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RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3354

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 07 TOKYO 000122 
 
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 01/21/09 
 
INDEX: 
 
(1) Government to aim at strengthening Japan-U.S. alliance (Yomiuri) 
 
 
(2) Obama administration: Exploring economic cooperation between 
Tokyo and Washington (Nikkei) 
 
(3) U.S. at turning point toward pragmatism (Asahi) 
 
(4) MSDF dispatch off Somalia: Japan's lack of policy conspicuous; 
Despite three months of study, no order has been issued for 
preparations; New law may delay (Yomiuri) 
 
(5) Uncertainty over U.S. force realignment in Japan; Revising 
Futenma relocation plan might be difficult (Okinawa Times) 
 
ARTICLES: 
 
(1) Government to aim at strengthening Japan-U.S. alliance 
 
YOMIURI ONLINE (Full) 
2:22 p.m., January 21, 2009 
 
In the wake of the launch of the U.S. Obama administration, the 
government intends to aim at further strengthening Japan-U.S. 
alliance. 
 
Prime Minister Taro Aso plans to visit the United States to conduct 
a Japan-U.S. summit ahead of the financial summit to be held on 
April 2 in London in an effort to build cooperative bilateral 
relations with the United States to bring stability to the global 
economy. 
 
Following President Obama's inaugural address, Chief Cabinet 
Secretary Takeo Kawamura said in a press briefing this morning: "I 
felt (President Obama's) enthusiasm to change unilateralism to a 
cooperative policy course. Japan, too, must join hands with the 
Obama administration for the peace and stability of the world." 
Kawamura also indicated that the government is making coordination 
with the United States for the prime minister's visit to the United 
States before the financial summit. 
 
The year 2010 marks the 50th anniversary of the revision of the 
U.S.-Japan Security Treaty. Some have mentioned the need to 
reconfirm on this occasion the significance of the Japan-U.S. 
alliance. But under the divided Diet, Japan may find it difficult to 
extend cooperation on the security front. There is no knowing 
whether the two countries can build a closer relationship. 
 
Additional contribution to the war on terror in Afghanistan is 
likely to be Japans' first challenge. 
 
The United States is expected to ask Japan for greater human 
contributions, including the dispatch of the Self-Defense Forces. 
But Japan plans to continue extending cooperation centering on funds 
based on domestic political conditions and the security situation in 
Afghanistan. The government is scheduled to come up with additional 
concrete contribution measures to present them to the new U.S. 
administration. Coordination with the United States does not seem 
easy. 
 
 
TOKYO 00000122  002 OF 007 
 
 
The realignment of U.S. forces in Japan, including the relocation of 
the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station (Ginowan, Okinawa 
Prefecture), is another major challenge. 
 
Okinawa is calling for moving the envisaged Camp Schwab replacement 
facility offshore. With Washington remaining dismissive of Okinawa's 
call, Tokyo finds itself under tense pressure. Okinawa Governor 
Hirokazu Nakaima expressed his hope toward the new U.S. 
administration by releasing a statement earlier today reading: "I 
expect (the new administration) will make greater efforts regarding 
the U.S. base issue and a steadily settlement will be achieved." 
 
Additionally, the Obama administration has demonstrated a stance to 
proactively address global challenges, such as climate change. Tokyo 
wants to realize foreign ministerial talks at an early date to forge 
relations of trust by closely monitoring the new U.S. 
administration's steps. 
 
Prime Minister Aso to aim at overcoming the financial crisis in 
cooperation (with Obama) 
 
In the wake of the inauguration of President Barack Obama, Prime 
Minister Taro Aso, before the press corps at his official residence 
at noon today, expressed Japan's intention to aim at overcoming the 
global financial crisis in cooperation with the United States. 
 
The prime minister said: "(Listening to the inaugural address), I 
felt that (President Obama's) view on the economic crisis coincides 
with mine. His approach to bring out the people's potential is 
basically the same, as well. The address made me feel certain once 
again that the world's largest and the second largest economies can 
join hands to move forward." 
 
(2) Obama administration: Exploring economic cooperation between 
Tokyo and Washington 
 
NIKKEI (Page 5) (Almost Full) 
January 21, 2009 
 
Following the inauguration of the Obama administration, policy 
cooperation between Tokyo and Washington over economic challenges 
will also enter a new phase. Currently, there are no serious 
disputes, such as economic friction, between the two countries. What 
will be brought into question is rather the way new cooperation 
should be at a time when the structure of the global economy is 
undergoing a sea change. In view of worsening economies of various 
countries, the environmental issue and the rise of emerging 
countries, such as China, it is imperative for Japan to search for 
the way to cooperate with the U.S. that is different from the 
current approach. 
 
Close talks on environment and trade 
 
State Minister for Financial Services Sochi Nakagawa on January 20 
said, "I would like to see my counterpart as soon as he or she is 
appointed." 
 
Self-help effort indispensable 
 
Expectations are running high for the Obama administration's 
economic stimulus measures centered on tax brakes and public 
spending. President Obama plans to come up with an economic stimulus 
 
TOKYO 00000122  003 OF 007 
 
 
package totaling 775 billion dollars or approximately 70 trillion 
yen to overcome the economic crisis. Once the U.S. economy is back 
on the recovery track, the Japanese economy would reap its benefit. 
In the meantime, Japan will be pressed to make more self-help 
efforts, including expanding domestic demand and coming up with a 
growth strategy. 
 
The Obama administration will have no time to breathe with a meeting 
of finance ministers and central bank governors from the Group of 
Seven nations (G-7) slated for mid-February in Rome, followed by an 
emergency financial summit joined by 20 nations to be held in April 
in London. Prime Minister Taro Aso, who puts up economic stimulus 
packages totaling 75 trillion yen, is geared up to make an appeal of 
his stance of taking a joint step with Obama with an additional 
economic stimulus package featuring employment measures. 
 
One of the challenges facing President Obama is the worsened state 
finances. Massive tax cuts during the Reagan administration in the 
middle of the 1980s have brought about the so-called twin deficits 
in trade and budget. Japan, which was hit by strong-yen syndrome due 
to a sudden rise in the value of the yen, had to adopt a 
money-easing and fiscal expansion policy over a long period of time, 
ushering in the bubble economy in the second half of the 1980s. 
 
Taking a joint step over the global warming issue will also become a 
focus of attention. The deadline for talks on a new framework for 
measures to curb global warming is 2009. President Obama is 
reportedly positive about taking such measures. Japan intends to 
confer on mid-term goals for cutting global warming greenhouse gas 
emissions at an early date. It wants to lead talks, involving the 
U.S. 
 
Amid global trade losing steam, a senior Foreign Ministry official 
revealed a plan to hold working-level talks with the United States 
Trade Representative (USTR) possibly in mid-February. Multilateral 
trade talks sponsored by the World Trade Organization (WTO) remains 
suspended. The government will explore ways to stem protectionist 
moves, including raising trade tariffs, a practice spreading all 
over the world, along with cooperation for reaching an agreement at 
the WTO talks. 
 
Change in relations with China 
 
Import conditions for U.S. beef have been strengthened due to the 
discovery of a BSE case in the U.S. The government plans to launch 
talks with the U.S. promptly so as to ease the issue, which is said 
to be the only thorny issue between the two countries, as one senior 
Foreign Ministry official put it. It also wants to hold talks on a 
free trade agreement involving the Asia-Pacific region. The Obama 
administration has yet to clarify its stance regarding those issues. 
The Japanese government has a scenario of reshaping a framework for 
bilateral talks on broad-based agenda items and making such lead to 
strengthened relations. 
 
One element that will change historic Japan-U.S. relations is the 
rise of China. China is now the largest U.S. national bond holder in 
the world, overtaking Japan. There is a possibility of Japan's 
presence diminishing. There might appear cases in which Japan may 
search for nontraditional economic ties with the U.S. 
 
It is hardly possible to discuss international cooperation without 
taking emerging countries, such as China, which is closing up on the 
 
TOKYO 00000122  004 OF 007 
 
 
U.S. in terms of GDP, into account. The presence of China as Asia's 
new face will affect the future of Japan-U.S. cooperation on such 
international scenes like the G-8 Summit. 
 
(3) U.S. at turning point toward pragmatism 
 
ASAHI (Page 1) (Slightly abridged) 
January 21, 2009 
 
By Yoichi Kato, American General Bureau chief of the Asahi Shimbun 
 
The inauguration of President Obama has raised the hopes of 
Americans. Seeing Obama sworn in as America's first black leader, 
many American people feel that the U.S. is coming closer to the 
ideal of being a "more perfect federation" as stipulated in the 
preamble of the Constitution of the United States. 
 
Perplexed at repeated statements hostile to white people made by a 
pastor who is his close friend, Obama delivered a speech in the 
spring of last year stressing the need for Americans to squarely 
face the race problem. In the speech, titled, "A more perfect 
federation," Obama said that the ideal of securing equal citizenship 
under law is included in the constitution as a key point. He 
explained that he had decided to stand as a candidate for the 
presidency with the aim of bridging the gap between the ideal and 
reality. With the success in "this experiment of democracy that 
seems unfeasible," a sense of achievement has been spreading across 
the nation. Even so, Obama is not just an idealist. 
 
The Obama administration will change the age of ideology under the 
previous Bush administration into an age of pragmatism. Different 
from George W. Bush, who accepted assertions by neoconservatives, 
who say they do not mind even using weapons to disseminate 
democracy, Obama is a liberal internationalist. Even so, he is 
unlikely to opt for the idelogically-motivated management of 
government because such challenges as economics, terrorism and 
environmental protection cannot be handled with only support from 
liberal members. 
 
Obama picked a conservative person who is against same-sex marriages 
to give a sermon at the inaugural. He has brought Hillary Clinton, 
with whom he fought in the preliminary election, into his government 
and has also tried to build a relationship with John McCain, the 
Republican candidate for the presidential election. 
 
A former senior U.S. government official who knows about Obama 
commented: "He is a complete pragmatist. He is mulling how to make 
his administration a success." 
 
American people have put full confidence in and expectations on 
President Obama, reflecting their strong dissatisfaction at the 
current situation. About 80 PERCENT  of all Americans think that the 
nation has been on the wrong track. Obama will be burdened with 
their discontent from the moment he came into office. In a speech, 
Obama expressed his determination to put the government on the right 
track. He also talked about "responsibility" and "obligation" to the 
people. The Obama administration is expected to also ask Japan and 
its other allies to take "responsibility." 
 
Obama's assumption of presidency itself is a monumental achievement 
that will go down in U.S. history. But the question is whether he 
would be able to bring about a major change in U.S. politics. That 
 
TOKYO 00000122  005 OF 007 
 
 
depends on the outcome of his efforts to pursue ideals and to manage 
his government in a practical way. 
 
(4) MSDF dispatch off Somalia: Japan's lack of policy conspicuous; 
Despite three months of study, no order has been issued for 
preparations; New law may delay 
 
YOMIURI (Page 13) (Abridged slightly) 
January 21, 2009 
 
Hidemichi Katsumata, senior writer 
 
It has been three months since the government announced that it 
would consider dispatching the Maritime Self-Defense Force on an 
anti-piracy mission in waters off Somalia. At long last, the 
government is likely to come up with specifics for the dispatch. 
 
Main points 
 
 The government should order relevant agencies for advance 
preparations in parallel with the study for the dispatch. 
 There was enough time to establish anti-piracy legislation in place 
of heavily restricted maritime policing activities. 
 
Eighteen years ago, then Defense Agency Director General Yukihiko 
Ikeda, in order to secure the safe navigation of Japanese vessels, 
ordered the MSDF to dispatch (minesweepers) to the Persian Gulf to 
remove mines that had been planted by Iraq. His order read: "I 
hereby order you to eliminate danger in the Persian Gulf in order to 
secure safety for the navigation of Japanese vessels." This order 
can be used as is by just replacing the "Persian Gulf" with "waters 
off Somalia." 
 
What is different though is that defense chief Ikeda informally 
instructed the MSDF to make preparations well over a month before 
his official order. Surveying available harbor facilities in the 
Persian Gulf, the MSDF hurried to select its personnel and procure 
food. 
 
On April 16, 1991, Ikeda issued a formal order to make preparations 
with the aim of eliminating the international stigma that Japan had 
contributed money but did not expend any "sweat." The advance 
preparations allowed the MSDF to dispatch six minesweepers just 10 
days after Ikeda's formal order. 
 
This time around, Prime Minister Taro Aso announced last October 
that the government would positively look into dispatching the MSDF. 
That was followed only by his instruction in late December to 
Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada to expedite the study. 
 
Securing the safety of sea lanes is especially vital for Japan. As 
such, the government should have had Foreign Ministry and Defense 
Ministry departments in charge conduct diplomatic procedures that 
are required when dispatching destroyers and P-3C patrol planes and 
carry out a survey of airports and seaports in the region, in tandem 
with considering the dispatch. 
 
According to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB), seven vessels 
have been attacked and two vessels have been robbed this year in 
pirate-infested waters near Somalia. Navies of 21 countries and 
organizations, including the European Union (EU) have been engaged 
in warning and surveillance activities. Japan's lack of policy 
 
TOKYO 00000122  006 OF 007 
 
 
stands out. The government and ruling parties will reportedly come 
up with a policy course before the end of the week to dispatch the 
MSDF under SDF Law Article 82 on maritime policing activities and to 
establish an anti-piracy law shortly thereafter. 
 
Nevertheless, the article, the basis for the dispatch, envisages 
activities in waters near Japan. The MSDF is allowed to protect 
Japan-related vessels only, and the use of weapons is also heavily 
restricted. For this reason, the need to establish anti-piracy 
legislation has been mentioned from early on. The government has 
been considering the dispatch for three months now, which was enough 
to establish a new law. 
 
A senior Defense Ministry official explained why it had taken so 
long to reach a conclusion: "It was clear from past overseas 
dispatches that the government discusses matters until troops are 
sent and takes a hands-off approach after that. It was conceivable 
that the government would not opt for a new law once the MSDF is 
dispatched to conduct maritime policing activities." Even if the 
MSDF begins preparations now, the dispatch would not occur until 
early March. 
 
Lawmakers' failure to take swift action is likely to take a toll on 
the ocean-transport industry supporting Japan, a trade-oriented 
country, and the SDF troops to be dispatched. 
 
(5) Uncertainty over U.S. force realignment in Japan; Revising 
Futenma relocation plan might be difficult 
 
OKINAWA TIMES (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
January 21, 2009 
 
Barack Obama assumed office as the 44th U.S. president on Jan. 21. 
Many people in Okinawa are interested in how the new administration 
will promote the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan, because the 
U.S. strategy will also affect the U.S. military basis in Okinawa, a 
key pending issue between Japan and the U.S. The U.S., however, is 
now facing an unprecedented serious economic crisis and other major 
issues. In the meantime, Japanese politics has been thrown into 
chaos. Under such circumstances, uncertainty is looming over the 
feasibility of the roadmap that was agreed on between Japan and the 
U.S. 
 
Nago City and Okinawa Prefecture have requested that the agreed 
Futenma relocation plan be revised. But the U.S. government has not 
indicated a willingness to respond to the request, so the Japanese 
government remains unable to set a course. 
 
In hopes of breaking the impasse under the Obama administration, 
which is calling for "change," Okinawa Governor Hirokazu Nakaima 
visited the U.S. early this month and met with officials concerned 
in succession. But the members of Congress he met only expressed the 
government's conventional view that the two countries should move 
forward on the plan, based on the agreement reached between Japan 
and the U.S. 
 
It is viewed as likely that the Obama administration will appoint 
former Assistant Secretary of Defense Joseph Nye as ambassador to 
Japan, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Kurt Campbell as 
assistant secretary of state, and former commander of Okinawa's 4th 
Marine Expeditionary Force Wallace Gregson as assistant secretary of 
defense. 
 
TOKYO 00000122  007 OF 007 
 
 
 
Nakaima said, "I have mixed feelings about this lineup" when he met 
with Foreign Ministry's North American Affairs Bureau Director 
General Kazuyoshi Umemoto (TN: sic) on Jan. 16. 
 
These three know the Futenma relocation issue in detail, but a 
source familiar with Japan-U.S. relations commented: "The U.S.' view 
is that Okinawa would make another request once the U.S. accepts the 
request to move the construction site further offshore, so the new 
administration is unlikely to accept the request." 
 
A senior Foreign Ministry official, keeping in mind that the U.S. is 
saddled with wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, said, "It is 
inconceivable that Defense Secretary Gates will have time to review 
the agreement." 
 
Meanwhile, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), which is aiming to 
grab political power, has insisted on the need for reviewing the 
U.S. force realignment plan, with some members calling for 
relocating the Futenma facility outside the prefecture. 
 
President Obama plans to submit his budget message for fiscal 2010 
(from October in 2009 through September 2010) to Congress in 
February. He reportedly will include in the message the necessary 
expenditures to transfer U.S. Marines in Okinawa to Guam. 
 
A senior Defense Ministry official, stressing that the Guam transfer 
plan and the Futenma relocation plan should be handled as a package, 
questioned the DPJ's response, saying: "The DPJ call for reviewing 
the plan will be taken as criticizing President Obama just after he 
takes office. The party does not understand the significance of an 
agreement reached between Japan and the U.S." 
 
ZUMWALT