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RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 1985
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2224

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 10 TOKYO 002963 
 
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:  DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 10/23/08 
 
INDEX: 
 
(1) 8-nation joint poll on public attitudes toward U.S.: Obama 
overwhelming in popularity; Many people's image of America worsened 
after Bush inauguration (Yomiuri) 
 
(2) DPJ may hold "thorough deliberations" on financial functions 
strengthening bill; Bill's passage in October uncertain (Mainichi) 
 
(3) New Komeito showing irritation at Prime Minister Aso for not 
dissolving Lower House quickly (Yomiuri) 
 
(4) Japanese economy once again under dark clouds 10 years after 
collapse of LTCBJ (Mainichi) 
 
(5) Japan-India summit: Decision difficult for Japan on nuclear 
cooperation due to stance of maintaining NPT (Nikkei) 
 
(6) Seiron: Take additional sanctions to drive North Korea into 
corner (Sankei) 
 
(7) President Bush sends letter of appreciation to woman in Okinawa 
who wrote his name in Japanese calligraphy (Okinawa Times) 
 
ARTICLES: 
 
(1) 8-nation joint poll on public attitudes toward U.S.: Obama 
overwhelming in popularity; Many people's image of America worsened 
after Bush inauguration 
 
YOMIURI (Page 11) (Abridged) 
October 23, 2008 
 
Eight countries' newspaper publishing companies-including the 
Yomiuri Shimbun and the Guardian, a British newspaper-conducted a 
joint public opinion survey to probe public attitudes toward 
America. On Nov. 4, the United States will elect a new president. 
With the presidential election just around the corner, the survey 
found that Senator Barack Obama, the Democratic Party's presidential 
nominee, was gathering high expectations in all countries and 
markedly ahead of Senator John McCain, the Republican Party's 
nominee. In the survey, the Bush administration got low ratings, 
apparently leading to the public mindset seeking a change of 
administration in the United States. 
 
Questions & Answers (Figures shown in percentage) 
J=Japan; UK=Britain; F=France; C=Canada; M=Mexico; B=Belgium; 
S=Switzerland; P=Poland 
 
Q: If you were eligible to vote in the upcoming U.S. presidential 
election, who would you choose between McCain and Obama? 
 
 J UK F C M B S P 
McCain 13 15 5 14 13 8 7 26 
Obama 61 64 68 70 46 62 83 43 
Neither 13 7 9 3 28 10 7 4 
No answer (N/A) 13 14 18 13 13 20 3 26 
 
Q: Do you think the Republican Party's McCain would be a good 
president or a bad president? 
 
 J UK F C M B S P 
 
TOKYO 00002963  002 OF 010 
 
 
A very good president 3 -- 1 4 2 -- 1 5 
A good president 29 -- 19 37 35 -- 37 52 
A bad president 30 -- 36 30 28 -- 42 9 
A very bad president 3 -- 12 12 6 -- 10 0 
N/A 35 -- 32 17 29 -- 12 34 
 
Q: Do you think the Democratic Party's Obama would be a good 
president or a bad president? 
 
 J UK F C M B S P 
A very good president 11 -- 10 22 11 -- 21 19 
A good president 53 -- 62 59 50 -- 68 40 
A bad president 9 -- 3 6 13 -- 4 11 
A very bad president 1 -- 1 2 2 -- 1 1 
N/A 26 -- 24 11 24 -- 5 30 
 
Q: Has your impression of America improved or worsened since 
President Bush was inaugurated in 2001? 
 
 J UK F C M B S P 
Improved very much 1 2 0 3 2 -- 0 3 
Improved 18 19 7 10 21 -- 8 36 
Worsened 54 44 56 42 48 -- 56 38 
Worsened very much 9 23 19 35 18 -- 30 7 
N/A 18 12 18 10 11 -- 6 17 
 
Q: Do you think your country's relationship with the U.S. is in good 
shape or in bad shape, or do you otherwise think it is neither in 
good shape nor in bad shape? 
 
 J UK F C M B S P 
Good 16 49 38 43 23 -- 20 43 
Neither good nor bad 62 30 30 29 43 -- 54 45 
Bad 19 18 25 14 28 -- 19 8 
N/A 3 4 7 14 6 -- 6 4 
 
Q: Do you think the next president should pull the U.S. troops out 
of Iraq? 
 
 J UK F C M B S P 
Yes 73 -- 76 75 86 -- 88 83 
No 17 -- 13 16 10 -- 10 11 
N/A 10 -- 11 9 4 -- 3 5 
 
Q: (Only those who answered "yes" to the foregoing question) When do 
you think the U.S. troops should be pulled out? 
 
 J UK F C M B S P 
Within next year 50 -- 63 53 68 -- 57 58 
Within 5 years 15 -- 26 34 6 -- 36 22 
After Iraq has recovered public security 32 -- 8 7 21 -- 6 18 
N/A 3 -- 3 6 5 -- 1 2 
 
Q: Do you think the next president should not launch a military 
attack against Iran, which is pushing ahead with its nuclear 
development, or do you think it might be unavoidable to do so 
depending on the circumstances? 
 
 J UK F C M B S P 
No attack should be made 70 47 51 57 68 -- 57 41 
It might be unavoidable to conduct attack 21 42 33 28 19 -- 39 48 
N/A 9 11 16 15 13 -- 5 11 
 
TOKYO 00002963  003 OF 010 
 
 
 
Q: Do you think the next president should grapple with global 
warming and abnormal climate issues more proactively than the Bush 
administration, the same, or less? 
 
 J UK F C M B S P 
More proactively 84 -- 88 79 91 -- 94 88 
The same as the Bush administration 11 -- 6 13 4 -- 4 7 
Less proactively 1 -- 1 3 2 -- 1 2 
N/A 4 -- 5 5 3 -- 1 4 
 
Joint-polling newspapers 
 
The Yomiuri Shimbun (Japan), The Guardian (United Kingdom), Le Monde 
(France), La Presse (Canada), Reforma (Mexico), Le Soir (Belgium), 
Le Temps (Switzerland), Gazeta Wyborcza (Poland). 
 
Polling methodology 
 
Japan 
Date of survey: Oct. 4-5 
Subjects of survey: A total of 3,000 persons were chosen from among 
all eligible voters throughout the country (at 250 locations on a 
stratified two-stage random-sampling basis). 
Method of implementation: Door-to-door visits for face-to-face 
interviews. 
Number of valid respondents: 1,787 persons. 
Breakdown of respondents: Men-48 PERCENT , women-52 PERCENT . 
 
U.K.: Oct. 10-12, telephone-based survey, 1,007 persons. 
France: Oct. 8-9, face-to-face survey, 1,000 persons. 
Canada: Oct. 5-9, telephone-based survey, 1,500 persons. 
Mexico: Sept. 27, telephone-based survey, 850 persons. 
Belgium: Sept. 12-19, telephone-based survey, 1,007 persons. 
Switzerland: Oct. 6-10, telephone-based survey, 600 persons. 
Poland: Sept. 15-16, telephone-based survey, 1,000 persons. 
 
(Note) The sign "--" denotes that the question was not asked. The 
total percentage may not come to 100 PERCENT  due to rounding. 
 
(2) DPJ may hold "thorough deliberations" on financial functions 
strengthening bill; Bill's passage in October uncertain 
 
MAINICHI (Page 2) (Full) 
October 23, 2008 
 
A bill amending the Financial Functions Strengthening Law is being 
used as tool for maneuvering between the ruling and opposition camps 
over the timing of the dissolution of the House of Representatives 
and a snap election. The bill is designed to allow the government to 
inject public funds into regional financial institutions. Prime 
Minister Taro Aso positions the legislation as the main feature of a 
planned second additional economic stimulus package. The main 
opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) sees the government as 
planning capital injections for the Norinchukin Bank, a banking 
institution mainly for farmers, as a problematical move. The DPJ has 
stepped up its attack on the ruling camp, warning that if 
dissolution of the Lower House is further delayed, it will take its 
time thoroughly deliberating the bill. Although the government and 
ruling camp intend to find common ground with the DPJ, it remains to 
be seen whether the bill will clear the Diet before the end of this 
month, depending on how they respond. 
 
TOKYO 00002963  004 OF 010 
 
 
 
Azuma Koshiishi, chairman of the DPJ caucus in the House of 
Councillors, said in a meeting of all DPJ lawmakers yesterday: "If 
(the ruling bloc) takes a stance that the DPJ should approve 
everything, we will not approve the Financial Functions 
Strengthening Bill." He then explicitly said: "We may change our 
basic policy if the dissolution of the Lower House is moved 
forward." 
 
The basic policy means that the DPJ will approve a second additional 
budget and cooperate on an early passage of the bill amending the 
new Antiterrorism Special Measures Law designed to extend the 
Japan's refueling mission in the Indian Ocean. 
 
In a meeting on Oct. 21 of directors from the Lower House Committee 
on Financial Affairs, the DPJ criticized the government's plan to 
inject capital into the Norinchukin, arguing: "The agricultural 
cooperative is an LDP support base." The main opposition party 
intends to strongly pursue the government with a revision of the 
bill in mind. 
 
Meanwhile, the government and ruling camp plan to submit the 
legislation to the Lower House on the 24th. Their plan is that the 
bill would clear the Lower House on the 28th and it would be adopted 
by the Upper House on the 31st. 
 
LDP Diet Affairs Committee Chairman Tadamori Oshima told reporters 
yesterday: "I would like to humbly listen to the DPJ's view." The 
DPJ, however, intends to ascertain how the government and ruling 
coalition will act, while its financial taskforce will discuss today 
problematical points of the government-drafted bill. The rift 
between the ruling and opposition parties has grown wider. A senior 
LDP Diet Affairs Committee member said: "If the opposition delays 
deliberations, such would demonstrate that the opposition is 
reluctant to deal with the financial crisis." Some take the view in 
political circles that the legislation would become a tool to bring 
about Lower House dissolution. 
 
(3) New Komeito showing irritation at Prime Minister Aso for not 
dissolving Lower House quickly 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Abridged slightly) 
October 23, 2008 
 
The New Komeito, the coalition partner of the ruling Liberal 
Democratic Party (LDP) is starting to display an irritation at Prime 
Minister Taro Aso for assuming a lukewarm attitude toward the 
dissolution of the House of Representatives. The New Komeito has 
said that it is desirable for the prime minister to dissolve the 
Lower House as quickly as possible. One New Komeito member said: "If 
he continues to take an indecisive position, our relationship of 
trust with the prime minister and the LDP will be undermined." 
 
Yesterday New Komeito Policy Research Council Deputy Chairman Keigo 
Matsuya along with Yamaguchi Prefectural Assembly members called on 
Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura at the Prime Minister's 
Official Residence (Kantei) to discuss cooperation in the next Lower 
House election in the prefecture. 
 
Masuya tried to feel out the timing of Lower House dissolution. 
Kawamura, however, revealed the outlook alone that the prime 
minister would make a decision late this month, saying: "I want to 
 
TOKYO 00002963  005 OF 010 
 
 
return to my home constituency, but I can't say that because there 
is a tense atmosphere." 
 
Aso and the LDP leadership initially planned an early Lower House 
dissolution, riding on the momentum of the LDP presidential 
election. The New Komeito and its main support body Soka Gakkai 
launched full-scale preparations for the election. However, Aso has 
now placed priority on economic measures rather than the Lower House 
dissolution due to the U.S.-originated financial crisis. Therefore, 
the New Komeito has been nervous about Aso's real intention. 
 
The New Komeito has been preparing for a Nov. 30 election. If the 
election is pushed back beyond to Nov. 30, there is a possibility 
that it would be put off to next spring or later since the political 
schedule for December is tight because of the fiscal 2009 budget 
compilation and tax system reform. The New Komeito cannot accept 
this idea since it attaches priority to the Tokyo Metropolitan 
assembly election next summer. 
 
(4) Japanese economy once again under dark clouds 10 years after 
collapse of LTCBJ 
 
MAINICHI (Page 9) (Full) 
October 9, 2008 
 
October 23 will mark the 10th anniversary of the temporary 
nationalization of the Long-Term Credit Bank of Japan (LTCBJ) after 
its collapse caused by massive amounts of bad loans resulting from 
the bursting of the asset-inflated bubble economy. Japan's financial 
crisis at the time peaked with the failure of the LTCBJ. The 
incident also gave rise to financial industry reorganization. Now 10 
years after the incident, Shinsei Bank, which took over the LTCBJ, 
is suffering from a poor business performance. The financial crisis 
that started in the U.S. is becoming serious. Mainichi Shimbun gives 
an overview of the 10 years since the failure of the bank. 
 
Takashi Anzai, president of Seven Bank, who once served as the 
president of the nationalized LTCBJ, lamented the collapse of Lehman 
Brothers on September 15, saying, "This is a recurrence of the same 
crisis." The Japanese economy around the time when the LTCBJ went 
down was also in great turmoil. 
 
The management crisis of LTCBJ surfaced in June 1998. Having been 
made the target of market players, who wrapped themselves up in 
suspicion, the bank's share prices plummeted. With many leading 
banks selling off shares, instability of the financial system built 
up immediately. 
 
The government and the Diet rushed to prepare related bills, urged 
by the market movements and nationalized the LTCBJ. A total of about 
7.5 trillion yen in public money was pumped into many other banks in 
the spring of 1999. 
 
Acceptance of public money means that the bank was placed under 
state control. In an effort to repay the borrowed public money, 
leading banks successively integrated their management in the hope 
of recovering profit-earning capacity. There were 20 major banks 
before the collapse of the LTCBJ. These banks were integrated into 
six financial groups. 
 
The failure of the LTCBJ also affected the reorganization of 
industrial circles. Shinsei Bank, which came under the wing of a 
 
TOKYO 00002963  006 OF 010 
 
 
foreign company, refused in 2000 to abandon loan claims on Sogo 
Department store, one its major borrowers. As a result, the 
department store went under. After being integrated into Seibu 
Department Store, Sogo came under the umbrella of Seven & i 
Holdings. 
 
Approximately 8 trillion yen in public money was pumped into the 
LTCBJ for writing off bad loans. About 3.6 trillion yen was to be 
shouldered by the public. Former President Katsunobu Onogi was 
arrested on suspicion of violation of the Commercial Code. However, 
the Supreme Court found him not guilty in July of this year. The 
responsibility for the collapse of the LTCBJ is still in limbo. 
 
In the meantime, the present financial crisis occurred, triggered by 
the collapse of the housing market in the U.S. When the failure of 
Lehman Brothers threw the market into chaos, the U.S. government 
decided to pump public money into it. What has happened looks just 
like what happened in Japan when the LTCBJ collapsed. The collapse 
of the LTCBJ was a problem that involved Japan alone. However, the 
financial crisis that started in the U.S. has spread all over the 
world. As such, when this crisis will end is unknown. Dark clouds 
are once again looming over the Japanese economy. 
 
(5) Japan-India summit: Decision difficult for Japan on nuclear 
cooperation due to stance of maintaining NPT 
 
NIKKEI (Page 5) (Full) 
October 23, 2008 
 
Prime Minister Taro Aso and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh 
agreed in their meeting yesterday to work together on a broad range 
of economic issues, including the liberalization of trade and 
investment by swiftly concluding an economic partnership agreement 
(EPA), global warming, and regional development. They also agreed to 
cooperate in overcoming the ongoing global financial crisis. Aso 
underlined his willingness to strengthen relations with India, whose 
economy has been rapidly growing. The focus of attention in future 
discussions will be on how the two countries should cooperate in 
securing nuclear and other sources of energy. Japan has been calling 
for the importance of nuclear non-proliferation as the only victim 
of nuclear bombing. Finding itself on the horns of a dilemma between 
this position and calls from the domestic nuclear energy sector for 
a promising business opportunity in India, the Japanese government 
may be pressed to make a difficult decision. 
 
Announcement on Yen loans worth 450 billion yen 
 
? Energy 
 
Japan and India recognized the need for energy cooperation, but no 
progress was made toward an agreement on cooperation. The joint 
statement noted: "(The two countries) will exchange views and 
information on their respective nuclear energy policies," and just 
expressed a willingness to seek chances for cooperation. 
 
India is expected to construct 25-30 new nuclear power plants by 
¶2020. The Indian atomic energy market is expected to grow to 10 
trillion yen over the next decade. The U.S. and France have already 
concluded bilateral nuclear cooperation deals. Russia, China and 
other emerging countries are considering similar agreements. 
 
Toshiba Corp., Hitachi Ltd., and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., 
 
TOKYO 00002963  007 OF 010 
 
 
and other Japanese nuclear equipment makers are eager to enter the 
Indian nuclear energy market, but a senior corporate member 
grumbled: "We would like to sell nuclear reactors to India, but we 
cannot move forward." 
 
Even so, Japan as the world's sole victim of atomic bombing must 
continue to be a staunch advocate of the Nuclear Nonproliferation 
Treaty (NPT). Aso called on India to make efforts to prevent the 
proliferation of nuclear weapons. Singh replied: "I understand that 
Japan is sensitive about nuclear energy. We would like to work 
toward a pact at Japan's pace." The Japanese government will try to 
seek chances for cooperation with India while carefully watching 
public opinion in the nation. 
 
? EPA negotiations 
 
Japan and India failed to reach a board EPA agreement, because they 
couldn't narrow their differences over criteria for determining a 
product's place of origin and a proposal to simplify the procedures 
for approving generic drug imports from India in Japan. The 
statement just expressed hope for "an early conclusion to the 
negotiation," eyeing sometime by the end of this year. 
 
The Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren), the Japan chamber 
of Commerce and Industry, and the Indian Industrial Association held 
a meeting in Tokyo yesterday and issued a joint report stressing 
that "the conclusion of an EPA will contribute to promoting 
bilateral economic ties." The economic groups also agreed to work 
together to conclude the stalled new round of World Trade 
Organization's (WTO) global trade talks (Doha Round) at an early 
date. 
 
? Infrastructure 
 
The two leaders agreed to work together to set up a fund to finance 
the proposed Delhi-Mumbai 1,500 km industrial corridor. The 50-50 
joint fund, which is expected to be worth 15 billion yen, is likely 
to be established as early as later this year. Japan also announced 
plans to provide India with about 450 billion yen in yen loans to 
help build a freight rail connection between the two cities. 
 
? Global warming countermeasures 
 
Cooperation on climate change edged forward. Japan pledged to offer 
energy-conservation aid to India, and the two countries also agreed 
to recognize it desirable to adopt at UN negotiations a long-term 
goal for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In the join statement, 
India expressed its intention to "share with other nations the goal 
of halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2050," an agreement reached 
in the July Hokkaido Lake Toya Summit. 
 
The statement evaluated the sector-specific approach as "an 
effective means." India had opposed to the idea of setting a 
long-term goal, claiming that industrialized countries should first 
make efforts to reduce gas emissions first and then help developing 
countries' reduction efforts. 
 
(6) Seiron: Take additional sanctions to drive North Korea into 
corner 
 
SANKEI (Page 13) (Full) 
October 22, 2008 
 
TOKYO 00002963  008 OF 010 
 
 
 
By Tsutomu Nishioka, professor at Tokyo Christian Institute 
 
Don't be afraid of U.S. delisting of North Korea 
 
The U.S. government delisted North Korea as a state sponsor of 
terrorism, even though the "acts of terrorism" so far conducted by 
that nation have yet to be settled, including its past abductions of 
Japanese nationals. I strongly protest this decision by the U.S. 
because it undercuts the war on terror. The delisting of North Korea 
contains many problem areas. The agreement reached between the U.S. 
and North Korea on a denuclearization-verification regime is quite 
sloppy and will seriously affect Japan's security. But here, I would 
like to look into what impact the delisting decision will have on 
the abduction issue. 
 
The name of North Korea was added to the U.S. list of 
terrorism-sponsoring nations in 1988, the year after the incident of 
the bombing of a KAL airliner in 1988. But the act of abductions was 
not cited as a reason for the designation of North Korea until 2003. 
In that year, the U.S. included the abduction issue among the 
reasons, as a result of efforts by civilians, including me, to work 
on the U.S. Following this, Japan began to use the U.S. 
terrorist-sponsor list as a leverage to resolve the abduction 
issue. 
 
The delisting means that five years of building an entrenchment have 
gone to waste. In dealing with DPRK leader Kim Jong Il using 
Washington's list of terrorism-sponsoring nations, Japan briefly won 
a victory but later the North counterattacked. Still, in delisting 
Pyongyang, Washington reiterated that it understands the importance 
of the abduction issue. Japan must make full use of this phrase as a 
new tool in negotiations with the North at the governmental, 
parliamentary, and private-sector levels. 
 
Don't allow financial aid 
 
The Japanese government has not properly sent a message to the U.S. 
government. For instance, Deputy Secretary of State Armitage 
notified the three groups - the Association of the Families of 
Victims Kidnapped by North Korea, the National Association for the 
Rescuing of Japanese Kidnapped by North Korea, and the group of Diet 
members dealing with the abduction issue - for the first time in 
March 2003 of the U.S. decision to include the abduction issue among 
the reasons for keeping North Korea on its terrorism black list. But 
the then Foreign Minister Kawaguchi commented: "There is no 
definition of terrorism in Japanese law. It is unknown whether 
abduction is categorized as an act of terrorism." This remark makes 
us impossible for Japan to oppose the U.S. delisting decision. 
 
Prime Minister Aso said in a press conference following the U.S. 
delisting decision: "Japan will not lose its leverage on North Korea 
in negotiating the abduction issue." Whether Japan would lose its 
leverage or not depends on our nation's determination and actions. 
 
The families' association and the rescue association proposed in 
March of last year that the government should form a Japanese list 
of terrorism-sponsoring nations as a measure to prevent aid money 
from international financial institutions from flowing into North 
Korea. In revising the North Korean Human Rights Law in late June of 
the same year, the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan, the Democratic 
Party of Japan, and the New Komeito added this provision: "The 
 
TOKYO 00002963  009 OF 010 
 
 
government must make an appropriate approach to multilateral 
development banks that will contribute to resolving the abduction 
issue." 
 
If North Korea devises a scheme to solicit financial aid from the 
Asian Development Bank, the World Bank, and other international 
financial institutions, the government must raise strong opposition 
and prevent such aid, citing the abduction issue. 
 
Other members of the six-party talks are expected to strongly 
pressure Japan to join energy aid for North Korea. I support Chief 
Cabinet Secretary Kawamura's remark on Oct. 16 that Japan will not 
join energy aid, even if North Korea establishes a research 
committee (on the abduction issue), based on the Abe 
administration's policy that Japan will not join energy aid before 
progress is made on the abduction issue. 
 
Existing sanctions emasculated 
 
The government has decided to extend Japan's sanctions against North 
Korea for another six months. The extension is only natural. The 
sanctions now in force include: (1) prohibiting all imports from 
North Korea, and Japanese exports of luxury and other items; (2) 
banning North Korean-registered ships from entering Japanese ports; 
(3) barring six senior members of the General Association of Korean 
Residents in Japan (Chongryon) who serve as members of the Supreme 
People's Congress from reentering Japan in principle once they 
return to North Korea; and (4) banning chartered flights between 
Japan and North Korea. 
 
The six senior members are: So Man Sul (Chongryon chairman); Ho 
Chong Man (Chongryon responsible vice chairman); Yang Su Chong 
(Chongryon vice chairman, and chairman of the chamber of Commerce 
and Industry); Kim So Cha (chairperson of the Women's Alliance); Pak 
Hui Tok (Chongryon Economic Committee vice chairman); and Chang 
Pyong Tae (Korean University president). A rumor is going on that 
Pak visited North Korea in May and June this year. He was allowed to 
reenter Japan because he wrote not North Korea but China as his 
destination, leaving no record of visiting the North on his reentry 
permit card. As shown by this case, this sanction measure seems to 
have been emasculated in effect. 
 
The families' group and the rescue association have insisted that if 
North Korea continues to try to buy time, Japan should slap 
additional sanctions on it. Families of abduction victims have been 
calling for tougher policy measures against North Korea. I hope that 
Prime Minister Aso, while keeping their calls in mind, will decide 
to take extra sanctions, including measures: to prohibit all exports 
from Japan; ban port calls by foreign ships chartered by the North; 
cancel the system to allow Korean residents in Japan to visit North 
Korea with no restrictions; and Japan's own financial sanctions. I 
expect the prime minister will make this decision. 
 
(7) President Bush sends letter of appreciation to woman in Okinawa 
who wrote his name in Japanese calligraphy 
 
OKINAWA TIMES (Page 3) (Full) 
October 22, 2008 
 
"Thank you for the beautiful calligraphy of my name." Kunie Takezaki 
(48), a Japanese calligraphy teacher in Oyama, Ginowan City, 
recently received a signed letter from U.S. President Bush with 
 
TOKYO 00002963  010 OF 010 
 
 
these words.  The letter was sent in appreciation for her letter and 
a hanging scroll with Japanese calligraphy of the President's name 
that Ms. Takezaki had written.  Having received the letter by way of 
the Consulate General, Ms. Takezaki said in surprise, "I never 
imagined that the President would actually reply to my letter." 
 
In the calligraphy for the name of President George Walker Bush, she 
chose Japanese characters that meant mercy, compassion, king, song, 
dance, and protection. The choice of characters reflected her wish 
for him to be a president (king) who values (protects) culture (song 
and dance) with mercy and compassion. 
 
The signed letter from President Bush reads: "I am grateful for your 
thoughtful gift"; and, "Laura and I send our best wishes." 
 
Ms. Takezaki has been running a private calligraphy school at her 
home since 1985.  She wrote the U.S. President's name in Japanese 
calligraphy in 2006.  At the time, she felt distressed to see some 
of her students, American soldiers, being dispatched to Iraq one 
after another.  She said she had come up with this idea (of writing 
the President's name in calligraphy) to let the U.S. President know 
how she felt (about the war in Iraq).  Ms. Takezaki said, "I am not 
certain how much of my thought was conveyed to the President, but at 
least he read my letter.  I would like to continue to let people 
know the warmth of letters hand-written with a brush through the art 
of calligraphy," renewing her determination to her profession. 
 
SCHIEFFER