VZCZCXRO5403
PP RUEHFK RUEHKSO RUEHNAG RUEHNH
DE RUEHKO #3202/01 3240809
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 190809Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8947
INFO RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEAWJA/USDOJ WASHDC PRIORITY
RULSDMK/USDOT WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J5//
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RHHMHBA/COMPACFLT PEARL HARBOR HI
RHMFIUU/HQ PACAF HICKAM AFB HI//CC/PA//
RHMFIUU/USFJ //J5/JO21//
RUYNAAC/COMNAVFORJAPAN YOKOSUKA JA
RUAYJAA/CTF 72
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 3436
RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 1077
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 4865
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 9092
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 1646
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 6486
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 2482
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2624

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 09 TOKYO 003202 
 
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 11/20/08 
 
INDEX: 
 
(1) Editorial: APEC is a good opportunity for Japan to demonstrate 
its presence (Nikkei) 
 
(2) Editorial: M&As of foreign companies taking advantage of high 
yen (Nikkei) 
 
(3) Financial crisis: Neutral Japan served to produce agreement in 
G-20 summit, giving consideration to emerging countries (Tokyo 
Shimbun) 
 
(4) Chairman, vice chairmen of Japanese Society for History Textbook 
Reform found to have given lectures at Joint Staff College (Akahata) 
 
 
(5) Gov. Nakaima asks premier to consider local residents over 
Futenma relocation (Okinawa Times) 
 
(6) Okinawa needs to transmit vision to Obama administration: 
security forum (Okinawa Times) 
 
(7) ASDF displays cluster bomb before banned; ASDF hates to give up 
'satanic weapons' (Tokyo Shimbun) 
 
(8) Anger, alert to terrorism (Sankei) 
 
ARTICLES: 
 
(1) Editorial: APEC is a good opportunity for Japan to demonstrate 
its presence 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
November 20, 2008 
 
An Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum meeting joined by 
21 Pacific-Rim nations has started in Lima, Peru. The Pacific Rim is 
the center of the global economic growth. It is significant for 
leaders and cabinet ministers of the region to gather at a time when 
the financial crisis is jolting the world. 
 
The major focus of attention at the meeting is what approach to take 
to the financial crisis. Participants in the G-20 emergency 
financial summit, held last weekend, agreed to take various 
concerted actions in order to overcome the crisis. APEC member 
nations are also urged to come up with strong determination to 
stabilize the financial market in a cooperative manner. 
 
It is difficult to expect the U.S. to display strong leadership, as 
a change in government will occur shortly there. APEC should serve 
as the best opportunity for Japan to demonstrate its presence to the 
international community. We want to see Prime Minister Taro Aso face 
the summit with the determination to lead discussions and bring 
together the various opinions. 
 
When APEC was launched in 1989, Japan along with Australia played a 
leading role. Japan must not forget that enthusiasm, with which it 
set up a cooperative mechanism at a time when trade friction between 
Japan and the U.S. was fierce. 
 
While the G-20 is a forum for industrialized countries and emerging 
countries, APEC is a framework for region-based economic 
 
TOKYO 00003202  002 OF 009 
 
 
cooperation. In order to stabilize the global economy as a whole, it 
is necessary for each region in the world to boost stability. 
 
The APEC region, whose economy accounts for about 60 PERCENT  of the 
global economy, is no doubt especially important. East Asia, the 
center of the APEC region, is called the growth center of the global 
economy, and yet its financial infrastructure, such as the bond 
market, has yet to be fully consolidated. There should be many tasks 
requiring deep discussion. 
 
Stabilizing the financial system is not the only focus of attention. 
Now is the time to formulate measures to fortify the real economy. 
In order for that, it is essential to strengthen the free trade 
system whereby various countries open their markets and mutually 
provide new demand and business opportunities. 
 
The multilateral free trade talks (Doha Round) under the World Trade 
Organization (WTO) are at a standstill. We should view this 
situation as very dangerous, as it will give rise to a rise of 
protectionism. We expect APEC leaders to stand together and indicate 
a strong will to bring progress in talks. 
 
At the same time, it is necessary to purse in-depth discussion on 
trade liberalization in the APEC region. The value of trade within 
the region amounts to 11 trillion dollars a year, accounting for 
about 50 PERCENT  of global trade. In order to prevent the global 
economy from falling into an even more serious situation, APEC must 
speed up efforts for trade liberalization and economic cooperation. 
 
(2) Editorial: M&As of foreign companies taking advantage of high 
yen 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
November 20, 2008 
 
Mergers and acquisitions of foreign companies by Japanese companies 
are on the increase. Mitsubishi Rayon and NTT DOCOMO decided to buy 
or invest in foreign companies last week. Kirin Holdings revealed a 
proposal for acquiring an Australian soft drink maker, following the 
earlier agreement to buy an Australian dairy product manufacturer. 
These cases are worth noting as moves by Japanese companies to 
accelerate globalization. 
 
Japanese companies lacked visibility in the global M&A boom over the 
past several years. However, the situation has changed recently. The 
global M&A market is in a slump due to the financial crisis. 
However, the desire of Japanese companies to purchase foreign 
companies has grown even stronger. 
 
According to Thomson Reuter, a leading U.S. financial information 
service provider, the total amount of acquisitions of and investment 
in foreign companies by Japanese companies between the beginning of 
this year and mid-November reached 62.6 billion dollars, 3.7 times 
higher than the corresponding period the year before. While M&As 
throughout the world have dropped 40 PERCENT  from the previous 
year's level, Japan's aggressive activities in this area have been 
noticeable. 
 
One reason for that is the strong yen. The strong yen is an 
impediment for the Japanese economy, which relies on exports. 
However, it works favorably for purchases of foreign companies. That 
is because the strong yen boosts the yen's purchasing power, 
 
TOKYO 00003202  003 OF 009 
 
 
enabling purchases of foreign companies at lower costs. 
 
Another reason is the financial crisis, which is gripping the world. 
While European and U.S. companies and investment funds are running 
short of funds due to serious credit crunches, Japanese companies 
are flush with cash. Since they have enough cash in hand to buy 
foreign companies, their presence has increased. Trading houses and 
leading companies are reportedly receiving more M&A offers from 
overseas M&A brokers. 
 
A wide variety of companies are in the list of companies that 
acquired or invested in foreign companies. Food manufacturers, such 
as Kirin Holdings, have until recently targeted the domestic market. 
However, they are now searching for new opportunities abroad amid 
the declining birthrate and the aging society on the domestic front. 
With the acquisition of a British company, Mitsubishi Rayon has 
become the largest acrylic resin material manufacturer in the world. 
It plans to strengthen its business base. 
 
In some cases, M&As involve the risk of failure. NTT DOCOMO, which 
will invest more than 260 billion yen in Tata Teleservices of India, 
has had the bitter experience of having reported huge losses from 
investments in Europe and the U.S. A challenge for companies is to 
make sure that their M&As of foreign companies will lead to growth 
of their own companies. 
 
(3) Financial crisis: Neutral Japan served to produce agreement in 
G-20 summit, giving consideration to emerging countries 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 1) (Full) 
November 20, 2008 
 
"Only Japan made specific proposals. Thank you." The leaders of 
emerging countries expressed their gratitude to Prime Minister Taro 
Aso during break time on the noon of Nov. 15 at a financial 
emergency summit of the Group of 20 (G-20) nations, including Japan, 
the U.S., European countries, and emerging nations. 
 
Japan announced that it would offer 10 trillion yen in loans to the 
International Monetary Fund (IMF), which serves as a "breakwater" to 
prevent states from collapsing in the fallouts of the financial 
crisis. For emerging countries, which Indian Prime Minister Manmohan 
Singh called "the most serious victims of the financial crisis," 
Japan's plan appeared to be a very effective assistance measure. 
 
High on the agenda at the latest summit was the issue of 
strengthening international regulations and supervision of financial 
institutions. European countries insisted that the authority to 
monitor and regulate the activities of financial institutions should 
be given to the IMF, but the U.S. strongly opposed this idea. 
Emerging countries fiercely reacted to moves led by Western 
countries. In the summit that brought together the leaders of these 
countries, it was not easy to reach a conclusion. But Japan, 
stepping away from this leadership struggle, proposed utilizing the 
Financial Stabilization Forum (FSF) composed of industrialized 
countries' financial and fiscal authorities. Japan's proposals were 
largely reflected in a declaration issued at the end of the summit. 
 
Japan played a mediatory role between industrialized and emerging 
countries in the financial summit, focusing on "the real power" of 
emerging countries. The report issued by the IMF on gross domestic 
product (GDP) for 2009 estimates the average GDP growth rate of 
 
TOKYO 00003202  004 OF 009 
 
 
emerging countries at over 5 PERCENT , though noting growth would 
slow down, while it predicts that industrialized countries' GDP 
growth would turn negative. 
 
Emerging countries are becoming indispensable for the global 
economy. Hopes have been pinned on them even to play the role of a 
buffer for the economies of industrialized countries, which are 
rapidly losing steams. Because Japan has not been directly affected 
by the financial crisis, it was able to take action without being 
involved in the emotional showdown. 
 
It was only Japan that promised to offer loans to the IMF. Countries 
had anticipated China would also announce a pledge, but it didn't. 
When considering its austere fiscal conditions, it is very difficult 
for Japan to disburse 10 trillion yen. An international monetary 
source said, "Japan's views were accepted, but it was forced to 
pledge to pay money," as usual. 
 
Prime Minister Aso said: "I believe the summit will be regarded as 
historic in the future." Other leaders also emphasized the positive 
results produced at the summit under the G-20 framework. 
 
Even so, it is still unknown whether the G-20 summit will become a 
major framework for the future. A senior government official said 
with this cautious expression after the summit: "There were 
divisions of opinion. It has yet to be decided whether all the 20 
countries would participate in the next round and what members would 
attend." Another negotiator also commented: "We had decided not to 
call the summit meeting 'G-20 summit', because it is not an 
established mechanism." 
 
The G-20 leaders agreed to hold their second meeting by the end of 
April and confirmed to what extent their efforts make progress in 
containing the crisis, but the cause of the conflict between the 
industrialized and emerging countries has yet to be completely 
removed. 
 
(4) Chairman, vice chairmen of Japanese Society for History Textbook 
Reform found to have given lectures at Joint Staff College 
 
AKAHATA (Page 15) (Full) 
November 19, 2008 
 
It was learned on Nov. 18 that three university professors, who had 
given lectures at the Joint Staff College for senior officers of the 
Self-Defense Forces (SDF), were at that time chairman and vice 
chairmen of the nationalistic Japanese Society for History Textbook 
Reform, which glorifies Japan's aggressive war. The three lectured 
on views of history and the state. 
 
The course was created in 2004, when Toshio Tamogami, former Air 
Self-Defense Force chief of staff, was president of the Joint Staff 
College. Tamogami was recently dismissed from the ASDF chief of 
staff post over his essay justifying Japan's aggressive war. 
 
Akahata reported on Nov. 11 that one of the three professors is 
Taisho University Prof. Atsushi Fukuchi, who was vice chairman of 
the Japanese Society for History Textbook Reform. 
 
The two other professors, whose names were unveiled this time, are 
Hidetsugu Yagi, professor at Takasaki City University of Economics, 
and Akinori Takamori, guest professor at Takushoku University. 
 
TOKYO 00003202  005 OF 009 
 
 
Takamori and Fukuchi have taught at the college since 2004, and Yagi 
has been a lecturer since 2005. 
 
In response to a request for an interview by this newspaper, Yagi 
said: "I have given many lectures at study sessions of the SDF on a 
voluntary basis. I don't remember whether I lectured at the Joint 
Staff College." 
 
Yagi was the third chairman of the Japanese Society for History 
Textbook Reform. 
 
On an SDF television broadcast program, Takato Sakagawa, former 
Joint Staff College Education Division chief and former Maritime 
Self-Defense Force Rear Admiral, said: "I and College President 
Tamogami made the curriculum of the course. On the TV program, 
Sakagawa explained about views of history and the state using a flip 
chart he made based on explanations by Yagi. 
 
At that time, Takamori was vice chairman of the Japanese Society for 
History Textbook Reform. PHP's homepage, which is called PHP 
Interface, writes that Takamori takes charge of the course on views 
of history and the state at Joint Staff College. Regarding this, PHP 
says that since its homepage reprinted Takamori's background from 
his book called Book About Successive Emperors (published by PHP 
Bunko Books), it believes that Takamori looked at its homepage. 
 
(5) Gov. Nakaima asks premier to consider local residents over 
Futenma relocation 
 
OKINAWA TIMES (Page 2) (Abridged) 
November 20, 2008 
 
TOKYO-The government held a meeting of governors yesterday at the 
prime minister's office. In the meeting, Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu 
Nakaima asked Prime Minister Taro Aso to consider Okinawa and listen 
to local views about the planned relocation of the U.S. military's 
Futenma airfield. "If so," Nakaima added, "there will be no problem 
about the current direction." With this, Nakaima asked for the 
government's consideration. Aso avoided making a clear statement. 
 
"We have now entered into coordination in a better direction," 
Nakaima said, indicating that there would be progress in the 
realignment of U.S. forces in Japan, including a plan to move U.S. 
Marines from Okinawa to Guam, if the government considers Okinawa's 
views. 
 
Referring to the future return of the sites of U.S. military 
facilities located south of Kadena, Nakaima said: "There are many 
dud shells. If we're going to use these sites actually, it will take 
time and money." With this, he asked the government to respond 
within the framework of postwar settlement. Concerning the 
Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), the governor called 
for revisions to its environment-related provisions. 
 
Aso only said: "The governor has been talking about this. However, 
we do not have an answer right now about this point." 
 
(6) Okinawa needs to transmit vision to Obama administration: 
security forum 
 
OKINAWA TIMES (Page 2) (Full) 
November 20, 2008 
 
TOKYO 00003202  006 OF 009 
 
 
 
The Okinawa Peace Assistance Center (OPAC) held a 29th meeting of 
its security review forum yesterday in Naha City, focusing on the 
Obama administration's policy toward Japan and Japan's diplomacy 
toward the United States. Takashi Kawakami, a professor at Takushoku 
University, and Toshiya Hoshino, a professor at the graduate school 
of Osaka University, were guest speakers. Referring to U.S. military 
base issues, they played up the importance of working out and 
transmitting new ideas from Okinawa to the incoming U.S. 
administration. 
 
Kawakami said Obama would prioritize economic measures and pullout 
from Iraq. When it comes to his administration's Asia policy, he 
said the United States would go no further than to maintain order. 
"If the Aso government cannot do what the United States wants, they 
(U.S.) would approach China," he said. 
 
Kawakami also explained Obama's personnel network, saying, "It's a 
new administration with different values." He also took up the 
realignment of U.S. forces in Japan. In this regard, he said: 
"Everybody is tired in the war of attrition. It's a brand-new 
administration, so you should draw a new picture and present it 
directly from Okinawa." 
 
Hoshino was seconded on loan to the Foreign Ministry from 2006 
through 2008. He explained that he was once assigned to the Japanese 
Mission to the United Nations. Focusing on multilateral diplomacy, 
he suggested the need for Japan to consider not only security but 
also climate change, African development, and the current financial 
crisis in its security arrangements with the United States. 
 
Hoshino also referred to Okinawa, indicating that Okinawa is now 
undergoing a sea change. He said: "The question is how to ride the 
waves of such a big change, so this is a very important time. The 
inconvenient reality Okinawa is now going through is unhealthy for 
the Japan-U.S. alliance." He added: "You should make them recognize 
the importance of Okinawa's role, and then you should try to fix 
such an unhealthy situation. It would be possible to get common 
understanding about that." 
 
(7) ASDF displays cluster bomb before banned; ASDF hates to give up 
'satanic weapons' 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 22) (Abridged) 
November 19, 2008 
 
Cluster bombs disperse their built-in submunitions to kill or wound 
citizens indiscriminately. In May this year, the government agreed 
to an international convention that totally bans such weapons. On 
Oct. 19, however, the Air Self-Defense Force exhibited a cluster 
bomb when the ASDF held a parade at its Hyakuri base in Ibaraki 
Prefecture. The cluster bomb was on display there as a weapon that 
can be mounted on fighter planes. The question is why such an action 
that ignores civilian control occurred. "It shows that the 
Self-Defense Forces still does not want to give up its satanic 
weapons even though Japan is about to sign a ban treaty," one expert 
said, criticizing the ASDF for its display of a cluster bomb. 
 
"The government has now decided to scrap Japan's cluster bombs," 
said Motoaki Kamiura, a journalist on military affairs. "But they 
displayed a cluster bomb there, and this shows that ASDF echelon 
officers think they need cluster bombs," he concluded 
 
TOKYO 00003202  007 OF 009 
 
 
 
Cluster bombs are munitions that contain dozens or hundreds of 
smaller submunitions or bomblets. They are dropped mainly from 
fighter jets, and widely scattered bomblets explode to 
indiscriminately kill or wound people and destroy such weapons as 
tanks. The cluster munitions, however, leave numerous bomblets 
unexploded on the ground, and these unexploded bomblets cause 
tremendous harm to civilians after the battle. The cluster bombs are 
therefore called "satanic weapons." 
 
In Japan, the Air and Ground Self-Defense Forces have cluster 
munitions. The cluster bomb displayed at the Hyakuri base was a type 
that contains about 200 bomblets to kill or wound enemy troops in an 
area that is three times larger than a soccer ground. 
 
In May this year, there was an international conference in Dublin. 
The conference adopted a cluster ban treaty with a concurring vote 
of 107 countries. Japan was reluctant about this treaty out of 
consideration for the United States, which had decided not to join 
the treaty. However, the then prime minister, Yasuo Fukuda, decided 
to support the treaty because Britain and France agreed. In 
December, a signing ceremony will be held in Oslo. 
 
"The recent display of a cluster bomb is almost an infraction of 
civilian control. It was before signing the treaty, so it may not be 
a violation of the treaty. However, it is clearly questionable in 
light of diplomacy." With this, Kamiura criticized the ASDF. 
 
Japan maintains an exclusively defense-oriented policy. Accordingly, 
the ASDF had plans to use cluster bombs in order to repel landing 
enemy troops at the coastline. If cluster bombs are used in Japan, 
local residents living in that area could encounter damage from 
unexploded bomblets after the battle. For all that, the ASDF 
displayed a cluster bomb, which was "almost an infraction of 
civilian control." Why? 
 
Kamiura explained: "Once they have weapons in their hands, they 
don't want to give them up. That's the SDF's mentality. It was clear 
at the time of Mr. Obuchi's decision." 
 
"Mr. Obuchi's decision" dates back to 1997 when the then foreign 
minister, Keizo Obuchi, went ahead with a freeze on antipersonnel 
landmines for a landmine ban treaty in defiance of the GSDF's 
opposition. 
 
In May this year, however, the then ASDF chief of staff, Toshio 
Tamogami, played up the necessity of cluster bombs, saying: "Japan 
is an island country with long coastlines. Cluster bombs are 
effective for defensive purposes." So saying, Tamogami constrained 
then Prime Minister Fukuda to reignite the 11-year-old argument. He 
was responsible for the air review this time. 
 
Kamiura noted: "If you fly a fighter jet and drop a bomb, that would 
be effective in a battle. It's convenient and economical for the 
ASDF. But if you think you should have such weapons because the 
enemy has these weapons, that's the same as the United States that 
remains unable to prohibit guns even though people there are 
becoming increasingly critical of guns." He warned, "This kind of 
mentality will arrive at the advocacy of going nuclear." 
 
(8) Anger, alert to terrorism 
 
 
TOKYO 00003202  008 OF 009 
 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (Full) 
November 20, 2008 
 
The fatal stabbing of a former vice health minister and his wife in 
Saitama and the subsequent knifing of another retired vice health 
minister's wife in Tokyo prompted police authorities to tighten 
security for health and welfare ministry officials yesterday to 
prevent a recurrence. The government suspects serial terrorist 
attacks. The ruling and opposition parties voiced anger and called 
for tightened security. However, there are also many challenges, 
such as how to ensure the safety of former health and welfare 
ministers and pension-related lawmakers. Political circles are also 
shocked all the more because the incidents occurred in the midst of 
public attention to health, welfare, and labor administration over 
pension, healthcare, and nursing care systems. 
 
"We don't know yet if the two incidents targeted government 
officials or specific government offices, so I cannot say anything 
careless. But if we clearly find the two incidents to be terrorism, 
we will take resolute action as a matter of course." This comment 
came from Prime Minister Taro Aso yesterday evening. 
 
The prime minister was dining with New Komeito President Akihiro Ota 
and other coalition party leaders on the evening of Nov. 18 when he 
was informed about the attack of Yasuko Yoshihara, the wife of Kenji 
Yoshihara, a former administrative vice health and welfare minister 
and the former director general of the Social Insurance Agency. Aso 
immediately told Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Iwao Uruma, who is 
from the National Police Agency, to conduct thoroughgoing 
investigations and tighten security. He was going to a hotel bar 
after that. However, one of Aso's aides advised him to go home 
because there were victims. Yesterday morning, Aso gave up taking 
his everyday walk around his private residence as he was asked by 
security police. 
 
The ruling and opposition parties voiced anger at the incidents. The 
ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, the New 
Komeito, held a meeting of their secretaries general and Diet 
affairs committee chairmen. One in the meeting said, "It's 
absolutely unforgivable." Another said, "If pension officials were 
targeted, it's terrorism that challenges democracy, and this is a 
serious problem." 
 
Nothing is still clear about what lies behind the incidents. "I want 
our party's former Health and Welfare Minister Tsutomu Sakaguchi to 
take care as well," New Komeito Diet Affairs Committee Chairman 
Yoshio Urushibara therefore said, asking the police authorities to 
tighten security for former health and welfare ministers. 
 
 
In the meantime, the Health, Welfare and Labor Ministry has advised 
its former ministers in written form to be careful. In the leading 
opposition Democratic Party of Japan (Minshuto), there were also 
worried voices suggesting the need to tighten security for DPJ Vice 
President Naoto Kan, who once served as welfare minister when the 
Hashimoto cabinet was in office. 
 
One LDP lawmaker, once in the post of health, welfare and labor 
minister, was threatened over the telephone two months ago. This 
lawmakers said, "Those engaged in health and welfare administration 
can incur someone's hatred at any time, so we have to be careful." 
Another LDP lawmaker, who has also experienced the health and 
 
TOKYO 00003202  009 OF 009 
 
 
welfare portfolio, said: "It's probably terrorism. I told my wife 
not to answer home delivery." 
 
There is also an LDP lawmaker who was a parliamentary vice health 
and welfare minister and worked with former Vice Health and Welfare 
Minister Takehiko Yamaguchi, who was fatally stabbed. This LDP 
lawmaker said: "I'm really sorry. There were two incidents, so I 
can't think the incidents happened to occur. We must find why." 
 
Meanwhile, former Health and Welfare Minister Yuji Tsushima in the 
LDP said, "If dissatisfaction exploded because of criticism that 
almost cannot appreciate the Health and Welfare Ministry's job, and 
if that led to the unreasonable conduct, it's regrettable." He 
added: "People in the Diet says, 'That is bad, this is bad.' So the 
Diet is to blame. The news media creates such a tendency, so I want 
them to think about it." 
 
The LDP will hold a meeting of its special committee on public 
security today to receive a report from the National Police Agency. 
At the same time, the LDP is also expected to discuss preventive 
measures and security for former health and welfare ministers and 
lawmakers related to health, welfare, and labor administration. 
 
SCHIEFFER