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DE RUEHKO #3492/01 3590119
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 240119Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9665
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 3944
RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 1587
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 5378
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 9526
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 2153
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 6954
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 2972
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3043

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 07 TOKYO 003492 
 
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 12//08 
 
Index: 
 
Soft power: 
1) Government coordinating to make exception to the three no-weapons 
exports principle by granting Yemen patrol boats in order to deal 
with pirates off Somalia  (Tokyo Shimbun) 
2) Japan faces legal hurdles in dispatching MSDF to deal pirates 
threatening shipping lanes off Somalia  (Nikkei) 
3) Second supplementary budget contains 30 billion yen in aid 
earmarked for Afghanistan  (Nikkei) 
4) Japan to provide Palestinians with financing for road 
construction  (Tokyo Shimbun) 
 
5) Prime Minister Aso coordinating a visit to South Korea next month 
 (Yomiuri) 
 
Political agenda: 
6) Prime Minister Aso's unpopularity is strongly affecting the 
Liberal Democratic Party's local organizations  (Yomiuri) 
7) Ambiguous agreement reached between Aso and the New Komeito over 
specific wording about consumption taxes in mid-term program 
(Mainichi) 
8) Government's administrative reform effort is in retreat  (Nikkei) 
 
9) Democratic Party of Japan's (DPJ) environment policy vision 
centered on introducing a green tax  (Yomiuri) 
10) Foreign missions in Japan making contacts with DPJ, eyeing 
possibility of a change in government  (Sankei) 
 
11) Tamogami issue: Defense Ministry reforms to take care that 
insubordination by uniformed personnel does not reoccur  (Nikkei) 
 
12) MOD preparing a defense strategy as part of its reform effort 
(Yomiuri) 
 
Articles: 
 
1) Japan to offer patrol crafts to Yemen against pirates 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 1) (Abridged) 
December 24, 2008 
 
The government is coordinating to offer patrol ships or patrol boats 
to Yemen at its request in order to back up the international 
community's antipiracy efforts in waters off Somalia in the eastern 
part of Africa, government officials revealed yesterday. 
 
Patrol ships and boats-whose armoring is strengthened with 
bulletproof glass-fall under the category of weapons that are 
embargoed under Japan's three principles on weapons exports. 
However, the government will except them from its tripartite 
ordnance embargo. The opposition parties will likely voice concern 
since the three principles may become insubstantial. 
 
This is the second case of offering patrol crafts to a foreign 
country, following the first case that was based on a cabinet 
decision for Indonesia in June 2006. This measure is intended to 
help Yemen improve its maritime security capability, and it is 
expected to be implemented within the framework of nonreimbursable 
funding cooperation (grant aid) for ODA. Yemen will be required to 
promise not to use the crafts for military purposes. 
 
 
TOKYO 00003492  002 OF 007 
 
SUBJECT: JAPANESE MORNING PRESS HIGHLIGHTS 12//08 
 
2) Gov't frets over barriers to MSDF dispatch for antipiracy efforts 
off Somalia 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Abridged) 
December 24, 2008 
 
An increasing number of merchant ships have been attacked by pirates 
that are rampant off Somalia in the eastern part of Africa. The 
government is upset about its incapability of launching any 
effective antipiracy measures. One option is to create a new law to 
send the Maritime Self-Defense Force, but this option seems 
infeasible in the aftermath of intensifying confrontation between 
the ruling and opposition parties in the Diet. Meanwhile, the 
government is also looking into the possibility of sending the MSDF 
within the bounds of a currently existing law or otherwise providing 
indirect support through its official development assistance (ODA) 
programs. These options, however, have many problems to clear. The 
government is therefore getting delayed in its coordination. 
 
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has already been 
conducting security operations in waters off Somalia against 
pirates. China decided early this month to send naval vessels, and 
South Korea is also reportedly considering a similar measure. "China 
is also going to send naval vessels," a senior Foreign Ministry 
official said. "I wonder if only Japan is allowed to do nothing," 
the official added. 
 
The government and the ruling coalition are exploring the option of 
establishing a general or permanent law that allows Japan to crack 
down on pirates on the high seas. However, it will not be easy to 
coordinate with the opposition parties that dominate the House of 
Councillors. As it stands, the government and ruling parties are 
also looking into the possibility of legislating special measures 
that will limit the scope of MSDF activities to areas off Somalia 
since damage from pirates is serious there in particular. 
 
In either case, however, it is certain that the Diet will not enter 
into full-fledged deliberations on relevant bills until after next 
spring when the budget for next fiscal year is expected to clear the 
Diet. It will be around May or June next year even at the earliest 
when Japan can send MSDF vessels, according to a government 
official. 
 
For the time being, the government is exploring the option of 
issuing an order for maritime security operations under the 
Self-Defense Forces Law and sending MSDF vessels or P-3C patrol 
aircraft. However, maritime security operations are originally for 
the SDF to deal with emergencies in waters near Japan. There is a 
view noting that sending MSDF vessels to areas near Africa deviates 
from the law's purport. 
 
In its maritime security operations, the MSDF is allowed to escort 
and guard only Japanese ships. Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada 
raised a question about this option, saying: "When I think of 
international cooperation, I wonder if it's appropriate to consider 
our country's ships only." Another issue is the government's 
constitutional interpretation that prohibits Japan from 
participating in collective self-defense. In this respect, there may 
be cases falling under the notion of collective self-defense. In 
addition, there are many other barriers to get over. 
 
Another idea is to offer patrol ships through ODA programs to Yemen 
 
TOKYO 00003492  003 OF 007 
 
SUBJECT: JAPANESE MORNING PRESS HIGHLIGHTS 12//08 
 
and other coastal countries. This idea, however, could be pursued by 
the opposition parties in connection with Japan's self-imposed three 
principles on arms exports. 
 
3) Government earmarks 30 billion yen in aid to Afghanistan in extra 
budget bill 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
December 23, 2008 
 
In a move to accelerate reconstruction assistance for Afghanistan, 
the government has earmarked 30.1 billion yen (330 million dollars) 
in the second supplementary budget bill for fiscal 2008 to finance 
such assistance measures as strengthening the monitoring structure 
for the Afghan presidential election scheduled for next fall. The 
government finds it difficult to make such full-scale contributions 
as dispatching Self-Defense Force troops to Afghanistan. Given this, 
Japan aims to keep its profile by extending generous financial aid. 
 
The government plans to fund security measures, including one to 
have the presidential election steadily implemented, and food aid. 
The government has so far disbursed approximately 200 million 
dollars in aid to Afghanistan annually on average. In fiscal 2007, 
it contributed about 20 billion yen. But the government, keeping the 
worsening security situation there in mind, has decided to secure an 
amount about 1.5 times that provided in fiscal 2007. 
 
4) Road construction funds to be extended to Palestinian Authority 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) 
December 24, 2008 
 
The government on December 23 decided to extend grant aid worth 89 
million yen for the Livelihood and Road Construction Program of 
Jericho in the Palestinian Autonomous Area on the West Bank district 
of the Jordan River and signed exchange of notes with Palestinian 
Authority Prime Minister Fayed. The deal is part of Japan's concept 
for creating the Corridor for Peace and Prosperity for co-existence 
and co-prosperity between Israel and the Palestinians. 
 
5) Aso starts coordination to visit South Korea next month 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
December 24, 2008 
 
Prime Minister Taro Aso has started coordination to visit South 
Korea, focusing on the three-day weekend starting on Jan.10, 
according to a government source yesterday. Shuttle diplomacy - 
regularized reciprocal visits between the Japanese and South Korean 
leaders - has been suspended due to a dispute over the 
Takeshima/Dokdo islets and other issues. 
 
In the Japan-South Korea summit held on the sidelines of the 
Japan-China-South Korea summit held on Dec. 13, President Lee 
Myung-bak invited Aso to visit his country early next year. The 
prime minister's move is in response to this invitation. 
 
6) LDP local chapters perplexed by prime minister's unpopularity: 
Call for solidarity of headquarters; Moves to directly express their 
disgruntlement 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) 
 
TOKYO 00003492  004 OF 007 
 
SUBJECT: JAPANESE MORNING PRESS HIGHLIGHTS 12//08 
 
December 24, 2008 
 
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) local chapters are 
perplexed by the sharp decline in public approval ratings for the 
Aso cabinet. The party will hold on December 16 in Tokyo a meeting 
of secretaries general and policy research council chairman of local 
chapters from all over the nation. Participants are bound to express 
their disgruntlement. 
 
Senior members of the Ibaraki Chapter, including Chairman Buhei 
Yamaguchi on December visited Secretary General Hosoda at the LDP 
headquarters. They handed a protest note calling for a resolute 
discipline and measures against the criticism of the prime minister 
by some LDP lawmakers, calling such acts that only serve the enemy. 
 
The Ibaraki Chapter sent a letter calling for support for Prime 
Minister Aso to local chapters throughout the nation as well. 
 
Yamaguchi, Ibaraki Chapter old guard, is known for his close 
relationship with the prime minister. He has apparently thrown a 
lifeline to Aso, who is in trouble due to the plunge in support 
ratings for his cabinet. 
 
Moves to submit a protest note are also seen in Fukuoka, the prime 
minister's home district, Kumamoto, Yamanashi, Hyogo and Fukushima. 
Their protest notes all express a sense of alarm about the 
situation, as one by the Kumamoto Chapter notes that with a decisive 
contest with the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) close at hand, 
selfish language and behaviors should not be overlooked. 
 
On the other hand, other chapters are critical of the prime minister 
and the leadership. 
 
The Miyazaki Chapter had planned to make its own TV commercial, in 
which a president of a small company is raising his voice, saying, 
"I am worried about my employees. I am more serious than the prime 
minister." The plan was, however, cancelled, meeting criticism from 
and within the chapter that such a commercial would only be taken as 
anti-Aso. The incident indicated how strong LDP local chapters' 
disgruntlement is toward the unpopular Aso cabinet. 
 
A senior member of the Fukushima Chapter on the 18th went to Tokyo 
and lodged a protest directly with Election Committee Chairman 
Makoto Koga, who referred to the possibility of taking a second look 
at election cooperation with the New Komeito, saying, "When a harsh 
election campaign is expected, the presence of the New Komeito is 
great. I want you to know more about the situations local chapters 
are facing." 
 
The Kyoto Chapter started soliciting opinions to the prime minister 
from among Kyoto Prefectural Assembly members and Kyoto City 
Assembly members in order to convey dissatisfaction felt by local 
assembly members to the leadership. 
 
7) Prime Minister Aso and New Komeito reach ambiguous agreement on 
wording of consumption tax increase to avoid damaging coalition 
 
MAINICHI (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
December 23, 2008 
 
The decision in talks within the ruling camp to expressly mention in 
the government's draft mid-term program "three years later" as the 
 
TOKYO 00003492  005 OF 007 
 
SUBJECT: JAPANESE MORNING PRESS HIGHLIGHTS 12//08 
 
date for implementing a consumption-tax increase - wording that the 
prime minister had insisted on - has saved the face of Prime 
Minister Taro Aso. However, the truth of the matter is that the 
settlement was ambiguous in order to avoid creating cracks in the 
coalition, with the prime minister pitted against the New Komeito on 
the issue. 
 
The New Komeito absolutely wanted to avoid going into the next 
election as the party that raised taxes. The settlement on the tax 
program wording was a mere stopgap measure to keep the coalition and 
by extension the Aso administration from cracking. 
 
8) Administrative reforms in retreat 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
December 23, 2008 
 
The government has decided to set up a center to promote human 
exchanges between the public and private sectors to unify the 
management of public servants' reemployment. Even after the center 
is established, however, central government agencies will continue 
to arrange jobs for their officials after retirement, according to 
informed sources, and some ex-officials may be allowed to receive a 
huge amount of retirement allowances through the repeated amakudari 
(golden parachute) practice of finding employment in public 
corporations or the private sector. Members in the Liberal 
Democratic Party calling for continuing Koizumi reform plans have 
criticized the retreat of administrative reform efforts. 
 
The center will be launched on Dec. 31, based on the revised 
National Civil Service Law enacted in 2007. 
 
In a cabinet meeting on Dec. 19, the government adopted an ordinance 
stipulating the details of the new center, including the date of its 
inauguration. The ordinance allows the center to help ex-officials 
find jobs after retirement as a three-year grace measure, as well as 
to even assist ex-officials working in private firms in finding next 
jobs. 
 
In late 2007, an expert panel of the government decided to ban the 
center from helping amakudari officials to find second jobs in the 
private sector. Government agencies also issue reports promising not 
to such a practice. In a meeting of the House of Representatives 
Cabinet Committee in May, then State Minister in Charge of 
Administrative Reform Yoshimi Watanabe replied that the report of 
the expert panel will be respected under an ordinance. 
 
Government sources admit that the ordinance adopted on Dec. 19 is to 
override the trend of promoting administrative reforms. 
 
In the LDP, those who have placed importance on the Koizumi reform 
policy have sharply criticized the retreat of administrative reform 
efforts. 
 
9) Showcase of DPJ's draft Environment Vision includes tax to combat 
global warming 
 
YOMIURI (Page 21) (Full) 
December 24, 2008 
 
The Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) on December 23 revealed its 
draft Environment Vision showing its comprehensive approach to the 
 
TOKYO 00003492  006 OF 007 
 
SUBJECT: JAPANESE MORNING PRESS HIGHLIGHTS 12//08 
 
environmental issues, including global warming. The package focuses 
on imposing on companies a tax to combat global warming that limits 
the use of revenues to the development of energy-saving technologies 
and freezing dam construction projects throughout the nation for two 
years. 
 
The draft vision also calls for taxation of freon-gas emissions, 
noting that revenues from those taxes will be allocated for 
assistance for the development of energy-saving technologies on a 
priority basis. Concerning emissions of greenhouse gases, the draft 
vision proposes cutting more than 60 PERCENT  from the 1990 level 
before 2050. The DPJ had advocated in its Upper House election 
campaign in 2007 a 50 PERCENT  reduction by 2050. The DPJ also 
proposed freezing dam construction projects for two years and then 
assessing the impact on the environment. The package also includes 
the enactment of a public works control law, which regulates 
government-sponsored public works, and a basic asbestos measures law 
designed to relieve health damage caused by asbestos. 
 
The draft criticizes the Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) economic 
stimulus packages, noting that priority has been given not to the 
environment but to economic growth and not to future generations but 
to present generations. It also says that it is possible to strike a 
balance between economic development and employment security, by 
intensively promoting technological development for energy saving 
and recycling. 
 
10) Foreign missions in Japan making contacts with DPJ, eyeing 
possibility of a change in government 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (Full) 
December 23, 2008 
 
The ambassadors and other officers at foreign diplomatic missions in 
Japan are increasing their contacts with the Democratic Party of 
Japan (DPJ), such as by scheduling meetings with party executives. 
This is not only directly connected to their diplomatic strategy 
toward a possible DPJ administration should there be a change of 
government following the next Lower House election, it also reflects 
the desire of various foreign governments of building personal 
contacts with the executives of that party. 
 
According to a source in the DPJ, Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama 
in early December met successively with the ambassadors of Britain, 
France, and Australia for exchanges of views. China's ambassador, 
too, reportedly has asked for an early meeting with DPJ head Ichiro 
Ozawa. The same source in the DPJ said: "There is no end to the 
requests for meetings from other diplomatic missions." 
 
On the 19th, former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Defense 
Joseph Nye and former NSC Senior Asia Director Michael Green - both 
Japan experts - met in a Tokyo hotel with DPJ deputy head Naoto Kan 
and others, and they all agreed that it was important for the DPJ 
and the U.S. Democratic Party to increase mutual exchanges. 
 
After the meeting, Hatoyama, who had sat in, stated: "We exchanged 
views on our policies toward Afghanistan, and listened to an outline 
of the thinking of President-elect Obama. It appeared that 
coordination of views centered on Afghanistan, where the U.S. is 
increasing its troop presence, took place. According to an informed 
source, "Under the Obama administration, if (Japan's) DPJ cancels 
oil refueling activities in the Indian Ocean, and makes a move to 
 
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SUBJECT: JAPANESE MORNING PRESS HIGHLIGHTS 12//08 
 
revise the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement, it will be taken 
as anti-U.S." 
 
11) Defense Ministry's reform plan designed to prevent recurrence of 
cases similar to Tamogami 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
December 23, 2008 
 
The Defense Ministry held a meeting yesterday of its ministry reform 
office, headed by Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada, and finalized a 
report spelling out basic views about the ministry's reforms that 
will be implemented in fiscal 2010 and reflect a series of scandals 
involving the ministry. The report proposes continuing efforts to 
unify the missions performed by civilian personnel from internal 
bureaus and uniformed personnel from the Self-Defense Force staff 
offices. In reference to the issue involving former Air Self-Defense 
Force Chief of Staff Gen. Toshio Tamogami, who was dismissed from 
his post over a controversial essay different from the government's 
view of history, the report specifies: "Studies will be conducted in 
the ministry, with the issue of the former Air Self-Defense Force 
chief of staff kept in mind," indicating an eagerness to hurriedly 
implement measures to prevent a recurrence of similar cases to 
Tamogami's. 
 
Under the new policy, the ministry's Operational Policy Bureau will 
be abolished, and the work of managing SDF units will be transferred 
to the ministry's Joint Staff Office, which is composed mostly of 
uniformed personnel. The defense buildup section responsible for 
selecting key equipment will be integrated into the internal bureau 
in charge of the same duty. 
 
12) Defense Ministry draft reform plan includes defense strategy 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Excerpt) 
December 23, 2008 
 
The Ministry of Defense in a meeting of its reform council on Dec. 
22 adopted a set of basic reform policy options for structural 
reforms in fiscal 2010. The main features of the policy course 
contained in the proposals are the strengthening of the planning 
function of the Defense Policy Bureau and the drafting of a defense 
strategy that will indicate the country's national defense targets 
and the means to get there. 
 
The mandate for such policy options were contained in the report in 
July of the defense reform council in the Prime Minister's Official 
Residence (Kantei). The report proposed the unification of the 
defense-capability building sections that lie in the internal 
bureaus of the ministry and the staff councils of the three defense 
forces. Although the focus was on establishing new units, the basic 
premise of the policy options was to be based on the internal 
bureaus. 
 
ZUMWALT