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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 13 TOKYO 003370 
 
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 12/11/08 
 
INDEX: 
 
(1) Poll on Aso cabinet, political parties (Asahi) 
 
(2) Poll on Aso cabinet, political parties (Mainichi) 
 
(3) Hidenao Nakagawa turning up heat on prime minister by forming 
two groups of lawmakers critical of Aso (Asahi) 
 
(4) Symposium "Japan's international security activities:" 
Expectations growing for Japan's contributions in war on terror 
(Yomiuri) 
 
(5) Deployment of BMD system proceeds rapidly five years after 
government's decision to introduce (Asahi) 
 
(6) Japan not to ask for FA-18 flight suspension: Nakasone (Okinawa 
Times) 
 
(7) SDP lawmakers call for flight suspension (Okinawa Times) 
 
(8) FA-18 military jet crashes in San Diego: Threats from bases 
continue forever (Ryukyu Shimpo) 
 
(9) Future course of farm lobby votes is up to the WTO (Yomiuri) 
 
ARTICLES: 
 
(1) Poll on Aso cabinet, political parties 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
December 9, 2008 
 
Questions & Answers 
(Figures shown in percentage, rounded off. Bracketed figures denote 
proportions to all respondents. Figures in parentheses denote the 
results of the last survey conducted Nov. 8-9 unless otherwise 
specified.) 
 
Q: Do you support the Aso cabinet? 
 
Yes 22 (37) 
No 64 (41) 
 
Q: Why? (One reason only. Left column for those marking "yes" on 
previous question, and right for those saying "no.") 
 
The prime minister is Mr. Aso 18(4) 9(6) 
It's an LDP-led cabinet 41(9) 18(11) 
From the aspect of policies 18(4) 63(40) 
Cabinet lineup 12(3) 6(4) 
 
Q: Which political party do you support now? 
 
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) 27 (30) 
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) 23 (24) 
New Komeito (NK) 2 (4) 
Japanese Communist Party (JCP) 2 (2) 
Social Democratic Party (SDP or Shaminto) 1 (1) 
People's New Party (PNP or Kokumin Shinto) 0 (0) 
Reform Club (RC or Kaikaku Kurabu) 0 (0) 
New Party Nippon (NPN or Shinto Nippon) 0 (0) 
 
TOKYO 00003370  002 OF 013 
 
 
Other political parties 0 (0) 
None 38 (33) 
No answer (N/A) + don't know (D/K) 7 (6) 
 
Q: Do you think the House of Representatives should be dissolved as 
early as possible for a general election, or do you otherwise think 
there is no need to hurry? (Figures in parentheses denote the 
results of a survey conducted Oct. 25-26.) 
 
Dissolve as early as possible 51 (33) 
No need to hurry 40 (57) 
 
Q: If you were to vote now in a general election for the House of 
Representatives, which political party would you vote for in your 
proportional representation bloc? 
 
LDP 28 (30) 
DPJ 36 (33) 
NK 3 (5) 
JCP 3 (4) 
SDP 2 (1) 
PNP 0 (0) 
RC 0 (0) 
NPN 0 (0) 
Other political parties 1 (1) 
N/A+D/K 27 (26) 
 
Q: Would you like the current LDP-led coalition government to 
continue, or would you otherwise like it to be replaced with a 
DPJ-led coalition government? 
 
LDP-led coalition 29 (29) 
DPJ-led coalition 43 (40) 
 
Q: Which one between Prime Minister Aso and DPJ President Ichiro 
Ozawa do you think is more appropriate for prime minister? 
 
Mr. Aso 30 (49) 
Mr. Ozawa 35 (23) 
 
Q: Do you think Prime Minister Aso can deliver? 
 
Yes 21 
No 68 
 
Q: What do you think about Prime Minister Aso's job performance so 
far? (One choice only) 
 
Beyond expectations 1 
Up to expectations 12 
Short of expectations 44 
No expectations from the start 40 
 
Q: Prime Minister Aso has clarified that he would not present a 
supplementary budget for an additional package of economic stimulus 
measures, including a plan to hand out cash benefits, until the Diet 
opens its ordinary session in January next year. Is this 
convincing? 
 
Yes 23 
No 60 
 
 
TOKYO 00003370  003 OF 013 
 
 
Q: The government has so far curbed the growth of spending on social 
security and cut down spending on public investments for fiscal 
reconstruction. In the budget for next fiscal year, the government 
will give up on this fiscal reconstruction policy and will flexibly 
increase spending on economic stimulus measures. Do you appreciate 
this policy changeover? 
 
Yes 48 
No 35 
 
Polling methodology: The survey was conducted Dec. 6-7 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 2,074 persons (58 PERCENT ). 
 
(2) Poll on Aso cabinet, political parties 
 
MAINICHI (Page 2) (Full) 
December 8, 2008 
 
Questions & Answers 
(T = total; P = previous; M = male; F = female) 
 
Q: Do you support the Aso cabinet? 
 
 T P M F 
Yes 21 (36) 21 22 
No 58 (41) 62 54 
Not interested 19 (21) 16 21 
 
Q: (Only for those who answered "yes" to the above question) Why? 
 
 T P M F 
Because the prime minister is from the Liberal Democratic Party 26 
(16) 24 27 
Because something can be expected of the prime minister's leadership 
19 (33) 17 21 
Because there's something friendly about the prime minister 21 (21) 
24 18 
Because something can be expected of the prime minister's policy 
measures 15 (22) 14 15 
 
Q: (Only for those who answered "no" to the above question) Why? 
 
 T P M F 
Because the prime minister is from the Liberal Democratic Party 6 
(26) 8 4 
Because nothing can be expected of the prime minister's leadership 
27 (13) 24 30 
Because there's something imprudent about the prime minister 20 (16) 
22 20 
Because nothing can be expected of the prime minister's policy 
measures 37 (42) 36 37 
 
Q: Which political party do you support? 
 
 T P M F 
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) 23 (24) 27 21 
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) 24 (27) 28 21 
New Komeito (NK) 5 (5) 3 6 
Japanese Communist Party (JCP) 3 (3) 3 4 
 
TOKYO 00003370  004 OF 013 
 
 
Social Democratic Party (SDP or Shaminto) 1 (2) 1 2 
People's New Party (PNP or Kokumin Shinto) 1 (0) 1 0 
Reform Club (RC or Kaikaku Kurabu) -- (0) -- -- 
New Party Nippon (NPN or Shinto Nippon) 0 (0) -- 0 
Other political parties 1 (2) 1 2 
None 37 (36) 34 39 
 
Q: Who do you think is more appropriate for prime minister between 
Prime Minister Aso and DPJ President Ozawa? 
 
 T P M F 
Prime Minister Aso 19 (40) 19 18 
DPJ President Ozawa 21 (18) 27 17 
Neither is appropriate 54 (40) 51 56 
 
Q: Which one between the LDP and the DPJ would you like to see win 
in the next election for the House of Representatives? 
 
 T P M F 
LDP 29 (36) 29 28 
DPJ 46 (48) 54 39 
Other political parties 16 (12) 11 20 
 
 
Q: If an election were to be held now for the House of 
Representatives, which political party will you vote for in your 
proportional representation bloc? 
 
 T P M F 
LDP 22 (25) 26 20 
DPJ 36 (38) 44 30 
NK 5 (6) 2 7 
JCP 4 (4) 3 5 
SDP 2 (2) 2 2 
PNP 1 (0) 2 0 
RC -- (--) -- -- 
NPN 0 (0) -- 1 
Other political parties 2 (1) 2 2 
Don't know 22 (23) 15 27 
 
Q: The government has decided to present a supplementary budget for 
economic stimulus measures to the ordinary Diet session to be called 
in January next year, not to the current Diet session. Do you 
support this decision? 
 
 T P M F 
Yes 24  24 24 
No 61  69 54 
 
Q: The government plans to start its cash handout of 12,000 yen to 
everyone. Do you appreciate this payout of cash benefits? 
 
 T P M F 
Yes 21  21 22 
No 70  72 67 
 
Q: The House of Representatives' current membership is to expire in 
nine months. When do you think the House of Representatives should 
be dissolved? 
 
 T P M F 
Immediately 28  29 27 
 
TOKYO 00003370  005 OF 013 
 
 
At the beginning of the ordinary Diet session to be called in 
January next year 17  17 17 
In the spring of next year after the next fiscal year budget's 
passage through the Diet 25  29 21 
Around the summer of next year 2  3 1 
No need to dissolve during the current term of office 15  13 16 
 
Q: Prime Minister Aso is criticized in his ruling party for his 
careless remarks or reading errors. What do you think about what he 
says and does? 
 
 T P M F 
Doubt his qualities for prime minister 48  45 50 
Not something to get angry about 42  47 38 
 
(Note) Figures shown in percentage, rounded off. "0" indicates that 
the figure was below 0.5 PERCENT . "--" denotes that no respondents 
answered. "No answer" omitted. Figures in parentheses denote the 
results of the last survey conducted Oct. 18-19. 
 
Polling methodology: The survey was conducted Dec. 6-7 over the 
telephone across the nation on a computer-aided random digit 
sampling (RDS) basis. A total of 1,615 households with one or more 
eligible voters were sampled. Answers were obtained from 1,031 
persons (64 PERCENT ). 
 
(3) Hidenao Nakagawa turning up heat on prime minister by forming 
two groups of lawmakers critical of Aso 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
December 11, 2008 
 
Former Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Secretary General Hidenao 
Nakagawa, who feels he has been treated unkindly by Prime Minister 
Taro Aso, has now swung into action to counter Aso's administration. 
Recently, the prime minister has suddenly lost sway over the junior 
and mid-level LDP lawmakers, who are now turning toward Nakagawa. 
Some observers believe that Nakagawa's move is aimed at setting the 
stage for replacing Aso as prime minister, and even may even involve 
the future goal of political realignment. 
 
On Dec. 9, a group of LDP lawmakers defending the goal of postal 
privatization met at party headquarters. Nakagawa, who was sitting 
in the meeting next to former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, rose 
to state strongly: "There will be a new horizon for Japan and the 
LDP once we move the Koizumi reform agenda ahead. If we backslide, 
there will only be a steep cliff ahead." A junior member of the 
Machimura faction who attended the meeting said: "Mr. Nakagawa's 
eyes sparkled in the meeting. That means his turn has now come." 
 
Appearing on a television program on Dec. 7, Nakagawa talked about 
the possibility of political realignment in even more specific 
terms. He indicated he is going to form another group of LDP members 
interesting in social security affairs. The group will be joined by 
such members as former Administrative Reform Minister Yoshimi 
Watanabe, who has been highly critical of Aso, and former Defense 
Minister Yuriko Koike. A person close to Nakagawa said that the 
group's policy would become a basis for debate with the opposition 
party Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) in the future. 
 
Nakagawa fielded Koike as a candidate in the last LDP presidential 
race, but his maneuvering ended in failure. In addition, former 
 
TOKYO 00003370  006 OF 013 
 
 
Prime Minister Koizumi, his backer, has announced that he would 
retire from the political world. Since Aso has been advocating a 
review of the Koizumi reform initiative, Nakagawa had been forced to 
reduce his political activities. The party's National Vision Project 
Headquarters, which was regarded as the Nakagawa group's stronghold, 
has been in a dormant state at the instruction of Aso. Nakagawa 
remains as deputy chair of the headquarters, however. 
 
In the wake of the Aso cabinet's support ratings plummeting, those 
junior and mid-level LDP members with close ties to Nakagawa are now 
calling on him to regain his footing. One member noted: "The LDP 
will suffer a severe setback in the next election. We must block the 
anti-reform movement." 
 
Nakagawa intends to meet with the prime minister. On his web, 
Nakagawa wrote: 
 
"The sharp decline in support ratings for the cabinet in the polls 
mean that the public is urging Prime Minister Aso to carry out 
reforms. If I have a chance to meet with Prime Minister Aso, I will 
convey that to him." 
 
For Nakagawa, a meeting with Aso would give him an advantage to show 
party unity to the LDP and other parties, while promoting the reform 
policy drive that junior and mid-level party lawmakers are 
expecting. If Aso backpedals on the reform drive, it will be easy 
for Nakagawa to find a reason to come up with a candidate to compete 
for Aso's post. 
 
A Nakagawa aide said: 
 
"With the cabinet's plummeting approval rates in the polls, there is 
a possibility of speeding up the date for next presidential 
election. Mr. Nakagawa is waiting for the right timing to take the 
lead in carrying out reform policy. His meeting with the prime 
minister could become the groundwork for that." 
 
However, persons close to the prime minister, realizing Nakagawa's 
intent, are alarmed about setting up such a meeting between Aso and 
Nakagawa. 
 
(4) Symposium "Japan's international security activities:" 
Expectations growing for Japan's contributions in war on terror 
 
YOMIURI (Page 13) (Full) 
December 10, 2008 
 
In the symposium "Japan's international security activities" held 
yesterday, many participants called for Japan's contributions to 
help reconstruct Afghanistan and to contain piracy in waters off 
Somalia, Africa. 
 
Dispatch of troops to Afghanistan 
 
Among the ambassadors and chiefs of missions of eight countries that 
have been involved in the war on terror in Afghanistan, U.S. 
Ambassador Thomas Schieffer was the most eager to urge Japan to 
expand its contributions to fight terrorism. 
 
Schieffer stated: "Under the incoming Obama administration, Japan 
bashing will not occur because it understands that strengthening 
ties with Japan will serve U.S. interests." He indicated that it 
 
TOKYO 00003370  007 OF 013 
 
 
would be indispensable for Japan to expand its reconstruction 
assistance to Afghanistan in order to establish a solid relationship 
with the Obama administration, which will shift priority from Iraq 
to Afghanistan. The ambassador also raised this question: "Why is 
Japanese civilians' participation in a Provisional Reconstruction 
Team (PRT) impossible?" 
 
Japan announced a plan in 2002 to disburse 2 billion dollars in 
reconstruction aid and has steadily implemented the plan since then. 
Since 2001, the Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) has refueled 
naval vessels engaged in the Maritime Interception Operation (MIO) 
aimed at rooting out terrorism in the Indian Ocean. Pakistan's 
Charge d'Affairs Imtiaz Ahmad commented: "Due to Japan's assistance, 
we can carry out activities." But the security situation in 
Afghanistan, which is said to be the base of terrorist groups such 
as al-Qaeda has been significantly deteriorating. Among the troops 
dispatched from 40 countries to that country, almost 1,000 have been 
killed. Afghanistan Ambassador to Japan Haron Amin emphasized: 
"(Terrorist groups and the anti-government forces) have not been 
contained yet." 
 
Some presented opinions focusing on the need for Japan to offer 
assistance to Afghanistan in order to maintain relations with the 
U.S. Canadian Ambassador Jonathan Fried commented: "Japan must be 
aware of the need to cooperate with the rest of the world in 
countering current terror threats and ensuring security. 
 
Anti-piracy measures 
 
Japan's lack of anti-piracy measures was also criticized. Waters off 
Somalia, including Gulf of Aden, are an important sea route leading 
to the Suez Canal. NYK Line Chairman Takao Kusakari distributed to 
the participants copes of data showing that 138 attack cases 
involving pirates off Somalia were reported from the beginning of 
this year through the end of November and that 2,300 Japanese 
commercial freighters pass through the route every year, with 13-16 
vessels navigating all the time. Kusakari said that it would take 
time to have the Japan Coast Guard involved in anti-piracy 
operations or to enact new legislation. He then emphasized: "I 
understand it is possible to dispatch MSDF troops by issuing an 
order for maritime patrol action under the Self-Defense Force Law. 
 
Navy ships from 15 countries, including the U.S., Britain, and 
France, have been deployed off Somalia. In Japan, the Comprehensive 
Ocean Policy Office in the Cabinet Office is working out anti-piracy 
measures, focusing on new legislation. A suprapartisan group of 
junior lawmakers is also drawing up a special measures law aimed to 
deal with only piracy off Somalia, but no progress has been made. 
There was a scene in which Akihiko Tanaka, professor at the 
University of Tokyo, was pressed to reply to a question by 
Ambassador Schieffer asking why Japan cannot protect vessels. He 
answered: "If a certain nation's government or a state-like entity 
is behind the ship that launched an attack, the issue of the right 
to collective self-defense will arise." 
 
Former Finance Minister Masajuro Shiokawa said that discussion on 
anti-piracy measures in Japan has been delayed due to political 
problems. Certainly, the management of state affairs is becoming 
difficult under the politically divided Diet situation. Even so, the 
government, in the face of challenges that must be addressed 
promptly, must continue to make efforts to obtain public 
understanding. British Ambassador David Warren said in the seminar: 
 
TOKYO 00003370  008 OF 013 
 
 
"It is imperative to constantly explain that participation in 
international contributions will be in both national and 
international interests." 
 
(5) Deployment of BMD system proceeds rapidly five years after 
government's decision to introduce 
 
ASAHI (Page 3) (Abridged) 
December 11, 2008 
 
Hitoshi Kadokura, Fumiaki Sonoyama, Kunikazu Tanita 
 
It has been five years since the government decided to introduce a 
ballistic missile defense (BMD) system in 2003. The Self-Defense 
Forces and the U.S. military has been making preparations at a fast 
pace. Surveillance functions of Japan and the United States are 
concentrated in Aomori Prefecture. Five U.S. destroyers are deployed 
at Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture. Despite many challenges, the 
deployment of the system in Japan is proceeding rapidly. 
 
Aomori 
 
The question is how to intercept in the air a missile warhead 
falling from outside the atmosphere before landing on the earth. The 
deployment of the BMD system by the governments of Japan and the 
United States started following an incident in 1998 in which the 
North Korean ballistic missile Taepodong flew over Japan and fell 
into waters off the Sanriku coast. 
 
Japan made a cabinet decision in December 2003 to introduce the BMD 
system from the United States. Believing that North Korea has been 
developing ballistic missiles capable of reaching the continental 
United States, Japan has been pushing ahead with the BMD plan by 
allowing specialized U.S. troops to station in Japan in close 
cooperation with the United States. 
 
A launched North Korean missile reportedly can reach Japan in 10 
minutes. It is vital to detect and track a fired missile speedily 
while determining where and when it will land. 
 
There are three early-warning and surveillance functions in Aomori. 
The prefecture was picked possibly because it sits directly east of 
North Korea's test missile launch site. 
 
FPS-5 radar, an integral part of the missile shield, is under 
construction at the snow-covered Air Self-Defense Base at the top of 
879-meter Mt. Kamabuse overlooking Mutsu Bay on the Shimokita 
Peninsula. A 30-meter triangular structure with an 18-meter-diameter 
antenna is scheduled to become a permanent fixture in the 
quasi-national park in 2010. 
 
The U.S. military's cutting-edge system also exists in Aomori. The 
U.S. Army installed X-band radar at the ASDF detachment base in 
Tsugaru on the Tsugaru Peninsula in June 2006 and the Joint Tactical 
Ground Station (JTAGS) at U.S. Misawa Air Base on the Pacific side 
in October 2007. 
 
The trailing-type 12-meter X-band radar can detect the configuration 
of a missile warhead 500 to 1,000 kilometers ahead. 
Computer-assisted JTAGS projects a missile's trajectory and its 
landing spot based on data from U.S. early-warning satellites. 
 
 
TOKYO 00003370  009 OF 013 
 
 
JTAGS officially became operational in January 2008. Brig. Gen. John 
¶E. Seward, who is responsible for JTAGS, proudly said: "It shows the 
United States' wishes to bring peace to this region." 
 
Speedy developments for the deployment of the system are causing 
perplexity among local residents. Former city assemblyman Kiyohiko 
Yamada, 51, commented: "Local residents might be targeted by a 
ballistic missile or terrorists." 
 
Yokosuka 
 
Japan has the two-layer missile shield with a PAC-3 ground-to-air 
missile designed to shoot down an incoming ballistic missile that 
escaped an SM-3 missile outside of the earth's atmosphere fired from 
an Aegis-vessel. The SDF plans to deploy four Aegis vessels (BMD 
vessels) carrying SM-3s and 16 PAC-3 air defense missile units by 
the end of fiscal 2011. 
 
Many U.S interceptor units are deployed at Yokosuka Naval Base. The 
United States has 18 BMD vessels, of them 16 are on the Pacific 
side. Armed with five such vessels, Yokosuka is the largest base 
outside of the United States. A senior U.S. Navy officer implied 
that the BMD vessels at Yokosuka were prepared for China and other 
countries, saying, "They are not just for North Korea." He also 
noted: "Even if there are U.S. BMD vessels in the Sea of Japan, they 
are not necessarily for the defense of Japan." 
 
Such was proven by U.S. vessels' moves in the wake of the firing of 
seven ballistic missiles in succession by North Korea in July 2006. 
According to the logbooks obtained by the NPO Peace Depot, at the 
time, the U.S. MBD vessels were carrying out activities in the Sea 
of Japan and in waters off the Pacific Ocean with the Tsugaru 
Straights in between. 
 
Their positions were directly under the course connecting the North 
Korea's launching site and Hawaii. It was clear that their objective 
was to deal with missiles fired at the United States. 
 
Military expert Shoji Fukuyoshi took this view: "Intercept 
technology is incomplete, and Japan and the United States are in the 
process of repeating tests to ensure the system works properly. 
Japan provides a venue for the United States to train its troops and 
conduct technical tests in a tense atmosphere under a real threat. 
Japan allows the United States to kill two birds with one stone." 
 
Challenges of effectiveness and budget 
 
The introduction of BMD involves many challenges, such as 
cost-effectiveness and securing the budget. 
 
In November, the Maritime Self-Defense Force conducted its second 
intercept test in Hawaii using an MS-3. The test failed because the 
missile lost sight of the target before intercepting it. The U.S. 
Navy has conducted 15 tests, three of which have failed. A senior 
Defense Ministry official responsible for the system said about the 
certainty of interception: "Theoretically, it's possible to 
intercept fired missiles, but in reality, (certainty) is unknown." 
 
Securing the budget is also a major challenge. The government 
estimates the cost at 800 billion to 1 trillion yen between fiscal 
2004 and 2010. The government has yet to reach a conclusion on how 
far Japan will go along with the United States' technical 
 
TOKYO 00003370  010 OF 013 
 
 
innovation. 
 
How to deal with U.S.-bound missiles also remains undecided. Under 
the former Abe administration, a special council was set up to 
discuss whether or not intercepting a U.S.-bound missile constituted 
the use of right to collective self-defense. In June this year, 
under the previous Fukuda administration, the council produced a 
report allowing the use of the right, but a decision has yet to be 
made. 
 
(6) Japan not to ask for FA-18 flight suspension: Nakasone 
 
OKINAWA TIMES (Page 2) (Full) 
December 11, 2008 
 
Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone, attending the House of 
Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee yesterday, indicated that 
Japan would not ask the United States to suspend the flights of 
FA-18 fighter jets in Japan. Nakasone was replying to a question 
asked by Kantoku Teruya, a House of Representatives member of the 
Social Democratic Party, regarding the recent crash of a U.S. Marine 
Corps FA-18D fighter jet in the suburbs of San Diego, California. 
 
Senior Vice Foreign Minister Shintaro Ito, also at the committee 
meeting, revealed that the Japanese government has asked the U.S. 
government to provide information in a timely manner and take all 
possible measures to ensure safety in aircraft operations. "They 
answered that they will take all possible measures again to ensure 
safety in aircraft operations," Ito said. 
 
Teruya noted that FA-18 fighter jets have flown on a flight training 
mission to the U.S. Kadena Air Base from the Iwakuni base in 
Yamaguchi Prefecture. "People in Okinawa Prefecture are trembling 
with fear," Teruya said. "The government should call on the United 
States to suspend training at the Kadena base until they find out 
the cause of the accident," he stressed. 
 
Nakasone stated: "It's important to ensure the safety of aircraft 
operations. The government will (continue to) make a strong request 
to take all possible measures to ensure safety in their flight 
operations." However, he also stated that the government does not 
intend at this point to request flight suspension. 
 
(7) SDP lawmakers call for flight suspension 
 
OKINAWA TIMES (Page 2) (Full) 
December 11, 2008 
 
TOKYO-In the wake of the crash of a U.S. Marine Corps FA-18D fighter 
jet in the suburbs of San Diego, California, Kantoku Teruya, a House 
of Representatives member of the Social Democratic Party, and 
Tokushin Yamauchi, a House of Councillors member of the party, 
called yesterday on Takehiro Funakoshi, director of the Status of 
U.S. Forces Agreement Division at the Foreign Ministry. In their 
meeting, the two SDP lawmakers requested the government propose to 
the United States that it suspend the flights of similar aircraft 
(in Okinawa Prefecture) until the cause of the accident is cleared 
up. 
 
Funakoshi explained: "If the accident resulted from a structural 
problem of that aircraft, we will then propose suspending flights. 
At this point, however, they say they have not discovered anything 
 
TOKYO 00003370  011 OF 013 
 
 
that implies such a structural cause. They have not taken action to 
suspend flights." He added that the government has no intention at 
this point to propose suspending flights. 
 
After making the request, Teruya said: "At any rate, they have not 
yet cleared up the cause of the accident. If they continue to make 
flights, local residents living near the base will always have to 
fear the possibility of a crash. There is also the problem of 
aircraft noise, so the government should take quick action and hold 
negotiations with a strong resolve." 
 
(8) FA-18 military jet crashes in San Diego: Threats from bases 
continue forever 
 
RYUKYU SHIMPO (Page 2) (Full) 
December 11, 2008 
 
The military is tasked with protecting the people in times of 
emergency but claims lives during a training exercise in peacetime. 
Such a contradictory event occurred in the U.S., not only in 
Okinawa. 
 
An FA-18 Hornet military jet crashed in flames in a San Diego 
neighborhood on Dec. 8. The crash destroyed three houses, killing or 
injuring four people, including children. 
 
While on a training flight, the jet reportedly lost balance just 
before landing at U.S. Marine Corps Air Stations Miramar, 3 
kilometers away from the accident site. 
 
The accident site is a peaceful residential area and is designated 
as a school zone. Learning of the crash, many people of Okinawa must 
have remembered the disastrous scene when a U.S. military helicopter 
crashed onto the campus of Okinawa International University four 
years ago. 
 
The crash in the U.S. is not the sort of incident the people of 
Okinawa can just ignore. On the day when the incident occurred, 
about 35 fighters, including FA-18 jets, flew over the main island 
of Okinawa and its vicinity as part of quick-response training. The 
training should have been cancelled. 
 
The Navy inspected its entire fleet of FA-18 Hornets starting in 
November after fatigue cracks were found in an aileron hinge of a 
FA-18 plane. After the inspections, the Navy had to ground ten 
aircraft and impose flight restrictions on 20 others. 
 
The U.S. Navy has allowed the defected model to conduct training 
flights before the cause of the incident has been pinned down. The 
stance of the governments of the U.S. and Japan giving tacit 
approval of the training is impermissible. 
 
Since Okinawa was returned to Japan, 459 incidents involving U.S. 
military planes (as of the end of 2007) have been reported. There 
were more than 40 crashes. These accidents cost the lives of many 
U.S. soldiers, and prefectural people also have had to make 
sacrifices. 
 
A senior member of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in suburban San 
Diego made this comment about three years ago: "Since training is 
fraught with potential risks of accident, our base is located behind 
a mountain, seen from the residential areas." He was keeping in mind 
 
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Futenma Air Station and Kadena Air Base. But the incident in San 
Diego took people's lives. Why have the people of Okinawa been 
pressed to live across a fence from a dangerous military base? 
 
It is now necessary for the governments of Japan and the U.S. to 
give a clear-cut explanation on why training with defective planes 
has been approved. 
 
(9) Future course of farm lobby votes is up to the WTO 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Almost full) 
December 11, 2008 
 
"We have a very, very important election close at hand. Even though 
the cabinet has a bad reputation, please remember that lawmakers 
here are fighting at the risk of their political lives." 
 
Koji Futada, chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) 
Research Commission on Trade in Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing 
Products, on December 9 made that statement at the top of his voice 
in front of an audience of about 3,000 farmers. Participants were 
all wearing headbands carrying a slogan "Protect Japan's food and 
agriculture!!" 
 
It was an emergency national rally of representatives for measures 
on the World Trade Organization (WTO) agricultural talks held at an 
open air concert hall in Hibiya, Tokyo. Moves to press Japan to open 
its agricultural market were mounting at the WTO. Alarmed about the 
situation, the Central Union of Agricultural Cooperatives 
(JA-Zenchu) and the National Confederation of Organizations of 
Farmers and Agricultural Movement (Noseiren), its political body, 
hosted the rally. 
 
The rally was joined by 117 lawmakers of the ruling parties, 
including such agricultural policy experts as former Agriculture 
Minister Yoshio Yatsu and former Secretary General Koichi Kato, as 
well as Futada. They all appeared on the stage, wearing the same 
headbands the other participants were brandishing. 
 
Three causes for supporters moving away from LDP 
 
Agriculture, forestry and fisheries-related organizations have 
consistently supported the Liberal Democratic Party. Noseiren had 
the candidate it supported elected in the Upper House election last 
summer, in which the LDP suffered a devastating defeat, by garnering 
about 450,000 votes in the proportional representation system. 
Though it is losing its organizational power, its vote-collecting 
potential in the next Lower House election is still attractive. 
 
The LDP on the morning of the same day held a meeting of the 
Research Commission on Trade in Agricultural, Forestry and Fisheries 
Products, inviting executives of JA-Zenchu to its headquarters. 
Sixteen lawmakers who were present at the meeting all asked to make 
statements. Former Agriculture Minister Norihiko Akagi categorically 
said, "If an agreement disadvantageous to Japan is reached at the 
WTO, the LDP would collapse." An official from the agriculture 
ministry explained the government policy toward a ministerial 
meeting to be held under the Doha Round. Those lawmakers shouted at 
him, "Optimistic," and "Lukewarm." 
 
Research Council Executive Director Koya Nishikawa asked speakers to 
mention their constituencies and names, saying, "Today we have 
 
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participants representing various organizations." He made sure to 
have them introduce the names of lawmakers who remained in the 
meeting until it ended. 
 
There is fear that such efforts might come to nothing, depend on the 
future course of the WTO talks. This could become one of the three 
causes of supporters bodies moving away from the LDP along with the 
confusion of local municipalities over the flat-sum cash benefit 
plan and the Japan Medical Association's negative reaction to Prime 
Minister's gaffe. 
 
DPJ observing from vantage point 
 
The Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) is agitating ties between the 
LDP and agricultural organizations. It on November 25 submitted a 
bill amending the Agricultural Cooperative Law, urging that 
agricultural cooperatives must not be used for specific political 
parties. 
 
The bill was drafted at the initiative of Upper House member Tatsuo 
Hirano, former MAFF official. He and his peer lawmakers on the 
morning of the 4th engaged in fierce discussion with JA-Zenchu 
officials. Hirano told them, "JA-Zenchu should refrain from engaging 
in election campaigns, should it?," citing the example that it is 
specified by law that coops should remain politically neutral. The 
JA-Zenchu rebutted Hirano with one saying, "We are a private 
organization. We do not fully understand your view." However, Hirano 
did not mind. That is because some agricultural cooperative members 
sent a complaint to the DPJ, noting that they are fed up with being 
used by the LDP in election campaigns. The DPJ, led by Ozawa, is 
giving priority to visiting each farm household, upholding a slogan 
-- "income compensation for each farm household." 
 
The LDP is having difficulty regarding how to respond to WTO talks. 
One DPJ member said, "We are observing the situation from a vantage 
view. If an agreement is reached as it stands, we will aggressively 
attack the LDP." 
 
SCHIEFFER