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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 11 TOKYO 000429 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR E, P, EB, EAP/J, EAP/P, EAP/PD, PA; 
WHITE HOUSE/NSC/NEC; JUSTICE FOR STU CHEMTOB IN ANTI-TRUST DIVISION; 
TREASURY/OASIA/IMI/JAPAN; DEPT PASS USTR/PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE; 
SECDEF FOR JCS-J-5/JAPAN, 
DASD/ISA/EAPR/JAPAN; DEPT PASS ELECTRONICALLY TO USDA 
FAS/ITP FOR SCHROETER; PACOM HONOLULU FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR; 
CINCPAC FLT/PA/ COMNAVFORJAPAN/PA. 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO PGOV PINR ECON ELAB JA
 
SUBJECT:  DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 02/19/08 
 
 
INDEX: 
 
(1) Aegis collision with fishing boat might adversely affect costly 
MD system (Tokyo Shimbun) 
 
(2) Government being pursued for its response to Aegis ship accident 
(Mainichi) 
 
(3) Government criticized by ruling and opposition camps for 
response to Aegis ship accident (Mainichi) 
 
(4) Japan, U.S. to begin jointly developing portable chemical 
weapons detector within this month (Nikkei) 
 
(5) DPJ, PNP agree to draft proposal revising SOFA (Nikkei) 
 
(6) Okinawa Prefectural Police did not publicize sexual assault by 
U.S. soldier in off-base house last year; Another rape case at Camp 
Schwab in 2003 (Ryukyu Shimpo) 
 
(7) Suspect outside reach of preventive measures (Ryukyu Shimpo) 
 
(8) Government presents no drastic preventive measures, following 
schoolgirl rape incident by U.S. Marine; Futenma relocation plan may 
be affected (Mainichi) 
 
(9) Abe attends conservative policy study council meeting (Nikkei) 
 
(10) Cooperation to check China bogs down with strategic dialogue 
among Japan, U.S. and Australia fizzling out: New administration in 
Japan, Australia cautious about initiative (Nikkei) 
 
(11) Poll on Fukuda cabinet, political parties, gas tax (Yomiuri) 
 
(12) Poll on Fukuda cabinet, political parties (Nikkei) 
 
(13)TOP HEADLINES 
 
(14) EDITORIALS 
 
(15) Prime Minister's schedule, February 16 (Nikkei) 
 
ARTICLES: 
 
(1) Aegis collision with fishing boat might adversely affect costly 
MD system 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN NET 
11:32, February 19, 2008 
 
Kyodo 
 
A state-of-the-art Aegis vessel collided with a fishing boat earlier 
today. Equipped with abilities to detect and track missiles headed 
for Japan, the destroyer, which is supposed to play a core role in a 
missile defense (MD) system, caused an accident involving a private 
boat in Japanese waters. 
 
Concern has already emerged in the Ministry of Defense about the 
accident's possible spillover effects on the MD program. A MOD 
official said: "People might say, 'Is there any need to spend an 
enormous amount of money to deploy the system when (the SDF) cannot 
 
TOKYO 00000429  002 OF 011 
 
 
protect Japanese citizens?" 
 
In Greek mythology, "Aegis" means the "shield" Zeus gave to his 
daughter. Highly advanced, Aegis radar can track over 100 targets at 
the same time and automatically select and intercept incoming 
missiles and artillery shells. Capable of exchanging information 
instantaneously with U.S. Aegis vessels via a data link system, 
Japanese Aegis vessels have been called a symbol of the Japan-U.S. 
alliance. 
 
(2) Government being pursued for its response to Aegis ship 
accident 
 
MAINICHI ONLINE (Excerpts) 
February 19, 2008 
 
The government today has been under the gun for its information 
gathering since early this morning and response to the accident 
involving the Aegis destroyer Atago and a commercial fishing boat. 
The ruling and opposition camps have both been critical of the 
government's slowness in getting started, such as Defense Minister 
Shigeru Ishiba being contacted an hour and a half after the 
accident. Although the cause of the accident is unclear, the mishap 
is being taken as a serious incident, following the series of 
ministry blunders, such as the scandal involving former Vice 
Minister Moriya and the issue of intelligence leaks on the Aegis' 
functions. 
 
"Yes, it is so. This is terrible," said Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda 
briefly about the accident to the press corps as he hurriedly got 
into his car. He was already 15 minutes behind schedule. The car 
sped off to the Diet. He held an emergency cabinet meeting from 8:00 
AM. A Maritime Self-Defense officer, sea chart in hand, entered the 
cabinet meeting room and gave a briefing. 
 
Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura rushed into the Prime 
Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) at 0712 AM. He received a 
briefing on the accident and search activities from staffers of the 
intelligence-liaison office attached to the Kantei's Crisis 
Management Center. 
 
The regular press conference started at 0910 AM, thirty minutes 
behind schedule. When it was pointed out to Machimura that the first 
reports about the accident seemed to have been late, he replied with 
a stiff face, "My guess is that full attention was first paid to 
hurriedly taking rescue measures." Asked about the cause of the 
accident, he repeatedly said, "I don't know." 
 
Meeting the press at the Defense Ministry, Defense Minister Ishiba 
was visibly angry that he was not informed about the accident until 
an hour and a half after it happened. 
 
(3) Government criticized by ruling and opposition camps for 
response to Aegis ship accident 
 
MAINICHI ONLINE (Excerpts) 
13:34 PM, February 19, 2008 
 
Critical voices have erupted one after the other from the ruling and 
opposition parties regarding the government's initial response to 
the accident between an Aegis destroyer and a small fishing boat. 
The government's accountability is being raised. 
 
TOKYO 00000429  003 OF 011 
 
 
 
The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) called in a senior Defense 
Ministry official to a general meeting held in the Diet. The 
official briefed them on the details of the accident and the current 
state of affairs, but he was showered with criticism at the fact 
that it took an hour and a half after the accident for a report of 
it to reach Defense Minister Ishiba. 
 
After the meeting, General Council Chairman Nikai met the press and 
told them with a stern face: "The government must respond promptly. 
The party will be expressing a severe view." 
 
On the other hand, Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) Secretary General 
Hatoyama, speaking to the press at party headquarters, harshly 
criticized the government: "I would like the Maritime Self Defense 
Force to seriously reconsider its response. Their nature itself 
lacks any sense of tension, even though there have been a series of 
accidents and incidents. It seems that it took one or two hours to 
even contact the Defense Minister, so there is no heartfelt sense of 
the defense of Japan. The problem is that the entire bureaucracy is 
too lax." 
 
(4) Japan, U.S. to begin jointly developing portable chemical 
weapons detector within this month 
 
NIKKEI (Page 1) (Full) 
Evening, January 16, 2008 
 
The governments of Japan and the United States are set to launch 
later this month a joint project to develop a portable chemical 
agent detector to deal with terrorism and attacks involving chemical 
weapons. It will combine America's detection technology and know-how 
and Japan's electronic technology. The two countries need a mobile 
and high-precision detector because an initial response to a 
chemical attack is crucial. 
 
The envisioned detector will be the size of a calculator that can be 
carried in one hand. It must be able to automatically detect gaseous 
chemical agents and identify their types. The highly accurate 
detector that can also shorten the identification time will allow 
the speedy removal of a contaminant source on the spot. 
 
Currently in the United States, chemical agents are visually 
determined by changes in colors of test papers that are dipped into 
chemical agents by hand. The new detector will be able to instantly 
identify changes in colors and the types of chemical agents, such as 
sarin and nerve gases, using a spectrograph and a digital camera 
developed by Japan. The device will make it easier to detect 
chemical agents even during nighttime when identifying changes in 
colors by the naked eye is difficult. 
 
The two governments will shortly sign a memorandum of understanding 
(MOU). Japan is expected to allocate some 248 million yen in 
research fund for fiscal 2007-2009. The government plans to equip 
the Ground Self-Defense Force 101st Special Weaponry Defense Corps 
and other units with chemical agent detectors to deal with nuclear, 
biological and chemical weapons. 
 
(5) DPJ, PNP agree to draft proposal revising SOFA 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Full) 
February 16, 2008 
 
TOKYO 00000429  004 OF 011 
 
 
 
Deputy President of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) 
Naoto Kan and Deputy President of the People's New Party (PNP) 
yesterday held talks in the Diet. In the wake of the rape incident 
involving a junior high school girl in Okinawa, they agreed that the 
two parties would draft a proposal revising the Japan-U.S. 
Status-of-Forces Agreement (SOFA) that stipulates the legal status 
of the U.S. forces in Japan. They plan to call for cooperation from 
the Social Democratic Party. 
 
(6) Okinawa Prefectural Police did not publicize sexual assault by 
U.S. soldier in off-base house last year; Another rape case at Camp 
Schwab in 2003 
 
RYUKYU SHINPO (Page 1) (Full) 
February 16, 2008 
 
In January 2007, Okinawa Prefectural Police apprehended a master 
sergeant, 27 at that time, on suspicion of raping an 18-year-old 
foreign woman at his house in Chatan-cho. In April 2003, Nago Police 
Station also apprehended a U.S. Marine Corps sergeant, 29, and a 
lance corporal, 20, on suspicion of raping a 19-year-old foreign 
woman at Camp Schwab. 
 
The prefectural police did not disclose these incidents out of 
consideration to the victims. These two cases were dropped in the 
end, but the cases are on the police's statistical record of rape 
incidents involving U.S. military personnel. 
 
The incident in 2007 was caused by a U.S. serviceman living in an 
off-base house, as is in the latest case involving a junior high 
school student. According to investigators, the master sergeant took 
the woman, with whom he had become acquainted on the Internet, into 
his home and raped her. She was bodily injured. 
 
A senior prefectural police officer said: "No victims want their 
cases to be publicized, not limited to victims in cases involving 
U.S. military personnel. Particularly in sexual assaults, it is 
impossible to establish a case without cooperation from the victims, 
so some cases are not made public, with consideration given to the 
victims' feelings." 
 
According to the statistics that the Okinawa Prefectural Police has 
collected since a 12-year-old girl was raped by three U.S. 
servicemen in 1995, 14 sexual assaults by U.S. military personnel 
occurred, including failed attempts. In these cases, 17 were 
prosecuted, and most of them occurred in the central part on the 
prefecture, with three cases in Chatan-cho; two in Okinawa City; one 
in Uruma City; two in the northern part; two in Camp Kadena; two in 
Camp Zukeran; one in Camp Futenma; and one in Camp Schwab. 
 
(7) Suspect outside reach of preventive measures 
 
RYUKYU SHINPO (Page 1) (Full) 
February 16, 2008 
 
Representatives from the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly, including 
U.S. Military Base Special Committee Chairman Seiichi Oyakawa, 
visited the Foreign Ministry's Okinawa Office and the Okinawa 
Defense Bureau on the afternoon of Feb. 15 and filed a protest 
against the recent rape of a schoolgirl by a U.S. Marine. Defense 
Bureau Director General Rou Manabe explained that the suspect had 
 
TOKYO 00000429  005 OF 011 
 
 
not been covered by the measures being taken by the U.S. military to 
prevent a recurrence of similar incidents, saying: "It probably was 
a blind spot, but the suspect was not covered by the 
countermeasures." He indicated that the current preventive measures 
were insufficient. 
 
According to the Foreign Ministry, the U.S. military has given 
lecture classes on the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement and 
Okinawan culture to newly assigned personnel. The U.S. military has 
also taken preventive measures, such as a system to ban Marines 
ranked below the status of staff sergeant from going out midnight. 
The Marine who was arrested in the schoolgirl rape case was a staff 
sergeant. 
 
Foreign Ministry Okinawa Office Deputy Head Akira Kuramitsu stated: 
"We have taken preventive measures, based on the view that young, 
single soldiers tend to cause incidents or accidents. Focusing on 
the fact that incidents are being caused by those outside the reach 
of the measures, the U.S. military is also mapping out 
countermeasures." 
 
(8) Government presents no drastic preventive measures, following 
schoolgirl rape incident by U.S. Marine; Futenma relocation plan may 
be affected 
 
MAINICHI (Page 2) (Slightly abridged) 
February 19, 2008 
 
Only one week after the alleged rape of a junior high school student 
by a U.S. Marine in Okinawa, another Marine Corps member was 
arrested on suspicion of breaking into a house. The government has 
been hard pressed to deal with protests to the U.S. and requests 
from the Okinawa Prefectural Government. The Foreign Ministry is 
aiming to come up with a package of preventive measures by the end 
of the week, but the prefectural government has been angrily 
questioning what official discipline actually is. 
 
Kin Town Assembly Head Tsuyoshi Gibu, vice chairman of the 
prefecture's council on converting base sites and resolving base 
problems, visited the Foreign Ministry yesterday afternoon and told 
reporters: "The Marines have learned nothing. The (Japan-U.S.) 
Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) stands as an obstacle." 
. 
Vice Governor Katsuko Asato asked the Foreign Ministry and the 
Defense Ministry to implement the plan transfer of the Marine Corps 
in Okinawa to Guam as part of the realignment of U.S. military 
force, reduce U.S. troops in Okinawa, and drastically review SOFA. 
In response to these request, Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba said: 
"I want to make the SOFA more effective," but he stopped short of 
mentioning a review of SOFA. Gibu expressed his content, grumbling: 
"His stance will merely increase anger among the residents." 
 
Foreign Ministry Administrative Vice Minister Mitoji Yabunaka, on 
behalf of Foreign Minister Masahiko Koumura, issued a protest to 
U.S. Ambassador Thomas Schieffer on the phone. In a press 
conference, Yabunaka also stressed his determination to promptly 
work out preventive measures. 
 
Some have begun to worry that the series of incidents by U.S. 
servicemen may affect the plan to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps' 
Futenma Air Station (in Ginowan). A senior prefectural government 
officer said: "The incidents and the relocation plan are separate 
 
TOKYO 00000429  006 OF 011 
 
 
matters," but Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura said in a 
press conference: "It is necessary to ascertain whether there will 
be some effect." 
 
(9) Abe attends conservative policy study council meeting 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
February 19, 2008 
 
Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of the Liberal Democratic Party 
(LDP) on Feb. 15 for the first time attended a meeting of the Real 
Conservative Policy Study Council chaired by Shoichi Nakagawa of the 
LDP. Since many members of the council are distancing themselves 
from the Fukuda administration, Abe's participation in it will 
likely create speculation. The topic of the meeting was a bill to 
protect human rights, which their parties have begun considering 
submitting to the Diet. The meeting brought together 28 lawmakers. 
Nakagawa criticized the bill, noting, "It has the image of being the 
Maintenance of Public Order Law. I cannot accept its contents." 
 
(10) Cooperation to check China bogs down with strategic dialogue 
among Japan, U.S. and Australia fizzling out: New administration in 
Japan, Australia cautious about initiative 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
February 16, 2008 
 
The pattern of cooperation among Japan, the U.S., Australia and 
India to deal with the rise of China has begun to change. The four 
countries had strengthened ties, as can be seen in the fact that 
they created a framework for a strategic dialogue among them. 
However, the cooperative mood has rapidly dropped off this year. 
That is because the countries now want to avoid irritating China. 
The dialogue will likely diet out. 
 
The Rudd administration of Australia was inaugurated in December 
last year with strengthening ties with China as a slogan. Foreign 
Minister Smith's statement during a press conference held in 
Canberra jointly with his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi created a 
stir in Japan. 
 
Smith told reporters, "The strategic dialogue among Japan, the U.S., 
Australia and India last year raised concerns in China. Australia 
has no intention of proposing such a framework." He also said that 
he conveyed this decision to Japan as well. 
 
The Rudd administration, which advocates strengthening relations 
with China, does not want to irritate China. Smith, who came to 
Japan for the first time on Jan. 31, also hinted at his government's 
intention to attach importance to China, saying, "Strengthened 
Japan-China relations are also good to Australia." 
 
Former Prime Minister Abe while in office proposed cooperation among 
Japan, the U.S., Australia and India. The first four-nation bureau 
director-level dialogue took place in the spring last year. The four 
countries have achieved concrete track records, including the 
holding of a joint maritime drill in the Bay of Bengal in Sept. 
2007, joined also by Singapore. 
 
Abe proposed the four-nation cooperation with the aim of deepening 
ties of democratic nations in the Asia-Pacific region in readiness 
for the rise of China, according to a person close to him. Another 
 
TOKYO 00000429  007 OF 011 
 
 
objective was to check China's military buildup by strengthening 
security cooperation with Australia and India, centered on the 
Japan-U.S. alliance. Though some among government officials were 
reportedly cautious about the idea, the U.S. went along with the 
proposal, and Australia and India also joined. 
 
However, the tide has begun turning since Abe stepped down in 
September last year. One government source said, "To be honest, 
Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, who attaches importance to China 
diplomacy, is not so disposed to the four-nation dialogue." However, 
he found it difficult to show a negative stance toward an idea 
proposed by Japan. 
 
The Rudd administration's statement on its intention to pull out of 
the dialogue was convenient for Fukuda. The situation is the same 
for the U.S. The Bush administration is increasingly becoming 
cautious about the four-nation dialogue, which could unnecessarily 
stimulate China, according to a Japan-U.S. diplomatic source. 
 
Japan, on its part, will continue a strategic dialogue among Japan, 
the U.S. and Australia, while working on India to strengthen 
bilateral relations.  Fukuda on the 15th talked with Prime Minister 
Singh on the phone. Can Japan create a strategy toward China 
replacing the cooperation among Japan, the U.S., Australia and 
India? The Fukuda administration will be urged to come up with a new 
initiative to deal with rising China. 
 
(11) Poll on Fukuda cabinet, political parties, gas tax 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) 
February 19, 2008 
 
Questions & Answers 
(Figures shown in percentage. Parentheses denote the results of a 
survey taken in January.) 
 
Q: Do you support the Fukuda cabinet? 
 
Yes 38.7 (45.6) 
No 50.8 (41.6) 
Other answers (O/A) 2.8 (3.5) 
No answer (N/A) 7.7 (9.3) 
 
Q: Which political party do you support now? Pick only one. 
 
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) 32.6 (35.5) 
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) 20.0 (16.9) 
New Komeito (NK) 3.2 (2.2) 
Japanese Communist Party (JCP) 2.1 (2.3) 
Social Democratic Party (SDP or Shaminto) 0.9 (1.0) 
People's New Party (PNP or Kokumin Shinto) 0.1 (0.2) 
New Party Nippon (NPN or Shinto Nippon) 0.1 (---) 
Other political parties --- (---) 
None 40.4 (40.7) 
N/A 0.8 (1.3) 
 
Q: What's your impression of Prime Minister Fukuda in the following 
four areas? Pick one that is closer to yours. 
 
He displays leadership on his cabinet and ruling party 24.9 
He doesn't display leadership on his cabinet and ruling party 68.6 
His faith and standpoint are clear-cut 24.0 
 
TOKYO 00000429  008 OF 011 
 
 
His faith and standpoint are not clear-cut 69.5 
He fully accounts for his policies 13.7 
He doesn't fully account for his policies 80.0 
He is clearly committed to reform 18.1 
He isn't clearly committed to reform 74.9 
N/A 4.4 
 
Q: Do you think the Fukuda cabinet has been appropriately dealing 
with recent changes in the economic situation? 
 
Yes 19.3 
No 74.9 
N/A 5.8 
 
Q: Do you think it would be better to continue the current 
provisional rate of taxation on gasoline for roads after the Special 
Taxation Measures Law expires at the end of March? 
 
Yes 29.4 
No 62.1 
N/A 8.5 
 
Q: The ruling and opposition parties have agreed to hold 
thoroughgoing deliberations and reach a conclusion by the end of 
March on legislation to continue the current provisional rate of 
taxation on gasoline. However, the ruling coalition says it will 
take a vote by the end of March while the opposition parties say 
they have not promised to take a vote. Do you think it would be 
better to take a vote on this legislation by the end of March? 
 
Yes 45.2 
No 45.2 
N/A 9.7 
 
Q: The ruling coalition is going to pass a provisional gasoline tax 
bill while the opposition camp is opposed to that. Do you think the 
ruling and opposition parties should compromise and agree to revise 
the bill? 
 
Yes 60.4 
No 30.3 
N/A 9.3 
 
Q: Do you appreciate the DPJ's response in the current Diet 
session? 
 
Appreciate very much 5.2 
Appreciate somewhat 35.9 
Don't appreciate very much 38.2 
Don't appreciate at all 14.9 
N/A 5.7 
 
Q: What kind of government would you like to see now? Pick only 
one. 
 
The current LDP-NK coalition government 22.0 
A DPJ-led coalition government of opposition parties 17.5 
The LDP's single-party government 6.7 
The DPJ's single-party government 5.2 
A coalition government centering on the LDP and the DPJ 19.0 
A government under a new framework of political parties after 
realigning the ruling and opposition parties 17.2 
 
TOKYO 00000429  009 OF 011 
 
 
O/A 0.1 
N/A 12.2 
 
Polling methodology 
Date of survey: Feb. 16-17. 
Subjects of survey: 3,000 persons chosen from among all eligible 
voters throughout the country (at 250 locations on a stratified 
two-stage random sampling basis). 
Method of implementation: Door-to-door visits for face-to-face 
interviews. 
Number of valid respondents: 1,734 persons (57.8 PERCENT ). 
 
(12) Poll on Fukuda cabinet, political parties 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
February 18, 2008 
 
Questions & Answers 
(Figures shown in percentage. Parentheses denote findings from the 
last survey conducted in January.) 
 
Q: Do you support the Fukuda cabinet? 
 
Yes 40 (42) 
No 48 (46) 
Can't say (C/S) + don't know (D/K) 12 (12) 
 
Q: Which political party do you support or like now? 
 
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) 39 (36) 
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) 31 (30) 
New Komeito (NK) 4 (4) 
Japanese Communist Party (JCP) 3 (3) 
Social Democratic Party (SDP or Shaminto) 1 (3) 
People's New Party (PNP or Kokumin Shinto) 1 (0) 
New Party Nippon (NPN or Shinto Nippon) 0 (0) 
Other political parties 0 (1) 
None 16 (16) 
C/S+D/K 5 (6) 
 
(Note) The total percentage does not become 100 PERCENT  in some 
cases due to rounding. 
 
Polling methodology: The survey was taken on Feb. 15-17 by Nikkei 
Research Inc. over the telephone on a random digit dialing (RDD) 
basis. For the survey, samples were chosen from among men and women 
aged 20 and over across the nation. A total of 1,530 households with 
one or more eligible voters were sampled, and answers were obtained 
from 919 persons (60.1 PERCENT ). 
 
(13)TOP HEADLINES 
 
Asahi: 
Government plan allows construction of 1,850 km stretch of highway 
without advisory panel scrutiny 
 
Mainichi: 
December fire on destroyer Shirane caused by overheated beverage 
heater brought on by crewman without authorization 
 
Yomiuri: 
110 national treasure buildings, monuments face risk of destruction 
 
TOKYO 00000429  010 OF 011 
 
 
if Kyoto, Nara are hit by major quakes 
 
Nikkei: 
METI eyes 2 trillion yen trade insurance quota for projects to fight 
global warming 
 
Sankei: 
Education Ministry to launch experts' council to study need for 
moral education 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
Toshima Ward to introduce system to closely scrutinize care 
insurance program 
 
Akahata: 
JCP proposes budgets oriented toward household finances 
 
(14) EDITORIALS 
 
Asahi: 
(1) Road debate: Ground for 59 trillion yen collapses 
(2) Kosovo's independence a first step toward stability 
 
Mainichi: 
(1) Kosovo declares independence: Caution urged to avoid ethnic 
clash 
(2) Time to craft roadmap for closing down Shinginko Tokyo 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1) Hasty debate on telecommunications laws would leave problems in 
future 
(2) Preserve stability on Balkan Peninsula 
 
Nikkei: 
(1) Kosovo's independence must bring down curtain to Balkan tragedy 
(2) School guidelines too stringent 
 
Sankei: 
(1) JAL jet rear-ended another plane 
(2) Kosovo avows independence: Persuasion and dialogue essential to 
ward off conflict 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1) Next-generation DVDs: Consumers must come first 
(2) Kosovo's independence: EU bears heavy responsibilities 
 
 
Akahata: 
(1) Deployment of nuclear-powered aircraft carrier: Decision must be 
made by Yokosuka citizens 
 
(15) Prime Minister's schedule, February 16 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
February 17, 2008 
 
Stayed at Kantei residence all day. 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, February 17 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
February 18, 2008 
 
TOKYO 00000429  011 OF 011 
 
 
 
10:02 Arrived at his private residence at Nozawa. 
15:25 Met with Prime Ministerial Advisor Ito at Kantei residence. 
16:53 Met with State Minister in Charge of Economic and Fiscal 
Policy Ota. 
 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, February 17 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
February 19, 2008 
 
09:47 Met at Kantei with Vice Health Minister Erikawa, Social 
Insurance Agency Director-General Sakano, and MIC Administrative 
Evaluation Bureau Director-General Seki. After them, met with former 
Financial Services Minister Yamamoto. 
11:12 Met with LDP Administrative Reform Promotion Headquarters 
chief Chuma and others. 
12:13 Attended a liaison meeting of the government and the ruling 
bloc. After that, met with Secretary General Ibuki and afterwards, 
met with Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Futahashi. 
13:26 Met with House of Representatives member Seishiro Eto and 
later, met with Ito. 
14:37 Met with State Minister in Charge of Science and Technology 
Policy Kishida, Deputy Assistant Chief Cabinet Secretary Saka. 
Afterwards, Met with Chief Cabinet Secretary Machimura. 
15:30 Met with Administrative Vice Land Minister Minehisa. 
16:58 Attended an LDP executives meeting in the Diet. 
17:30 Attended a session of the Central Natural Disaster Prevention 
Council. 
18:58 Dined with Defense Minister Ishiba, Health Minister Masuzoe, 
Education Minister Tokai and others at the Japanese restaurant 
"Sazanka" at Hotel Okura. 
21:20 Arrived at Kantei residence. 
 
SCHIEFFER