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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 12 TOKYO 001143 
 
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 04/25/08 
 
 
Index: 
 
1) Top headlines 
2) Editorials 
3) Prime Minister's daily schedule (Nikkei) 
 
U.S. beef import incident: 
4) Prime Minister Fukuda "regrets" the finding of banned "risk 
material" in a shipment of U.S. beef  (Tokyo Shimbun) 
5) Government anxious to put out the flame set off by banned beef 
shipment  (Mainichi) 
6) Vice agricultural minister sees no need for inspecting all boxes 
of beef shipped from U.S.  (Tokyo Shimbun) 
7) One food chain plans to continue to use as supplier the beef 
supplier that shipped in error banned material in with regular beef 
(Tokyo Shimbun) 
 
8) WTO Doha Round: Japan's willingness to compromise seen as key to 
restarting stalled talks  (Yomiuri) 
 
9) Japan prior to G-8 Summit to commit 10 billion yen in foreign aid 
for food crisis, centering on Africa  (Asahi) 
 
10) Chief Cabinet Secretary Machimura rejects idea of LDP 
parliamentarian league traveling to Pyongyang  (Yomiuri) 
 
Russia diplomacy: 
11) Prime Minister Fukuda is off to Russia today to meet the next 
president  (Mainichi) 
12) Japanese, Russian governments agree to new sub-cabinet talks on 
East Siberian development  (Nikkei) 
 
13) Olympic torch relay reaches Nagano tomorrow, amid security 
precautions, but local community remains tense  (Sankei) 
 
Defense affairs: 
14) LDP subcommittee proposes defense reform plan that would enhance 
military authority  (Mainichi) 
15) Reaction to LDP subcommittee's defense reorganization proposal 
is negative  (Mainichi) 
16) Suits and uniforms to jointly advise defense minister in new MOD 
panel  (Yomiuri) 
 
Diet affairs: 
17) Yamaguchi by-election: Ruling and opposition camp see voter 
turnout as key to their candidate getting elected  (Mainichi) 
18) Idea emerges of Diet resolution on turning road taxes into 
general revenue funds in order to constrain road-policy interests 
(Mainichi) 
19) DPJ decides to put off censure motion against the prime 
minister, fearing public criticism for its boycotting deliberations 
in the Diet  (Tokyo Shimbun) 
 
Articles: 
 
1) TOP HEADLINES 
 
Asahi: 
Erroneous pension checkoffs total 200 million yen for 40,000 people 
 
Mainichi, Yomiuri, Tokyo Shimbun and Sankei: 
Class hours, content to rise starting in 2009 
 
TOKYO 00001143  002 OF 012 
 
 
 
Nikkei: 
Marubeni to buy 30 PERCENT  stakes in Chilean copper mines for 200 
billion yen 
 
Akahata: 
Toshiba discrimination dispute finally settled 
 
2) EDITORIALS 
 
Asahi: 
(1) Japanese leg of Beijing Olympic torch relay to begin 
(2) U.S. beef: Do not make beef bowl fans cry 
 
Mainichi: 
(1) U.S. beef: Matter serious than a simple mistake 
(2) A hydrogen sulfide gas suicide 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1) Latest imported beef discovery poses no risk 
(2) Rocket tanker attack: International cooperation imperative 
against piracy 
 
Nikkei: 
(1) Management of music copyrights essential in Internet age 
(2) U.S. beef: Import conditions must be observed thoroughly 
 
Sankei: 
(1) Ooma nuclear power plant: Approval an important first step in 
country's nuclear policy 
(2) Soundness of copyright business takes more than competition 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1) U.S. beef: Simple mistake fearful 
(2) Third anniversary of Amagasaki train accident: Safety must 
always come first 
 
Akahata: 
(1) Fukuchiyama Line accident must not be forgotten 
 
3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, April 24 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
April 25, 2008 
 
09:45 
Met at Kantei with Agency of Natural Resources and Energy 
Director-General Mochizuki and METI International Trade Policy 
Bureau Director-General Ishige. 
 
10:20 
Met with Science and Technology Foundation of Japan Chairman 
Hiroyuki Yoshikawa. Afterwards, met with U.S. Google's vice 
president who was awarded the Japan Prize and others. Later, 
Hokkaido Gov. Takahashi and others filed a petition to the prime 
minister for return of the Northern Territories with State Minister 
in Charge of Northern Territories Kishida present. 
 
11:30 
Met with Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Ono. After him, met with New 
 
TOKYO 00001143  003 OF 012 
 
 
Komeito Representative Ota, House of Representatives member Yosuke 
Aoki and others. Ota remained. 
 
14:28 
Met with House of Representatives member Takeshi Noda. 
 
15:05 
Met with Mochizuki. Afterwards. Vice Foreign Minister Yabunaka. 
After him, met with Chief Cabinet Secretary Machimura and Deputy 
Chief Cabinet Secretary Futahashi. 
 
16:29 
Attended the Japan-Brazil Exchange Year/Ceremony for the 100th 
Anniversary of Japanese Emigration into Brazil held at Hotel Okura. 
 
17:39 
Met at Kantei with LDP Trade Research Commission on Agricultural, 
Fisheries and Forest Products Chairman Yatsu, joined by LDP Research 
Commission on Comprehensive Agricultural Administration Chairman 
Hori. 
 
18:30 
Met with Cabinet Intelligence Director Mitani. 
 
19:03 
Arrived at Kantei residence. 
 
4) Prime Minister Fukuda calls SRM found in imported U.S. beef 
"regrettable" 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Full) 
April 25, 2008 
 
Prime Minister Fukuda late yesterday called the discovery of 
specified-risk material (SRM, which is said to have a high BSE risk 
and whose imports are banned) in imported U.S. beef "truly 
regrettable." 
 
When asked if there would be any impact on talks with the United 
States on relaxation of the imports conditions for U.S. beef, Fukuda 
went no further than to say: "We are discussing the matter in terms 
of scientific and technical aspects. We will reach a conclusion 
after obtaining the results of the discussions." Fukuda was replying 
to questions by reporters at the Prime Minister's Official 
Residence. 
 
Meanwhile, the major opposition Democratic Party of Japan's Deputy 
President Naoto Kan told a news conference: "The government must 
take a stand of making the U.S. observe the rules so that the risk 
can be avoided." 
 
The Japanese Communist Party's Chairman Kazuo Shii also criticized 
the government at a news conference: "The government must 
immediately decide to suspend all U.S. beef imports." 
 
5) Government desperately trying to calm down situation in aftermath 
of discovery of SRM in U.S. beef 
 
MAINICHI (Page 3) (Full) 
April 25, 2008 
 
A high-risk material that could contain BSE agents has been found in 
 
TOKYO 00001143  004 OF 012 
 
 
beef imported from the United States. Following this, the government 
is desperately trying to calm down the situation, an official 
emphasizing: "There is no problem with our safety system." The U.S. 
has strongly reacted to Japan' maintenance of the world's toughest 
import conditions. Given this, the government is apparently 
concerned that Japan's excessive reaction to the situation might 
cause discord between the two countries. 
 
The specified risk material (SRM) was found in one of 700 boxes 
imported into Japan by Yoshinoya Holdings Co. The U.S. Department of 
Agriculture's health inspection certificate was on the box, but the 
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) suspects that 
parts intended for the U.S. market were erroneously packed into a 
box bound for Japan. 
 
When beef with SRM was found mixed in shipments in January 2006, it 
was learned that a U.S. inspector had issued a health certificate 
while knowing that it was beef with vertebral columns. Japan 
therefore completely banned U.S. beef imports, citing defects in the 
U.S. inspection system. This time, though, the government has 
decided to prohibit only imports from the meatpacker in question. 
MAFF Minister Masatoshi Wakabayashi stressed: "Keeping in mind the 
possibility that SRMs might be mixed in by mistake, we have 
instructed that an inspection should be conducted at the stage of 
distribution. This checking system worked effectively this time." 
 
Japan sets the strict condition of importing only beef from cattle 
20 months of age or younger. But the U.S. has called on Japan to 
drop this condition. The U.S. beef industry is dissatisfied with 
Japan, calling it "a unique country." 
 
Japan would like to proceed with negotiations, focusing on the idea 
of raising the age limit of cattle whose meat is eligible for import 
to those aged up to 30 months as the point of compromise. But if 
consumers become more distrustful of U.S. beef due to this case, the 
government may find it difficult to ease the condition. 
 
6) Vice MAFF minister: There is no need to check all boxes of US 
beef 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 3) (Slightly abridged) 
April 25, 2008 
 
 Spinal parts - designated as materials at risk of accumulating BSE 
agents - were found in beef imported from the United States. On the 
inspection system in connection with this problem, Vice Minister of 
Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF) Toshiro Shirasu said in 
a press conference yesterday: "It is not necessary to check all 
boxes." 
 
Shirasu first cited that the production line for Japan is clearly 
distinguished from others at U.S. plants. He then emphasized: "A 
system has been established to prevent beef products bound for Japan 
from being mixed in those (for other countries). This current system 
is working effectively." 
 
Last year, the government ended a measure to check all deliveries of 
beef products imported from the U.S. at airports and sea ports. 
Instead, such products are inspected at random at an animal 
quarantine station under the jurisdiction of MAFF to check whether 
livestock is infected with a communicable disease and a quarantine 
station under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Health, Labor, and 
 
TOKYO 00001143  005 OF 012 
 
 
Welfare to check the safety of food. 
 
However, the current rate of sampling remains low. So the government 
has instructed restaurant and supermarket chains to report it to 
administrative organs if they find something abnormal when they open 
boxes of imported beef. 
 
7) Gyu-Kaku uses beef imported from National Beef: "There is no 
safety problem" 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 3) (Abridged) 
April 25, 2008 
 
Reins International (Tokyo), which operates the grilled beef 
restaurant chain Gyu-Kaku, revealed yesterday that it has used beef 
imported from U.S. meat processor National Beef's processing 
facility in California. The company emphasizes that there is no 
safety problem. 
 
The company stopped imports from the said plant, but it will 
continue to sell the products in stock because safety checks on them 
have been done after they arrived in Japan. 
 
Reins International will look for another source of procurement in 
the U.S. Its spokesman said: "It is not true to say that since they 
are U.S. beef products, they are risky. We have all products checked 
at the processing plan, our client, so the products are safe." 
 
Steakhouse chain Don was using beef shipped from the plant in 
question. It has stopped serving dishes using U.S. beef. Zenshoku 
(Ibaraki City, Osaka), which was using beef imported from another 
plant of National Beef, has stopped using it. 
 
8) Japan's concessions likely to be key to restarting WTO talks 
 
YOMIURI (Page 9) (Full) 
April 25, 2008 
 
Takamasa Miyake 
 
The stalemate in the Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations 
under the World Trade Organization (WTO) is likely to be overcome 
shortly. Possibly in late May, a ministerial meeting of 30 major 
countries and regions is expected to take place in order to aim to 
reach a general framework agreement, with the aim of reaching a 
final agreement by the end of the year. 
 
At the end of March, U.S. President Bush in a meeting with 
Australian Prime Minister Rudd, gave this outlook for the Doha 
Round, "We are ready to make significant concessions to move the 
round forward." Washington's major concern is how to maintain the 
subsidies now being provided to U.S. farmers, but the President made 
the above remark apparently because "he does not want other 
countries to point to the U.S. as a country that caused the collapse 
of the multilateral trade talks," a source engaged in negotiations 
said. On top of that, the fact that each country's farmers' income 
is on the rise thanks to increased food prices worldwide provides a 
tailwind for the President. Food exporting countries financially 
support domestic farmers, but they now find it less necessary to 
subsidize them. 
 
The Doha Round started with a ministerial session in Doha, Qatar, in 
 
TOKYO 00001143  006 OF 012 
 
 
November 2001. The round initially planned to reach a final accord 
in January 2005. This schedule, however, has been widely delayed. 
Should a general framework agreement fail to be reached this time, 
multilateral trade talks would be frozen for one or more years, and 
each country would give up on free trade at a multilateral level 
under the WTO and would be certain to move to conclude economic 
partnership agreements, under which tariffs would be lowered between 
two countries. 
 
The focus of the upcoming ministerial session is agricultural 
negotiations, where interests are fiercely conflicting among 
countries. Chairman Falconer released a proposal in February, in 
which he said that important items on which lowering tariffs will be 
allowed as exceptions should be limited to 4-5 PERCENT  of the duty 
items, but modifications are likely to be made so that all duty 
items will be treated as exceptions. The number of Japan's important 
items is likely to increase from the 40-60 to 50-80, but Japan has 
insisted that more than 133 items, including rice, should be treated 
as exceptions. How far Japan can make concessions in this regard by 
a political decision is likely to draw international attention. 
 
9) Japan to offer 10 billion yen in emergency food aid mainly to 
Africa ahead of G-8 Toyako Summit 
 
ASAHI (Page 1) (Full) 
April 25, 2008 
 
Ahead of the Group of Eight Toyako Summit in Hokkaido in July, the 
government yesterday decided to offer a total of $100 million 
(approximately 10 billion yen) in emergency aid, primarily to 
developing countries where famine and political unrest are expanding 
owing to soaring food prices, The emergency food-aid commitment will 
be the second largest, after the United States. 
 
In May, Japan will provide $50 million (5 billion yen) in emergency 
aid via the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) in order to help 
some 10 African countries that are in a serious food crisis, such as 
Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, and Central African Republic. Just before the 
G-8 Toyako Summit, Japan will offer in the form of bilateral aid 
another $50 million or more to countries in a critical situation. 
 
Japan offers $100 million or more annually to the WFP, an 
international body that provides food aid to developing countries. 
The aid Japan has committed to WFP since the beginning of the year 
has already reached $68 million. Japan has now decided to provide 
additional aid to the WFP. This is because the government wants to 
demonstrate its leadership as the host nation of the upcoming G-8 
summit. Japan intends to use a portion of the official development 
assistance budget for developing countries for this commitment. If 
necessary, Japan will consider compiling a supplementary budget. 
 
10) Chief Cabinet Secretary Machimura negative about visit to North 
Korea by Diet members 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) 
April 25, 2008 
 
Taku Yamasaki, a former vice president of the ruling Liberal 
Democratic Party (LDP), and other Diet members are looking into the 
possibility of visiting North Korea. Chief Cabinet Secretary 
Nobutaka Machimura took a negative stance toward a visit to North 
Korea by nonpartisan Diet members when he was asked by reporters, 
 
TOKYO 00001143  007 OF 012 
 
 
saying: "The present situation does not allow Diet members to carry 
out diplomacy (with North Korea)." 
 
In response, Yamasaki said yesterday in a meeting of his faction: 
"We would like to take action after North Korea reports all its 
nuclear programs and a settlement on the North's complete scrap of 
its nuclear facilities is secured." He stressed that he would decide 
on the timing of a visit in a cautious manner. A LDP lawmaker, who 
has close ties with Yamasaki said: "We will visit Pyongyang after 
obtaining Prime Minister Fukuda's approval." 
 
11) Prime Minister Fukuda off for Moscow today 
 
MAINICHI (Page 2) (Full) 
April 25, 2008 
 
Prime Minister will visit Russia on April 25-27. He is expected to 
meet separately with President Vladimir Putin and President-elect 
Dmitry Medvedev on the 26th. The aim is to build a relationship of 
trust with the Russian leaders as host of the Group of Eight summit 
at Lake Toya in Hokkaido in July. The outlook is that Fukuda and the 
Russian leaders will discuss such issues as the long-standing 
dispute over Northern Territories and economic cooperation. They 
also will likely to confirm the need to strengthen cooperation on 
the North Korean issue. 
 
It is the first time for a Japanese prime minister to visit Moscow 
since Junichiro Koizumi went there in January 2003. Chief Cabinet 
Secretary Nobutaka Machimura told the press yesterday: 
 
SIPDIS 
 
"Based on the 2003 Japan-Russia Action Program, economic and 
personnel exchanges have been promoted in a broad range of areas. 
They will discuss how to build Japan-Russia relations on a higher 
level." 
 
Russia has a high interest in exporting energies to the Asia-Pacific 
region. With this in mind, Fukuda intends to find ways to resolve 
the territorial dispute by stepping up cooperation on join resources 
development in the Far East region. 
 
12) Japan, Russia to set up vice-minister level talks on East 
Siberian development 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
April 25, 2008 
 
The governments of Japan and Russia has decided to set up new 
vice-minister level talks, which would discuss only issues related 
to Russia's Far East and the East Siberian regions. Prime Minister 
Yasuo Fukuda, who will depart for Russia today, is expected to 
confirm with outgoing President Vladimir Putin and his successor, 
Dmitry Medvedev to expand cooperation in the East Siberia. The 
setting of vice-minister level talks is part of measures to expand 
bilateral cooperation. Vice-minister officials of the two countries 
will pave the way for negotiations on the long-standing dispute over 
the four islands off Hokkaido. 
 
Tokyo and Moscow last November launched a vice-minister level 
strategic dialogue to discuss wide-ranging issues, including the 
territorial dispute. The Sub-committee for Interregional Exchange of 
the Japanese-Russian Intergovernmental Committee was also 
established last November. The sub-committee discusses mainly 
 
TOKYO 00001143  008 OF 012 
 
 
promotion of exchanges between regional governments of Japan and 
Russia, including those outside Far East. 
 
The planned vice-minister level talks will focus on promotion of 
exchanges between local communities, development of resources in the 
East Siberia, consolidation of distribution infrastructure, among 
other issues. The two governments have envisioned the holding of a 
meeting ahead of the July Group of Eight summit in Hokkaido. 
 
With an eye on expanding its influence over the Asia-Pacific region 
in the future, Russia intends to accelerate development of its Far 
East region. The outlook is that the Asia-Pacific Economic 
Cooperation forum will be held in Vladivostok in 2012. The Japanese 
government will lay the groundwork for improvement on the 
territorial row. 
 
13) Olympic torch relay in Nagano tomorrow; Tensions growing in the 
city 
 
SANKEI (Page 3) (Excerpts) 
April 25, 2008 
 
With the Olympic torch relay taking place tomorrow, tensions are 
growing in Nagano City. Organizations supporting Tibet and Chinese 
people living in Japan will arrive in the city starting today. The 
city has prepared shelters, and the schools plan to go on patrol. 
Shops on the streets where the touch relay will take place are 
considering removing their sign boards. Under such circumstance, the 
Olympic flame will arrive today at Haneda Airport and it will be 
carried to Nagano. 
 
Tomorrow when the torch relay takes place, there will be classroom 
observations in 14 elementary schools and two junior-high schools in 
Nagano City. Kamo Elementary School asked the parents of students, 
who live the prefectural workers' welfare center which will be used 
for the departing ceremony, to take their children to school. 
Teachers will go on patrol around the school. 
 
Although Koji Watanabe, chairman of the association of shops in the 
city, had called on shop owners to open their shops from the morning 
that day, it has now been decided that each shop owner will decide 
on the opening hour on its own. 
 
The prefectural police and the city are now ready for the torch 
relay. The torch relay will be guarded by 3,000 police officers, 
including Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department officers. It has been 
also decided that to defend the runners from harm, uniformed police 
officers will stand each side of the street and a video film will be 
made around the runners. 
 
National Police Agency Director General Yoshimura said: "The 
situation is extremely severe because there will be demonstrations 
by supporters for Tibet and by right-wing groups. However, we will 
make assurance doubly sure by mobilizing riot police from the Tokyo 
Metropolitan Police Department and Kanto Regional Police Bureau." 
 
14) LDP panel proposes expanding SDF personnel's authority 
 
MAINICHI (Page 2) (Full) 
Eve., April 24, 2008 
 
A subcommittee of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party on reform of 
 
TOKYO 00001143  009 OF 012 
 
 
the Defense Ministry, chaired by Yasukazu Hamada, released a report 
of recommendations April 24 that call for reform of the Defense 
Ministry. The report comes in the wake of a series of scandals, 
including the collision of an Aegis-equipped destroyer with a 
fishing boat. The Defense Ministry is said to be lacking close 
communication between its internal bureaus' administrative officials 
and the Self-Defense Forces' uniformed staff officers. The LDP panel 
report therefore recommends the Defense Ministry to abolish its 
Operations and Planning Bureau, which is in charge of administrative 
affairs for SDF operations, and integrate its functions into the SDF 
Joint Staff Office. 
 
The LDP panel report substantially expands the authority of SDF 
officers. Meanwhile, Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba has advocated 
integrating the Defense Ministry's administrative officials and the 
SDF's uniformed staff officers into an integral body. This advocacy, 
however, has encountered a backlash from within the LDP. The report 
avoided touching on this advocacy. In addition, the report also 
recommends securing transparency by employing civilians and SDF 
veterans as political appointees to advise the defense minister. 
 
Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda has ordered Ishiba to overhaul the 
Defense Ministry in the wake of scandals involving the ministry. 
However, Ishiba's reform plan faced strong opposition from the 
ministry's internal bureaus, the SDF, and the LDP. 
 
In addition to the LDP, an in-house panel of the Defense Ministry 
and an advisory panel for the prime minister have been also 
discussing reform of the Defense Ministry. The LDP panel forestalled 
them with its proposal, which is aimed at blocking the Ishiba plan. 
However, the LDP panel's proposal is no more than a report within 
the LDP. Its status is vague, as it is not expected to go through 
the LDP's formal procedures. 
 
15) LDP panel opposed to drastic reorganization for Defense Ministry 
reform 
 
MAINICHI (Page 2) (Abridged) 
April 25, 2008 
 
The prime minister's office, the Defense Ministry, and the ruling 
Liberal Democratic Party have been discussing reform of the Defense 
Ministry in the wake of a series of scandals involving the Defense 
Ministry. Meanwhile, an LDP subcommittee worked out a report of 
recommendations yesterday, forestalling an advisory panel for the 
prime minister and an in-house committee of the Defense Ministry. 
The LDP panel's report features the expansion of the authority of 
uniformed officers in the Self-Defense Forces. In fact, however, the 
report is aimed primarily at constraining Defense Minister Shigeru 
Ishiba's plan to restructure the Defense Ministry on a large scale. 
Ishiba will come up with his restructuring plan in May. However, the 
Defense Ministry's reform is now being clouded. 
 
The Defense Ministry's restructuring process kicked off with Prime 
Minister Yasuo Fukuda's order given to Ishiba in February for a 
"bottom-up review" of the Defense Ministry's organization. Ishiba 
has advocated integrating the Defense Ministry's internal bureaus 
and the SDF's staff offices, and the Defense Ministry's reform 
promotion team is now studying the Ishiba plan. 
 
However, both the Defense Ministry's internal bureaus and the SDF's 
uniformed staff officers are strongly opposed to the Ishiba plan 
 
TOKYO 00001143  010 OF 012 
 
 
because their posts and powers will be reduced. They are backed by 
the LDP's defense policy clique. In its report of recommendations, 
the LDP panel, which is mainly composed of defense-related 
lawmakers, did not touch on Ishiba's integral reorganization idea. 
 
16) Defense Ministry plans to set up new decision-making panel 
 
YOMIURI (Page 1) (Abridged) 
April 25, 2008 
 
The Defense Ministry has now decided to set up a new decision-making 
council of senior administrative officials from its internal bureaus 
and uniformed staff officers from the Ground, Maritime, and Air 
Self-Defense Forces to discuss defense policy and better deal with 
emergencies, sources said yesterday. The Defense Ministry's 
administrative officials and the SDF's uniformed staff officers are 
to jointly advise the defense ministry. To that end, the Defense 
Ministry would like to submit a Defense Ministry Establishment Law 
revision bill to the Diet in its extraordinary session planned for 
this fall. It will be the first phase of the Defense Ministry's 
reform in the wake of a series of scandals involving the Defense 
Ministry. 
 
The newly planned council, with the defense minister presiding over, 
will be made up of the senior vice minister and senior civilian 
officials, including the administrative vice minister, and the SDF's 
uniformed staff officers, including the chiefs of staff of the SDF 
Joint Staff Office and the GSDF, MSDF, and ASDF staff offices, and 
the chief of the Defense Intelligence Headquarters. The council will 
be a de facto supreme decision-making body of the Defense Ministry 
and will discuss defense policy matters in general and SDF 
operations to deal with emergencies 
 
17) Yamaguchi by-election: Tug-of-war expected at 60 PERCENT  voter 
turnout; LDP hopes for low turnout, DPJ eyes high rate 
 
MAINICHI (Page 5) (Abridged) 
April 25, 2008 
 
Campaigning for the April 27 by-election for the Yamaguchi No. 2 
constituency is now in the final stretch. The Liberal Democratic 
Party and the rival Democratic Party of Japan share the view that 
voter turnout will determine victory or defeat. The LDP, which puts 
high priority on organizational votes, is hoping for low voter 
turnout, while the DPJ is desperate to dig up unaffiliated voters to 
increase the rate. Some envisage a tug-of-war over the 60 PERCENT 
line. 
 
Voter turnout in the previous 2005 Lower House election was 72.45 
PERCENT . But the rate in a by-election is usually far lower than 
that in a regular election. Some LDP members think that a rate in 
excess of 60 PERCENT  is not good but a rate around 50 PERCENT  is 
not bad for the party. For the upcoming election, the party has 
developed an election strategy based on that view. 
 
LDP Secretary General Bunmei Ibuki delivered yesterday roadside 
speeches at six spots in Iwakuni City, emphasizing the fairness of 
the newly introduced medical system for the elderly. From a sense of 
crisis that an insufficient explanation of the system has driven the 
elderly, the core part in the program, away from the LDP, Ibuki's 
speeches were intended to solidify organizational votes. 
 
 
TOKYO 00001143  011 OF 012 
 
 
Meanwhile, DPJ President Ichiro Ozawa, Deputy President Naoto Kan, 
and Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama stumped yesterday for the DPJ 
candidate in Hikari City apparently in an effort to win the support 
of unaffiliated voters. The venue was a parking lot along a busy 
highway in a Hikari City suburb. 
 
Their strategy was to play up the party's policy to as many 
unaffiliated voters as possible in Hikari City, the hunting ground, 
by deliberately avoiding the two camps' home turfs. 
 
18) Freeing up road revenues for general purposes; Diet resolution 
plan surfaces to prevent rebels (from voting against the plan) and 
contain road specialists 
 
MAINICHI (Page 5) (Excerpts) 
April 25, 2008 
 
A plan has cropped up in the Liberal Democratic Party to pass a Diet 
resolution specifying the government's and ruling bloc's decision to 
free up road-related revenues for general spending from fiscal 2009 
to coincide with their another plan to take a Lower House overriding 
vote on April 30 on a bill amending the Special Taxation Measures 
Law to restore the provisional tax rates. The aim is to prevent 
mid-level and junior members from rebelling against the party 
decision and to alleviate criticism of holding an override vote. At 
the same time, some in the party are trying to use the envisaged 
resolution to contain members with ties to road construction 
interests. Whether or not the resolution can be adopted remains to 
be seen. 
 
The LDP faction led by Nobutaka Machimura held a meeting yesterday 
in which Upper House member Ichita Yamamoto and others said: "If an 
override vote is taken under the present situation, it would be 
criticized as contradictory to the government's and ruling camp's 
decision. Unless we consider an assurance that road tax revenues 
will be used for general purposes, we won't be able to offer an 
explanation to the public." 
 
What Yamamoto and others expressed skepticism was not about the bill 
amending the Special Taxation Measures Law but the one amending the 
Road Construction Revenues Special Measures Law. An override vote on 
the road construction measures legislation can be taken on May 12 or 
later. But its content designed to maintain road-construction 
revenue sources for 10 years conflicts with the government's and the 
ruling bloc's decision that was made in line with Prime Minister 
Yasuo Fukuda's new proposal. 
 
The major opposition Democratic Party of Japan has begun zeroing on 
this point. The Diet resolution plan has cropped up in order to 
dissolve this contradiction. 
 
19) DPJ delays submitting censure motion against prime minister out 
of fear of public criticism of boycotting Diet debate 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
April 25, 2008 
 
Yoichi Takeuchi 
 
The major opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) is likely to 
delay submitting a censure motion against Prime Minister Fukuda to 
the Upper House until May 12, when it is allowed to put to a revote 
 
TOKYO 00001143  012 OF 012 
 
 
the bill revising the Road Construction Financial Resources Law. 
 
The DPJ initially planned to submit a censure motion immediately 
after the bill revising the Special Tax Measures Law is put to a 
revote in the Lower House on April 30. 
 
However, DPJ Deputy President Naoto Kan said at a news conference 
yesterday, "We must consider what is a best strategy and a best 
tactic in order to bring about a dissolution of the Lower House for 
a snap election instead of arguing whether it is appropriate to 
submit a censure motion." Kan noted he would not dwell on the idea 
of submitting a censure motion at an early time. 
 
If the prime minister brushes aside a censure motion submitted by 
the DPJ, the DPJ would then find it difficult to attend Diet 
deliberations which the prime minister attends. If the DPJ boycotts 
Diet deliberations for one and a half months until June 15, when the 
current session of the Diet closes, the DPJ would be exposed to 
public criticism. Most mid-level and junior lawmakers of the DPJ do 
not want to come under such criticism. 
 
SCHIEFFER