, the government 
now deems it possible to send it out in mid-February. Meanwhile, the 
bill is temporary legislation with a one-year time limit. The MSDF, 
depending on political developments, may pull out again around this 
time next year. The Middle East is seen to be gradually recovering 
its public security. However, there is no way to gauge how long the 
MSDF will have to remain on its mission there. 
 
"If this mission does not continue, foreign countries would 
considerably change their view of Japan." With this, Prime Minister 
Yasuo Fukuda reiterated his resolve before the House of Councillors 
Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee in its meeting yesterday to 
resume MSDF refueling activities. 
 
The government will likely call an ad hoc cabinet meeting on Jan. 16 
to adopt an MSDF mission masterplan. The prime minister will confirm 
the masterplan, and then Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba will issue 
orders through the commander-in-chief of the Self-Defense Fleet to 
dispatch a supply ship and a destroyer. 
 
The MSDF will send two liaison officers to U.S. Naval Central 
Command Headquarters in Bahrain, where the United States, Britain, 
and other countries command their naval forces operating in the 
Indian Ocean, to coordinate refueling schedules. 
 
The MSDF squadron will head for the Indian Ocean with a total crew 
of 300 to 400 onboard. Its mission there is expected to continue for 
a period of six months up until the end of July. A supply ship needs 
about two weeks to prepare to set sail. It will take about three 
weeks to arrive in the Indian Ocean from Japan. Accordingly, the 
MSDF's refueling will be in mid-February at the earliest. 
 
In the meantime, the Foreign Ministry will exchange new official 
notes with Pakistan, the United States, Britain, France, Germany, 
and New Zealand to specify the MSDF's refueling mission for maritime 
interdiction operations. 
 
7) Overshadowed by discussions on MOD scandals and permanent 
legislation, justification for resuming refueling operation remains 
unclear 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
January 11, 2008 
 
Substantive deliberations on the government-sponsored new 
antiterrorism legislation to resume the Maritime Self-Defense 
Force's refueling operation in the Indian Ocean ended with the House 
of Councillors Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee session 
yesterday. Overshadowed by a series of scandals, including one 
involving a former administrative vice-defense minister, even 
questions appeared about the option of enacting a permanent law 
enabling the country to dispatch the Self-Defense Forces on overseas 
missions as necessary, going beyond the realm of the new 
antiterrorism legislation. Did the deliberations on the legislation 
that started in both houses of the Diet in late October last year 
find the answer to the question of why Japan needs to resume the 
refueling operation? 
 
Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, touching on deliberation time on the 
antiterrorism bill that was voted down by the Upper House Foreign 
Affairs and Defense Committee earlier yesterday, made the following 
comment to the press at the Prime Minister's Official Residence 
 
TOKYO 00000086  006 OF 011 
 
 
(Kantei) last night: "Sufficient time was devoted for asking 
questions and answering them. I think (the people) are now convinced 
that Japan must extend international cooperation." 
 
As was indicated by the prime minister, total deliberation time 
exceeded 80 hours since the first discussion in the House of 
Representatives. 
 
But in reality, with such matters as the scandal involving the 
former administrative vice-defense minister and reform of the 
Ministry of Defense (MOD) taking center stage, there was hardly any 
time for penetrating question-and-answer sessions. 
 
In yesterday's wrap-up interpellation session, two Democratic Party 
of Japan (DPJ) lawmakers asked the prime minister and others the 
significance of joining the war on terror and other matters. Their 
exchange of views on the refueling operation lasted only several 
minutes. 
 
Although DPJ President Ichiro Ozawa insisted that the refueling 
mission not based on a UN resolution was unconstitutional, views 
remained wide apart. 
 
There were heated debates over allegations that MSDF oil had been 
diverted for use in the Iraq war. The government, however, did not 
offer a clear-cut answer. 
 
At the same time, public trust in MOD and the SDF has declined due 
to a series of improprieties, including the scandal involving the 
former vice-defense minister and the cover-up of the underreported 
fuel Japan supplied to a US supply ship. 
 
In contrast to the low-keyed debate on the new refueling 
legislation, the subject of enacting a permanent law is gaining 
momentum. 
 
In yesterday's committee session, the prime minister called for the 
DPJ's cooperation for enacting a permanent law, saying: "Many DPJ 
members seem to be in favor of (permanent legislation), so I want to 
see thorough discussion with (the party) to move the matter forward, 
if there is a chance." 
 
Finding it difficult to manage the divided Diet, the prime minister 
is trying to use (the permanent legislation) for obtaining 
cooperation from the DPJ and for making it easier to dispatch the 
SDF on overseas missions in the future. 
 
The government seems to be trying to push the overseas dispatch of 
the SDF further forward without offering a convincing explanation 
about the significance of the refueling operation. Such a stance 
would raise concern that the government might expand overseas 
dispatches gradually without conducting sufficient Diet debate. 
 
8) Prime Minister Fukuda: There may be conditions under which SDF 
participation in ISAF dose not violate the Constitution 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) 
January 11, 2008 
 
When asked about the Self-Defense Forces' (SDF) participation in the 
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan in a 
the House of Councillors Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee 
 
TOKYO 00000086  007 OF 011 
 
 
session, Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda responded yesterday: "There may 
be situations under which the SDF's participation is not 
unconstitutional." 
 
Fukuda pointed out: "In case (expected attacks are) sporadic 
terrorism, the SDF participation will not violate the Constitution." 
He was, however, negative about the participation at present, 
saying, "It is very difficult." 
 
9) Japan, U.S., S. Korea should team up over North Korea's nukes: 
Lee 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
January 11, 2008 
 
SEOUL-Former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori from the ruling Liberal 
Democratic Party met with President-elect Lee Myung Bak yesterday in 
Seoul. In the meeting, Lee touched on North Korea's nuclear issues, 
saying: "Japan, the United States, and South Korea will need to 
cooperate in a steady way. We would like to cooperate with China, 
too." With this, Lee indicated that major countries should step up 
their cooperation. Mori said it would be significant to step up 
cooperation. Mori handed a letter from Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda 
seeking to strengthen future-oriented relations and asking Lee to 
visit Japan at an early date. 
 
Referring to the nuclear issue of North Korea, Lee took the position 
that this is "very difficult" problem. Lee also indicated that he 
would endeavor to resolve it. In addition, he referred to Fukuda's 
visit to China in December last year and expressed his expectations 
for Japan's role in multilateral cooperation involving China. He 
also stressed that it would be important for Japan, China, and South 
Korea to cooperate in Asia. 
 
10) Premier mulling South Korea visit next month: Mori meets 
President-elect Lee 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (Full) 
January 11, 2008 
 
Seoul, Jiro Otani 
 
Visiting South Korea as Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's special envoy, 
former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori yesterday evening met with 
President-elect Lee Myung Bak at a Seoul hotel. They reached an 
agreement on an early resumption of reciprocal visits by their 
leaders and have talks. Coordination for Fukuda's visit to that 
nation to attend Lee's presidential inauguration in February will 
likely move ahead, following the agreement. They also agreed to 
promote cooperation among Japan, the U.S. and South Korea over North 
Korea's abduction and nuclear issues. 
 
Mori handed over to Lee Fukuda's personal letter calling for 
future-oriented Japan-South Korea relations, Lee's early visit to 
Japan, and cooperation for regional peace and stability. He also 
told Lee: "South Korea is Japan's important neighbor, which shares 
such values as freedom, democracy and the market economy with it. 
Japan wants to create new bilateral relations with South Korea by 
all means." 
 
Lee replied, "I want to strengthen a cooperative relationship with 
Japan on various issues." He also noted, "I would like Prime 
 
TOKYO 00000086  008 OF 011 
 
 
Minister Fukuda to visit South Korea at an early date. I want to 
show through mutual visits that our bilateral relations are in a 
good state." Lee is considering visiting Japan coinciding with the 
Lake Toya Summit in Hokkaido in July in order to resume reciprocal 
visits, which have been suspended since June 2005. 
 
Regarding North Korea's abduction issue, Mori sought strengthened 
cooperation with South Korea. Lee underscored, "It is necessary for 
Japan, the U.S. and South Korea to closely cooperate with one 
another on this issue. Since gaps surfaced during the Roh Moo Hyun 
administration over an approach to the six-party talks to discuss 
North Korea's nuclear issue, the government wants to give a boost to 
efforts to settle the abduction issue with the launch of new 
administration in South Korea as the occasion. 
 
11) Government to invite South Korean president-elect to Japan in 
May 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
January 11, 2008 
 
The government is looking into offering South Korean president-elect 
Lee Myung Bak an invitation to Japan in May. The visit, if realized, 
will be the first Japan visit by a South Korean president since the 
one of Roh Moo Hyun in December 2004. 
 
During his meeting with former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori 
yesterday, Lee indicated his eagerness to resume annual reciprocal 
visits between the Japanese and South Korean leaders. Prime Minister 
Yasuo Fukuda is considering attending Lee's inauguration on Feb. 25. 
If both leaders visit each other's country in the three months after 
Lee assumes presidency, they will be able to underscore improvement 
in their bilateral ties. 
 
The prime minister already invited Lee to visit Japan on the phone 
when he was elected in December. 
 
At a summit, both leaders are expected to discuss such issues as 
resumption of negotiations on concluding a free trade agreement 
(FTA), which suspended in 2004, and North Korea's nuclear 
development. 
 
Reciprocal visits were initiated by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi 
and President Roh Moo Hyun, but the South Korean government ceased 
presidential visits to Japan in reaction to Koizumi's visits to 
Yasukuni Shrine 
 
12) Experts propose comprehensive discussion on nuclear weapons at 
G-8 summit 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) 
January 11, 2008 
 
A group of experts on nuclear weapons, energy and the environment 
has submitted to Foreign Minister Masahiko Koumura a proposal that a 
declaration to be produced at the July Group of Eight summit in Toya 
Lake, Hokkaido, include comprehensive efforts on nuclear weapons and 
nuclear power, including promotion of the use of nuclear energy and 
multinational control of nuclear fuel supplies. 
 
The proposal was produced by a working panel, chaired by Tetsuya 
Endo, former ambassador to the International Organization in Vienna, 
 
TOKYO 00000086  009 OF 011 
 
 
of the Foreign Ministry-affiliated organization Japan Institute for 
International Affairs. Nonproliferation is expected to be a main 
topic of discussion at the upcoming G-8 summit. The panel insists 
that an in-depth discussion is necessary. 
 
13) Prime minister to announce plan to set up ministerial post for 
consumer affairs, put off establishment of consumer agency 
 
MAINICHI (Page 2) (Full) 
January 11, 2008 
 
Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda will announce in a policy speech at the 
outset of the ordinary Diet session to start on Jan. 18 that the 
government will establish a ministerial post responsible for 
consumer affairs in the Cabinet Office. Currently, various 
government agencies are in charge of consumer affairs 
administration. By setting up the new post, the prime minister aims 
to unify the administration. He will set forth the policy of placing 
emphasis on consumers, with an eye to the next House of 
Representatives election, taking into consideration public concern 
about the safety of food following a series of food-mislabeling 
scandals. The government intends to revise the Cabinet Office 
Establishment Law and define the authority of the minister for 
consumer affairs in the revised law during the ordinary Diet 
session, at the earliest. Some lawmakers were suggesting 
establishing a consumer agency, but the government has decided to 
put it off, based on the judgment that the government will be 
enlarged. 
 
Even taking up only food labeling, there are a number of competent 
authorities, including the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry (food 
sanitation), the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry (JAS), 
and Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry (illegal competition 
prevention). 
 
When he visited Ise City, Mie Prefecture on Jan. 4, the prime 
minister, in reference to the mislabeling scandal involving 
"Akafuku," indicated eagerness for the idea of unifying the 
administration of consumer affairs, saying: "I am considering the 
introduction of a system to enable food problems to be resolved in a 
single responsible entity." 
 
The envisioned minister for consumer affairs will take the lead in 
resolving in cooperation with government agencies such issues as 
food mislabeling, door-to-door sales, illegalities over standards 
for housing, and accidents caused by inferior goods. 
 
On the idea of establishing a consumer agency, Chief Cabinet 
Secretary Nobutaka Machimura expressed his negative view, saying: 
 
SIPDIS 
"Even if the authorities concerned are unified, all problems will 
not necessarily be settled." Government agencies involved were also 
putting up resistance, fearing their authority might be reduced. 
 
14) Another arbitrary act by the administrative reform minister on 
civil service reform, finds prime minister cautious about banning 
direct contacts between politicians and bureaucrats 
 
MAINICHI (Page 5) (Excerpts) 
January 11, 2008 
 
The government's panel established by former Prime Minister Shinzo 
Abe to look into comprehensive reform of the civil servant system 
 
TOKYO 00000086  010 OF 011 
 
 
(chaired by Toshiba Chairman Tadashi Okamura) is readying a draft 
report to be submitted to Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda. The draft 
report includes an unusual proposal to prohibit national civil 
servants from making direct contacts with Diet members. Fukuda, 
however, took a cautious stance about such a recommendation. He told 
reporters yesterday: "I wonder whether right decisions on policies 
can be made without discussions with those officials in charge of 
such policy-making." Attention is now on how Administrative Reform 
Minister Yoshimi Watanabe will deal with the "homework left by the 
Abe government," following reform of the independent administrative 
institutions, which ended up as a half-baked plan. 
 
Taichi Sakaiya, a panel member and former economic planning agency 
chief, drew up the recommendations. The draft report notes that only 
"parliamentary affairs specialists" would be allowed to make direct 
contact with lawmakers. The aim is to eliminate collusive ties 
between legislators and government officials. After the discovery of 
Lower House member Muneo Suzuki's pressure on the Foreign Ministry, 
the Koizumi government studied this idea in 2002, but it was not 
realized due to a fierce backlash from the Liberal Democratic Party 
(LDP). 
 
A senior LDP Diet affairs committee member, who was briefed of it on 
Jan. 9, became enraged and said: "I cannot accept it." Some 
bureaucrats are suspicious about the aim and effects of the 
recommendations, with one government official saying, "The Diet's 
control over government offices might weaken instead." According to 
an individual connected with drafting the report, the panel notified 
on Watanabe and his aides of the contents of the draft report, but 
the secretariat of the administrative reform promotion headquarters 
was not informed. Watanabe proudly stated in a meeting yesterday: "A 
report is usually written by bureaucrats but the report this time 
around was not. It was a historic accomplishment." However, conflict 
will inevitably occur between Watanabe and the Prime Minister's 
Official Residence and the ruling camp as in the case of reform of 
the independent administrative institutions. 
 
15) "Year for realizing change of government," notes DPJ's final 
draft of action policy 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (Excerpts) 
January 11, 2008 
 
The final draft of the Democratic Party of Japan's (DPJ or Minshuto) 
action policy for fiscal 2008 was revealed yesterday. The draft 
characterizes 2008 as a year to realize a change of government by 
forcing the Fukuda administration to dissolve the Lower House for a 
snap election. The DPJ will adopt this policy at a regular party 
convention to be held in Yokohama on Jan. 16. 
 
Regarding the next election, the draft notes that the party will 
hurry to field candidates who can win, establish an intensive 
assistance system by selecting target constituencies, and promote 
cooperation among opposition parties. 
 
The draft also indicates the party's determination to further expand 
support in rural areas, which it gained in the Upper House election 
last year. The package also includes a policy of strengthening 
support in urban areas, noting that the overall outcome of the Lower 
House election intensively reflects results in urban areas. 
 
16) Prime Minister Fukuda to announce during Diet policy speech plan 
 
TOKYO 00000086  011 OF 011 
 
 
to provide 1 trillion yen in assistance to developing countries for 
anti-global warming measures (Asahi) 
 
ASAHI (Page 1) (Excerpts) 
January 11, 2008 
 
The government has firmed up its intention to make as the main 
pillar of its policy to deal with global warming, a major agenda 
item at the July G8 Summit at Lake Toya in Hokkaido, financial 
assistance totaling approximately $10 billion dollars over five 
years to aid those developing countries that will back Japan's 
efforts. Such countries as Indonesia, Tanzania, and Tuvalu will be 
picked as initial subject countries, and focused policy discussions 
will start this February. 
 
Prime Minister Fukuda is thinking of announcing the plan in his Diet 
policy speech on Jan. 18 and at the annual Davos Conference late 
this month, which he is planning to attend. Consideration is being 
given to cooperating with England and other countries that have 
announced the formation of an environmental change fund in order to 
lessen the adverse impact on developing countries from global 
warming, and a new fund might be created. 
 
The program would be separated into three parts: 1) measures leading 
to reducing greenhouse gases; 2) measures for developing countries 
to ease the adverse effects from global warming; and 3) measures to 
make energy use easier for people in the poorest countries. 
 
DONOVAN