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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 09 TOKYO 002655 
 
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 09/26/08 
 
Index: 
 
1) Top headlines 
2) Editorials 
3) Prime Minister's daily schedule (Nikkei) 
 
Opinion polls: 
4) Aso cabinet's inaugural popularity rating at 49.5 PERCENT  in 
Yomiuri poll  (Yomiuri) 
5) Aso cabinet's support rate at 48 PERCENT  in Asahi poll  (Asahi) 
 
6) Nikkei poll shows Aso cabinet's support rate at 53 PERCENT 
(Nikkei) 
7) Aso cabinet's support rate at 45 PERCENT  in Mainichi poll 
(Mainichi) 
8) Kyodo News poll posts 48 PERCENT  support rate for Aso cabinet 
(Tokyo Shimbun) 
 
Prime Minister Aso to address UNGA: 
9) Prime Minister Aso to pledge Japan will stay on in Indian Ocean 
(Sankei) 
10) Gist of Prime Minister Aso's U.N. speech  (Mainichi) 
11) Prime Minister Aso's U.N. debut aimed to make appeal in his 
favorite area, with snap election in mind  (Tokyo Shimbun) 
 
Defense & security topics: 
12) USS George Washington arrives at Yokosuka  (Sankei) 
 
Political & economic topics: 
13) Ex-Prime Minister Koizumi to retire from politics  (Sankei) 
14) Opposition camp calls for Diet dissolution through talks 
(Nikkei) 
15) Ex-Abduction Minister Nakayama this time special advisor to 
Prime Minister Aso  (Nikkei) 
16) U.S., Japan concur on simultaneous patent granting system 
(Nikkei) 
 
Articles: 
 
1) TOP HEADLINES 
 
Asahi: 
Support rate for Aso cabinet at 48 PERCENT : LDP trades places with 
DPJ in voter party preference for proportional representation 
 
Mainichi: 
Cabinet support at 45 PERCENT , down 12 points compared with launch 
of previous administration 
 
Yomiuri: 
Cabinet approval rating at 49.5 PERCENT 
 
Nikkei: 
Cabinet support rate comes to 53 PERCENT 
 
Sankei: 
Former Prime Minister Koizumi to stand down: Second son to succeed 
him 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
Cabinet approval rate at 48 PERCENT 
 
 
TOKYO 00002655  002 OF 009 
 
 
Akahata: 
Time to change politics: Create new Japan led by people 
 
2) EDITORIALS 
 
Asahi: 
(1) Mr. Aso, don't toy with medical services for elderly people 
(2) U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier: Can it become fortress 
for peace? 
 
Mainichi: 
(1) Investigation into tainted rice resale: Expose corruption in 
agricultural administration 
(2) Deployment of nuclear-powered aircraft carrier: Both Japanese 
and U.S. governments should take every possible measure to ensure 
safety 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1) Deployment of nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in Japan will 
serve regional stability 
(2) Investigation into resale of tainted rice: Stem irregularities 
involving food, by introducing severe punishments 
 
Nikkei: 
(1) Tackle issue of securing food safety from global standpoint 
(2) Emissions trading should be put into practice 
 
Sankei: 
(1) Removal of seals on nuclear equipment: Do not allow North Korea 
to shake six-party talks 
(2) Investigation into resale of tainted rice: Necessary to ferret 
out government responsibility 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1) Public medical services for elderly people aged 75 or older: Lip 
service for revision not acceptable 
(2) Deployment of U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in Japan 
fraught with anxiety 
 
Akahata: 
(1) Revision to Worker Dispatch Law: Drastic reform needed to top 
treating temporary workers as goods 
 
3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, September 25 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
September 26, 2008 
 
01:31 
Posed for a ceremonial photo with cabinet members at the Kantei. 
Issued official appointments to Cabinet Intelligence Director Mitani 
and others. 
 
02:06 
Arrived at his private residence in Kamiyama-cho. 
 
07:52 
Took a walk around his residence. 
 
10:23 
 
TOKYO 00002655  003 OF 009 
 
 
Called at the residences of Prince Hitachi, Prince Takamado, Prince 
Mikasa, Prince Tomohito, and Prince Akishino to sign a book in 
commemoration of the assumption of the premiership. Later paid a 
courtesy call on the Crown Prince at the temporary Crown Prince's 
Palace. Then signed his name at the residence of Prince Katsura. 
 
11:41 
Met Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Uruma at the Kantei, joined by 
Chief Cabinet Secretary Kawamura. Joined by Deputy Chief Cabinet 
Secretary Matsumoto. Kawamura and Matsumoto stayed behind. Joined by 
Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Konoike. 
 
12:58 
Met Financial Services Agency Director General Sato and Vice 
Minister of Finance for International Affairs Shinohara. 
 
14:21 
Left Haneda Airport by a government plane to attend the UN General 
Assembly. 
 
4) Poll: 49.5 PERCENT  back Aso cabinet 
 
YOMIURI (Top Play) (Excerpts) 
September 26, 2008 
 
In a Yomiuri Shimbun poll, 49.5 PERCENT  support the newly 
inaugurated cabinet of Prime Minister Taro Aso, while 33.4 PERCENT 
disapproved of it. The support rate was less than the 57.5 PERCENT 
recorded immediately after the inauguration of the first cabinet of 
former Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda. Asked to choose between Aso or 
Democratic Party of Japan President Ichiro Ozawa as the next 
premier, 54 PERCENT  said they preferred Aso, while 26 PERCENT 
picked Ozawa. Asked which party they planned to vote for in the 
proportional representation segment in the next House of 
Representatives election, 37 PERCENT  chose the LDP while 30 PERCENT 
 picked the DPJ. These figures suggest Aso's personal popularity is 
not necessarily being reflected in his party's popularity among 
voters. 
 
In the nationwide telephone opinion poll conducted from the night of 
Sept. 24 through the 25th, 37.4 PERCENT  expressed support for the 
LDP, while 22.8 PERCENT  backed the DPJ. The support rates of the 
two parties declined from a survey conducted right after the LDP 
presidential election was announced. The figures at that time were 
43.4 PERCENT  for the LDP and 26.3 PERCENT  for the DPJ. 
 
5) Poll: Aso cabinet's support rate at 48 PERCENT 
 
ASAHI (Top play) (Abridged) 
September 26, 2008 
 
In the wake of the Aso cabinet's inauguration, the Asahi Shimbun 
conducted a telephone-based spot nationwide public opinion survey, 
in which the cabinet support rate was 48 PERCENT  and the nonsupport 
rate was 36 PERCENT . The support rate markedly rebounded as 
compared with the Fukuda cabinet's low approval ratings around 20 
PERCENT . However, it was lower than the Abe cabinet's 63 PERCENT 
popularity rating upon its inauguration in September 2006 and lower 
than the Fukuda cabinet's inaugural rating at 53 PERCENT  in 
September 2007. 
 
In the survey, respondents were also asked which political party 
 
TOKYO 00002655  004 OF 009 
 
 
they would vote for if they were to vote now in their proportional 
representation blocs. In this voter preference, the ruling Liberal 
Democratic Party scored 36 PERCENT  (28 PERCENT  in a previous 
survey taken Sept. 2-3), with the leading opposition Democratic 
Party of Japan (Minshuto) at 32 PERCENT  (leveling off from 32 
PERCENT  in the Sept. 2-3 survey). This question has been asked from 
time to time since December last year, and the LDP outstripped the 
DPJ for the first time. Among floating voters with no particular 
party affiliation, however, the DPJ was still higher than the LDP, 
respectively at 27 PERCENT  and 17 PERCENT . 
 
In the breakdown of public support for political parties, the LDP 
stood at 34 PERCENT , rising from 29 PERCENT  in the last survey 
taken Sept. 10-11. The DPJ was at 23 PERCENT  (19 PERCENT  in the 
last survey). 
 
6) Support rate for Aso cabinet at 53 PERCENT 
 
NIKKEI (Top Play) 
September 26, 2008 
 
An emergency poll conducted by the Nihon Keizai Shimbun and TV Tokyo 
found that the support rate for the Aso cabinet came to 53 PERCENT . 
The figure is up 24 points compared with the previous poll carried 
out in late August in the closing days of the Fukuda administration. 
However, it fell short of the 71 PERCENT  recorded just after the 
Abe cabinet's inauguration and the 59 PERCENT  logged just after the 
Fukuda cabinet's inauguration. The nonsupport rate for the Aso 
cabinet was 40 PERCENT , exceeding that of the Fukuda administration 
just after its inauguration by 13 points. The LDP and the DPJ were 
evenly matched regarding voter party preference for proportional 
representation in the upcoming Lower House election, with the LDP 
supported by 36 PERCENT , while the DPJ supported by 33 PERCENT . 
 
The poll also found that the support rate for the LDP rose to 41 
PERCENT , up 4 points from the previous poll, while support for the 
DPJ increased to 31 PERCENT , up 1 point. This is the first time 
since March this year that the difference in approval rates for the 
two parties reached 10 points. 
 
The survey, which targeted adults throughout the nation, was 
conducted on the phone by Nikkei Research, based on the random digit 
dialing (RDD) method. Among 1,331 households that have voters as 
family members, 788 households responded. The rate of respondents 
came to 59.2 PERCENT . 
 
7) Poll: Approval rate for Aso cabinet stands at 45 PERCENT , 
12-point drop from previous cabinet at launch 
 
MAINICHI (Top play) (Lead paragraph) 
September 26, 2008 
 
The Mainichi Shimbun conducted a nationwide telephone poll on Sept. 
24-25 on the newly inaugurated cabinet of Prime Minister Taro Aso. 
The survey has found that 45 PERCENT  of respondents supported the 
Aso cabinet. The 45 PERCENT  is a 12-point drop from that of the 
poll carried out last September when the Fukuda cabinet was 
inaugurated. Asked which party -- either the ruling Liberal 
Democratic Party or the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan -- 
they wanted to win in the next House of Representatives election, 41 
PERCENT  said they wanted the LDP to win, while 37 PERCENT  chose 
the DPJ. It was the first time for the LDP's support rate to exceed 
 
TOKYO 00002655  005 OF 009 
 
 
the DPJ's in the 13 polls the newspaper has conducted since last 
August. As the ruling coalition takes the 45 PERCENT  favorably, 
moves for an early dissolution of the Lower House and general 
election will likely be accelerated. 
 
8) Aso cabinet support rate stands at 48 PERCENT  in nationwide 
telephone survey, falling below approval rate for Fukuda cabinet 
just after inauguration 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Top Play) (Excerpts) 
September 26, 2008 
 
Following the launch of the Aso cabinet, Kyodo News Agency conducted 
a nationwide emergency telephone poll from the evening of September 
24 through the 25th. The poll found that the support rate for the 
cabinet came to 48.6 PERCENT , falling below the 57.8 PERCENT  for 
the Fukuda cabinet just after its inauguration in September last 
year. The rate is low for a newly launched cabinet. The nonsupport 
rate was 32.9 PERCENT . 
 
Regarding voter preference for proportional representation in the 
next Lower House election, the LDP was supported by 34.5 PERCENT  of 
respondents, down 3.5 points from the previous poll carried out 
early this month, while the DPJ gained support from 34.8 PERCENT , 
down 0.1 PERCENT . To a question "Which -- Prime Minister Taro Aso 
or DPJ President Ichiro Ozawa -- is appropriate as the next prime 
minister?" 53.9 PERCENT  supported Aso, while 29.4 PERCENT  cited 
Ozawa. 
 
As a desirable framework for the next administration, the LDP and 
DPJ traded places, with those who said "an administration led by the 
LDP" standing at 38.1 PERCENT , down 5.2 PERCENT  from the previous 
poll,  and those who replied "an administration led by the DPJ" 
coming to 43.8 PERCENT , up 2.1 points. The outcome of the poll 
indicated a division in expectations for the next administration, 
party heads and parties. 
 
Regarding support rates for political parties, 37.0 PERCENT 
supported the LDP, up 0.2 points, while 28.3 PERCENT , up 1.3 
points, supported the DPJ. The New Komeito was supported by 4.7 
PERCENT , the Japanese Communist Party by 2.4 PERCENT , the Social 
Democratic Party by 1.2 PERCENT , the People's New Party by 0.3 
PERCENT  and the New Party Nippon by 0.2 PERCENT . The rate of 
respondents who have no party to support stood at 23.1 PERCENT . 
 
9) Aso to announce continued refueling mission in UN speech 
 
SANKEI (Page 1) (Excerpts) 
September 26, 2008 
 
Prime Minister Taro Aso departed by government plane for New York 
yesterday to attend the 63rd UN General Assembly. He is scheduled to 
deliver a speech on the evening of Sept. 25 (early morning of Sept. 
26, Japan time) in which he will express his resolve to continue 
contributing to the war on terror in Afghanistan and highlight the 
need to reform the UN Security Council at an early time. 
 
In the speech, the prime minister will play up Japan's assistance 
for the reconstruction of Afghanistan and the Maritime Self-Defense 
Force's refueling mission in the Indian Ocean, saying that the 
international community must continue fighting terrorism. He will 
also effectively announce the continuation of the refueling mission 
 
TOKYO 00002655  006 OF 009 
 
 
as part of the country's contributions, saying that Japan will 
remain an active player in the war on terror as a member of the 
international community. 
 
He will also criticize North Korea's negative attitude toward 
reinvestigating the fate of Japanese abductees, including Megumi 
Yokota, and abandoning its nuclear program, saying that Japan is 
ready to move relations with the DPRK forward by settling 
outstanding bilateral issues and addressing the unfortunate past 
depending on how the North acts. 
 
Aso will be the first Japanese prime minister to address the UN 
General Assembly since former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi did 
so in 2005. 
 
10) Prime Minister Aso's UN speech 
 
MAINICHI (Page 5) (Full) 
September 26, 2008 
 
Gist of Prime Minister Aso's speech to be delivered on the evening 
of September 25 (early hours of the 26th, Japan time) in the fall 
session of the UN General Assembly. 
 
 Japan during the Tokyo International Conference held in May 
this year called for aid to Africa aimed to accelerate its economic 
growth. 
 
 An agreement was reached at the Hokkaido Lake Toya 
Summit (G-8) in July to create under the UN an effective framework 
for combating climate change that will aim to adopt a long-term goal 
to be achieved by the whole world. 
 
 Japan can contribute to the global economy by 
growing its own economy. 
 
 There is a 
diplomatic contribution that only Japan can make. It will become a 
broker for building confidence, by providing irrigation technology 
for the development of the West Bank of the Jordan River. Japan will 
submit a resolution calling for the total elimination of nuclear 
weapons. 
 
 Japan has put much effort into assistance for the 
reconstruction of Afghanistan and continued refueling operations in 
the Indian Ocean. It will continue its proactive participation in 
the war on terror along with the international community. 
 
 Though North Korea has pledged to investigate the 
whereabouts of victims kidnapped by North Korean agents, it failed 
to deliver on it. Japan is ready to promote Japan-North Korea 
relations in response to North Korea's action. It will urge North 
Korea to abandon its nuclear program through the six-party 
framework. 
 
 China and South Korea are Japan's important 
partners. Japan will also move promote cooperation with those two 
countries and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). It 
will endeavor to strengthen ties with its neighbors, while regarding 
the Japan-U.S. alliance as an unchangeable linchpin. 
 
Japan will place emphasis on the UN. It will fall in line with 
 
TOKYO 00002655  007 OF 009 
 
 
countries that share basic value with Japan. 
 
 Reform of the UNSC in terms of 
increasing seats both for permanent and nonpermanent council members 
must be realized at an early time. Japan will file its candidacy to 
be a nonpermanent member. I would like to solicit your support. 
 
11) Aso attends UN meeting with next general election in mind 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 9) (Full) 
September 26, 2008 
 
Commentary 
 
By Kei Sato, Political News Department, New York 
 
Prime Minister Aso Taro decided to deliver a speech to the UN 
General Assembly as his first political event after assuming office 
apparently to demonstrate his diplomatic caliber with a Lower House 
dissolution for a snap general election in mind. 
 
Aso, who is fluent in English and served as foreign minister, takes 
pride in diplomacy. For Aso, who favors flashy stages, the UN 
General Assembly presents the perfect venue to make his diplomatic 
debut. It will help him outmaneuver DPJ President Ichiro Ozawa, who 
advocates UN-centered diplomacy. 
 
In fact, the government and ruling coalition made extra efforts in 
adjusting the timetable for such events as the LDP presidential race 
and the extra Diet session even during the LDP race on the 
assumption that a Prime Minister Aso would attend the UN General 
Assembly. 
 
But a path to economic recovery to be announced in Aso's UN speech 
as an international pledge remains unclear. Regarding the refueling 
mission in the Indian Ocean, as well, there are no prospects, as the 
DPJ has not shown any signs of changing its opposition. 
 
If the DPJ accuses Aso of making empty promises at the UN General 
Assembly during the ongoing extraordinary Diet session, the prime 
minister's attendance at the event might have a negative impact on 
the next Lower House election. 
 
12) USS George Washington arrives at Yokosuka 
 
SANKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
September 26, 2008 
 
The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington arrived 
yesterday at its new home port of Yokosuka Naval Base in Yokosuka, 
Kanagawa Prefecture, becoming the fourth aircraft carrier at the 
U.S. naval base in the city since the Midway in 1973. Although U.S. 
nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and submarines have called at 
ports in Japan, it is the first time (for a U.S. nuclear-powered 
aircraft carrier) to be deployed in Japan. The USS George 
Washington, which is the only one nuclear-powered aircraft carrier 
to be home-ported outside the United States out of the 10 
nuclear-powered flattops possessed by the U.S. Navy, belongs to the 
Seventh Fleet, whose remit encompasses East Asia to the Indian 
Ocean. In addition to being prepared for contingencies on the Korean 
Peninsula and the Taiwan Strait, the vessel is expected to serve 
actively in unstable areas, such as Afghanistan and Iraq. 
 
TOKYO 00002655  008 OF 009 
 
 
 
13) Former Prime Minister Koizumi to retire from politics 
 
SANKEI (Top play) (Lead paragraph) 
September 26, 2008 
 
Former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, 66, yesterday conveyed his 
intention to retire from politics without running in the next House 
of Reprehensive election, to former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori and 
other ruling Liberal Democratic Party officials. As his successor, 
his second son, the 27-year-old Shinjiro Koizumi, will likely run 
for the next Lower House race from his father's Kanagawa No. 11 
constituency (in Miura City, Kanagawa Prefecture). The former prime 
minister plans to explain his decision to his supporters in Kanagawa 
on Sept. 27. During his premiership from April 2001 through 
September 2005, Koizumi pushed ahead with his structural reform 
initiative, including postal privatization. He served in office for 
1,980 days, making him the third-longest serving prime minister in 
the postwar period. The planned retirement of Koizumi is shocking 
the so-called Koizumi children, who were elected in the 2005 Lower 
House election for the first time to the Diet. Koizumi's retirement 
will also likely have an impact on the general election. 
 
14) Three opposition parties suggest deciding date of Lower House 
dissolution through talks 
 
NIKKEI (Page 1) (Excerpts) 
September 26, 2008 
 
The Diet Affairs Committee chairmen of ruling and opposition parties 
conferred on how to treat a fiscal 2008 supplementary budget bill in 
the Diet Building yesterday. The Democratic Party of Japan, the 
Social Democratic Party, and the People's New Party formally 
presented a plan to respond to a vote on the bill in the House of 
Councillors if the ruling coalition agrees to hold deliberations for 
two days in both Houses of the Diet. The ruling side just replied it 
will look into it. Whether they should accept the proposal or not 
will be discussed in the ruling camp from now. 
 
15) Nakayama to be named special advisor on abduction issue 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
September 26, 2008 
 
Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura announced yesterday at a 
press conference that former State Minister for the Abduction Issue 
Kyoko Nakayama would be appointed as special advisor to the prime 
minister on the abduction issue. The aim is to show the government's 
stand of placing importance on dealing with the issue of North 
Korea's abductions of Japanese nationals. Her appointment will be 
formally decided in a cabinet meeting today. 
 
16) Japan, U.S. to introduce new system to simultaneously grant 
patents filed in both countries 
 
NIKKEI (Page 5) (Full) 
September 26, 2008 
 
The governments of Japan and the U.S. held a meeting in Geneva and 
agreed to set up a new patent system. Under the new system, if a 
company files patent applications with Japan and the U.S., the two 
countries will complete screening them and grant patents to the 
 
TOKYO 00002655  009 OF 009 
 
 
company nearly simultaneously. The Japanese Patent Office and the 
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office will share information about the 
contents and progress in screening of the applications in starting 
screening applications. The two governments plan to introduce the 
new system in some areas starting this fall on a trial basis and to 
increase areas applicable for the system next year. 
 
Among leading companies that are accelerating globalization, there 
are many cases in which patent applications are filed in more than 
one country. But countries have used different standards for 
screening, and their speeds are also different. If the new system 
works successfully, other countries might begin to introduce a 
similar system. 
 
In order to share information on screening in advance, the Patent 
Office and the Patent and Trademark Office will connect their 
systems. The two countries will also coordinate the scope and 
definition of patents in the future to facilitate the screening of 
applications. 
 
SCHIEFFER