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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 10 TOKYO 000263 
 
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 02/04/09 
 
INDEX: 
 
1) Top headlines 
2) Editorials 
3) Prime Minister's daily schedule (Nikkei) 
 
4) Secretary Clinton to make first official visit in mid-February, 
demonstrating the importance being placed on Japan  (Nikkei) 
 
Aid diplomacy: 
5) Foreign Minister Nakasone in telephone call to counterpart 
pledges $300 million in assistance to Afghanistan  (Nikkei) 
6) Japan's aid to Gaza that includes blankets being held up in Egypt 
for already 10 days  (Yomiuri) 
7) Japan to restart yen loans to Vietnam after six-year hiatus 
(Mainichi) 
 
Defense and security affairs: 
8) North Korea in preparing another possible Taepodong missile 
launch might be trying to elicit U.S. into negotiations  (Sankei) 
9) Prime Minister Aso tries to avoid talking to reporters about the 
Taepodong missile launch possibility  (Sankei) 
10) Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) in meeting split on piracy issue 
 (Sankei) 
 
11) Two destroyers chosen for anti-piracy mission in waters off 
Somalia and P-3C patrol planes being considered, too  (Mainichi) 
12) Upper House Foreign Affairs Committee to tour U.S. bases in 
Okinawa  (Yomiuri) 
13) Lower House Budget Committee: Text of Aso's exchanges on 
U.S-Japan ties, North Korea, trade protectionism and environment 
(Mainichi) 
 
14) Democratic Party of Japan President Ozawa's support groups took 
hefty political donation from shady construction company  (Tokyo 
Shimbun) 
 
15) DPJ uncovers that retired Agricultural Ministry official hopping 
to 6 organizations has raked in 320 million yen in additional income 
 (Sankei) 
 
16) Poll of 17 countries finds Japanese are the most pessimistic 
people about the future  (Asahi) 
 
17) Keidanren (Japan Business Federation) pulling its office out of 
Washington, DC, citing poor business climate  (Tokyo Shimbun) 
 
Articles: 
 
1) TOP HEADLINES 
 
Asahi: 
Professors involved in medical dissertation screening at Tokyo 
Medical University receive cash reward worth about 100,000 yen 
 
Mainichi: 
Health Ministry panel urges prenatal care centers across Japan to 
emphasize saving lives of pregnant women 
 
Yomiuri: 
Police obtain arrest warrants on 22, including L&G chairman, over 
investment fraud 
 
TOKYO 00000263  002 OF 010 
 
 
 
Nikkei: 
Elpida Memory mulls applying for public fund injection 
 
Sankei: 
Fujitsu to allow its employees to have second jobs 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
Nishimatsu Construction subsidy donated 8 million yen to three DPJ's 
Ozawa-affiliated organizations 
 
Akahata: 
Workers who lost jobs assemble in Nagoya from all over the nation: 
Government urged to adopt quick infusion to address situation 
 
2) EDITORIALS 
 
Asahi: 
(1) Public servant system: Rough-and-ready decision will distort 
reform 
(2) Purchase of bank-held stocks: Banks urged to reinforce their own 
capital base 
 
Mainichi: 
(1) Reform of public servant system: Show promise to root out 
amakudari (descent from heaven) practice by bureaucrats 
(2) Court decision on Murakami, who was charged with insider 
trading: Appropriate rule to regulate investment funds needed 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1) Roadmap for reform of public servant system: Solid plan needed 
(2) Murakami Fund: Murakami given suspended sentence, but still 
heavily responsible 
 
Nikkei: 
(1) Steadily move forward with reform of public servant system 
(2) Murakami trial: Adjudicated guilty, but ... 
 
Sankei: 
(1) Public money into private companies: Why is it necessary for 
government to bail them out? 
(2) Murakami Fund: Weight of guilty sentence 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1) Reform of public servant system: Counterfeit reform will not 
produce results 
(2) Murakami Fund: Regret over age when market was regarded as 
ruling the world 
 
Akahata: 
(1) Package argument for U.S. Forces Japan realignment, which Urasoe 
Mayor failed to note at discussion meeting: Permanent presence of 
U.S. bases and disruption of development now clear 
 
3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, February 3 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
February 4, 2009 
 
06:41 
 
TOKYO 00000263  003 OF 010 
 
 
Met Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsumoto at the Kantei. 
 
08:15 
Attended a meeting of the Civil Service Reform Taskforce in the Diet 
Building. Later attended a cabinet meeting. 
 
09:00 
Attended a Lower House Budget Committee meeting. 
 
12:06 
Arrived at the Kantei. 
 
13:00 
Returned to the Lower House Budget Committee meeting. 
 
17:32 
Attended a meeting of the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy at 
the Kantei. 
 
19:33 
Dined with Special Advisor to the LDP President Shimamura at a 
Japanese restaurant in Kioicho. 
 
21:53 
Returned to his official residence. 
 
4) U.S. Secretary of State Clinton to visit Japan in mid-February 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
February 4, 2009 
 
A government source revealed last night that U.S. Secretary of State 
Hillary Clinton will visit Japan in mid-February. Secretary Clinton 
is expected to meet with Prime Minister Taro Aso, Foreign Minister 
Hirofumi Nakasone and other government officials. The notion is 
floated for her stay in Tokyo on Feb. 13-14. According to sources 
familiar with Japan-U.S. relations, the Secretary plans to visit 
China and South Korea afterward. The purpose of her Asian tour is to 
demonstrate the Obama administration's policy of placing emphasis on 
Asia. 
 
5) Foreign Minister Nakasone informs Afghan counterpart of 300 
million aid package 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
February 4, 2009 
 
Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone held telephone talks with his 
Afghan counterpart Spanta, during which Nakasone informed Spanta of 
Tokyo's plans to provide 300 million dollars in aid as part of 
Japan's additional assistance for strengthening the monitoring of 
the presidential election, as well as for food aid. Spanta 
responded: "We would like to make efforts in cooperation with Japan 
for the reconstruction of our country." 
 
6) Japan's relief supplies to Gaza kept in Egypt for 10 days 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
February 4, 2009 
 
Mina Mitsui, Jerusalem 
 
 
TOKYO 00000263  004 OF 010 
 
 
The relief supplies Japan sent to the residents affected by the 
conflict in the Gaza Strip, an autonomous area of the Palestinians, 
has been kept in Egypt for 10 days, according to informed sources 
yesterday. 
 
The relief materials worth 90 million yen include 29,000 blankets 
and 8,000 blue sheets. The supplies were handed over to the United 
Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) at an airport in Egypt, 
located near the border with Gaza, on Jan. 24. Relief materials are 
usually sent to Gaza through Israel. According the Japanese Embassy 
in Egypt, however, UNRWA has given priority to transporting foods, 
given that the Israeli government has placed strict restrictions on 
physical distribution out of fear that Hamas, the Sunni Muslim 
Palestinian extremist group, could arm themselves again. Given this, 
the transport of goods sent from Japan and other countries to the 
Gaza Strip has been largely delayed. 
 
7) Yen loans to Vietnam to be resumed shortly 
 
MAINICHI (Page 5) (Full) 
February 4, 2009 
 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) at a joint foreign 
relations-related meeting of the Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) 
revealed a plan to shortly start extending fresh yen loans to 
Vietnam. Fresh yen loans have been suspended since last August due 
to a bribery scandal, in which a leading consulting company offered 
a bribe to an official of Ho Chi Minh City. 
 
The showcase of measures to prevent a recurrence include (1) 
participation of a third party in pre-contract screening; (2) 
implementation of ex post facto auditing of yen loan-financed 
projects: and (3) establishment of a whistle-blowing system on 
irregularities and the protection of whistle-blowers. MOFA will 
determine when to resume yen loans to that nation, after seeing 
progress on the investigation into the scandal in Vietnam. 
 
8) North Korea's preparations for Taepodong launch may be designed 
to pose a threat to U.S. for sake of eliciting negotiations 
 
SANKEI (Page 3) (Excerpts) 
February 4, 2009 
 
Katsuhiro Kuroda, Seoul 
 
North Korea, which has been engaged in a strategy to heighten 
tensions since early this year, is preparing to launch a long-range 
ballistic missile, it has been learned. If carried out, the launch 
would be the first in three years since 2006. Certain to irritate 
the international community, including Japan, the United States, and 
South Korea, the launch would result in creating a crisis situation 
on the Korean Peninsula. 
 
Preparatory moves, such as the transport of a large container to a 
missile base, have been detected by U.S. reconnaissance satellites. 
It is said that it takes substantial time to actually launch a 
missile. Considering the fact that the missile base's moves are so 
clear that satellites can detect them, the whole scheme might be 
"imitative deception" to diplomatically intimidate the international 
community. 
 
The General Staff of the North Korean People's Army released a 
 
TOKYO 00000263  005 OF 010 
 
 
statement on January 17 declaring that it would take an "all-out 
confrontational posture" against South Korea. Further, on January 
30, the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea declared 
that the North would nullify all the political and military 
agreements with the South apparently in an effort to raise tensions, 
indicating that the peninsula was on the verge of war. 
 
Because the North is calling for the nullification of the 
North-South military demarcation line in waters off the western 
coast (Yellow Sea), some are worried about a possible military clash 
with South Korea. 
 
Nevertheless, the prevailing view in Seoul is that the North is 
preparing to launch a long-range missile this time around with an 
eye on the United States. By linking the planned missile launch to 
the nuclear issue, Pyongyang is seemingly trying to bring the Obama 
administration to the negotiating table with the North, as a 
"nuclear power." 
 
A North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman on January 13 underlined 
Pyongyang's stance to realize the denuclearization of the peninsula 
through nuclear arms reduction talks, indicating that the 
normalization of relations with the United States must be 
prioritized over North's nuclear abolition. As seen from this, the 
North has insisted on talks with the United States on equal footing 
as a "nuclear power." 
 
The North's ongoing open preparations for a long-range missile 
designed to pose a threat to the United States is part of 
Pyongyang's strategy to turn the Obama administration's eye toward 
that country. 
 
9) Aso: I will not comment on this sort of story 
 
SANKEI (Page 3) (Full) 
February 4, 2009 
 
Prime Minister Taro Aso, touching on North Korea's preparations for 
a Taepodong-2 long-range missile launch, simply said last night: "I 
will not comment on this sort of story. I will not tell you how long 
I have known about it. (Doing so) would raise questions about the 
information-gathering capability of this side." The prime minister 
was responding to a question from the press corps at his official 
residence. 
 
Meanwhile, Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada in a press conference 
yesterday made this comment: "The Defense Ministry has constantly 
been collecting information on the trend connected with North 
Korea's ballistic missiles. I have all kinds of information, but 
considering the nature of the matter, I would like to refrain from 
making any comment." 
 
Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone, too, told the press yesterday: 
"We have been collecting and analyzing information, but I would like 
to refrain from making any comment on the matter. If (the danger) is 
imminent, appropriate measures must be taken." 
 
Foreign Ministry Press Secretary Kazuo Kodama, in a press briefing 
yesterday, indicated that the government would cautiously analyze 
the North's trend, saying: "(The missile issue) is vital from a 
viewpoint of the security of our country, the peace and stability of 
the world, and the nonproliferation of weapons of mass 
 
TOKYO 00000263  006 OF 010 
 
 
destruction." 
 
10) DPJ: What's a pirate? 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (Full) 
February 4, 2009 
 
The leading opposition Democratic Party of Japan (Minshuto) held a 
meeting of its foreign affairs and defense division yesterday for 
the Japan Coast Guard's briefing on damage caused by pirates to 
commercial ships in waters off the eastern African coast of Somalia. 
In the meantime, the government has decided to send Maritime 
Self-Defense Force destroyers to Somalia waters for an antipiracy 
mission by invoking an action for maritime policing activities under 
the Self-Defense Forces Law. While the Social Democratic Party and 
the People's New Party are opposed to the MSDF dispatch, the DPJ 
still remains uncommittal. In the meeting, however, there were even 
questions asking about the meaning of pirates. The DPJ appears to be 
falling behind in dealing with the piracy issue. 
 
The DPJ discussed the piracy issue in its foreign affairs and 
defense division's two meetings held in December last year. However, 
the government and the ruling parties began early in the new year to 
heat up their discussions on the advisability of sending the 
Self-Defense Forces to waters off Somalia. The DPJ panel discussed 
the issue for the first time this year. The ruling coalition of the 
Liberal Democratic Party and the New Komeito will send its 
antipiracy project team to Djibouti and Bahrain on a Feb. 8-13 
schedule for an inspection of local scenes. In addition, the ruling 
parties are also working on new legislation for Japan to mobilize 
SDF vessels for antipiracy measures. Meanwhile, the DPJ has begun at 
last to study antipiracy measures. 
 
In yesterday's meeting, however, the DPJ did not seem to have made 
headway. Yukihisa Fujita, a DPJ lawmaker seated in the House of 
Councillors, asked the Foreign Ministry: "What is the definition of 
pirates? Is it terrorism? Are they organized?" In addition, Ikuko 
Tanioka, another DPJ upper house member, contended: "To begin with, 
you should exactly tell the self-responsibility of private-sector 
shipping companies from the responsibility of the state." As seen 
from such questions, their antipiracy discussions kicked off from a 
'what-on-earth' question and a 'to-begin-with' argument. 
 
The government will present a bill to the Diet for the new law. 
Bearing this in mind, the DPJ wants to firm up its stance within 
March. However, the DPJ is split since the party is a mishmash of 
those stemming from various parties. It is not easy to coordinate 
views within the DPJ. "The DPJ is now beginning to talk about the 
pirates. They say they don't know what the pirates are. I wonder if 
they are all right..." So saying, an LDP member was amazed. 
 
11) 2 Kure-based destroyers picked for antipiracy mission in Somalia 
waters 
 
MAINICHI (Page 2) (Full) 
February 4, 2009 
 
The Maritime Self-Defense Force decided yesterday to send two 
destroyers for an antipiracy mission in waters off the eastern 
African coast of Somalia. The two MSDF destroyers are the Sazanami 
and the Samidare, which are assigned to Escort Division 8 based in 
Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture. MSDF Chief of Staff Keiji Akahoshi 
 
TOKYO 00000263  007 OF 010 
 
 
revealed the decision in a news conference. Akahoshi also admitted 
that the MSDF has plans to send P-3C patrol planes and picks from 
the Special Security Team (SST), which is the Self-Defense Forces' 
first special taskforce. 
 
"We need to anticipate all possible situations for antipiracy 
measures, and I think we can utilize the SST's high capability," 
Akahoshi said. He added: "We must not hurt them excessively. In this 
sense as well, we need (the SST's) high skills." 
 
12) House panel members to visit Okinawa bases 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) 
February 4, 2009 
 
The House of Councillors Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, 
chaired by Kazuya Shinba, decided yesterday to make an inspection 
tour of U.S. military bases in Okinawa Prefecture, including the 
U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station in the city of Ginowan. 
 
13) Detailed report on questions and answers at Lower House Budget 
Committee yesterday 
 
MAINICHI (Page 5) (Excerpts) 
February 4, 2009 
 
Japan-U.S. relations and North Korean issues 
 
Itsunori Onodera: It has been reported that preparations are 
underway for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton of the U.S. Obama 
administration to visit Japan as the destination of her first 
overseas trip in her new role. Is this a strategic arrangement for 
the prime minister to visit the U.S.? I ask for your outlook for 
your visit to the U.S. and your views about issues with North Korea, 
including the abduction issue. 
 
Prime Minister Aso: I hear that arrangements are being made for 
State Secretary Clinton to visit Japan. To realize an early meeting 
between me and the President, the process of schedule coordination 
has been started. Issues with North Korea include nuclear and 
missile problems, in addition to the abduction issue. These issues 
should be tackled in the six-party talks, including the U.S. I (and 
President Obama) agreed in our earlier telephone conversation on the 
need for cooperation (between the two countries). 
 
Yoko Kamikawa: The Obama administration has come up with "smart 
power" as a diplomatic strategy. (Japan) should present proposals in 
a positive manner. 
 
Aso: That concept is to propose adding such values as cultural power 
to hard power and soft power. Japan has undoubtedly superior 
technologies in the software front, such as comics and TV games. 
 
Trade protectionism 
 
Isamu Ueda: Now that an increasing number of countries have resorted 
to trade protectionism, Japan should display leadership in an 
international framework. 
 
Aso: Countries' inclination toward protectionism as their economies 
are in recession shows that they have not learned a lesson from the 
past great depression. Japan has held out despite the appreciation 
 
TOKYO 00000263  008 OF 010 
 
 
of the yen against the dollar. In a bid to bring about an agreement 
at the Doha Round (under the World Trade Organization global trade 
talks), Japan is making utmost efforts. 
 
Japanese version of Green New Deal 
 
Keiichi Ishii: How has Japan grappled with the task of creating the 
Japanese version of the Green New Deal? 
 
Environment Minister Tetsuo Saito: Under the Green New Deal program, 
measures will be taken to stem global warming and to revitalize 
economic activities. The government is determined to revitalize its 
economy by developing technologies to generate solar power - the 
world's highest level - as well as to produce next-generation 
automobiles and to secure jobs. 
 
14) Nishimatsu Construction subsidy donated 8 million yen to three 
DPJ's Ozawa-affiliated groups 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Top Play) (Excerpts) 
February 4, 2009 
 
Tokyo Shimbun has learned that Shoei Real Estate, located in Minato 
Ward, Tokyo, a subsidiary of Nishimatsu Construction Co., a 
second-tier general construction contractor also located in Minato 
Ward, had made political contributions totaling 8 million yen to the 
local branch division led by Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) 
Chairman Ichiro Ozawa, the DPJ Iwate Chapter and the former Liberal 
Party since 2000. It has already been found that Nishimatsu 
Construction had illegally made political donations to those three 
organizations. It is now suspected that Nishimatsu Construction had 
used its subsidiary as well as its own political organizations as a 
cover for its illegal political donations. 
 
According to Shoei Real Estate's income and expenditure report on 
political funds, major recipients of the company's political 
donations made from 2000 through 2007 included The DPJ local branch 
division led by Ozawa -- 4 million yen, the National Council on 
Reform of the former Liberal Party -- 3 million yen, the Liberal 
Democratic Party (LDP) local branch office led by Upper House member 
Akio Sato -- 1.2 million yen, the DPJ Iwate Chapter -- 1 million yen 
and the LDP local branch division led by Shinya Izumi, the former 
National Public Safety Commission Chairman -- 490,000 yen. 
 
The New Political Issues Study Group and the Future Industry Study 
Group established by former Nishimatsu Construction executives 
annually donated political funds worth between 1 and 5 million yen 
to the Ozawa-led local branch division, the National Council on 
Reform and the DPJ Iwate Chapter, until they were disbanded in 2006. 
The New Political Issues Study Group in 2003 purchased fund-raising 
party tickets worth 500,000 yen from the LDP local branch office of 
Izumi, when he was a member of the former New Conservative Party, 
and such tickets worth 480,000 yen from his fund-managing 
organization. 
 
According to a private investigation firm, Shoei Real Estate is 
Nishimatsu Construction's wholly owned company. Two former 
Nishimatsu Construction executives, who served as the chairmen of 
the company's political organizations, respectively served as sales 
department manager and an auditing officer at Shoei Real Estate. 
 
In the case of Nishimatsu Construction's violation of the Foreign 
 
TOKYO 00000263  009 OF 010 
 
 
Exchange and Foreign Trade Control Law, portions of slush funds 
smuggled into the country from abroad are suspected of having been 
pooled at Shoei Real Estate by the former president (67), released 
from custody on February 3 with disciplinary action deferred, at the 
order of the former Nishimatsu Construction President Mikio Kunisawa 
(70), arrested over the suspicion of violating the said law. 
 
15) Ex-Agriculture Ministry official received 320 billion yen 
through watari practice, hopping to six organizations 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (Full) 
February 4, 2009 
 
In a meeting of the House of Representatives' Budget Committee 
yesterday, Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) member Goshi Hosono 
reported that an ex-official of the Ministry of Agriculture, 
Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) who once served as Fisheries Agency 
director general had received a total of 320 million yen in income 
by assuming posts arranged by the ministry after retirement multiple 
times, the so-called watari practice. 
 
Hosono pointed out that his predecessors and successors at the 
entities in which the ex-official had worked also used to be MAFF 
senior officials. Focusing on this fact, he said that channels for 
the watari practice might have been established and then asked the 
government to launch an investigation. 
 
According to Hosono, this former bureaucrat landed lucrative jobs at 
a total of six organizations, including the National Association of 
Racing. The total income earned from five organizations, except for 
the one in which he got the first postretirement post, reportedly 
reached at least 170 million yen. 
 
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry's Chief Secretary 
Masanori Sato admitted that the ministry had arranged the official 
in question to assume the postretirement posts, saying: "Since we 
were asked by the organizations to introduce a proper person, we 
handed data over to them and they hired him." But regarding 
arrangements for his predecessors and successors, he replied, "I do 
not have the facts." 
 
16) Japanese people most pessimistic among 17 countries about 
economy 
 
ASAHI (Page 5) (Full) 
February 4, 2009 
 
Private research agencies of 17 countries, including major developed 
countries, China and India, have found in their polls that Japanese 
people are most pessimistic about the future of their country's 
economy amid the global financial crisis. The Japanese people's 
confidence in their government's response to the financial crisis 
was the lowest, marking only three points out of 10. Nippon Research 
Center, a Japanese research company, analyzes that in the background 
there is the Japanese public's distrust in politics, even though the 
result may be a reflection of Japanese national character. 
 
The polls were conducted last November and December through the 
telephone and Internet and interviews. Nippon Research Center 
carried out its survey on Internet. A total of 14,600 people were 
surveyed in the 17 countries. In Japan, 1,040 were polled. 
 
 
TOKYO 00000263  010 OF 010 
 
 
Asked about their countries' economic prospects over the next three 
months, only two percent of Japanese pollees, the lowest along with 
Briton among the 17 countries, said that the economy would get 
better. Among emerging countries, 39 PERCENT  of Indian people 
forecast that their economy would recover; 34 PERCENT  in Brazil and 
27 PERCENT  in China. Seventy percent of the Japanese people 
predicted that the economy would worsen, the second-lowest following 
Britain. Only 46 PERCENT  of Americans, who have high hopes for 
President Barack Obama, said that the U.S. economy would 
deteriorate. 
 
Forty-five percent -- the third highest among the 17 countries -- of 
the Japanese people said their incomes for one year from now would 
decrease. The Japanese people's judgment on the stability of the 
country's banking institutions and sock market was the fourth lowest 
level. The Japanese respondents expressed pessimism toward most 
question items. 
 
Although Prime Minister Taro Aso proudly has said that the 
75-trillion yen economic package is the largest scale in relation to 
GDP (gross domestic products) among various countries, he appears to 
have failed to provide the sense of security to the Japanese 
public. 
 
17) Japan Business Federation to close office in U.S. 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 9) (full) 
February 4, 2009 
 
Jiji, Washington 
 
The Japan Business Federation (Keidanren) has decided as of Feb. 3 
to close at the end of March its office in Washington. This is its 
only overseas office. 
 
Keidanren has made the decision as part of its reorganization plan. 
The economic organization will contact U.S. political and business 
circles from its Tokyo office in order to maintain and strengthen 
its relations with them. However, the closing of Keidanren's 
Washington office, which has been a window for gathering and 
dispatching information, will likely have a subtle impact on 
Japan-U.S. private level exchanges. 
 
In an attempt to respond to U.S. criticism of Japan's huge trade 
surplus, Keidanren in 1992 set up in New York an office of Keizai 
Koho Center (KKC), its sister organization. In 1997 the KKC moved 
its office to Washington. Since 2000, Keidanren also has used the 
office for its activities. 
 
Following the settlement of the trade friction between the two 
countries, the Iron and Steel Federation closed its Washington 
office in 2006. Japanese companies have decreased or withdrawn 
expatriate staff members in Washington. Amid the economic slump, 
such moves will further increase. 
 
ZUMWALT