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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 10 TOKYO 002775 
 
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 10/06/08 
 
Index: 
 
Opinion surveys: 
1) Aso Cabinet support rate drops 7 points to 41 PERCENT , while 
non-support rate rises 6 points to 42 PERCENT   (Asahi) 
2) In Nikkei survey of 100 top C.E.O.s and 500 regional companies, 
94 PERCENT  judge that the economy is worsening  (Nikkei) 
 
Defense and security affairs: 
3) Interviewed by Sankei, Naha Consul General Maher reiterates that 
Futenma relocation will go according to agreed plan  (Sankei) 
4) Prime Minister Aso desires to see enacted a permanent law for 
dispatching the SDF for peacekeeping operations  (Yomiuri) 
5) Cabinet approves dispatch of two SDF officers to Sudan's PKO 
headquarters, but view is growing in the Aso government for sending 
an entire unit  (Asahi) 
6) SDF unit being sent to Iraq to wrap up the ASDF support operation 
that is being withdrawn  (Sankei) 
7) LDP diet affairs chairman sees deliberation starting on 
anti-terror bill for Indian Ocean operations once the supplementary 
budget bill passes the Diet  (Yomiuri) 
8) Japan vying for rotating membership on the UN Security Council 
that will be decided on the 17th  (Nikkei) 
9) Japan has invited cabinet-level representatives from 40 countries 
to attend a conference on Middle East democracy  (Nikkei) 
 
Political agenda: 
10) Clashes expected in the Lower House Budget Committee today as 
deliberations start on supplementary budget  (Nikkei) 
11) Diet Affairs Chairman Oshima predicts Diet dissolution after the 
budget is passed  (Asahi) 
12) DPJ's Hatoyama conditions cooperation on deliberating 
supplementary budget once promise of Diet dissolution made  (Asahi) 
 
13) DPJ Vice President Ishii calls the New Komeito a "contagion," 
and rules out any coalition with that party  (Asahi) 
14) Small splinter parties hope to for a third political force 
(Nikkei) 
15) Social Democratic Party's legendary leader Takako Doi has 
decided not to run in the next general election  (Mainichi) 
16) Rumors of an 8 trillion yen among Japan, South Korea, and China 
to cope with international financial crisis is denied by Tokyo 
(Yomiuri) 
 
Articles: 
 
1) Poll: Cabinet support, nonsupport rates are close 
 
ASAHI (Page 1) (Full) 
October 6, 2008 
 
Ahead of a snap election for the House of Representatives, the Asahi 
Shimbun conducted a telephone-based public opinion survey on Oct. 
4-5. The rate of public support for the Aso cabinet was 41 PERCENT , 
down from the 48 PERCENT  rating in the last survey taken Sept. 
24-25 shortly after its inauguration. The nonsupport rate rose from 
36 PERCENT  to 42 PERCENT , close to the support rate. 
 
Respondents were also asked which political party they would vote 
for in their proportional representation blocs if they were to vote 
now. In this voter preference of political parties, the ruling 
Liberal Democratic Party marked 33 PERCENT  (36 PERCENT  in the last 
 
TOKYO 00002775  002 OF 010 
 
 
survey), with the leading opposition Democratic Party of Japan 
(Minshuto) at 34 PERCENT  (32 PERCENT  in the last survey). In the 
last survey, the LDP markedly regained ground in the tailwind of the 
new cabinet's inauguration and came from behind the DPJ. Those 
interested in the general election accounted for 35 PERCENT . Among 
them, 48 PERCENT  opted for the DPJ, with 30 PERCENT  choosing the 
LDP. 
 
Among LDP supporters, the cabinet's support rate was comparatively 
high, reaching 79 PERCENT . Among DPJ supporters, however, 77 
PERCENT  said they did not support the cabinet. The figures show a 
clear-cut showdown between the LDP and DPJ supporters as well. Among 
floating voters with no particular party affiliation, the cabinet's 
support rate was down from 31 PERCENT  to 24 PERCENT , and the 
nonsupport rate was up from 41 PERCENT  to 48 PERCENT . 
 
Among men, the support rate was only slightly down from 46 PERCENT 
to 43 PERCENT . Among women, however, it was substantially down from 
50 PERCENT  to 39 PERCENT , a factor that caused the decline in the 
support rate. 
 
Land, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Nariaki Nakayama has now 
resigned (to take responsibility for a series of gaffes he had 
made). In the survey, respondents were asked about the 
responsibility of Prime Minister Aso, who appointed him. To this 
question, 48 PERCENT  answered that his responsibility is not very 
big, with 44 PERCENT  saying it is big. 
 
Asked about the desirable form of government, the proportion of 
those who chose an LDP-led coalition government was down from 39 
PERCENT  to 34 PERCENT . Meanwhile, the proportion of those opting 
for a DPJ-led coalition government remained the same at 40 PERCENT . 
In the breakdown of public support for political parties, the LDP 
stood at 32 PERCENT  (34 PERCENT  in the last survey), with the DPJ 
at 23 PERCENT  (leveling off from 23 PERCENT  in the last survey). 
 
The survey was conducted Oct. 4-5 over the telephone on a 
computer-aided random digit dialing (RDD) basis. Respondents were 
chosen from among the nation's voting population on a three-stage 
random-sampling basis. Valid answers were obtained from 1,036 
persons (57 PERCENT ). 
 
2) In survey, 94 PERCENT  view economy as deteriorating in aftermath 
of U.S. financial crisis; 50 PERCENT  expect turnaround in a year 
 
NIKKEI (Top Play) (Excerpts) 
October 6, 2008 
 
The results of a Nikkei questionnaire of corporate presidents and 
executives released yesterday showed that more than 90 PERCENT  of 
respondents viewed the domestic economy is deteriorating, a 
threefold increase from the previous survey (in June). In a snap 
survey on Oct. 3 conducted following a steep plunge in stock prices, 
nearly 60 PERCENT  said that the U.S. financial crisis has had an 
adverse effect on their business operations. In a survey of top 
officials at 500 regional firms and organizations conducted at the 
same time as the snap survey, as well, 80 PERCENT  said that the 
economy is worsening. 
 
Presidents and other senior executives of 139 major firms responded 
to the questionnaire conducted as of late September, while 114 firms 
replied to the snap poll. In the survey of regional firms, 408 
 
TOKYO 00002775  003 OF 010 
 
 
senior executives responded. 
 
On the current Japanese economic conditions, 93.5 PERCENT  of 
respondents in the September survey picked any of these replies: 
Conditions are deteriorating, moderately deteriorating; or rapid 
deteriorating. For the first time since the survey was started in 
2004, no respondents viewed the economy as expanding. In the 
previous survey, 10.6 PERCENT  gave positive replies. 
 
The figure worked out by subtracting negative replies from positive 
ones to a question about the present economic state compared with 
the state six months ago was minus 95.7. In the prior survey, the 
figure was 84.1. 
 
In the snap survey, nearly 60 PERCENT  said that the U.S. financial 
crisis has already had a negative impact on their business 
operations, with 38.6 PERCENT  replying that the crisis has affected 
the real economy, leading to negative repercussions and 19.3 PERCENT 
 responding that indirect repercussions have emerged in such areas 
as stock prices, the exchange rate, and fund-raising. 
 
Of the respondents, 41.2 PERCENT  expect the financial crisis will 
remain in a critical state for nearly one year, while only 9.6 
PERCENT  see conditions will calm down with the passage of revised 
U.S. legislation to stabilize the financial sector. 
 
Nearly half expect Japan's economy will recover within a year, with 
16.5 PERCENT  pointing to the April-June quarter in 2009 and 33.1 
PERCENT  citing the July-September quarter the same year. 
 
3) Futenma will go ahead as planned: Maher 
 
SANKEI (Page 3) (Full) 
October 6, 2008 
 
Kevin Maher, U.S. consul general in Okinawa, told the Sankei Shimbun 
in a recent interview that the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan 
was smoothly underway and that he was optimistic. Meanwhile, Okinawa 
Prefecture has been calling for the Japanese and U.S. governments to 
revise their plan to relocate the site for the replacement for 
Futenma airfield. In this regard, Maher remarked that there was no 
rational reason for such and that the Futenma relocation should be 
implemented as planned. 
 
In October 2005, the Japanese and U.S. governments agreed on an 
interim report, U.S.-Japan Alliance: Transformation and Realignment 
for the Future. Based on this, Maher stressed the significance of 
transforming the Japan-U.S. alliance to meet various and newly 
emerging threats. On the issue of relocating Futenma airfield, the 
political focus was what to do about its replacement facility. "In 
the interim report," Maher said, "there was a plan to build an 
L-shaped runway." He added: "After that, the Japanese government 
consulted with local officials on an X-shaped runway. In the end, 
the plan was revised to the current plan to build a V-shaped pair of 
airstrips." With this, Maher indicated that the plan is well based 
on local views, repudiating the local criticism of bilateral talks 
without Okinawa. Maher said: "We're now at the stage to implement 
the agreement. If we try to revise it, the consensus between Japan 
and the United States will collapse. That is not desirable." 
 
The Japanese and U.S. governments have agreed to relocate Futenma 
airfield to a coastal area of Camp Schwab in the city of Nago, 
 
TOKYO 00002775  004 OF 010 
 
 
Okinawa Prefecture. But Nago City has proposed laying down an 
offshore airfield about 400 meters southwest. Maher said it would be 
another story if there is a rational and scientific reason for 
revision after an environmental impact assessment. Even so, Maher 
said: "I cannot understand why they think moving the runway out 
(into the sea) will reduce its environmental impact. 
 
4) Prime Minister Aso answering question in Upper House states 
desire to pass permanent overseas dispatch law 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) 
October 4, 2008 
 
Prime Minister Aso on Oct. 3 in a reply to a question in the plenary 
session of the Upper House indicated his desire to enact a permanent 
law for allowing the overseas dispatch of the Self-Defense Forces 
(SDF). He said: "It would be desirable to Japan to be able to carry 
out international peacekeeping cooperation swiftly and effectively. 
We will consider such legislation fully based on thorough national 
debate, as well as debate within the ruling parties." 
 
Commenting on not being able to launch discussions in the 
constitutional councils that were created in both chambers of the 
Diet last year in August, Aso said, "I have strong hopes that with 
the participation of all political parties, we can carry out earnest 
discussions." He urged that constitutional discussions be started 
soon in the Diet. 
 
On the other hand, he also expressed his view that it was necessary 
to change the government's interpretation of the right of collective 
self-defense that is now forbidden: "It is an important topic, and 
the interpretation should be now thoroughly discussed." His view was 
that discussion to change the interpretation should be tackled. He 
was replying to a question from Social Democratic Party head 
Fukushima. 
 
5) Cabinet decision made to send SDF personnel to Sudan; Call for 
sending unit may reignite 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Excerpts) 
October 4, 2008 
 
The government decided on Oct. 3 to send two Self-Defense Force 
personnel to the UN peacekeeping operations command in southern 
Sudan. With the aim of impressing the world as Japan being a peace 
fostering nation, as was vowed by the former Fukuda administration, 
the government temporarily considered dispatching an SDF unit to the 
country, but it has decided to forgo the plan out of concern over 
the security situation there. But legislation to allow the Maritime 
Self-Defense Force to continue its refueling mission in the Indian 
Ocean reaches a deadlock, calls for greater support for Sudan might 
flare up again in the government. 
 
Foreign Minister Nakasone, speaking to reporters after the cabinet 
meeting that approved the dispatch of two SDF personnel to Sudan, 
said: "The step will greatly contribute to the peace and stability 
of the region, not to mention improving bilateral relations." 
 
The two SDF personnel will be dispatched to Sudan's capital of 
Khartoum where the command of the UN Mission in Sudan is located. As 
part of the 10,000 PKO troops from over 60 countries, they will 
belong to both the logistic office to coordinate supplies for the 
 
TOKYO 00002775  005 OF 010 
 
 
military department deployed in the south of the country and the 
information office managing the database. 
 
6) Japan to send prep unit for ASDF pullout from Iraq 
 
SANKEI (Page 2) (Abridged) 
October 6, 2008 
 
The Defense Ministry is considering sending an Air Self-Defense 
Force unit for the withdrawal of ASDF troops from Iraq within the 
year, officials said yesterday. The unit will assist with customs 
clearance procedures and quarantine preparations for the ASDF troops 
and equipment and will also engage in negotiations with local 
authorities for hangar evacuation. The ministry plans to send the 
unit in December. The ASDF troops currently on an airlift mission 
will be recalled to Japan that month, but even after that the other 
unit will remain there. The government announced its plan on Sept. 
11 to withdraw the ASDF detachment from Iraq within the year after 
its five-year airlift activities there, given that a United Nations 
Security Council resolution, which endorses the stationing of 
multinational forces in Iraq, will expire at the end of December. 
This is the first time for the government to reveal a withdrawal 
operation plan. 
 
The ASDF detachment to Iraq, based in Kuwait, has been tasked with 
airlifting personnel and supplies for the United Nations and the 
multinational forces to the Iraqi capital of Baghdad and the 
northern Iraqi city of Arbil. About 210 ASDF members are on the 
airlift mission with three C-130 transport planes. 
 
In Kuwait, the ASDF detachment has been based at Ali Al Salem Air 
Base, where the ASDF has built hangars and billets. The Defense 
Ministry would like to transfer these facilities to Kuwait without 
dismantling them. The withdrawal unit will negotiate with local 
officials and go through procedures for transfer. 
 
7) LDP Diet Affairs Committee chairman expresses intent to 
deliberate on bill amending antiterrorism legislation after passage 
of extra budget bill 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) 
October 6, 2008 
 
Appearing on Asahi and NHK TV programs with his counterparts from 
the ruling partner and opposition parties yesterday, Liberal 
Democratic Party Diet Affairs Committee Chairman Tadamori Oshima 
expressed his intention to start deliberations in the current Diet 
session on a bill amending the New Antiterrorism Special Measures 
Law to extend the Maritime Self-Defense Force's refueling mission in 
the Indian Ocean. The deliberations would start after the fiscal 
2008 budget bill clears the Diet. 
 
New Komeito Diet Affairs Committee Chairman Yoshio Urushibara added: 
"It is fully conceivable that if the opposition camp rejects the 
bill during the period (in the House of Councillors), we will use 
overriding revote in the lower chamber." He indicated that he would 
approve of reinstating the bill by using a two-thirds lower chamber 
overriding vote. 
 
Asked about the timing for Lower House dissolution and a general 
election, Oshima said: 
 
 
TOKYO 00002775  006 OF 010 
 
 
"We will enact the supplementary budget bill without fail. We will 
then ask for views from each political party and would like to bring 
about party head talks. Under such a situation, if it becomes 
necessary to seek the people's judgment, Prime Minister will 
naturally make a judgment, I think." 
 
Oshima revealed plans to come up with additional economic measures 
after the extra budget bill pass the Diet, saying: "Studies have 
already begun, and we would like to present a package to the people 
as soon as possible." 
 
Democratic Party of Japan Diet Affairs Committee Chairman Kenji 
Yamaoka cited five days as the minimum necessary number of days for 
deliberations on the extra budget bill at the Upper House Budget 
Committee. 
 
8) Japan intensively lobbying for its bid for nonpermanent UNSC seat 
ahead of Oct. 17 election 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Abridged slightly) 
October 6, 2008 
 
The government has been intensively lobbying other countries in the 
run-up to the Oct. 17 election of the nonpermanent members of the UN 
Security Council. 
 
In his speech to the UN General Assembly in New York in late 
September, Prime Minister Taro Aso called for support for Japan's 
bid for a nonpermanent UNSC seat. Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone 
also conveyed to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Japan's 
intention to seek a permanent UNSC seat on the assumption that the 
country first wins a nonpermanent seat. Former Prime Minister 
Yoshiro Mori, too, lobbied Tanzanian President Kikwete and others 
for their support for Japan's bid. 
 
The UNSC is responsible for leading discussions on international 
issues. Ten nonpermanent members, which serve two-year terms, are 
selected from each region. Japan has served nine times, the most 
along with Brazil. Winning a nonpermanent seat requires the support 
of two-thirds of the 192 UN members in an election. This time 
around, Japan is vying with Iran for the Asian seat. 
 
Japan acutely sensed the advantage of being a nonpermanent UNSC 
member through the adoption of a resolution condemning North Korea's 
missile launches in July 2006. The UNSC adopted the resolution after 
about 10 days of discussion that was led by Japan. "If Japan had not 
been a UNSC member, it would have taken over one month," a senior 
Foreign Ministry official commented. 
 
With the intergovernmental talks on UNSC reform scheduled to begin 
by the end of February 2009, Japan wants to win a nonpermanent seat 
with a huge margin to gain momentum for its bid for a permanent 
seat. But Japan is troubled over the frequent changeover of the 
prime minister and the divided Diet. Although Prime Minister Aso 
visited New York shortly after assuming office, he was able to meet 
only with UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon. 
 
9) Government to host cabinet-level meeting on Middle East 
modernization with 40 countries invited 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
October 6, 2008 
 
TOKYO 00002775  007 OF 010 
 
 
 
The government has decided to host a cabinet-level meeting in 
mid-October in Dubai, a member of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to 
support the democratization and economic reform of the Middle East. 
Calling on the Group of Eight countries and some 40 Middle Eastern 
and North African countries, Japan, as the country that chaired this 
year's G-8 summit, will co-chair the meeting with the UEA. The 
government will launch an effort to send Foreign Minister Hirofumi 
Nakasone to the event if the Diet timetable permits. 
 
The meeting will be formally announced later this week. The meeting 
titled the Forum for the Future is scheduled to take place on Oct. 
18-19. With the aim of giving a boost to the democratization of the 
Middle East, the meeting will discuss such topics as the improvement 
of the judicial system, participation in politics by women, support 
for the poor, cooperation with nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) 
to look for cooperative measures. The meeting is scheduled to end 
with the release of a chairman's statement on the last day. 
 
The forum's purpose is for the G-8 to support the political and 
economic reform of the Greater Middle East. Its establishment was 
decided on in the Sea Island Summit in 2004. Since then, a meeting 
has been held every year with the exception of last year. 
 
10) Fierce battle between ruling and opposition camps over 
supplementary budget to start today at Lower House Budget Committee 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Abridged slightly) 
October 6, 2008 
 
The ruling and opposition camps will start today full-fledged 
discussions on the fiscal 2008 supplementary budget bill at the 
House of Representatives Budget Committee. Prime Minister Taro Aso 
has expressed his eagerness for an early enactment of the 
supplementary budget, while waiting for good timing to dissolve the 
Lower House. Fixated on the next Lower House election, the ruling 
and opposition camps have intensified their confrontational stances 
toward each other, and stormy developments can be expected. 
 
The ruling and opposition blocs have agreed to hold basic 
question-and-answer sessions on Oct. 6-7 at the Lower House Budget 
Committee with the prime minister and his cabinet present. The 
ruling coalition has proposed taking a vote on the budget bill on 
Oct. 8, but the opposition has held off on making a reply. Since 
Finance Minister Shoichi Nakagawa is expected to attend a meeting on 
Oct. 10 of central bank governors and finance ministers from the 
Group of Seven industrialized countries (G-7), the ruling coalition 
has a plan to initiate deliberations on the budget on the 14th in 
order to get the bill through the Diet before the end of next week. 
 
Ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Diet Affairs Committee 
Chairman Tadamori Oshima stressed on a NHK talks show yesterday that 
the ruling camp would prioritize the enactment of the supplementary 
budget and bills related to the budget, noting: 
 
"With the dissolution of the Lower House and a general election, a 
political vacuum of one and a half to two months would be created. 
Priority should be placed on the supplementary budget rather than 
the political situation and the possibility of Lower House 
dissolution." 
 
Oshima predicted that should early passage of the supplementary 
 
TOKYO 00002775  008 OF 010 
 
 
budget become difficult, there would be a backlash of public 
criticism of the opposition parties. He sought to constrain the 
opposition camp by hinting at the possibility of Lower House 
dissolution before the supplementary budget cleared the Diet. "The 
prime minister may have to make the call," he warned. 
 
Oshima called on his Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) counterpart 
Kenji Yamaoka, who also appeared on the same NHK talk show, to 
schedule a debate in the Diet between Prime Minister Aso and DPJ 
President Ichiro Ozawa, as well as to begin deliberations on a bill 
extending Japan's refueling mission in the Indian Ocean. The LDP 
intends to make as campaign issues in the next general election the 
appropriateness of extending the Maritime Self-Defense Force's 
refueling mission and the need for additional economic measures. 
 
Oshima revealed that the next Lower House election would likely be 
held after Nov. 9, and that the possibility of the election 
occurring on Nov. 2 has disappeared. Based of Prime Minister Aso's 
intention to pass the supplementary budget, the original rumored 
scenario an early Lower House dissolution has now been withdrawn. 
 
However, the New Komeito, the LDP's junior coalition partner, still 
retains a stance of urging the prime minister to quickly dissolve 
the Lower House. New Komeito Diet Affairs Committee Chairman Yoshio 
Urushibara, appearing also on the NHK talk show, underscored: "We 
are now preparing for a general election, thinking that it will be 
held in early November." There is a possibility that discord will 
resurface in the ruling coalition. 
 
11) Lower House dissolution after enactment of supplementary budget: 
LDP Diet Affairs Committee Chairman Oshima 
 
ASAHI (Page 2) (Full) 
October 6, 2008 
 
Appearing on NHK and TV Asahi talk shows yesterday morning, the 
ruling Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) Diet Affairs Committee 
Chairman Tadamori Oshima revealed the outlook that the House of 
Representatives would be dissolved after the passage of the fiscal 
2008 supplementary budget. He said: 
 
"What we now should do is to stabilize the economy and take measures 
to cope with the economic crisis. (What we should do now is) to 
enact the supplementary budget, rather than to dissolve the Lower 
House." 
 
Referring also to a bill amending the new Antiterrorism Special 
Measures Law to allow the Maritime Self-Defense Force to continue 
its refueling operation in the Indian Ocean, Oshima said: "We want 
to start deliberations at any cost." He was enthusiastic about Diet 
deliberations after the passage of the supplementary budget by the 
Lower House. 
 
Regarding to the possibility of Lower House dissolution after the 
passage of the supplementary budget, Oshima said: "I think (Prime 
Minister Aso) will of course look into it." 
 
12) Deliberations on supplementary budget conditioned on Lower House 
being dissolved afterward: DPJ Secretary General Hatoyama 
 
ASAHI (Page 2) (Full) 
October 6, 2008 
 
TOKYO 00002775  009 OF 010 
 
 
 
Yukio Hatoyama, secretary general of the main opposition Democratic 
Party of Japan (DPJ), stressed yesterday his party's position of not 
cooperating on an early enactment of the fiscal 2008 supplementary 
budget bill unless there was a commitment to dissolve the House of 
Representatives soon after passage of the budget. He was speaking to 
reporters in Kashima City, Ibaraki Prefecture: 
 
"(The Aso cabinet is) a caretaker government to deal with a general 
election. However, if there is not talk of quickly dissolving Lower 
House afterward, it will be necessary to thoroughly deliberate the 
supplementary budget." 
 
On whether the DPJ will approve the budget bill or not, he said: 
 
"Given the situation (in the government and ruling camp) of some 
members calling for a second supplementary budget and others saying 
the current supplementary budget bill (now in the Diet) is useless, 
it is difficult for us to approve it." 
 
13) DPJ Vice President Ishii denies possibility of DPJ-New Komeito 
coalition, calling the party a "contagion" 
 
ASAHI (Page 2) (Full) 
October 6, 2008 
 
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) Vice President Hajime Ishii, 
appearing on a TV Asahi talk show yesterday, denied the possibility 
of his party forming a coalition with the New Komeito after the next 
House of Representatives election. He said: 
 
"There is no possibility. It is like a contagion. President Ozawa 
and I strongly think so. If we are given four votes from the New 
Komeito, we will lose six. The public is not such fool." 
 
In reaction to this, New Komeito leader Akihiro Ota said in an 
outdoor speech in Matsudo City, Chiba Prefecture: "It is outrageous 
for a political party vice president to use such an extremely 
thoughtless word. I will ask him to immediately withdraw his remark 
and offer apology." 
 
14) Third force, including PNP and Hiranuma, desperately trying to 
avoid sinking into insignificance 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
October 6, 2008 
 
The ruling parties and the major opposition Democratic Party of 
Japan are gearing up for the next Lower House election. In the 
meantime, minor parties and lawmakers with no party affiliations are 
making desperate efforts to demonstrate their presence to become a 
third force to counter the two major parties. The People's New Party 
(PNP), for instance, is still trying to enhance cooperation with the 
DPJ although it has failed to merge with it. New Party Daichi 
Representative Muneo Suzuki and Daijiro Hashimoto, who is eying the 
formation of a new party, are intensifying their anti-LDP movements. 
Takeo Hiranuma, an independent, intends to get through the next 
Lower House election with his modest group and find a way out in the 
political realignment that is expected to occur after the election. 
 
PNP Representative Tamisuke Watanuki has repeatedly described the 
party's relationship with the DPJ as sharing a common destiny. The 
 
TOKYO 00002775  010 OF 010 
 
 
PNP has decided to endorse a total of 170 DPJ candidates for the 
next election, including 154 it decided to back on Oct. 2. 
 
An agreement has been reached for PNP Diet Affairs Committee 
Chairman Masaaki Itokawa to leave the party after Lower House 
dissolution to run in the next race on the DPJ ticket. Tamisuke 
Watanuki will seek a proportional representation seat with the aim 
of adding to proportional votes. Once the Lower House election is 
over, the PNP plans to explore ways to merge with the DPJ. 
 
15) SDP Doi not to run in next Lower House election 
 
MAINICHI (Page 2) (Full) 
October 6, 2008 
 
Former Social Democratic Party (SDP) President Takako Doi, 79, said 
in an interview with the Mainichi Shimbun yesterday that she would 
not run in the next House of Representatives election. She said: "I 
would like to go around the nation to give campaign speeches for SDP 
candidates." Doi was first elected to the Lower House in 1969 and 
assumed the Japan Socialist Party chairmanship in 1986. In 1993, she 
became the first female Lower House speaker in constitutional 
politics. Doi headed the SDP from 1996, when the party was launched, 
through 2003. She ran for the 2005 Lower House election under the 
proportional representation segment but was defeated. 
 
16) South Korean daily states that Japan, China, and ROK readying 8 
trillion yen fund to cope with international financial crisis, but 
Japan denies the reports 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Excerpt) 
October 6, 2008 
 
Yoshiharu Asano in Seoul 
 
The South Korean daily Chosun Ilbo (internet edition) reported on 
Oct. 5 that according to sources in the South Korean government, 
Japan, China, and the Republic of Korea are promoting the creation 
of a joint Asia fund on a scale of $80 billion (8.425 trillion yen) 
for coping with the financial crisis that started in the United 
States. A vice-minister level official gave his outlook that the 
joint fund would be discussed in a meeting in Washington in mid 
October. Regarding this report, a senior official of Japan's Finance 
Ministry stated: "At this point in time, there is no plan for a 
vice-minister level meeting. We do not feel there is need to create 
such a fund." 
 
SCHIEFFER