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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 13 TOKYO 001438 
 
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 05/27/08 
 
Index: 
 
1) Top headlines 
2) Editorials 
3) Prime Minister's daily schedule (Nikkei) 
 
4) Ambassador Schieffer golfs with Koizumi, Aso and other LDP 
bigwigs  (Mainichi) 
 
5) New testimony from one of returned abductees affirms that Megumi 
Yokota was alive at the time North Korea said she had died from 
suicide  (Nikkei) 
 
6) TICAD4: Prime Minister Fukuda to announce $4 billion in yen loans 
to Africa  (Nikkei) 
 
7) Government to add another $50 million in emergency food aid 
(Yomiuri) 
 
8) Japan to send reconstruction survey team to Burma  (Nikkei) 
 
9) Symposium on Asia's future with U.S., Japanese, Chinese and South 
Korean participants recommends new multilateralism mechanism to meet 
crises  (Nikkei) 
 
10) Foreign minister lays out in speech scheme for investment in 
Mekong River area  (Nikkei) 
 
G-8 Environment ministers meeting: 
11) G-8 meeting on environment closes without reaching agreement on 
medium-term target  (Nikkei) 
12) Ministers at G-8 environment meeting find road to setting 
post-Kyoto greenhouse-gas reduction goal not so easy  (Tokyo 
Shimbun) 
 
Defense and security affairs: 
13) Democratic Party of Japan Security General Hatoyama against 
extending the Indian Ocean refueling law  (Tokyo Shimbun) 
14) Ruling parties may let Iraq reconstruction assistance law and 
the ASDF dispatch allowed by it expire  (Tokyo Shimbun) 
15) Fire on U.S.S. George Washington may delay the arrival of the 
carrier in Yokosuka  (Tokyo Shimbun) 
16) Defense Minister Ishiba's proposal for ministry reform upstaged 
by counterproposal from National Defense Academy head Iokibe 
(Yomiuri) 
17) Proposal for a standing SDF overseas dispatch law drafted by 
DPJ's Maehara does not mesh with party head Ozawa's stance on such 
international service  (Yomiuri) 
 
Political agenda: 
18) Nikkei poll gives Fukuda Cabinet a 3-point increase in support 
to 24 PERCENT   (Nikkei) 
19) Government to put off in this Diet session submission of name to 
fill vacant BOJ deputy governor's post  (Tokyo Shimbun) 
20) DPJ moving in direction of filing a censure motion against the 
prime minister or not  (Tokyo Shimbun) 
21) Government and ruling parties decide to convene extraordinary 
Diet session in mid-August  (Tokyo Shimbun) 
 
Articles: 
 
1) TOP HEADLINES 
 
TOKYO 00001438  002 OF 013 
 
 
 
Asahi: 
Government panel eyes easing rules on use of copyrighted works to 
cope with Internet age 
 
Mainichi: Yomiuri: Tokyo Shimbun 
Ex-gangster sentenced to death for fatally shooting Nagasaki mayor 
last year 
 
Nikkei: 
Japan firms making inroads into Africa to tap economic growth: 
Nissan to produce automobiles; Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to invest 
in nuclear power generation-related company 
 
Sankei: 
Comprehensive diplomatic and security policy preparatory committee 
that will directly report to prime minister to be established 
 
Akahata: 
New medical services system for very old people: Insurance premiums 
survey a means of covering up increased burden 
 
2) EDITORIALS 
 
Asahi: 
(1) Ex-gangster sentenced to death for fatally shooting Nagasaki 
mayor: Anger at terrorism renewed 
(2) G-8 environment ministers' meeting: We want to see moves for 
concessions 
 
Mainichi: 
(1) G-8 environment ministers' meeting: Japan should be prepared to 
set mid-term goal of cutting emissions 
(2)  Revitalization of education: Show reform ideals and approach in 
clearer manner 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1) G-8 environment ministers' meeting: The goal has been set 
(2) Fatal shooting of Nagasaki mayor: Death sentence handed down to 
election- terrorist 
 
Nikkei: 
(1) G-8 environment ministers' meeting: Limits to what can be done 
without goal 
(2) Meaning of death sentence to ex-gangster who murdered Nagasaki 
mayor 
 
Sankei: 
(1) Ex-gangster sentenced to death for fatally shooting Nagasaki 
mayor: Death sentence appropriate for election terrorism 
(2) Learning English from third grade: Clarify meaning of teaching 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1) G-8 environment ministers' meeting: What approach should Japan 
take? 
(2) Africa aid: Pursue global interests 
 
Akahata: 
(1) Secret deal on jurisdiction: Act not appropriate for independent 
country 
 
3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) 
 
TOKYO 00001438  003 OF 013 
 
 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, May 26 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
May 27, 2008 
 
07:58 
Attended a meeting on global warming at the Kantei. 
 
09:33 
Attended a ministerial meeting on the pension problem. 
 
10:24 
Visited the Burmese Embassy to sign a condolence book. Met Burmese 
Ambassador Hla Myint. 
 
11:06 
Arrived at the Kantei. 
 
11:39 
Arrived at his official residence. 
 
12:25 
Offered flowers at the graves of the war dead at Chidorigafuchi, 
Sanban-cho. 
 
12:49 
Arrived at the Kantei. 
 
15:05 
Met Dutch Prince Alexander, chairman of the UN advisory council on 
water and sanitation, and others at the Kantei. Later met Noda, 
chairperson of the LDP taskforce on global warming countermeasures, 
and former Chief Cabinet Secretary Shiozaki. 
 
16:30 
Met Chief Cabinet Secretary Machimura. 
 
17:00 
Attended a party executive meeting in the Diet Building, with Deputy 
Chief Cabinet Secretary Ono present. 
 
17:40 
Attended a meeting of the Education Rebuilding Council at the 
Kantei. 
 
18:02 
Met Upper House Chairman Otsuji. Followed by Cabinet Intelligence 
Director Mitani. 
 
18:57 
Returned to his official residence. 
 
4) Koizumi praises Aso's golf score as a number signifying 
increasing prosperity 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
May 25, 2008 
 
Former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi played golf on May 24 in 
Yamanashi Prefecture with Taro Aso and Hidenao Nakagawa, both former 
secretaries general of the Liberal Democratic Party, U.S. Ambassador 
 
TOKYO 00001438  004 OF 013 
 
 
to Japan J. Thomas Schieffer, and others. The former prime minister 
flattered Aso, a potential successor to Prime Minister Fukuda, 
saying, "Mr. Aso's score was 88, a lucky number implying increasing 
prosperity." Aso came in third in the round. In the past, Koizumi 
and Aso locked horns over the question of reinstating former 
Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Takeo Hiranuma, who bolted the 
LDP over postal privatization. 
 
Lawmakers who took part in the event will call on such members as 
former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori and former Secretary General 
Kaoru Yosano to join a similar event. Koizumi reportedly commented 
about the timetable for Lower House dissolution: "It should be as 
close as possible to (September next year) when the term of (the 
Lower House members) expires." 
 
5) Megumi Yokota "was alive even after June 1994," Chimura said, 
reversing North Korean side's previous account that "Megumi killed 
herself" 
 
MAINICHI (Top play) (Full) 
May 27, 2008 
 
It was learned that former abductee Fukie Chimura (52), who now 
lives in Japan after returning home from North Korea, had told 
Japanese authorities that abductee Megumi Yokota (who had been 
kidnapped by North Korea when she had been 13) had moved in June 
1994 next door to us." This testimony is contradictory to and 
reverse the previous account by North Korea that (Megumi) died in 
April 1994. It could have no small impact on the abduction issue. 
 
Fukie made the above testimony to Japanese authorities late last 
year. According to it, Megumi moved alone in June 1994 to the next 
door to the guest house where Fukie and her husband Yasushi (52) 
lived together. Megumi lived there for several months there, but 
afterwards, her whereabouts became unknown. 
 
According to Fukie's testimony, at the time Megumi was seriously 
depressed and she appeared in a mentally unstable state. A senior 
official of North Korea's External Intelligence Bureau (currently 
No. 35 Office) was taking care of her. 
 
In the past, another former abductee Kaoru Hasuike (50) previously 
stated about Megumi that (1) she lived apart from her husband for 
both were at odds with each other one year (around Spring 1993) 
before North Korea told Megumi died; and (2) in March 1994, Hasuike 
helped Megumi to enter a psychiatric hospital. Except for cases of 
abductions of Japanese nationals by the former JAL Yodo-go jetliner 
hijackers in Europe, it was already learned that the North Korea's 
External Intelligence Bureau had abducted Japanese nationals. 
 
As for Megumi's whereabouts, North Korea explained during the 2002 
Japan-North Korea summit, where the North Korean side admitted to 
the abductions of Japanese nationals for the first time, that she 
had killed herself in March 1993. But after Hasuike made it clear in 
2004 that he had been watching out for Megumi until 1994, the North 
Korean side explained, "Our official in charge had a hazy 
recollection, and corrected its earlier account and explained, "She 
committed suicide n April 1994." 
 
Megumi's former husband, a South Korean abductee, whose whereabouts 
became known in 2006, also revealed at a news conference in North 
Korea: "Megumi suffered from depression and killed herself in April 
 
TOKYO 00001438  005 OF 013 
 
 
1994 at a hospital where she had been admitted." 
 
6) Fukuda to announce in TICAD a plan to extend 4 billion dollars in 
yen loans to Africa over next five years 
 
NIKKEI (Page 1) (Full) 
May 25, 2008 
 
Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda will announce in the Tokyo International 
Conference on African Development (TICAD) in Yokohama from May 28 a 
plan to extend up to 4 billion dollars in yen loans to Africa in the 
next five years. Japan has so far given African countries mainly 
grant aid. But based on the judgment that their ability to repay has 
improved owning to soaring prices of natural resources and other 
reasons, the government now believe that there is a growing need for 
even loans in order to promote infrastructure building. 
 
The government has so far extended yen loans worth about only 200 
million dollars to Africa annually. In the Group of Eight Summit 
(Gleneagles Summit) in 2005, then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi 
announced plans to double Japan's official development assistance 
(ODA) disbursements to Africa. Under this plan, the Japanese 
government has offered aid with no obligation to repay. Given this, 
only a limited number of countries have received yen loans. 
 
The Japanese government's decision to offer yen loans stems from the 
judgment that African countries are now able to repay as a result of 
Japan's past debt forgiveness and the recent hikes of resource 
prices. The government has put forth the policy of reducing 
non-reimbursable ODA funds as part of efforts to reconstruct its 
finances. The yen loan program, which is outside this framework, can 
be flexibly utilized. The government is also aiming to counter 
China, which is beefing up aid to Africa in an attempt to secure 
natural resources there. 
 
7) Government to provide additional 50 million dollars to deal with 
food crisis in developing countries 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) 
May 27, 2008 
 
The government decided yesterday to provide an additional 50 million 
dollars (approximately 5.17 billion yen) in aid to developing 
countries suffering from soaring food prices. Prime Minister Fukuda 
will announce this plan in a speech he will deliver in the World 
Food Summit organized by the United Nations' Food and Agriculture 
Organization (FAO) in Rome to start on June 3. The government has 
already announced a plan to offer 100 million dollars worth of 
emergency aid by this July. Japan's aid to deal with food crisis in 
developing countries will total 150 million dollars (approximately 
15.5 billion yen). This figure is the second largest, following the 
United States. 
 
The Japanese government aims to take the initiative in discussions 
on food safety at the 4th Tokyo International Conference on African 
Development (TICAD4) in Yokohama starting on May 28 and the Lake 
Toya Summit (Group of Eight Summit) in Hokkaido in July, given the 
ongoing serious global food crisis. 
 
8) Government to dispatch survey mission to Burma in preparation for 
sending medical care team 
 
 
TOKYO 00001438  006 OF 013 
 
 
NIKKEI (Page 5) (Full) 
May 25, 2008 
 
The Japanese government on the evening of May 24 announced that it 
would dispatch a four-member damage survey mission from the 
International Emergency Aid Unit to Burma, which was hit by a major 
cyclone. The government plans to send a medical care team after the 
mission assessing needs in disaster-hit areas. 
 
The military junta in Burma had been rejecting accepting aid teams 
from abroad, except for those form neighboring countries, such as 
Thailand. However, it on the 23rd changed its policy and decided to 
accept aid teams, if their aim is to provide humanitarian support. 
Japan has thus far dispatched emergency aid goods worth 1.32 billion 
yen to that nation, including tents and blankets. 
 
9) 14th Future of Asia conference suggests need to establish crisis 
management framework to cover broad areas, including disasters, 
food 
 
NIKKEI (Page 1) (Excerpts) 
May 24, 2008 
 
The 14th Future of Asia (hosted by Nikkei), a special forum where 
government leaders and business executives from throughout the 
Asia-Pacific region hold discussions, on May 23 had a panel 
discussion entitled "The political situation in East Asia." 
Participants from Japan, the United States, and China voiced the 
need to establish a security framework to manage crises, such as 
disasters, and the energy and food issues. Regarding North Korea, 
participants from Japan and South Korea emphasized the need to 
advance dialogue in order to keep North Korea from being isolated 
internationally. 
 
Former Deputy Foreign Minister Hitoshi Tanaka, currently a senior 
fellow at the Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE), 
heeding the recent Sichuan earthquake in China, pointed out: "The 
situation could have been different had there been the capability to 
deal with emergencies using aircraft under defined rules." Tanaka 
emphasized: "It is high time to take joint action in specific 
terms." Speaking of an economic framework, Tanaka suggested: "I 
think it is necessary to establish an organization that will broadly 
engage in issues ranging from macroeconomics to energy like the 
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development." 
 
10) Foreign Minister Koumura in speech reveals intention to give 
boost to development and integration of ASEAN 
 
NIKKEI (Page 1) (Full) 
May 24, 2008 
 
Foreign Minister Masahiko Koumura delivered a speech at the 14th 
Future of Asia, an international forum hosted by Nikkei at a hotel 
In Tokyo. In the speech, Koumura suggested turning the Mekong River 
basin into an area of hope and development and revealed his 
intention to give a boost through official development assistance 
(ODA) and expansion of investment by the private sector to moves by 
ASEAN to grow economically and integrate. 
 
The population of the five countries sitting on the Mekong River 
basin, including Thailand and Cambodia, totals 226 million. If this 
region grows economically, it could become a major market. With an 
 
TOKYO 00001438  007 OF 013 
 
 
eye on China, whose influence in the region is growing via its aid 
to the region, Japan intends to be further engaged in the region. 
 
As the features of Japan's aid, Koumura presented three: (1) a need 
to establish democracy and rule of law; (2) integration of regional 
economies and promotion of cooperation; and (3) expansion of trade 
and investment. 
 
Specifically, Koumura declared plans to help construction of 
infrastructure and accelerate moves for concluding bilateral 
agreements on investment as well as economic partnership agreements 
(EPAs). He also indicated a plan to introduce $20 million for the 
construction of distribution networks to cover the Mekong River 
basin. 
 
Meanwhile, former ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Secretary 
General Hidenao Nakagawa had a dialogue with Indonesian Ambassador 
to Japan Jusuf Anwar on the sidelines of the 14th Future of Asia. 
Nakagawa referred to Japan's tax system and emphasized the need to 
lower the corporate tax, by noting: "The highest corporate tax in 
the world is imposed on firms. This situation may be seen as a 
closed-door tax system. We must first form a consensus and reform 
this system." 
 
11) Greenhouse gas emissions cuts: Environment ministers of G-8 
recognize need to set mid-term goals 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Top Play) (Excerpts) 
Evening, May 26, 2008 
 
The G-8 environment ministers' meeting, held in Kobe on the morning 
of May 26, wound up with the release of a chairman's summary, which 
incorporated the need to set mid-term goals of cutting greenhouse 
gas emissions. It stated a strong will to have the G-8 leaders 
attending the Lake Toya Summit in July work to achieve setting 
long-term targets to halve global emissions by 2050. It underscored 
the need for industrialized countries to take the lead in global 
efforts to cut emissions. 
 
Strong will to have the G-8 leaders attending the Lake Toya Summit 
in July agree to halve emissions by 2050 
 
Environment Minister Ichiro Kamoshita, who served as chair, said, 
"Though there were differences in opinions, I, as the chair, have 
put out the paper on my own responsibility. I want to see the 
chairman's summary back discussions by G-8 leaders." The chairman's 
summary is intended to boost talks for setting a post-Kyoto Protocol 
international framework to combat climate change from 2013 onward. 
 
Outline of chairman's summary 
 
? States a strong will to have the G-8 leaders attending the Lake 
Toya Summit in July agree to halve emissions by 2050 
? Urges industrialized countries to take the lead in global efforts 
to halve emissions 
? Recognizes the need to set effective mid-term  targets with the 
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (PPCC) scientific 
findings on climate change taken into account 
? Urges industrialized countries to tackle cutting emissions using 
nation-specific reduction targets and developing countries to 
constrain the increase in emissions 
? Notes that a sector-specific approach is an effective means of 
 
TOKYO 00001438  008 OF 013 
 
 
achieving reductions but is not a substitute for total reductions 
targets 
? Notes that a Kobe Initiative for talks to realize a low-carbon 
society will be held later this year 
 
12) G-8 Environment Ministers Meeting finds bumpy road ahead for 
post-Kyoto mechanism 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
Evening, May 26, 2008 
 
(Commentary) 
 
The Group of Eight Environment Ministers Meeting, which was held in 
Kobe, brought about an agreement to halve global greenhouse gas 
emissions by 2050. But as some countries called the agreed goal "an 
illusion," the targeted year is 42 years from now, a distant future, 
and no specific measures have been presented. 
 
The United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 
stresses that if no countermeasures are worked out, the global 
temperature will rise about six degrees, eventually dealing a fatal 
blow to the ecosystem. 
 
The panel also says that even if most effective measures are 
introduced, the temperature will unavoidably shoot up by around two 
degrees in the coming 30 years. It emphasizes the need for the 
industrialized countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 
25 to 40 PERCENT  from 1990 levels. 
 
13) Government, ruling parties plan to open extra Diet session in 
mid-August with eye on holding revote on new refueling law revision 
bill 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 1) (Full) 
May 24, 2008 
 
The government and ruling parties decided on May 23 to convene an 
extraordinary Diet session in the middle of August. They are 
determined that in an attempt to enact a bill amending the new 
antiterrorism special measures law, intended to extend the term of 
the new (refueling law), definitely by the end of December, it will 
be needed to move up its convocation substantially. 
 
The new refueling law allows the Maritime Self-Defense Force to 
carry out refueling operations in the Indian Ocean. The term of the 
law will expire on Jan. 15 next year. The prevailing view in the 
ruling coalition is that since the mission poses little risk to MSDF 
troops, but it is great international contribution, according to a 
senior member of the New Komeito, the junior coalition partner of 
the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. 
 
Meanwhile, Ichiro Ozawa, president of the Democratic Party of Japan 
(DPJ), the largest opposition force, has opposed an extension of the 
new refueling law, noting: "(SDF) operations that are not based on 
any UN dissolution are unconstitutional." In the House of 
Councillors, which the DPJ-led opposition camp controls, the DPJ put 
up do-or-die resistance by boycotting deliberations until the last 
day the constitutional 60-day rule can be applied. The 
constitutional article stipulates that if the Upper House does not 
take a vote on a bill within 60 days after receiving the bill, it is 
considered that that the upper chamber was rejected. There is a 
 
TOKYO 00001438  009 OF 013 
 
 
possibility that the largest opposition will take a similar response 
toward the new refueling law revision bill. 
 
A senor LDP member pointed out: "When considering the possibility of 
a rejection of the bill by the opposition camp, we should open the 
extra session (in mid-August). A senior New Komeito member also 
said: "It's a reasonable plan." 
 
14) Ruling parties mull ASDF pullout from Iraq 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 1) (Full) 
May 26, 2008 
 
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, New 
Komeito, entered into coordination yesterday for not seeking to 
extend the Iraq Special Measures Law, under which Japan has 
dispatched the Air Self-Defense Forces for activities in Iraq and 
which is to expire at the end of July 2009. The opposition parties 
are certain to oppose extending the law. In addition, the Nagoya 
High Court has ruled that the ASDF's Iraq activities are 
unconstitutional. Meanwhile, U.S. President Bush will retire from 
office in January next year. The ruling parties considered such 
circumstances in and outside Japan. With this as an opportunity, the 
ruling parties are expected to discuss when to withdraw the ASDF 
from Iraq. 
 
Former LDP Vice President Taku Yamasaki, who chairs the LDP's 
foreign affairs panel, attended a panel discussion yesterday in 
Tokyo, during which he indicated that it would be difficult to 
extend the Iraq Special Measures Law. 
 
Yamasaki also told reporters after the panel discussion that a 
United Nations resolution, which endorses the stationing of 
multinational forces in Iraq, is to expire at the end of December. 
 
A New Komeito executive also said, "It's about time when we'd better 
consider when to withdraw from Iraq." 
 
Meanwhile, when it comes to the Maritime Self-Defense Force's 
ongoing refueling mission in the Indian Ocean, the government and 
the ruling parties plan to extend a new antiterrorism special 
measures law, which is to expire in January next year, in an 
extraordinary session of the Diet to be called in mid-August. 
 
15) Commander hints at delay in Yokosuka deployment 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 27) (Full) 
May 26, 2008 
 
The USS George Washington, a U.S. aircraft carrier of the U.S. Navy, 
needs repairs due to a recent fire and its scheduled deployment to 
Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, will likely be delayed, U.S. Naval 
Forces Japan Commander James Kelly told the Tokyo Shimbun in an 
interview yesterday. The George Washington was to arrive at Yokosuka 
in August . 
 
The George Washington will arrive at a naval base in the U.S. West 
Coast city of San Diego on May 28 to check its damage from the fire 
for about a week, Kelly said. After a damage check report, the U.S. 
Navy's leadership will judge what repairs the George Washington will 
undergo  and at which base, according to Kelly. 
 
 
TOKYO 00001438  010 OF 013 
 
 
Kelly also revealed that the George Washington, currently scheduled 
to arrive at Yokosuka on Aug. 19, would have to delay its scheduled 
arrival, depending on its repair plan. "The schedule could be 
affected," Kelly said. 
 
Kelly also explained that two crewmen were injured in the fire, 
adding one more to the list. 
 
The fire is believed to have started in an auxiliary power system on 
the stern's right side. However, Kelly definitely said the George 
Washington has no problem with the safety of its nuclear reactors 
and is trouble free for its Yokosuka deployment. 
 
16) Ishiba's MOD reform plan losing steam; Discussion likely to 
center on Iokibe plan to maintain present framework 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) 
May 25, 2008 
 
Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba's radical MOD (Ministry of Defense) 
reform plan to integrate the internal bureaus (civilian group) and 
the staff offices of the three Self-Defense Force branches is losing 
steam. Chances are growing that the government's MOD reform council 
will produce a report in June based on a reform plan mapped out by 
National Defense Academy President (also reform council member) 
Makoto Iokibe who advocates the maintenance of the current 
organizational framework. 
 
From early on, there has been criticism in the MOD and the Liberal 
Democratic Party about Ishiba's plan as too radical. In a council 
meeting held on May 21 at the Prime Minister's Official Residence 
(Kantei), many voiced objections to the MOD-presented reform plans, 
including one produced by Ishiba. His plan has been drawing fire 
from within the LDP as well. 
 
Headed by Ishiba, the MOD had to specify several options, including 
the Ishiba plan. 
 
Drawing much attention is the private plan presented to the council 
meeting on May 21 by Iokibe, a council member. Iokibe's plan is 
designed to keep the internal bureaus and the SDF staff offices 
intact in principle, making a clear distinction with the MOD plans. 
 
Iokibe is an advisor to Prime Minister Fukuda on foreign and 
security affairs. On May 4, three persons, including Ishiba, 
exchanged views. "In the session, the prime minister and Mr. Iokibe 
put a stop to Mr. Ishiba," a senior MOD official noted. A Fukuda 
aide, too, commented, "The Iokibe plan speaks for the prime 
minister's feelings." Future discussions are likely to proceed 
centering on the Iokibe plan. 
 
17) Permanent SDF overseas dispatch law: Maehara plan allowing the 
government to make independent decision conflicts with Ozawa's stock 
argument 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) 
May 24, 2008 
 
A group of like-minded members of the Democratic Party of Japan, 
including Deputy President Seiji Maehara and Lower House member Shu 
Watanabe, unveiled yesterday a draft plan on a permanent law 
governing the overseas dispatch of the Self-Defense Forces. 
 
TOKYO 00001438  011 OF 013 
 
 
Specifying the country's intention to actively and independently 
contribute to international efforts, the plan is designed to allow 
the government to dispatch the SDF on overseas missions without UN 
resolutions based on the Diet's prior approval. Ruling out the 
threat of use of force, the plan also limits the area of activities 
to "non-combat zones," in line with the government's current 
interpretation of the Constitution. 
 
The draft plan was presented by Maehara and others at the May 23 
executive meeting of the Young Parliamentarians' League to Establish 
a Security System for a New Century, composed of ruling and 
opposition party members. In addition to the conventional 
humanitarian and reconstruction assistance, the activities of a 
dispatched unit include: (1) guarding; (2) minesweeping; (3) 
maritime intercept operations; and (4) security at sea. 
 
DPJ President Ichiro Ozawa's basic view on the overseas dispatch of 
the SDF is that activities should be limited to those that are 
endorsed by UN resolutions or the United Nations and that the SDF 
can join UN peacekeeping operations that even involve the use of 
force. The draft plan by Maehara and others, which is wide apart 
from Ozawa's view, is likely to stir up a controversy within the 
DPJ. 
 
18) Poll: Cabinet support reaches 24 PERCENT 
 
NIKKEI (Page 1) (Abridged) 
May 26, 2008 
 
The Nihon Keizai Shimbun conducted a public opinion survey on May 
23-25, in which the rate of public support for Prime Minister Yasuo 
Fukuda and his cabinet was 24 PERCENT , up 3 percentage points form 
the last survey taken from late April through early May. The 
nonsupport rate for the Fukuda cabinet was still high at 64 PERCENT 
, down 4 points. In the breakdown of public support for political 
parties, the leading Democratic Party of Japan (Minshuto) stood at 
36 PERCENT , with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party at 31 PERCENT 
. The DPJ outstripped the LDP for the second time in a row. This can 
be taken as reflecting the public criticism of a newly introduced 
health insurance system for the elderly. In the survey, a total of 
35 PERCENT  called for expanding the scope of measures to lighten or 
reduce insurance premiums for those in the low income bracket. 
 
The Fukuda cabinet's support rate was below 30 PERCENT  for the 
third time in a row. The most common reason given for not supporting 
the Fukuda cabinet was "he lacks leadership" at 56 PERCENT , 
followed by "its policies are bad" at 52 PERCENT  and "it's 
unstable" at 32 PERCENT . Among those who support the Fukuda 
cabinet, the most common reason was "he's trustworthy" at 38 PERCENT 
, followed by "because it's an LDP cabinet" at 36 PERCENT . 
 
The survey was taken by Nikkei Research Inc. by telephone on a 
random digit dialing (RDD) basis. For the survey, samples were 
chosen from among men and women aged 20 and over across the nation. 
A total of 1,514 households with one or more eligible voters were 
sampled, and answers were obtained from 966 persons (63.8 PERCENT 
). 
 
19) Government to forgo presenting own nomination of BOJ deputy 
governor to current Diet session 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Full) 
 
TOKYO 00001438  012 OF 013 
 
 
Eve. May 26, 2008 
 
The government decided on May 26 to forgo submitting to the Diet its 
nomination for the post of a deputy governor of the Bank of Japan, 
which has been vacant, during the current regular session. However, 
the government will present on May 27 its nominations for 22 posts, 
such as president of the Deposit Insurance Corporation, whose term 
expires in the fall, and the chairman of a Reemployment Supervision 
Committee, which will be established soon. 
 
Chief Cabinet Secretary General Nobutaka Machimura conveyed the 
decision to the steering committee chairmen of the two chambers of 
the Diet on the morning of May 26 and revealed it in a press 
conference held later in the day. 
 
Referring to the selection of a BOJ deputy governor, Machimura 
stated: "Under the leadership of Prime Minister Fukuda, we made 
efforts to coordinate views, but we failed to reach any conclusion." 
He also pointed out that it would be difficult for the government to 
submit a nomination to the ongoing session, saying: "It is not easy 
to find an appropriate person and get approval." 
 
20) View calling for censure motion against prime minister gradually 
gaining ground in DPJ 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Excerpt) 
May 27, 2007 
 
The main opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) has forgone so 
far twice its plan to submit a censure motion against Prime Minister 
Yasuo Fukuda to the House of Councillors during the current Diet 
session. Even if the DPJ submitted a censure motion, Fukuda would 
have "ignored" it.  If a censure motion is ignored even if passed, 
the largest opposition party would have not choice but to boycott 
Diet deliberations. So, the DJP has judged that if such occurs, it 
would be criticized for prolonged refusal to deliberate in the 
session. 
 
The DPJ's strategy is to pursue through Diet deliberations the issue 
of the (controversial) new health insurance system for people aged 
75 and older, as well as to attack the waste of road tax revenues. 
However, the party is now being forced to make a decision on whether 
to submit a censure motion against the prime minister or not during 
the ongoing session. 
 
The dominant view in the DPJ was that the party should forgo such a 
motion during the current session on the grounds that it would be 
difficult to force Fukuda to dissolve the House of Representatives 
and call a snap election. Recently, however, the mood in the party 
has delicately changed. 
 
Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama pointed out: "During the remaining 
three weeks (of the session), we want to use the opposition's power 
in the Upper House to benefit the public. So, we have no choice but 
to do something." 
 
The fact that public support rates for the DPJ have topped those for 
the ruling Liberal Democratic Party is the major reason behind the 
growing calls for the submission of a censure motion against Fukuda 
in the largest opposition party. 
 
21) DPJ Secretary General Hatoyama: DPJ will continue to oppose 
 
TOKYO 00001438  013 OF 013 
 
 
extension of new refueling law revision bill 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 1) (Full) 
May 24, 2008 
 
When asked by reporters about his party's view on an extension of 
the new antiterrorism special measures law, which will expire next 
January, DPJ Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama said on May 23: "(The 
DPJ) opposed last time around. We have not found any reason for 
changing our opposition." He indicated in his remark that the DPJ 
would continue to oppose the extension of the law. 
 
SCHIEFFER