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P 240403Z DEC 08
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RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3050

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 TOKYO 003500 
 
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 12/24/08 
 
INDEX: 
 
AMERICAN EMBASSY, TOKYO 
PUBLIC AFFAIRS SECTION 
OFFICE OF TRANSLATION AND MEDIA ANALYSIS 
INQUIRIES:  03-3224-5360 
INTERNET E-MAIL ADDRESS: otmatokyo@state.gov 
DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 
December 24, 2008 
 
INDEX: 
(1) Verification of SDF Iraq dispatch: Japan urged to make visible 
personnel contributions (Asahi)  2 
(2) Government to enable MSDF refueling ship in Indian Ocean to 
protect Japanese vessels from pirates off Somalia when necessary 
(Sankei)  2 
(3) Finance Ministry to extend support to Japanese firms doing 
business in developing countries, by expanding JBIC loan framework 
(Nikkei)  3 
(4) TOP HEADLINES 4 
(5) EDITORIALS 4 
(6) Prime Minister's schedule, December 23, 2008 (Nikkei)  5 
 
ARTICLES: 
 
(1) Verification of SDF Iraq dispatch: Japan urged to make visible 
personnel contributions 
 
ASAHI (Page 3) (Full) 
December 19, 2008 
 
By Michael Green, Japan chair at the Center for Strategic an 
International Studies 
 
Needless to say, Japan's dispatch of Air Self-Defense Force's C-130 
cargo planes to Iraq was significant in operational terms, but it 
was more important from the symbolic, political and strategic 
aspects. The dispatch of C-130 planes was unprecedented for Japan, 
in the same way as the dispatches of Ground Self-Defense Force 
troops to Samawah and Maritime Self-Defense troops to the Indian 
Ocean. In this sense, the C-130 mission had a major impact, and 
Japan was able to show its willingness to assume a risk with other 
countries by not only providing money but also dispatching personnel 
to help reconstruct and stabilize Iraq and Afghanistan. 
 
As time passed, however, its symbolic meaning has waned, and it has 
become necessary for Japan to consider what role it should play 
next. 
 
Japanese people might believe that Japan will be able to gain a high 
reputation once it plays an international role, but the 
international community takes a different view. The international 
view is that since Japan took a step forward, it should play a more 
significant role next. Japan has not fully responded to the growing 
expectation of the international community. 
 
With the withdrawal of C-130 cargo planes from Iraq has widened the 
gap between Japan and the international community further. Only 
about 30 SDF troops have been sent overseas to join UN peacekeeping 
operations (PKO). It is still uncertain what mission the SDF will 
perform in Afghanistan in the future. It was only Japan that has not 
offered personnel contributions, that is, "boots on the ground," 
 
TOKYO 00003500  002 OF 005 
 
 
among the Group of Seven (G-7) nations, which participated in the 
Hokkaido Toya Lake Summit. 
 
There should be various options, like mobilizing transport 
helicopters or supporting the Provisional Reconstruction Team (PRT). 
Anyhow, Japan should make visible contributions. Continuing the 
refueling mission in the Indian Ocean alone is not enough. Japan's 
expanded strategic importance might shrink again. 
 
(2) Government to enable MSDF refueling ship in Indian Ocean to 
protect Japanese vessels from pirates off Somalia when necessary 
 
SANKEI (Top Play) (Excerpts) 
December 24, 2008 
 
The government yesterday decided to issue a patrol-action order to a 
Maritime Self-Defense Force's (MSDF) ship on the refueling mission 
in the Indian Ocean to escort a Japanese vessel when the vessel is 
likely to be attacked by pirates in waters off Somalia, Africa. This 
will be a transitional measure to be implemented until an 
anti-piracy bill, now being drafted by the government's 
Comprehensive Maritime Policy Office, is enacted into law. An 
increasing number of attacks on freighters and other ships by 
pirates off Somalia have been reported. A government source 
commented: "In the case of an attack, which is highly possible, the 
government will issue an order for maritime patrol action without 
hesitation. 
 
Maritime patrol action based on Article 82 of the Self-Defense Force 
(SDF) Law allows the SDF to take necessary action to protect 
Japanese lives and property and to maintain public order in the 
place of the Japan Coast Guard (JCG) when an emergency unable to be 
handled by the JCG occurs. The government judges it is possible 
under this law for MSDF vessels to escort: (1) foreign ships whose 
operations are managed by Japanese firms; and (2) ships carrying 
Japanese nationals, besides Japanese-registered ships. Even so, 
there are more than 2,300 ships that meet these conditions, so Japan 
plans to escort only Japanese-registered ships for the time being. 
 
The defense minister is authorized to issue a patrol-action order 
upon obtaining approval form the prime minister. But since it will 
take about month if an escort ship is dispatched from Japan, the 
government intends to have an escort ship deployed in the Indian 
Ocean based on the revised New Antiterrorism Special Measures Law 
engaged in the anti-piracy mission for the time being. In the case 
of the MSDF ship attacked by pirates, it will be allowed to make a 
counterattack with weapons based on the Policemen's Duty Performance 
Law. The government will also consider the possibility of 
dispatching from Japan an escort ships to tighten security off 
Somalia. In this case, a ship will be dispatched next spring or 
later due to MSDF personnel training. 
 
The patrol-action decision stems from the judgment that it would 
take considerable time to enact legislation on anti-piracy measures. 
Some in the government and the ruling camp are hoping to enact a 
general law pertaining to anti-piracy measures, but the Democratic 
Party of Japan has indicated that it would not respond to the 
government's call for talks on the issue before the next House of 
Representatives election. 
 
(3) Finance Ministry to extend support to Japanese firms doing 
business in developing countries, by expanding JBIC loan framework 
 
TOKYO 00003500  003 OF 005 
 
 
 
NIKKEI (Top Play) (Excerpts) 
December 24, 2008 
 
The Finance Ministry will expand support to Japanese companies doing 
business in or with developing countries. To be precise, it will 
expand the range of business areas of the Japan Bank for 
International Cooperation (JBIC), the international arm of Japan 
Finance Corporation, to allow it to finance as an exceptional 
measure Japanese exporters and large firms with operations in 
developing countries until the end of fiscal 2009. Its aim is to 
prevent Japanese companies' business with developing countries from 
becoming stagnant due to financial problems stemming from the global 
financial crisis. 
 
The Finance Ministry intends to release the decision on December 25. 
An exceptional measure will then be put into motion. It will include 
approximately 300 billion yen in loans to the JBIC drawn from the 
fiscal investment and loans program in the fiscal 2008 second 
supplementary budget, which it will submit to the regular Diet 
session to be convened early next year. 
 
Following the spreading financial crisis, trade financing is 
contracting throughout the world. According to an estimate made by 
the World Trade Organization (WTO), there is a shortage of funds 
worth 25 billion (approximately 2.25 trillion yen) throughout the 
world. An official of the Foreign Ministry Economic Affairs Bureau 
said, "Some developing countries are unable to procure dollars for 
import payment." 
 
An increasing number of companies in developing countries are asking 
Japanese exporters for progressive payments. As such, the JBIC will 
make payments on such companies' accounts until Japanese companies 
can collect payment from them in order to help them smoothen their 
cash management so that exports to developing countries will not 
become stagnant. 
 
Developing-country units of domestic firms, meanwhile, are having 
difficulty raising capital locally, forcing them to turn to their 
parent companies for funding in such forms as making investment in 
or extending loans to them. A Finance Ministry official said, "In 
some cases, Japanese companies are having to increase their 
investments in venture firms overseas to keep them afloat because 
their local partners have pulled out, citing financial distress." 
With such circumstances into consideration, the JBIC will extend 
low-interest loans to parent companies in Japan to supply capital to 
Japanese companies operating in developing countries and venture 
firms so that they can keep their operations. 
 
For assistance to developing countries, the Japanese government and 
the World Bank in November agreed to establish a bank to reinforce 
capital of developing countries' banks. Japan announced that it 
would disburse capital worth approximately 2 billion dollars though 
the JBIC and inject funds when local banks in Africa and Asia suffer 
a capital shortage. It will thus provide assistance to local 
financial institutions. It will also shore up local economies, by 
boosting the injection of private-sector funds through low-interest 
loans to Japanese companies. 
 
(4) TOP HEADLINES 
 
Asahi: 
 
TOKYO 00003500  004 OF 005 
 
 
Ancient coin "wado kaichin" may have been mass-produced 
 
Mainichi: 
Transplant society to introduce registration system in January to 
track organ transplants 
 
Yomiuri: 
Workers of U.S. Big Three distressed 
 
Nikkei: 
Finance Ministry to expand support for Japanese firms doing business 
in developing countries 
 
Sankei: 
Government to enable MSDF refueling ship in Indian Ocean to protect 
Japanese vessels from pirates off Somalia when necessary 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
16 leading firms hold enormous reserves while cutting 40,000 jobs 
 
Akahata: 
Group offers consultation services for distressed workers 
 
(5) EDITORIALS 
 
Asahi: 
(1) Former Prime Minister Sato's statement: Politicians must 
seriously discuss nuclear issue 
(2) New NHK Committee chairman must keep responsibility of public 
broadcasting in mind 
 
Mainichi: 
(1) Citizens should be interested in protecting seas 
(2) Abandonment of administration in row represents collapse of 
system to raise leaders 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1) Japan to greet New Year with politics and economics in turmoil 
 
Nikkei: 
(1) Review current job-offer system giving priority to new 
graduates 
(2) Quickly dispatch SDF vessels to waters off Somalia 
 
Sankei: 
(1) Sato's nuclear statement: Abandoning nuclear option unnecessary 
(2) Influenza: Thorough prevention is the best countermeasure 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1) Scrap of Hamaoka Nuclear Plants: Caution needed for new plants 
(2) Will U.S. Big Three be able to create a new automobile society? 
 
Akahata: 
(1) Road tax revenues: Where have financial sources for ordinary 
citizens gone? 
 
(6) Prime Minister's schedule, December 23, 2008 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
December 24, 2008 
 
09:59 
 
TOKYO 00003500  005 OF 005 
 
 
Took a walk around the private residence in Kamiyama-cho. 
 
12:22 
Attended a ceremony to celebrate the Emperor's birthday held in the 
Imperial Palace with his wife Chikako. 
 
15:14 
Met with Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsumoto at his personal 
office. 
 
16:08 
2008 News Photo Exhibition held at Mitsukoshi Department Store in 
Murocho, Nihonbashi, with his wife. 
 
17:09 
Arrived at the private residence. 
 
ZUMWALT