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Viewing cable 08TOKYO601, JAPANESE MORNING PRESS HIGHLIGHTS 03/07/08

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08TOKYO601 2008-03-07 01:17 2011-08-26 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Tokyo
VZCZCXRO7780
PP RUEHFK RUEHKSO RUEHNAG RUEHNH
DE RUEHKO #0601/01 0670117
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 070117Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2311
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 8909
RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 6516
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 0184
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 5049
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 7119
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 2076
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 8131
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 8715
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 12 TOKYO 000601 
 
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 03/07/08 
 
Index: 
 
1) Top headlines 
2) Editorials 
3) Prime Minister's daily schedule (Nikkei) 
 
Diet in disarray: 
4) Ruling and opposition camps, concerned about rising public 
criticism about stalled Diet proceedings, are seeking way to 
normalize session  (Mainichi) 
5) Government to submit to the Diet today Muto's name as candidate 
for Bank of Japan governor, with Shirakawa being proposed as deputy 
(Asahi) 
6) Strong Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) opposition to Muto as 
candidate for BOJ governor  (Yomiuri) 
7) If there is vacuum in post of BOJ governor, the absence could 
affect markets and Japan's diplomacy  (Asahi) 
8) LDP Secretary General Ibuki wants to find compromise solution to 
the stalemate between ruling and opposition camps over 
highway-funding issue  (Sankei) 
9) DPJ Secretary General Hatoyama sees Diet dissolution possible 
right after the G-8 summit in Hokkaido, dismisses political group 
Sentaku as a "performance"  (Sankei) 
 
Defense and security affairs: 
10) Government is expanding candidate countries for PKO by the 
Self-Defense Forces, starting with the Sudan  (Nikkei) 
11) Japan to forgive 3.2 billion yen of Sudan's debt to it  (Asahi) 
 
 
12) Defense Ministry may revamp is press briefing system to make it 
more effective  (Nikkei) 
13) U.S.-Japan Sea-power Symposium in Washington discusses responses 
to China's military expansion  (Yomiuri) 
 
14) LDP's Yamasaki says his group will not send a delegation to 
North Korea unless there is a payoff from it  (Sankei) 
 
Whaling row: 
15) Possible activist from the Sea Shepherd breaks into the Japanese 
Embassy in London  (Yomiuri) 
16) IWC meets to discuss ways to end violent confrontation between 
anti-whaling groups and whaling countries  (Tokyo Shimbun) 
 
17) Prime Minister Fukuda in unusual move calls of big business 
organization Keidanren to agree to raise employee wages during 
spring labor talks  (Asahi) 
 
Articles: 
 
1) TOP HEADLINES 
 
Asahi: 
Government to nominate Muto as BOJ governor today: Coordination 
underway with selection of Shirakawa as his deputy 
 
Mainichi, Yomiuri, Tokyo Shimbun: 
"Juki Net" national resident registry network constitutional: "There 
are no substantial risks of information leakages," Supreme Court 
rules for first time 
 
Nikkei: 
 
TOKYO 00000601  002 OF 012 
 
 
Foreign currency reserves top 1 trillion dollars as of end of 
February: Concern about drop in value of assets due to weak dollar 
 
Sankei: 
ShinGinko Tokyo extended large amount of loans to account-rigging 
companies: Negligence by former management to check borrowers' 
nonperforming loans 
 
Akahata: 
Chairman Shii proposes talks between ruling and opposition camps for 
thorough Diet deliberations, by finding breakthrough in stalled 
Upper House session 
 
2) EDITORIALS 
 
Asahi: 
(1) "Juki Net" national resident registry network: Can 
constitutional ruling ensure peace of mind? 
(2) China's National People's Congress: Transparency is basic 
element in food safety 
 
Mainichi: 
(1) Court decision on "Juki Net" is not universal approval 
(2) U.S. presidential election: Brisk campaign battle will create 
history 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1) Special-purpose road construction revenues: Both ruling and 
opposition camps should explore ways to revise highway tax-related 
bills 
(2) Supreme Court decides that "Juki Net" is constitutional 
 
Nikkei: 
(1) Make effective use of "Juki Net" based on ruling 
(2) Markets and OPEC moving based on investors' estimations 
 
Sankei: 
(1) China's military build-up: Is Japan's defense capability 
enough? 
(2) "Juki Net" ruling: Tackle the system's dissemination more 
seriously 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1) Top court decides "Juki Net" constitutional: Fear of leakage of 
personal information 
(2) OPEC decides not to increase crude oil production: Get 
overheated oil market under control 
 
Akahata: 
(1) Medical services for elderly patients 75 and over: Drop 
abnormally discriminatory system 
 
3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, March 6 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
March 7, 2008 
 
08:57 
Entered the Upper House First Committee Room in the Diet Building. 
 
 
TOKYO 00000601  003 OF 012 
 
 
09:50 
Met Lower House member Taro Nakayama at the Kantei. 
 
10:46 
Met Chief Cabinet Secretary Machimura. 
 
11:25 
Met Public Security Investigation Agency Director General Yanagi. 
Followed by former Finance Minister Omi. 
 
12:09 
Met Machimura. 
 
13:49 
Met METI Vice Minister Kitabata and Resources and Energy Agency 
Director General Mochizuki. 
 
14:25 
Met Machimura. Followed by Lower House Antiterrorism Special 
Committee Chairman Fukaya. 
 
15:17 
Met International Cooperation Fund President Kazuo Ogura. Later, met 
New Komeito President Ota and others. 
 
16:34 
Met Cabinet Intelligence Director Mitani. 
 
17:03 
Cabinet Special Advisor Nishimura and Forestry Agency Director 
General Ide. Attended a meeting of the Overseas Economic Cooperation 
Conference. 
 
18:13 
Met Keidanren Chairman Mitarai and Vice Chairman Kusakari, and 
Economic and Fiscal Policy Minister Ota. Joined by Machimura. Later 
met Special Advisor Ito. 
 
19:26 
Met Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Futahashi. 
 
20:07 
Returned to his official residence. 
 
4) Some ruling members exploring ways to normalize Diet business 
 
MAINICHI (Page 5) (Abridged slightly) 
March 7, 2008 
 
The Democratic Party of Japan and Social Democratic Party again 
boycotted yesterday's session of the House of Councillors Budget 
Committee, forcing the committee to cancel deliberations for the 
third consecutive day. The ruling bloc independently convened a 
directors' meeting yesterday, and Chairman Yoshitada Konoike decided 
in his capacity to open a session on March 7. The confrontation 
between the ruling and opposition camps has been underway since the 
Lower House's approval of the fiscal 2008 budget on February 29. 
Concerned about public criticism, some in the two sides have begun 
looking for ways to normalize Diet business. 
 
"It's foolish, so we should stop it," Konoike described the ruling 
coalition's strategy of keep convening sessions before the press 
 
TOKYO 00000601  004 OF 012 
 
 
corps yesterday morning. 
 
DPJ Deputy President Naoto Kan, too, yesterday criticized the three 
days of sessions held in the chairman's capacity, saying, "The LDP's 
strategy of rattling the opposition camp in an effort to break the 
impasse won't work." Kan, however, did not go any further, 
apparently in a bid to avoid adding fuel to the confrontation. 
 
Meanwhile, Japanese Communist Party Diet Affairs Committee Chairman 
Keiji Kokuta held a meeting with his LDP counterpart, Tadamori 
Oshima, last evening in the Diet building and requested talks 
between the two camps for resuming deliberations. People's New Party 
Diet affairs chief Masaaki Itokawa, too, conveyed a similar view to 
Oshima on the phone. With such a war-averting mood in the backdrop, 
the view has cropped up in the Upper House LDP calling for a 
reversal in the traditional hostile approach to the opposition 
bloc's boycott strategy. There is growing momentum in the ruling 
bloc to create a mood for holding talks with the opposition camp by, 
for instance, calling off the March 7 committee meeting. 
 
5) Government to nominate Muto as BOJ governor today: Coordination 
underway with selection of Shirakawa as his deputy 
 
ASAHI (Top Play) (Excerpts) 
March 7, 2008 
 
The government yesterday decided to nominate Toshiro Muto as a 
successor to incumbent Bank of Japan (BOJ) Governor Toshihiko Fukui, 
whose term expires on March 19, at a joint meeting of 
representatives of the Lower and Upper Houses to be held today. 
Coordination is also underway with the possibility of picking 
Masaaki Shirakawa, former BOJ director and a Kyoto University 
Graduate School professor, to fill one of the two deputy governors' 
posts. The Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) is determined 
to disagree with the promotion of Muto, former administrative vice 
financial minister, based on the notion of separation between fiscal 
and monetary policies. The prime minister intends to seek 
understanding from the opposition camp with possible party head 
talks with DPJ President Ozawa in mind. 
 
The government will present its nominations for the new governor and 
two new deputy governors at the joint meeting of both chambers of 
the Diet slated for 1:00 p.m. today and a meeting of directors of 
the Committees on Rules and Administration of the Lower and Upper 
Houses to be followed. After determining what action the DPJ will 
take until the very last minute, Prime Minister Fukuda will finally 
fix three candidates and submit their names to the Diet. 
 
Prime Minister Fukuda yesterday evening told reporters at the Prime 
Minister's Office (Kantei), "Please leave the selection of BOJ 
governors to my care." Regarding the notion of separation of fiscal 
and monetary administration as sought by the DPJ, Fukuda indicated 
his perception that there will be no problem for a former Finance 
Ministry official to serve as BOJ governor. He said: "It depends on 
the person, regardless of where he comes from. The point is whether 
that person can fulfill his responsibility." 
 
The prime minister also stated, "It is unforgivable to allow the 
post to become vacant even for a day." He continued, saying that it 
would be natural to willingly seek talks with the DPJ head, if 
necessary. He thus clarified his stance of being prepared to hold 
party head talks with Ozawa. 
 
TOKYO 00000601  005 OF 012 
 
 
 
The DPJ is determined to oppose the promotion of Muto, with a senior 
official noting, "If we agree on the selection of Muto, the public 
would see that we have tacitly cooperated with the government." The 
government and the ruling parties appear to see that amid the global 
financial market becoming unstable reeling from the U.S. subprime 
loan mortgage crisis and other issues, Muto with a proven track 
record of having supported Governor Fukui as his deputy over the 
past five years is appropriate as the central command for Japan's 
monetary policy. 
 
6) Government to submit plan on selection of new BOJ governor today, 
but DPJ opposed to promotion of Muto 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
March 7, 2007 
 
The government will submit to the Diet today its plan on 
appointments for a new governor and two new deputy governors of the 
Bank of Japan (BOJ). A focal point is what response the Democratic 
Party of Japan (DPJ) will make to the plan.  The government will 
propose promoting BOJ Deputy Governor Toshiro Muto to the 
governorship. But in the DPJ, which controls the House of 
Councillors, there is strong opposition to Muto's promotion. Because 
its rejection would create a vacancy in the post of BOJ governor, 
the DPJ is being hard pressed to make a difficult decision. 
 
DPJ Secretary General Hatoyama indicated in a speech yesterday that 
his party would make a decision, focusing on whether the policy of 
separating fiscal and financial policies is maintained. He said: 
"Our focus is on whether a nominee takes a stance of distancing 
himself from the Liberal Democratic Party and the Finance 
Minister." 
 
Upper House Chairman Azuma Koshiishi told a press conference: "There 
will be no problem if the government picks a person whom (the DPJ) 
can accept." 
 
Such negative responses by the DPJ executive members reflect strong 
objections in the party to the proposed promotion of Muto. A party 
executive member commented: "Although we were going to unify views 
and support the appointment of Muto, the ruling camp's way of 
passing the budget bill for FY2008 in the House of Representatives 
in the absence of the opposition bloc discouraged us. There will be 
no merit for us even if we make efforts to unify internal party 
views." 
 
However, once the government presents its plan, "the DPJ will have 
to be ready to be criticized for refusing it," a mid-ranking 
official said. Koshiishi emphasized: "The government should have 
presented the plan earlier. We are not to blame." But in such a 
case, the DPJ will inevitably come under fire from the ruling 
parties and others. 
 
7) Vacancy in BOJ governor's post may adversely affect market and 
diplomacy 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Excerpts) 
March 7, 2008 
 
The government has decided to submit to the Diet today a plan to 
promote Bank of Japan Deputy Governor Toshiro Muto, 64, to succeed 
 
TOKYO 00000601  006 OF 012 
 
 
incumbent Governor Toshihiko Fukui, 72, whose term expires on March 
ΒΆ19. The Democratic Party of Japan, the largest party in the House of 
Councillors, however, remains opposed to promoting Muto, a former 
vice finance minister, citing the rule of separating financial 
policy from monetary policy. Some began to voice concern that the 
post of BOJ governor would become vacant due to a lack of Diet 
approval. 
 
In determining the new BOJ governor and deputy governors, the 
government will: (1) first present at 1:00 p.m. March 7 its 
nominations to the six-member council of representatives of two 
chambers of the Diet including the LDP and DPJ chairmen of the rules 
and administration committees of the two chambers, and (2) 
officially present its nominations to a meeting of the directors of 
the rules and administration committees of the two chambers that 
will immediately follow the previous meeting. 
 
On March 11, the nominated governor, along with the two nominated 
deputy governors, will present their views before the rules and 
administration committee in each chamber. This will be followed by a 
closed-door question-and-answer session. The two chambers are 
expected to convene plenary sessions later next week to determine 
whether to approve the presented plan. 
 
In the event the personnel plan is disapproved by the 
opposition-controlled Upper House, the government will have to 
present a new plan. In such a case, the government basically comes 
up with a new lineup. There is the view in the LDP though that even 
if Muto fails to obtain Diet approval, the government should 
resubmit the list of nominees, as is. 
 
With the deadline just around the corner, a vacancy in the BOJ 
governorship is becoming a real possibility. Under the Bank of Japan 
Law, when the post of governor is vacant, the deputy governors are 
required to perform duties in place of the governor. Nevertheless, 
chances are slim that the Diet will approve the deputy governor 
nominees alone without the one for the governorship. In such a case, 
the acting BOJ governor must be selected from among the six 
executive directors, though the procedures for that are not 
specified in the law. 
 
A vacancy might adversely affect the market, resulting in, for 
instance, a plunge in stock prices. Mitsui Sumitomo Asset Management 
chief economist Akiyoshi Takumori said, "Some people are already 
beginning to regard a possible vacancy as a bearish factor." 
 
The G7 meeting of finance ministers and central governors will take 
place in Washington in mid-April. The government and ruling 
coalition fear that "Japan's absence from international conferences 
would end up sending the bad message to the international 
community," as LDP Policy Research Council Chairman Sadakazu 
Tanigaki put it. 
 
Meanwhile, the DPJ says that the government is to blame for any 
vacancy. 
 
8) LDP Secretary General Ibuki: Compromise needed on road issue 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
March 7, 2008 
 
Referring to the confrontation between the ruling and opposition 
 
TOKYO 00000601  007 OF 012 
 
 
parties over the issue of road construction revenues special 
measures legislation stipulating an extension of the provisional tax 
for gasoline, Liberal Democratic Party Secretary General Bunmei 
Ibuki last night said at a meeting in Tokyo: "Substantial compromise 
is necessary." The LDP secretary general made his position clear 
that he would launch discussion on a revision of the 
government-drafted bill, including a mid-term road construction and 
repair program to which the government plans to spend up to 59 
trillion yen, as well as the extension of the provisional tax rates. 
This was revealed by a senior member of the Tsushima faction, who 
had dinner with Ibuki. Ibuki was quoted as saying: 
 
"The mediation effort by the leaders of the two Diet houses (in lat 
January) should be taken in a serious manner. I think it would be 
difficult to resume Diet deliberations as long as the (government 
and ruling parties) continue to remain entrenched in their 
arguments." 
 
In response, Yuji Tsushima, chairman of the Tsushima faction, was 
quoted as saying: "Without substantial compromises, this difficult 
situation will not be overcome." 
 
9) DPJ's Hatoyama indicates possible snap election after G-8 Summit, 
defines establishment of suprapartisan group "Sentaku" as a show 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (Full) 
March 7, 2008 
 
Delivering a speech in Tokyo yesterday, Democratic Party of Japan 
(DPJ) Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama predicted that the House of 
Representatives would be dissolved after the Lake Toya Summit in 
Hokkaido in early July, saying: "Dissolution just after the G-8 
Summit is considered to be the likely timing." 
 
Hatoyama said: "Regarding the dissolution of the Lower House, the 
sooner, the better." On the reason why he cited immediately after 
the summit as the timing for a snap election, he explained: 
 
"If Prime Minister Fukuda continues to stay in power, discussion 
would be conducted on the consumption tax in September and October. 
His administration would raise the consumption tax next April to use 
the revenues to finance basic pension payments. The freeze of the 
medical system for very old patients will be lifted around this 
October. . . . Even if dissolution is delayed, we will not be 
disadvantaged." 
 
In reference to the formation of the suprapartisan parliamentary 
group "Sentaku," which has been joined by 107 legislators, Hatoyama 
said: "Reorganizing the political world before the public is a show. 
They are already doing something akin to an advertising campaign 
before political realignment has started." 
 
In connection with his assumption of the post of advisor to the 
nonpartisan parliamentary group on revisions to the Constitution, 
headed by former Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone, Hatoyama 
remarked: 
 
"The task of revising the Constitution has become a dead issue under 
the Fukuda cabinet. We are not necessarily moving eagerly to set 
rules for establishing a Constitution screening panel (in the 
Diet)." 
 
 
TOKYO 00000601  008 OF 012 
 
 
10) Gov't mulls SDF dispatch to Sudan, other countries for PKO 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Abridged) 
March 7, 2008 
 
The government is planning to send the Self-Defense Forces to the 
southern part of the Sudan and some other overseas locations for 
participation in United Nations peacekeeping operations. The prime 
minister's office and the Foreign Ministry invited high-ranking 
officials from the Sudan to hear about the local situation. However, 
the Defense Ministry is still cautious about the idea of sending SDF 
members to that country. As it stands, the government will need to 
coordinate its SDF dispatch plans. 
 
Foreign Minister Masahiko Koumura met with Sudanese Presidential 
Assistant Nafi yesterday at the Foreign Ministry's Iikura guesthouse 
in Tokyo and exchanged views on the security situation in Darfur, a 
disputed area in the Sudan's western part. Koumura said he was 
thinking about what to do about sending SDF personnel to the United 
Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS), a PKO unit in the southern part of 
the Sudan. Nafi expressed hopes for Japan's contribution. 
 
The UNMIS has now surfaced as a likely candidate in the government. 
Japan will host the Tokyo International Conference on African 
Development (TICAD) in May and the Group of Eight (G-8) summit in 
July. In these two events, Africa aid will be a main agenda item. 
The government is expecting that Japan, if it can send SDF members 
to the UNMIS before these two conferences, can make an appeal to the 
world on Japan's international contribution as part of Prime 
Minister Fukuda's "peace-cooperating nation" initiative. 
 
Meanwhile, the Defense Ministry remains cautious about sending SDF 
personnel for PKO missions in Africa. "The Ministry of Defense has 
no plans at this point to send the SDF to the Sudan," Administrative 
Vice Defense Minister Kohei Masuda stressed in a press conference 
yesterday. The Sudan is reportedly unstable, so the Defense Ministry 
wants to watch the local security situation. 
 
In addition to the Sudan, the government is also looking into the 
feasibility of sending SDF personnel to East Timor and reinforcing 
an SDF detachment that is currently on a PKO mission in the Golan 
Heights in the Middle East. The prime minister's office and the 
Foreign Ministry are hurrying to work out SDF dispatch plans. 
However, the Defense Ministry is reportedly malfunctioning in the 
aftermath of a recent collision between a Maritime Self-Defense 
Force Aegis ship and a fishing boat. "The Defense Ministry is not 
coolheaded enough to consider this matter," a Foreign Ministry 
source said. The government's internal coordination is facing rough 
going. 
 
Japan's current PKO participation 
 Area/country Outline 
United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) Nepal 6 SDF members for 
military surveillance 
(The current SDF dispatch is to end at the end of March. The 
government is planning to extend it until the end of September.) 
United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) Golan Heights 45 
SDF members for logistics 
(The government is looking into the possibility of reinforcing the 
unit.) 
 
Japan's options for future PKO participation 
 
TOKYO 00000601  009 OF 012 
 
 
United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) Sudan The government is 
looking into the possibility of posting SDF members to UNMIS 
headquarters. 
United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) East Timor 
The government is looking into the possibility of sending personnel 
from the Japan Coast Guard, etc. 
United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) Syria, 
Lebanon, Israel, Egypt The government is looking into the 
possibility of sending SDF members to UNTSO headquarters 
 
11) Government to forgive 3.2 billion yen of Sudan's debt 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
March 7, 2008 
 
Foreign Minister Masahiko Koumura, meeting yesterday with Sudan's 
Presidential Assistant Narfa, told him that Tokyo would forgive 3.2 
billion yen of Sudan's 45 billion yen in debt with Japan. The aim is 
to play up Tokyo's effort to deal with the Africa problem. 
 
The Japanese government has suspended yen loans to Sudan since 1983 
for the reason of the civil conflict and the country being in 
arrears in its debt repayment. The government will implement its 
plan on the condition that Sudan will make efforts to bring about 
peace to the country by resolving the Darfur issue. 
 
Koumura requested Narfa: "Your government needs to work on the 
anti-government force to get them to sit at the negotiation table" 
on the Darfur issue. 
 
12) Defense Ministry to review press conferences 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Abridged) 
March 7, 2008 
 
Vice Defense Minister Kohei Masuda, meeting the press yesterday, 
indicated that the Defense Ministry would review its press 
conferences due to its confused briefing over the recent collision 
between an Aegis destroyer of the Maritime Self-Defense Force and a 
fishing boat that has left its two crewmen missing. The Defense 
Ministry will consider reducing the number of senior officials 
attending press conferences or consider reducing the number of press 
conferences. The Defense Ministry has cited its plan to unify 
information as a reason. However, the Defense Ministry's plan to 
reduce the number of press conferences will likely be called into 
question from the perspective of fulfilling public accountability. 
At present, the Defense Ministry's seven senior officials-the 
defense minister, administrative vice minister, press secretary, 
Joint Staff Office chief, Ground Self-Defense Force chief of staff, 
Maritime Self-Defense Force chief of staff, and Air Self-Defense 
Force chief of staff-regularly meet the press. 
 
13) Japan-U.S. Sea Power Dialogue discusses response to Chinese 
forces 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Slightly abridged) 
March 7, 2008 
 
Shin Nagahara, Washington 
 
The Japan-United States Sea Power Dialogue, a symposium to explore 
ways for Japan and the U.S. to work together to deal with maritime 
 
TOKYO 00000601  010 OF 012 
 
 
issues, ended its first day session on the evening of March 5 
(morning of March 6, Japan time). In the session, participants 
discussed how to strengthen the Japan-U.S. alliance and how to 
respond to China's increased naval power. The symposium will last 
for three days in Washington. 
 
In the discussion, responding to the question of the possibility 
that China would expand (its naval power) into the high seas of the 
Indian Ocean in the future, Michael Green, former senior director 
for Asian affairs at the National Security Council (NSC), said, 
"Concerns about such are mounting in Japan and India." He went on to 
say, "We need to consider ways to cooperate with the Chinese Navy." 
He also suggested that in order to avoid causing any unnecessary 
disputes at sea, it will be essential for Japan and the U.S. to 
conclude a pact on prevention of maritime accidents and 
search/rescue in the event of accidents. 
 
Former Japanese Ambassador to the U.S. Shunji Yanai chairs the 
Council on Rebuilding the Legal Basis for Security, a 
government-sponsored panel to discuss the question of the right to 
collective self-defense right in the government. Bearing in mind the 
restrictions currently imposed on the Maritime Self-Defense Force's 
(MSDF) missile defense cooperation, Yanai pointed out: "Japan needs 
to review the current interpretation of the Constitution's Article 9 
(related to the right to collective self-defense). Amending the 
article is essential so that missile defense cooperation will work 
adequately and effectively." 
 
14) Yamasaki would not visit N. Korea if no results expected 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (Full) 
March 7, 2008 
 
Taku Yamasaki, former vice president of the ruling Liberal 
Democratic Party, said during the taping yesterday of a commercial 
TV program that he would not visit North Korea if he could not 
expect any results. Yamasaki is planning to visit North Korea with a 
nonpartisan group of lawmakers. Meanwhile, former Prime Minister 
Junichiro Koizumi is rumored to be considering a visit to North 
Korea. "Mr. Koizumi has a strong interest and desire to normalize 
diplomatic relations between Japan and North Korea," Yamasaki said. 
"But for now," he added, "I think he is placing his hopes on Prime 
Minister Yasuo Fukuda to take a positive stance and carry out 
action." With this, Yamasaki ruled out the possibility of a Koizumi 
visit to North Korea. 
 
15) Possible Sea Shepherd activists trespass on Japanese embassy's 
premises in London 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) 
March 7, 2008 
 
St. Ives, Keiichi Honma 
 
On the morning of March 6 (evening of that day, Japan time), two 
male and female activists believed to be associated with Sea 
Shepherd, an American environment protection group opposing Japan's 
research whaling, trespassed on the Japanese embassy's premises and 
filed a protest with Japan. This protest was apparently made with an 
eye on the ongoing midterm conference of the International Whaling 
Commission (IWC), which kicked off in London the same day. 
 
 
TOKYO 00000601  011 OF 012 
 
 
According to embassy officials, the male activist (50) bound himself 
to a balcony of the embassy and brandished a banner reading "Japan 
should stop illegal whaling." The man apparently scrambled up the 
outer wall of the embassy. Embassy officials told the man to leave 
the premises but he would not. He was taken away by police officers 
who rushed to the spot. 
 
Afterwards, a female activist cried against whaling at the entrance 
of the embassy but she went away soon after the embassy's guards 
told her to leave. 
 
16) IWC interim meeting starts in order to resolve confrontation; 
Research whaling likely to be discussed, as well 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 3) (Full) 
March 7, 2008 
 
Daisuke Okayasu, London 
 
A three-day interim meeting of the International Whaling Commission 
(IWC) began in London yesterday in an effort to bring to normalize 
the organization, which has ceased to function properly because of 
the conflicting views between pro-whaling and anti-whaling 
countries. The purpose of the conference is to exchange frank views 
behind closed doors ahead of the 60th annual IWC general meeting and 
to explore ways to break the stalemate. 
 
Some 40 countries are participating in the meeting. While criticism 
of Japan's research whaling is on the rise, Japan is expected to 
bring up a U.S. environmental protection group's acts obstructing 
Japan's research whaling. 
 
Yesterday morning, a man opposing whaling intruded into the Japanese 
Embassy in London and climbed onto the balcony. He was later 
arrested by the police. 
 
17) Prime Minister Fukuda asks JBF chairman for employee pay raises 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
March 7, 2008 
 
As this year's annual spring labor-management negotiations reach a 
final stage, Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda yesterday invited Business 
Federation Chairman Fujio Mitarai and other business leaders to his 
office (Kantei) and requested them to cooperate with him on a plan 
to increase wages. It is extremely unusual for a prime minister to 
directly ask the management side for employee wage hikes. Mitarai 
said: "I felt fully the prime minister's sense of alarm." Therefore, 
Fukuda's move will likely affect the spring negotiations. 
 
Fukuda told Mitarai: "I want you to do your best (so that companies 
will make efforts to raise wages)." The Cabinet e-mail magazine 
yesterday noted: "Corporations and households are the two axles of 
the same vehicle. Business circles must consider the need for pay 
increases." The prime minister appears to be trying to lead to 
regaining his popularity by showing his stance of giving priority to 
improving the daily lives of the people. 
 
The e-magazine went: 
 
"There would be no problem if wages are increased more than the 
levels of price hikes. However, the average level of wages has 
 
TOKYO 00000601  012 OF 012 
 
 
remained nearly unchanged for the ninth consecutive year or has even 
been on the decline. So the burden on the people's lives has become 
increasingly heavy." 
 
Noting that major companies have earned record high profits as a 
result of structural reform, the mail magazine stated: "It is time 
for the firms' profits to be shared with the public and households 
in the form of pay raises." 
 
After his meeting with the prime minister, Mitarai as top leader of 
the business community showed a stance of going along with pay 
raises, saying: "I want companies that have reserve capacities to 
give consideration (to Fukuda's request) as much as possible." 
However, he indicated there would be differences in pay raises based 
on the company. 
 
Japan Trade Union Confederation (Rengo) Chairman Tsuyoshi Takagi 
welcomed (Fukuda's move), saying: "We are grateful." But he added: 
"I wonder whether business managers will listen to the prime 
minister's request." 
 
SCHIEFFER