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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 11 TOKYO 001024 
 
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 04/15/08 
 
Index: 
 
1) Top headlines 
2) Editorials 
3) Prime Minister's daily schedule (Nikkei) 
 
4) Fukuda Cabinet support rate slips 4 points to 30 PERCENT  in 
Yomiuri poll; Non support up to 58.4 PERCENT   (Yomiuri) 
 
Defense affairs: 
5) USFJ Commander Lt. Gen. Rice in Japan Press Club speech defends 
effectiveness of the U.S.-Japan SOFA, rejects revision  (Asahi) 
6) Japanese government indecisive on joining world ban on cluster 
bombs, perhaps out of consideration to the U.S.  (Tokyo Shimbun) 
 
7) Japanese, Russian foreign ministers agree to expand free visits 
by Japanese to the northern islands  (Asahi) 
 
8) Government mobilizing 20,000 police for security at the G8 summit 
 (Sankei) 
 
9) Japan using information technology to develop effective test of 
reduced CO2 emissions  (Sankei) 
 
Politics in turmoil: 
10) Two months left in the current Diet session but 60 PERCENT  of 
the bills remain untouched due to ruling and opposition camp 
standoff  (Nikkei) 
11) Prime Minister Fukuda's repeated apologies to the public, the 
latest being over elderly medical service premiums, exposes poor 
handling of issues  (Mainichi) 
12) Opposition camp launches new attack on the Fukuda 
administration: higher premiums for elderly medical care insurance 
(Yomiuri) 
13) Differences in philosophy between ruling and opposition camps 
likely to derail talks over shifting road-related taxes general 
account budget by fiscal 2009  (Tokyo Shimbun) 
14) Symbolic Yamaguchi-2 by-election kicks off with LDP, DPJ 
candidates expected to run a close race  (Nikkei) 
15) What's this? A new study group in the Diet that includes former 
Prime Minister Koizumi, former Defense Minister Koike, and former 
DPJ President Maehara  (Sankei) 
16) Taro Aso firming up political base in order to make a run for 
the next LDP presidential race, but many in the LDP would like to 
hold him back  (Tokyo Shimbun) 
 
Articles: 
 
1) TOP HEADLINES 
 
Asahi: 
Tokyo, seven other prefectures use additional tax money to lessen 
medical insurance premiums for very old patients under new medical 
service 
 
Mainichi: Sankei: Tokyo Shimbun: 
 
Deduction from pension begins today of premiums for medical 
insurance for 8 million people aged 75 and older; Average monthly 
payment reaches 6,000 yen 
 
Yomiuri: 
 
TOKYO 00001024  002 OF 011 
 
 
European Commission failed to notify Japan of information on heavy 
electrical machinery cartel: FTC unable to impose several billion 
yen in administrative surcharges 
 
Nikkei: 
Japan to scrap taxes on investment returns from overseas funds to 
promote inflow of Middle East money 
 
Akahata: 
Four opposition parties doing their utmost to scrap new medical 
service system for very old 
 
2) EDITORIALS 
 
Asahi: 
(1) Tainted gyoza incident: Do not allow investigation to be 
prolonged 
(2) Tokuyama Dam: Fifty years spent for construction wasted 
 
Mainichi: 
(1) New medical service system for very old people in turmoil: 
Government, ruling parties heavily responsible for confusion 
(2) Failure to pay high school entrance fees: It was a mistake for 
school not to allow two students to attend entrance ceremony 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1) Overseas dispatch of SDF needed 
(2) Lay judge system: How can citizens' sense of participation be 
enhanced? 
 
Nikkei: 
(1) Make efforts to alleviate anxieties elderly people harbor toward 
medical services 
(2) Shrinking retail industry: New opportunities in Asia 
 
Sankei: 
(1) Lay judge system: Success of new system depends on cooperation 
from people 
(2) Measures to deal with new strains of flu: Specific measures 
still lacking 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1) Accident caused by wheel that came off moving truck: Do not 
overlook metal fatigue 
(2) Amendment to Anti-Monopoly Law: Toughening punishments global 
trend 
 
Akahata: 
(1) Special-purpose road construction revenues: Extending 
provisional gas tax rate for another 10 years fundamentally 
contradictory 
 
3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, April 13 & 14 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
April 15, 2008 
 
April 13 
10:52 
Met Special Advisor Ito at his official residence. 
 
TOKYO 00001024  003 OF 011 
 
 
Spent the afternoon at his official residence. 
 
April 14 
09:23 
Made an on-site inspection of the National Center for Child Health 
and Development in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo. 
 
12:00 
Attended a liaison meeting of the government and the ruling 
coalition at the Kantei. Later met Secretary General Ibuki. 
 
13:49 
Met Cabinet Secretariat Special Advisor Okuda and Advisor Kusaka. 
 
14:46 
Posed for a photo with the wives of the ambassadors of G-8 member 
countries. Recorded a videotaped message for the Lake Toya Summit. 
 
15:55 
Met Economic and Fiscal Policy Minister Ota, Assistant Deputy Chief 
Cabinet Secretary Saka. Ota stayed behind. 
 
16:28 
Met Administrative Reform Minister Watanabe. 
 
17:00 
Attended an LDP executive meeting in the Diet Building. Ibuki stayed 
behind. 
 
17:30 
Attended a meeting of the Consumer Administration Conference at the 
Kantei. 
 
19:03 
Returned to his official residence. 
 
4) Poll: Cabinet approval rate drops to 30 PERCENT ; 50 PERCENT 
think provisional gasoline tax rate should be maintained 
 
YOMIURI (Page 1) (Full) 
April 15, 2008 
 
The approval rating for Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's cabinet 
dropped 3.9 points from the previous survey in March to 30.0 PERCENT 
 in a face-to-face nationwide interview survey conducted by Yomiuri 
Shimbun on April 12-13. The disapproval rate was 58.4 PERCENT , up 
4.4 percentage points from the previous survey. The approval rate 
marked a record low in face-to-face surveys since the Fukuda cabinet 
was launched last September. 
 
The approval rate in a telephone-based spot survey, conducted on 
April 1-2, which tends to clearly show changes, dropped to 28.0 
PERCENT . The declining support rating appears unstoppable. 
 
By the end of March, the government had identified the names of 
about 10 million holders of about 50 million pension records whose 
owners had been unidentified. Thirty-five percent of respondents 
said they strongly approved or somewhat approved of the government's 
handling of the matter, far exceeded by the 63 PERCENT  who said 
they strongly disapproved or somewhat disapproved of it. Although 
the Democratic Party of Japan is preparing to submit a censure 
motion against Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Yoichi Masuzoe 
 
TOKYO 00001024  004 OF 011 
 
 
over the pension record debacle, only 12 PERCENT  said he should 
resign, with 84 PERCENT  saying he need not step down. 
 
Thirty percent supported the government's and ruling coalition's 
plan to revive the provisional gasoline tax rate by the end of 
April, while 61 PERCENT  were against the move. Asked about how the 
provisional tax rates should be handled, 42 PERCENT  said they 
should be maintained to be used for a broad range of purposes and 9 
PERCENT  said they should be used for improving highways. All in 
all, over 50 PERCENT  indicated that the rates should be maintained, 
while 40 PERCENT  said they should be scrapped. 
 
5) USFJ commander in press conference: "SOFA should not be revised" 
 
ASAHI (Page 38) (Full) 
April 15, 2008 
 
U.S. Forces Japan Commander Edward Rice (U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen.) 
held a press conference yesterday at the Japan National Press Club. 
In it, touching on growing calls for a revision of the Japan-U.S. 
Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) in the wake of a series of 
incidents by U.S. service members, Commander Rice said: "I don't 
think it should be revised. I think we should make greater efforts 
for flexible operation of the SOFA, as necessary." 
 
He also indicated that Japan's host-nation support (sympathy budget) 
for the costs of stationing U.S. forces in Japan was relatively 
cheap, saying: "It is a great investment in the security of Japan 
and the entire region. How much money would it cost for Japan to 
purchase the same defense equipment independently?" Referring to a 
string of incidents caused by U.S. service members in Okinawa and 
Yokosuka before and after he took command in February, the commander 
underlined the U.S. military's close cooperation with Japanese legal 
authorities and its efforts to prevent a recurrence, saying, 
"Although there have been one or two individuals who failed to meet 
the U.S. military standards, we have made them take responsibility 
appropriately." About the relocation of Futenma Air Station in 
connection with the realignment of U.S. forces, Rice noted, "I am 
optimistic that the matter will significantly move forward during my 
term of office." 
 
At the same time, he was negative about the joint military-civilian 
use of U.S. Yokota Air Base, as advocated by Tokyo Governor Shintaro 
Ishihara and others, saying: "It is a vital hub base for the Air 
Force's mobility in the western Pacific. It must maintain its 
capabilities for operational missions in time of a contingency." 
 
6) Japan's stance on cluster bombs remains evasive out of 
consideration for U.S. 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 3) (Abridged slightly) 
April 15, 2008 
 
The world is split into two groups over cluster bombs. One group 
supports the "Oslo Process," initially advocated by Norway. Some 140 
counties belong to the group with the aim of concluding a treaty by 
the end of the year totally banning the use of cluster bombs. The 
United States, Russia and China are not included in this group. 
 
The other is the conference of the Convention on Prohibitions or 
Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW), 
composed of some 100 signatories. Although the United States, Russia 
 
TOKYO 00001024  005 OF 011 
 
 
and China are members, they are reluctant to craft treaties 
apparently in an effort to make it toothless. 
 
The Japanese government belongs to the two frameworks, but it puts 
high priority on the CCW. The government has reportedly joined the 
Oslo Process in order to assert Japan's standpoint. Although Japan 
signed the declaration at a meeting in February, it proposed that 
new bombs with low exploded rates be exempted from the ban, 
exhibiting its opposition to a total ban. 
 
The government cited the following to explain such a policy: (1) A 
treaty not joined by major powers is ineffective, and (2) it is 
necessary for the country's national defense. The prevalent view, 
however, is that Japan did so out of consideration for the United 
States. 
 
The government's evasive response is drawing fire not only from the 
opposition parties but also from within the ruling bloc. At 
nonpartisan study meeting, former LDP Secretary General Hidenao 
Nakagawa criticized the government, saying: "The government should 
go for a total ban; otherwise it will not be supported by 
international opinion." 
 
The contents of a treaty banning cluster bombs are scheduled to be 
finalized at the Oslo Process Dublin meeting in May for a signing 
ceremony at the end of this year. What is the government's final 
decision? It might escalate into a political issue depending on how 
things turn out. 
 
7) Japanese, Russian foreign ministers agree to allow more former 
islanders to visit Northern Territories freely 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
April 15, 2008 
 
Toru Tamagawa, Moscow 
 
Visiting Foreign Minister Koumura yesterday met with his Russian 
counterpart Lavrov at Russia's Foreign Ministry building's annex in 
Moscow. The two leaders agreed to allow more former islanders to 
visit the four islands that comprise the Northern Territories 
freely, commonly called "free visits." The Russian side also in 
effect admitted to an intrusion into Japanese airspace by a Russian 
aircraft this past February. 
 
This move by Moscow is taken by Tokyo as a manifestation of its 
enthusiasm to improve relations with Japan. Japan wants to use this 
mood to move the territory issue forward when Prime Minister Fukuda 
visits Russia later this month and meets with President Putin and 
President-elect Medvedev, who is to assume the post of president in 
May, and at a planned meeting with Medvedev at the upcoming Group of 
Eight summit in Late Toya, Hokkaido (G-8 Toyako Summit) in July. 
 
The free visits are a system under which former islanders can visit 
the Northern Territories without taking any complicated procedures. 
This system began with an agreement reached between the top leaders 
of the two countries in 1998. According to the Japanese side's 
account, Koumura and Lavorv agreed to allow former islanders' 
children, their spouses, grandchildren, and nurses who accompany 
them to visit the Northern Territories from this summer. As for a 
Russian bomber's violation of Japan's airspace over the southern 
part of the Izu Islands, which the Russian military had denied, 
 
TOKYO 00001024  006 OF 011 
 
 
Lavrov said: "That was not intentional." 
 
The Russian side also offered to provide a list of 134 Japanese who 
died while in detention in Siberia after World War II. The currently 
known fact is that the number of Japanese who died while in 
detention in Siberia totaled 49,035. But estimates of the total are 
55,000, and more than 14,000 Japanese were not listed. 
 
Meanwhile, in the session, Koumura hailed the fact that total trade 
value between Japan and Russia in 2007 exceeded 20 billion dollars 
for the first time. 
 
8) 20,000 police officers to be deployed for G-8 Toyako Summit with 
MPD planning to send 13,000 police officers to Hokkaido 
 
SANKEI (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
April 15, 2008 
 
An outline of security precautions Japan will take for the upcoming 
G-8 Toyako Summit came to light yesterday. The Tokyo Metropolitan 
Police Department (MPD) and the Osaka Prefectural Police plan to 
send a total of 13,000 riot police officers to the Hokkaido 
Prefectural Police so that the security system will have 20,000 
police officers. In order to contain international terrorism by 
Islamic extremists and radical activities by anti-globalism 
activists, a security headquarters will be established in three 
locations, including the venue for the G-8 summit and New Chitose 
Airport, in order to command a large unit in an effective manner. 
 
The venue for the G-8 Toyako Summit is the Windsor Hotel Toya Resort 
& Spa, which stands atop the 620-meter Mt. Poromoi. The hotel has 
been chosen as the venue for the G-8 primarily because it is easy to 
guard. 
 
The security headquarters will be established in (1) the Lake Toya 
area, (2) New Chitose Airport, which the leaders of each country 
will arrive in or depart from; and (3) Sapporo, where leaders who 
will be invited to the outreach session will stay. Officers of the 
Hokkaido Prefectural Police will lead those three headquarters as 
their heads or as the deputy head of the New Chitose Airport 
headquarters. The deputy heads of the Toyako headquarters and the 
Sapporo headquarters will be assumed by officers from the MPD and 
the Osaka Prefectural Police. 
 
In the G-8 Kyushu/Okinawa Summit in 2000, the public security 
headquarters to collect information about terrorism, the guard 
headquarters to control convoys, and the traffic headquarters were 
also established. Similar headquarters are planned to be established 
for the upcoming G-8 Toyako Summit, as well. 
 
9) MIC aims to get its formula for calculating CO2 reductions 
through IT adopted as international standard 
 
SANKEI (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
April 15, 2008 
 
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) has 
decided to work on other countries to have recognizes as an 
international standard a method of calculating carbon dioxide 
reductions owing to the use of information technology (IT), a 
formula that was created independently by MIC. With the start of the 
first commitment period (2008-2012) under the Kyoto Protocol, which 
 
TOKYO 00001024  007 OF 011 
 
 
has set greenhouse gas reduction targets for industrialized nations, 
how to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide has now become an 
important task for each country. 
 
On the question of how much carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced 
by the use of IT, each country has used its own calculation methods. 
MIC aims to spur international efforts to reduce carbon dioxide 
emissions by making clear how much the broad use of IT contributes 
to cutting carbon dioxide emissions, and thereby to prepare an 
environment for emissions trading. 
 
According to the government's simulations, the active use of IT will 
help cut carbon dioxide emissions by tens of millions of tons across 
the country. 
 
MIC has conducted a survey together with firms about how much carbon 
dioxide emissions will be reduced if IT-related equipment is used in 
industries as well as households since 2007. As a result, MIC has 
calculated that if business transactions on the Internet are 
accelerated and also if computerized contents, such as newspapers 
and books, working-at-home by the use of personal computers, and 
teleconferences are more frequently introduced, carbon dioxide 
emissions for 2012 will be reduced by 68 million tons from the 
fiscal 1990 level in the areas of distribution and transportation. 
 
According to the simulations, the active use of IT will lead to 
emitting 30 million tons of carbon dioxide in fiscal 2012, but that 
figure will be surpassed by the amount of carbon dioxide emission 
cuts in the areas of distribution and transportation. 
 
Based on the simulations, MIC created a formula to measure expected 
emission cuts in other countries if they promote adopting IT 
equipment. MIC intends to present the formula to the International 
Telecommunications Union under the United Nations so that the 
formula will be adopted as an international standard. 
 
10) Two months left until regular Diet session adjourns: 
Deliberations on sixty percent of bills suspended 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
April 15, 2008 
 
Deliberations on bills are visibly slow due to the divided Diet. 
Coordination with opposition parties, which hold a majority in the 
Upper House, are facing difficulties, though there are only two 
months left until the close of the Diet session on June 15. The 
government has presented 78 bills to the Diet, of which about 50 
bills are still in the Lower House. Deliberations on such bills as 
an insurance bill and a bill amending the Financial Instruments and 
Exchange Law have all been delayed. If the situation is left 
unattended, the daily life and economic activities of the public 
could be affected adversely. 
 
With the opposition-controlled Upper House in mind, the government 
presented a slightly reduced number of bills to the Diet -- 78, 
compared with the regular Diet session last year. Even so, only 13 
bills have been enacted into law as of April 14, significantly 
falling below 24 marked around the same period last year. 
 
Three bills, including a bill amending the Consumer Contracts Law, 
are expected to be adopted at a Lower House plenary session today. A 
bill amending the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport 
 
TOKYO 00001024  008 OF 011 
 
 
Establishment Law aimed at setting up a tourism agency will be 
submitted to the Lower House, once it is approved at the Lower House 
Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee. It is likely to be 
enacted just in time. Even so, 47 bills will still remain idle in 
the Lower House. 
 
11) Fukuda making apology after apology over hepatitis, pensions, 
resulting in underscoring government's blundering responses 
 
MAINICHI (Page 5) (Full) 
April 15, 2008 
 
Prime Minister Fukuda has made apology after apology to the people 
starting this year. Since his apology over the issue of relieving 
hepatitis C patients was taken favorably, he appears to have been 
trying to obtain public understanding by taking a frank attitude in 
dealing with other blunders. But this approach has resulted in 
exposing the government's blundering responses. 
 
On the issue of deductions of insurance premiums from pension 
payments under the new medical system for very old persons, Fukuda 
uttered an apology yesterday: "A lack of explanation has caused a 
mess. We will reflect on the confusion." The deduction will start 
today, so his apology came too late. 
 
Regarding the government's failure to complete the work of tracking 
unidentified pension accounts by the end of March, the government 
continued to say that it was not a violation of its campaign pledge, 
but an apology was offered in the end. When gasoline prices began to 
come down, Fukuda said: "The government's bill has been shifted onto 
the public." 
 
Such problems have been caused mainly by policy clumsiness, rather 
than responses to such unexpected accidents as the collision between 
an Aegis destroyer and a fishing boat (in February). The prime 
minister is in a great quandary. 
 
12) Four opposition parties blast new medical system for very old 
persons 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) 
April 15, 2008 
 
Ahead of April 15, when the government started withholding medical 
insurance premiums for a new health-care program from the pension 
benefits of those 75 and over, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), 
Japanese Communist Party (JCP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), and 
the People's New Party (PNP) gave street corner speeches in a 
shopping area in Sugamo, Tokyo. The four opposition parties stressed 
the need to scrap the new system and criticized the government and 
ruling parties. 
 
DPJ Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama underscored: "A horrible system 
has been introduced. We will fight until the government says it will 
abolish it." PNP Vice President Shozaburo Jimi, who is a medical 
doctor, said in a strong tone: "There is a medical care system 
because we fall ill when we get old. We must not allow politics that 
treats the poor coldly." 
 
Meantime, the government and ruling parties are desperate to explain 
the system. 
 
 
TOKYO 00001024  009 OF 011 
 
 
New Komeito leader Akihiro Ota told reporters: "The main cause of 
worry (for the elderly) is that (sufficient) explanations have not 
been provided." 
 
13) Talks on highway tax revenues ends in failure; Ruling coalition 
asserts, "Necessary roads should be constructed," DPJ says, "Local 
areas should decide whether to build or not" 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
April 15, 2008 
 
The ruling parties and main opposition Democratic Party of Japan 
(DPJ) yesterday failed to reach an agreement to initiate 
consultations on the handling of tax revenues earmarked for road 
construction. Although both sides have stressed their 
forward-looking attitudes for holding the consultations, they were 
unable to find common ground because of differences in their 
"philosophy" toward road construction and maintenance. 
 
The main topic of discussion yesterday was the fact that the ruling 
coalition set an early enactment of a bill amending the Special 
Taxation Measures Law as a premise for an initiation of the 
consultations. The DPJ will never allow the legislation to be passed 
by the Diet because such would mean that the reduced gasoline prices 
would be returned to the original higher level. At a press 
conference, DPJ Diet Affairs Committee Chairman Kenji Yamaoka 
severely criticized the ruling camp, saying: "They suggested a 
discussion, but what they were saying is tantamount to saying they 
did not want any." 
 
For the government and ruling bloc, an early passage of the tax 
reform bill is "nonnegotiable," said Chief Cabinet Secretary 
Nobutaka Machimura. The ruling coalition's assertion is that if the 
bill is not enacted, revenue shortages in local governments will not 
be resolved. 
 
Regarding the handling of the special-purpose road construction 
revenues, the impression is that the ruling parties are 
overly-swayed by narrow party interests. Even in policy discussions, 
the ruling camp and the largest opposition party were like oil and 
water and unable to agree. In case the consultations are launched, 
the possibility of their reaching an agreement is extremely slim. 
 
14) Campaigning for by-election in Yamaguchi 2nd District kicks off 
today with face off between LDP, DPJ 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
April 15, 2008 
 
The by-election in the Yamaguchi 2nd District for a House of 
Representatives seat, the first national election under the Fukuda 
administration, will be officially announced today. It is likely to 
be a one-on-one fight between Shigetaro Yamamoto, backed by the 
Liberal Democratic Party and a former Cabinet Secretariat's regional 
revitalization integration office head, and lawmaker Hideo Hiraoka 
of the Democratic Party of Japan. The outcome of the election is 
expected to affect the future of the provisional gasoline and other 
road-related tax rates. The main ruling and opposition parties are 
ready to engage in an all-out battle for the election on April 27. 
 
The election is to fill the post vacated by Yoshihiko Fukuda, who 
was elected to head Iwakuni City. Hiraoka was elected under the 
 
TOKYO 00001024  010 OF 011 
 
 
proportional representation segment in the previous Lower House 
election. This time, he aims to win victory in the single-seat 
electoral district. 
 
15) Koizumi, Koike, Maehara eying a study group!? 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (Full) 
April 15, 2008 
 
The possibility of forming a study group is now under consideration 
among lawmakers of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the 
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), informed sources said yesterday. 
The lawmakers include former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and 
former Defense Minister Yuriko Koike, both of whom belong to the 
LDP, and DPJ Vice President Seiji Maehara. They see the envisioned 
study group as a venue for policy dialogue under the politically 
divided Diet situation, but the move is likely to touch off a 
speculation that they might have reorganization of the political 
world in mind. 
 
Koizumi, Koike, and Maehara held a meeting on the night of April 9 
with business leaders and lawmakers, including former Nippon 
Keidanren (Japan Business Federation) Chairman Hiroshi Okuda, 
special advisor to the Cabinet Office. Participating in the meeting 
were also former Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern 
Territories Toshimitsu Motegi and others from the LDP and former 
Policy Research Council Chairman Yoshito Sengoku, former Deputy 
Secretary General Koichiro Genba and others from the DPJ. According 
 
SIPDIS 
to one participant, the idea of forming a study group was brought up 
in this meeting. 
 
In the meeting, Koizumi reportedly said upon listing the names of 
Koike and Maehara: "There are two potential candidates for the post 
of prime minister. Something interesting might happen." Maehara, 
though, denied yesterday the idea of forming a study group when a 
close aide referred to the possibility. 
 
One participant from the LDP yesterday defined the meeting over 
dinner as just an exchange of views, saying: "When one is invited to 
a drinking party, the person usually does not decline the 
invitation." Meanwhile, a participant from the DPJ indicated a 
willingness to use the meeting with Koizumi and other members as a 
material to shake the LDP, remarking: "Most of the participants (in 
the meeting from the DPJ) were those from the now defunct New Party 
Sakigake. They learned a lesson from the experience in which 
Sakigake turned into a complementary force for the LDP in the 
coalition government of the LDP, the Social Democratic Party and 
Sakigake." 
 
16) LDP's Aso solidifying political footing in LDP; Some in LDP 
alarmed by Aso's moves 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Full) 
April 15, 2008 
 
While there is a rumor that the Fukuda cabinet may resign en masse 
due to its low popularity, Taro Aso , former secretary general of 
the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has been making efforts to 
solidify his footing in his party, with an eye on succeeding Prime 
Minister Yasuo Fukuda. 
 
A party hosted by the Aso faction on April 11 in Tokyo drew 1,850 
 
TOKYO 00001024  011 OF 011 
 
 
participants, revealing how popular Aso is. Aso underscored his 
enthusiasm to run in the next LDP presidential election, saying: "I 
am resolved again to face the challenge, by borrowing your 
strength." 
 
Aso has been busying himself in expanding his political clout.  The 
Aso faction's membership is now 20, adding two independents. In 
order to become an LDP presidential candidate, at least 20 
recommendations from LDP lawmakers are required. Aso is now able to 
run in the race backed by two independents. 
 
Aso along with former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended a meeting 
on April 5 in Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. On April 8, he 
dined with senior members of the Machimura faction, including former 
Secretary General Hidenao Nakagawa, trying to strengthen 
 
SIPDIS 
communication channels to the largest faction in the LDP. 
 
However, many in the LDP are alarmed about Aso's moves. Secretary 
General Bunmei Ibuki sought to constrain Aso at the party of the Aso 
faction on the 11th, saying: "Under such a difficult situation, I 
want the Aso faction to support Prime Minister Fukuda." 
 
In last year's LDP presidential election, eight factions in the LDP 
tightened the nooses around Aso. Therefore, Aso will have to 
continue devoting himself to solidifying his footing in the party 
for the time being. 
 
SCHIEFFER