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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 11 TOKYO 000849 
 
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 03/28/08 
 
 
Index: 
 
1) Top headlines 
2) Editorials 
3) Prime Minister's daily schedule (Nikkei) 
 
Diet gridlock continues: 
4) Budget to pass today, with probability that all tax-related laws 
but the gasoline tax could be extended a month  (Yomiuri) 
5) Prime Minister Fukuda presents compromise proposal to opposition 
camp to make road tax revenues into general revenues by fiscal 2009 
(Nikkei) 
6) One month extension proposed for tax-related laws by ruling 
parties  (Asahi) 
7) Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) has no intention of compromising 
on tax bills with ruling camp, based on party hear Ozawa's three 
principles  (Nikkei) 
8) Some in the DPJ are worried that its intransigent positions in 
the Diet are turning away public support  (Tokyo Shimbun) 
9) DPJ supported appointment of National Personal Authority head in 
order not to give public the impression it opposes everything in the 
Diet  (Yomiuri) 
 
10) TICAD conference now discussing proposal to boost inward 
investment in Africa  (Yomiuri) 
 
11) U.S., North Korea studying compromise plan to produce secret 
document specifying separation of uranium program  (Tokyo Shimbun) 
 
Defense and security issues: 
12) Gap inevitable in host-nation support due to Diet impasse, but a 
short vacuum period would do little harm  (Asahi) 
13) Defense Ministry picking up the cost of extensive search for 
missing fishermen after boat collided with Aegis ship  (Nikkei) 
14) Three opposition parties reach agreement on the revisions they 
will seek in SOFA  (Nikkei) 
15) Vice defense minister to visit China on March 30  (Nikkei) 
16) Private sector tapped for post of cabinet intelligence analyst 
(Mainichi) 
 
17) Education ministry's new guidelines to seek to inculcate 
patriotism in the schools, including singing of the national anthem 
(Tokyo Shimbun) 
 
18) In list of carbon emitters, the highest amounts come from the 
electric power and steel industries  (Asahi) 
 
Articles: 
 
1) TOP HEADLINES 
 
Asahi, Mainichi, Yomiuri, Nikkei, Sankei & Tokyo Shimbun: 
Prime Minister Fukuda proposes incorporating tax revenues for road 
projects into general revenues in fiscal 2009 but does not budge on 
provisional tax rates; With opposition bloc's opposition to the 
proposal, gasoline prices certain to be lowered 
 
Akahata: 
JCP group of metropolitan assembly members to submit a noconfidence 
motion against Gov. Ishihara over his decision to inject funds into 
ShinGinko Tokyo despite objections 
 
 
TOKYO 00000849  002 OF 011 
 
 
2) EDITORIALS 
 
Asahi: 
(1) DPJ head Ozawa needs to respond to Prime Minister Fukuda's new 
proposal 
(2) Central and local governments responsible for destruction caused 
by rainstorm 
 
Mainichi: 
(1) Prime Minister Fukuda's new proposal: DPJ needs to concede 
(2) The case involving a colonel sent to prosecutors: Is this a 
warning to other officers as MOD aims to strengthen information 
management? 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1) In response to Fukuda's new proposal, DPJ, too, should make a 
bold concession 
(2) Predicted flood damage to the metropolitan area requires 
relevant prefectures to take measures 
 
Nikkei: 
(1) Ruling and opposition parties need to have full debate in 
response to Fukuda's new proposal 
(2) The case involving a colonel sent to prosecutors leaves us with 
the concern about news source 
 
Sankei: 
(1) Fukuda's emergency press briefing on his new proposal: DPJ 
should respond to policy talks 
(2) Bailout for ShinGinko Tokyo tantamount to additional investment 
without agreement from Tokyoites 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1) Fukuda's new proposal should be discussed openly in detail 
(2) New curriculum guidelines: Reinforcing moral education 
questionable 
 
Akahata: 
(1) Campaign needed against promoting merger and abolition of 
schools one-sidedly 
 
3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, March 27 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
March 28, 2008 
 
10:22 
Met Chief Cabinet Secretary Machimura at the Kantei, followed by LDP 
Diet Affairs Committee Deputy Chairman Kosaka. 
 
11:05 
Met Cabinet intelligence Director Mitani, followed by Deputy Chief 
Cabinet Secretary Futahashi. 
 
12:48 
Met Machimura. 
 
13:16 
Met Machimura. 
 
 
TOKYO 00000849  003 OF 011 
 
 
14:04 
Met Lower House Steering Committee Chairman Sasagawa, followed by 
Lower House member Masaaki Taira and others. Afterward, met LDP 
Policy Research Council Chairman Tanigaki and Deputy Secretary 
General Hosoda. 
 
16:00 
Held a press conference. Afterward, met Futahashi and Assistant 
Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Saka. 
 
17:10 
Held a teleconference with Italian Prime Minister Prodi. 
 
17:54 
Met Prime Minister Sevele of Tonga. 
 
18:32 
Met Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Ono. 
 
19:02 
Held at his official residence a foreign policy study meeting with 
National Defense Academy President Iokibe and others, joined in by 
Machimura. 
 
4) State budget to be enacted today; Provisional measures for items 
other than gasoline may be maintained 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Excerpts) 
March 28, 2008 
 
In the event an agreement is reached between the ruling and 
opposition camps on a bill (stopgap bill) to extend the expiration 
of special taxation measures, except for the gasoline tax, for one 
month, the stopgap legislation would be enacted before March 31, 
thus allowing the government to maintain the special measures that 
have a significant impact on the people's livelihood. 
 
If the major opposition Democratic Party of Japan accepts the ruling 
bloc's proposal, the Lower House Financial Affairs Committee and 
General Affairs Committee would present the stopgap bill to their 
respective chairmen. In that event, of the tax-related 
counterproposals presented to the Upper House, the DPJ is expected 
to withdraw a bill separately handling seven items except for the 
gasoline tax. 
 
Because there is not much time for deliberations before March 31, 
the DPJ is also expected to reverse its rejection and allow 
deliberations to take place on days other than the regular timetable 
in the Upper House, where it holds the leadership. 
 
At the same time, the DPJ is set to call for thorough Upper House 
deliberations on the tax-related bills. "Gasoline prices should be 
lowered as long as possible," a senior DPJ lawmaker said. There is a 
possibility that the Upper House will not discuss the bills and a 
second vote at the Lower House will slip to April 29 or later. 
 
Many observers think that if talks between the ruling and opposition 
blocs break off, the DPJ would continue resisting deliberations on 
the bills, including the counterproposals. In such an event, special 
measures on items other than gasoline are certain to lose validity. 
 
Meanwhile, the fiscal 2008 state budget bill is expected to be 
 
TOKYO 00000849  004 OF 011 
 
 
adopted in an Upper House plenary session today. It would be voted 
down by a majority of the DPJ and other parties, but because the 
Lower House's decision takes precedence over the Upper House's under 
the Constitution, the budget will be enacted tonight through talks 
between the two champers of the Diet. 
 
5) Fukuda proposes shifting highway tax revenues to general budget 
starting in FY2009, but DPJ balks 
 
NIKKEI (Top Play) (Excerpts) 
March 28, 2008 
 
In a news conference at his official residence yesterday afternoon, 
Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda proposed shifting the full amount of 
special tax revenues for highway construction to the general budget 
starting in fiscal 2009. He also revealed that he would reject an 
immediate end to the provisional gasoline and other tax rates. The 
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), in reaction, has expressed its 
disapproval of the prime minister's new compromise plan, so the 
provisional tax measures are now certain to lapse at the end of 
March. Meanwhile, the ruling coalition has sounded out the 
opposition bloc on a plan to submit a stopgap bill designed to 
extend the provisional rates up until the end of April, with the aim 
of avoiding other special measures, including the exemption of 
taxation on foreign capital on the Tokyo Offshore market, from also 
expiring, together with the provisional highway tax rates. 
Last-minute coordination is going on between the ruling and 
opposition camps. 
 
The separate framework for highway-related taxes will be "abolished 
in this year's tax reform proposal and incorporate the tax revenues 
into the general account," Fukuda said at the news conference. He 
also called for shorting the timeframe for the mid-term highway 
construction program worth 59 trillion yen over a decade from 10 
years to five years. 
 
Such road-related tax revenues as gasoline and automotive weight tax 
revenues are used exclusively for highway construction in principle. 
Prime Minister Fukuda instructed the ruling parties on March 19 to 
also discuss the possibility of opening the full amount of highway 
tax revenues for general use. Fukuda has now come up with more 
details about this idea. 
 
Fukuda said that the tax rates on gasoline and other areas should be 
"reviewed, with such elements taken into account as international 
trends in addressing global warming, the need for highway 
construction in local areas, and the austere finances of the 
national and local governments." He thus indicated that the 
government would review the provisional tax rates in or after 
FY2009. 
 
But Fukuda rejected the DPJ's call for an end to the provisional tax 
rates starting in April, saying: "We will lose 2.6 trillion yen in 
tax revenues, leaving no money for local governments. That is an 
unreasonable argument." He clarified his opposition to the DPJ's 
call that would require revising the FY2008 budget bill. Fukuda 
proposed to meet DPJ President Ichiro Ozawa to break the impasse, 
saying: "I would like to hold party head talks, if possible." He 
also suggested forming a joint panel with the DPJ to discuss highway 
issues. 
 
The DPJ, however, distributed copies of a brochure titled "Ozawa's 
 
TOKYO 00000849  005 OF 011 
 
 
three principles" that includes the immediate abolishment of the 
provisional tax rates to all party members prior to the prime 
minister's new conference, underscoring its stance of refusing the 
prime minister's compromise plan. Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama 
told reporters: "The proposed shift of road tax revenues to the 
general budget in a year merits appreciation, but we cannot concede 
our position on the provisional tax rates. We cannot necessarily 
make a positive response." 
 
6) Ruling bloc proposes extending by one month provisional tax 
rates, excluding road-related taxes 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Excerpts) 
March 28, 2008 
 
The ruling parties proposed yesterday to the opposition camp that 
provisional tax rates excluding the provisional gasoline tax and 
other road-related taxes, be extended for one month until the end of 
April. The provisional tax rates will expire on March 31. The aim is 
to avoid a negative effect on the daily lives of the people by 
enacting a so-called "stopgap bill" that would be sponsored by 
lawmakers. Although the ruling coalition plans to deal with this 
bill separately from a government bill amending the Special Taxation 
Measures Law, there remains leeway for them to readopt the 
government legislation by a two-thirds majority vote at the end of 
April in the House of Representatives. 
 
The ruling bloc presented yesterday afternoon the proposals to the 
opposition side in a meeting of secretaries general. The ruling 
parties had taken a stance of taking a second vote on the government 
tax reform bill, considering that the government bill would be 
rejected if a bill drafted by the main opposition Democratic Party 
of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) was adopted in the House of Councillors. 
The DPJ bill stipulates that the road-related taxes and other 
provisional tax rates should be separated. 
 
In regard to this point, the ruling camp's proposal stipulates that 
the Lower House speaker and Upper House president would confirm that 
the purpose of the proposal differs from the cabinet law. This means 
that adoption of the stopgap bill would not be a rejection of the 
government's legislation. 
 
The ruling and opposition camps will hold a meeting today of their 
policy chiefs and Diet affairs committee chairmen to discuss the 
ruling bloc's proposals. If the two sides agree to the 
lawmakers-sponsored bill, the chairmen of the Lower House committees 
on financial affairs and internal affairs and communications will 
present it to the plenary sessions of the two Diet chambers, and it 
will be adopted by the two Diet houses by March 31. 
 
The ruling camp's proposal stipulates that of the provisional tax 
rates, such provisional taxes that may negatively affect the 
people's lives as the reduced tax rate for the registration and 
license tax, which is imposed on the purchase and sale of land, and 
the taxes on tobacco and whiskeys that tourists bring into Japan, 
should be extended by one month. 
 
7) DPJ unlikely to accept Prime Minister's new proposals; Formulates 
"Ozawa three principles" 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
March 28, 2008 
 
TOKYO 00000849  006 OF 011 
 
 
 
The main opposition Democratic Party (DPJ or Minshuto) is going to 
stick to its policy of reducing gasoline prices 25 yen per liter 
through an immediate scrapping of the provisional tax rates, even 
though it appreciates Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's just proposed 
plan to shift tax revenues earmarked for road construction and 
maintenance to the general account. The largest opposition party has 
no intention to compromise since it thinks that this is a battle 
that it now can win. 
 
Yesterday afternoon, when the news came around that Fukuda would 
reveal a new proposal, DPJ Diet Affairs Committee Chairman Kenji 
Yamaoka sent two notes to his party lawmakers. One was the party's 
own set of proposals, including an extension of provisional tax 
rates in seven areas such a tax exemption linked to offshore 
markets. The other was "Ozawa's three principles," which were 
drafted with yesterday's proposal in mind. The "three principles" 
are: 1) revenues from road-related taxes should be freed up for 
purposes other than road projects from fiscal 2008 and most of the 
revenues and subsidies should be distributed to local governments; 
2) the provisional tax rates should be immediately scrapped; and 3) 
the practice of amakudari under which elite bureaucrats get plum 
positions in the private sector or public bodies after their 
retirements should be completely abolished. The DPJ's plan is meant 
to reject Fukuda's proposal that the revenues from road-related 
taxes be used for other purposes but the provisional rates be 
retained. 
 
The largest opposition party refuses to budge on its stance that 
gasoline prices should be cut by scrapping the provisional tax rate. 
After Fukuda's press conference, the DPJ held an executive meeting 
last evening, but Ozawa did not take part in it. So, one executive 
called up Ozawa, who said, "The proposals include nothing new." The 
executive member told Ozawa: "Do you want me to fax (the 
proposals)." Ozawa replied, however: "No, you don't have to." 
 
However, the DPJ does not want to see the expiration of some of the 
provisional tax rates since it has presented its own bill. 
 
8) DPJ severely criticizes prime minister for maintaining tax rate 
in compromise proposal, but some in the party are worried that the 
public will turn away from it 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
March 28, 2008 
 
Speaking to the press corps yesterday, Democratic Party of Japan 
(DPJ) Vice President Naoto Kan said this about the new proposal by 
the prime minister, "I would like to express my direct appreciation 
in the sense that turning (gasoline tax) into general revenues is a 
great step forward," However, regarding the prime minister's 
rejection of scrapping the provisional tax rates, he snapped, "The 
gap between our two views, I must say, is just too great." 
 
DPJ Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama, too, severely criticized the 
prime minister's proposal by saying: "I can't fathom at all what the 
prime minister is thinking of doing about the provision tax portion. 
The prime minister's (proposal) seems to have been written by the 
bureaucrats." 
 
However, is the party aware of trends in public thinking? If the DPJ 
continues to reject every new proposal that the prime minister 
 
TOKYO 00000849  007 OF 011 
 
 
presents, one mid-level DPJ lawmaker worried, "We will not be able 
to fully get the understanding of the public," admitting that there 
was that possibility. 
 
9) DPJ decides to endorse Tani's reappointment in consideration of 
public reaction 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Abridged slightly) 
March 28, 2008 
 
The major opposition Democratic Party of Japan decided at its Diet 
officers meeting yesterday to agree to the government's plan to 
reappoint Masahito Tani as National Personnel Authority president. 
Tani's reappointment is likely to win official approval in plenary 
sessions of the two houses of the Diet today. 
 
Although the DPJ opposed Tani's appointment in 2004, it has decided 
to endorse his reappointment in view of the widespread concern in 
the party that its rejection of yet another personnel appointment 
would draw fire from the public. 
 
After the Diet officers meeting yesterday, Diet affairs chief Kenji 
Yamaoko said to reporters: "Mr. Tani, in his hearings on his policy 
stance, indicated that the government system has problems in 
connection with golden parachuting. We have given a positive 
assessment to what he has accomplished, which is close to our 
views." 
 
Diet Affairs Committee Deputy Chairman Jun Azumi also indicated that 
the DPJ has decided to endorse the government's nomination for the 
sake of the political situation now that two nominees for the top 
Bank of Japan post have already been voted down in the Upper House. 
 
10) Draft "Yokohama Declaration" of upcoming TICAD mentions need for 
promotion of investment in Africa 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) 
March 28, 2008 
 
A full text of a draft "Yokohama Declaration," which is to be 
adopted at the 4th Tokyo International Conference on African 
Development (TICAD), a forum for leaders of African countries and 
representatives from international institutions to discuss the issue 
of how to develop Africa, was unveiled yesterday. The draft stresses 
the need for private-sector firms from Japan and other countries to 
make investments in Africa and promote trade with it so as to bring 
sustainable economic growth to Africa and exploit natural resources 
in African countries. The draft also emphasizes the importance of 
reforming the United Nations Security Council swiftly and it 
includes a policy guideline aimed at promoting "Cool Earth 
Partnership" as advocated by Japan to deal with climate change. 
 
The draft says it is essential to boost the industrial foundation of 
Africa in order for it to attain sustainable economic growth and 
comes up with the policy line of promoting private-sector investment 
in Africa by Japan and other countries. The draft also specifies the 
need for African countries to improve their business environment. 
 
As steps to achieve the United Nations Millennium Development Goals 
aimed at eradicating poverty and famine, the draft says, "Creating a 
community that will base itself in a local society will be of help," 
and points out the importance of agricultural development as well as 
 
TOKYO 00000849  008 OF 011 
 
 
the necessity of finding talented personnel through a campaign for 
one feature product produced by one village, and job creation. 
 
On climate change and environmental issues, the draft notes, "Africa 
lacks the ability to adapt to the impact of abnormal climate (such 
as desertification and floods)." The draft refers to the "Cool Earth 
Partnership," a financial assistance mechanism for Japan to help 
developing countries to deal with climate change. Under the scheme, 
Japan plans to finance a total of 10 billion dollars over the next 
five years. The draft notes that African countries appreciate the 
mechanism and will promote it. 
 
As for the reform of the UNSC, the draft says that "all the UN 
members need to make efforts to reform the UNSC" by upcoming 
September, when the current UN General Assembly closes. This item is 
included in the draft at the strong request by Japan as it learned a 
lesson from its failure to obtain support from all African countries 
for its bid for a permanent seat on the UNSC in 2005. 
 
11) Nuclear declaration: U.S., North Korea studying compromise plan 
to produce secret document specifying separation of uranium program 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Full) 
March 28, 2008 
 
Regarding a declaration of nuclear program by North Korea, it was 
revealed yesterday that a compromise plan is under study for the 
United States to specify in a secret document the separation of 
enriched uranium programs and nuclear proliferation activities from 
the planned declaration for endorsement by North Korea. It is a 
compromise plan designed to produce a secret document specifying the 
assertions of both the United States and North Korea, as was 
proposed by China. Six-party talks sources revealed the plan. 
 
Although it is a desperate measure to bring progress to the 
deadlocked talks, North Korea is reportedly dismissive of the plan. 
The sources said: "North Korea seems to hate admitting suspicions 
for such would make verification work unavoidable." 
 
According to the sources, the compromise plan is designed for North 
Korea to declare a plutonium program to China, the chair of the 
six-party talks, and also to declare a suspected enriched uranium 
program and nuclear proliferation activities to the United States in 
the form of a secret document. 
 
The United States presented the plan at U.S.-DPRK chief delegates 
talks held on March 13 in Geneva. 
 
The United States have continued talks with North Korea through such 
channels as its mission to the United Nations in New York. As seen 
in its innovative expressions in the secret document, the United 
States is trying to elicit a positive stance from North Korea by 
giving consideration to that country. 
 
12) Temporary blank in the sympathy budget certain 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
March 28, 2008 
 
The Japanese government's "sympathy budget" (omoiyari yosan) or host 
nation support for the stationing of U.S. forces in Japan will soon 
lose its legal grounds, leaving a blank period in the continued 
 
TOKYO 00000849  009 OF 011 
 
 
execution of the budget, since the current budget is to expire at 
the end of March. The government has asked the Diet for its approval 
of Japan's entry into a new special measures agreement with the 
United States to extend the sympathy budget for three years. 
However, Diet approval will likely be in April or later. The Foreign 
Ministry is concerned about a negative impact on Japan-U.S. 
relations. However, the government will have no substantial problem 
in its continued execution of the sympathy budget if the new special 
agreement is approved by early May. The opposition parties will call 
for further deliberations on questionable outlays from the sympathy 
budget. 
 
"The confidence of the United States in Japan will be hurt (if the 
Diet delays its approval of the proposal to renew the current 
special agreement). At the same time, that is not good from the 
perspective of deterrence." With this, Foreign Minister Koumura 
stressed his view before the House of Representatives Foreign 
Affairs Committee in its meeting yesterday and strongly asked for 
the Diet's early approval. 
 
The sympathy budget has never had a blank period since it started in 
fiscal 1978. The newly proposed agreement is for Japan to take on an 
annual appropriation of about 140 billion yen for three years. In 
the Diet, however, the ruling and opposition parties are squaring 
off over road-related tax revenues. As it stands, the Diet has been 
falling behind in deliberating on the sympathy budget. "The Diet is 
now divided," a Foreign Ministry official said, "so I can't tell 
anything." The government therefore cannot predict how long the 
sympathy budget will go blank. 
 
In the Diet, the House of Representatives' decision takes precedence 
over the House of Councillors' decision as provided by the 
Constitution. The proposed agreement will therefore get Diet 
approval as is if the House of Councillors does not take a vote on 
it within 30 days after its passage through the House of 
Representatives. 
 
The sympathy budget is mostly for labor costs (wages) for base 
workers and costs for utilities, such as heating and lighting. Even 
if the Diet delays its approval, the U.S. government will make 
payments for the time being. In that case, the Japanese government 
will refund later, so the sympathy budget will not be substantially 
affected. A source connected to the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo said: "If 
we pay temporarily for a while, they will pay back later, so there's 
no problem." 
 
However, training relocation, which transfers some of U.S. military 
aircraft's training flight missions to Air Self-Defense Force bases, 
is expected to be postponed during the blank period because the 
government needs to hold consultations with local governments 
hosting ASDF bases after the new agreement is approved. 
 
13) Defense Ministry to pay for trawler search in Aegis accident 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Abridged) 
March 28, 2008 
 
Following up the recent collision of a Maritime Self-Defense Force 
Aegis destroyer with a fishing boat off Chiba Prefecture's southern 
coast, the Defense Ministry decided yesterday to pay fuel and other 
costs to the Shinkatsuurashi Fishery Cooperative Association of 
Katsuura City, Chiba Prefecture, which cooperated in searching for a 
 
TOKYO 00000849  010 OF 011 
 
 
fisherman and his son who went missing in the accident. "I will 
immediately study this so that we can hear the local fishery people 
say we did it with our whole hearts," Defense Minister Shigeru 
Ishiba stated before the House of Councillors Foreign Affairs and 
Defense Committee in its meeting yesterday. 
 
14) 3 opposition parties agree on SOFA revisions 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
March 28, 2008 
 
In the wake of a recent junior high school girl rape in Okinawa 
Prefecture, the secretaries general of the Democratic Party of Japan 
(Minshuto), the Social Democratic Party, and the People's New Party 
reached a formal agreement yesterday on their proposal to revise the 
Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) that provides the legal 
status of personnel with U.S. Forces Japan. In their proposal, the 
three opposition parties will call for suspects belonging to U.S. 
forces to be turned over to Japanese investigative authorities 
before they are indicted. In addition, their proposal features 
requiring USFJ to create and release a base use plan. 
 
15) Vice defense minister to leave Mar. 30 for China 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
March 28, 2008 
 
Administrative Vice Defense Minister Kohei Masuda, meeting the press 
yesterday afternoon, said he would visit China on a Mar. 30-31 
schedule. Masuda is going to meet with Chinese Defense Minister 
(sic) Liang Guanglie, Vice Chief of the General Staff of the 
People's Liberation Army of China Ma Xiaotian, and others. Masuda 
will exchange views with them on various matters, such as the 
security environment of East Asia and China's defense spending from 
the perspective of increasing its transparency. 
 
16) Government picks Radiopress' Suzuki cabinet intelligence 
analyst 
 
MAINICHI (Page 2) (Full) 
March 28, 2008 
 
The government yesterday decided to appoint Noriyuki Suzuki, 
director of the Radiopress news agency, as a cabinet intelligence 
analyst, the post, which will be established in April in the Cabinet 
Intelligence and Research Office. It is the first time for a 
private-sector person to be picked to a senior official-level post 
of the Cabinet Office. 
 
The new intelligence analyst post will be set up based on the policy 
to strengthen intelligence function at the Prime Minister's Official 
Residence, which was compiled in February by the council to study 
how to strengthen the government's intelligence function forum 
(chaired by Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura). 
 
Government is going to appoint four more analysts from the public 
and private sectors. Suzuki will be in charge of Korean Peninsular 
affairs. 
 
17) New curriculum guidelines say "Give children guidance about 
national anthem Kimigayo so that they can sing it 
 
 
TOKYO 00000849  011 OF 011 
 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 1) (Excerpts) 
March 28, 2008 
 
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology 
(MEXT) yesterday announced the new curriculum guidelines that would 
be used in elementary schools and junior high schools starting in 
fiscal 2011 and 2012 respectively. The new guidelines, which were 
formed with some modifications added to the proposed revisions 
released in February, include in their general policy about 
educational activities at schools this phrase "Love our country and 
hometown." Regarding the national anthem Kimigayo, the proposed 
revisions said that in elementary school music classes, teachers 
"should give children guidance" about it, but the new guidelines say 
that teachers "should give children guidance about it so that they 
can sing it." These modifications, which are controversial, were 
apparently made at the last minute, when there was no time to have 
other opinions reflected in them. They are certain to draw 
criticism. 
 
MEXT explained: "Based on our comprehensive judgment upon taking 
into consideration opinions obtained from the ruling bloc after the 
proposed revisions were released, as well as opinions obtained from 
the public, we have clearly reflected in the new guidelines the 
revised Basic Law of Education (that mentions patriotism)." 
 
Regarding patriotism, the new guidelines already use such 
descriptions as "love our country" in their moral education 
guideline and "the feeling of loving our country" in their social 
studies education guideline. But the wording related to patriotism 
is used for the first time in the general rules of the new 
guidelines. 
 
18) Electric, steel companies dominate top ranks of list of major 
greenhouse gas emitter companies 
 
ASAHI (Page 1) (Excerpts) 
March 28, 2008 
 
The names of companies that discharged a large amount of greenhouse 
gases, including carbon dioxide (CO2), are being made public. The 
Environment Ministry and the Ministry of Economic, Trade, and 
Industry will announce for the first time today how much gas such 
companies have emitted, based on an emission-reporting system as 
stipulated in the law to promote global warming countermeasures. In 
fiscal 2006, Tokyo Electric Power Co. topped the list, followed by 
JFE Steel and Nippon Steel Corporation. As it stands, companies in 
the electricity, steel, and cement industries dominated top ranks of 
the list. By announcing the list every year, the ministries aim to 
urge companies to make efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 
and use the list as basic data in creating a domestic cap-and-trade 
system, on which full-scale discussion has already begun. 
 
SCHIEFFER