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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 10 TOKYO 000416 
 
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 2/24/09 
 
Index: 
 
Prime Minister Aso in trouble: 
1) Fuji-Sankei poll: Aso Cabinet support rate plummets 6.8 points to 
11.4 PERCENT ; Prime minister has lost the trust of 80 PERCENT  of 
the Japanese public  (Sankei) 
2) "Topple Aso" moves are speeding up in the Liberal Democratic 
Party  (Nikkei) 
 
Aso to Washington: 
3) Prime Minister Aso departs for meeting with President Obama, 
plans to offer bullet-train technology to U.S., contingent on 
Japanese firms getting contracts  (Asahi) 
4) Obama, Aso to agree in summit meeting to cooperate in four areas 
on environment issue  (Yomiuri) 
5) Aso to propose at U.S. summit that U.S., Japan, and China set up 
talks on global warming issue  (Nikkei) 
 
6) Aso has a 15-minute telephone conversation with ROK President Lee 
 (Yomiuri) 
 
7) Aso, visiting Chinese Communist Party official meet and agree to 
cooperate on expanding domestic demand in their respective country 
(Nikkei) 
 
8) Foreign Minister Nakasone announces that yen loans to Vietnam are 
being restarted  (Nikkei) 
 
Defense and security: 
9) Government to propose paying salaries of 80,000 Afghan police 
(Yomiuri) 
10) Defense Ministry considering sending refueling ships along with 
anti-piracy vessels to Somali waters  (Asahi) 
 
DPJ in action: 
11) DPJ aiming at Diet dissolution in the spring  (Nikkei) 
12) Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) President Ozawa, becoming active 
diplomatically, meets Chinese Communist Party official  (Yomiuri) 
13) Ozawa says he will give priority to relations with China once 
his party is in power  (Tokyo Shimbun) 
14) DPJ Secretary General Hatoyama in policy speech calls for no 
longer "blindly following the U.S." by opting for "international 
cooperation" line  (Mainichi) 
15) Former DPJ President Okada intends to develop party's 
relationship with the Obama administration  (Mainichi) 
16) Hatoyama in policy speech proposes moving cabinet members out of 
the ministries and into the Prime Minister's Official Residence 
(Kantei)  (Nikkei) 
 
Articles: 
 
1) Poll: Cabinet support nosedives to 11.4 PERCENT 
 
SANIEI (Top play) (Abridged) 
February 24, 2009 
 
The Sankei Shimbun conducted a joint public opinion survey with Fuji 
News Network (FNN) on Feb. 21-22. The rate of public support for 
Prime Minister Taro Aso's cabinet dropped 6.8 points from the last 
survey in January this year to 11.4 PERCENT . The nonsupport rate 
also rose 8.8 points to 80.2 PERCENT , topping 80 PERCENT  for the 
first time since coming into office. In the rate of public support 
 
TOKYO 00000416  002 OF 010 
 
 
for political parties as well, the leading opposition Democratic 
Party of Japan (Minshuto) is above the ruling Liberal Democratic 
Party. The public distrust of Aso, which has been continuing since 
last year, could not be stopped. 
 
The flagging support rate for the Aso cabinet is the second lowest 
level following the 6.9 PERCENT  rating in February 2001 for the 
cabinet of Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, who stepped down shortly 
thereafter. It is also on a par with the 11.5 PERCENT  rating for 
the cabinet of Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda in September 2008 that 
came right after Fukuda announced his resignation. 
 
In the public evaluation of the Aso cabinet, "yes" accounted for 
23.8 PERCENT  when respondents were asked if they appreciated the 
prime minister's personal character. The figure dropped 5.6 points 
from the last survey. Asked about leadership, "yes" accounted for 
7.0 PERCENT , falling below 10 PERCENT  for the first time. 
Meanwhile, "no" reached 87.5 PERCENT . Respondents were also asked 
about the Aso cabinet's economic stimulus measures, foreign 
policies, and civil service reform plans. However, "yes" was somehow 
over 10 PERCENT . The figures show that the Aso cabinet has dropped 
in the public ratings for its economic and foreign policies. 
 
Respondents were further asked who they thought was more appropriate 
for prime minister when comparing Prime Minister Aso and DPJ 
President Ichiro Ozawa. To this question, 44.4 PERCENT  preferred 
Ozawa, with 18.9 PERCENT  choosing Aso. As seen from these figures, 
Ozawa's popularity was twice as high as Aso's. 
 
Meanwhile, in the breakdown of public support for political parties, 
the LDP was at 21.9 PERCENT , with the DPJ scoring 25.9 PERCENT . In 
the public preference of political parties for proportional 
representation in the next election for the House of 
Representatives, the DPJ outdistanced the LDP, with the DPJ scoring 
42.9 PERCENT  and the LDP at 25.8 PERCENT . 
 
In addition, respondents were asked when they would like the next 
House of Representatives election to be held. To this question, 
"right away" accounted for 25.2 PERCENT  and "after the budget's 
passage or during the first half of this year" at 54.8 PERCENT . As 
seen from these figures, a total of 80 PERCENT  called for a prompt 
dissolution of the Diet. "Upon the current membership's expiry" 
accounted for 16.0 PERCENT . 
 
2) Political maneuvering in LDP over drive to unseat Prime Minister 
Aso from office 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Slightly abridged) 
February 24, 2009 
 
The government and ruling parties confirmed in a meeting yesterday a 
policy of aiming to get the fiscal 2009 budget through the House of 
Representatives this week in order to enact it before the end of the 
current fiscal year. The purpose is to turn around the situation by 
taking advantage of the passage of the budget with an eye on Lower 
House dissolution which must be held by the fall. However, since the 
outlook is that a drive to remove Prime Minister Taro Aso from 
office will speed up in the ruling camp to, political maneuvering 
will likely now intensify. 
 
In an LDP executive meeting yesterday, Aso stressed: "I will do my 
best to get the budget through the Lower House this week." Nobody in 
 
TOKYO 00000416  003 OF 010 
 
 
the meeting referred to a sharp plunge in the support rates in the 
polls for the Aso cabinet. One senior member said: "A sense of alarm 
was lacking." 
 
Aso intends to come up with an additional economic stimulus package. 
He also intends contain calls for replacing him by brandishing the 
threat of carrying out "desperate Lower House dissolution 
(yabure-kabure kaisan)." Some LDP members supporting Aso have 
suggested a cabinet shuffle. 
 
A senior LDP member, who has distanced himself from Aso, said: "He 
cannot carry out a desperate dissolution." 
 
In a meeting on the night of Feb. 18 of former Prime Minister 
Yoshiro Mori, Mikio Aoki, former chairman of the LDP caucus in the 
House of Councillors, and Taku Yamasaki, one participant said: 
"After all, Mr. Aso is unable to run the government." However, 
neither Mori nor Aoki has candidates to succeed Aso. 
 
3) Aso to tout Shinkansen technology in talks with U.S. President 
Obama 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Slightly abridged) 
February 24, 2009 
 
Prime Minister Aso left Haneda Airport by government special plane 
last night to meet with U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington. 
The two leaders are expected to agree on the need for the two 
countries to jointly tackle the global economic crisis and to 
strengthen the bilateral alliance. They are also likely to reaffirm 
cooperation over issues with North Korea and the challenge of peace 
building in Afghanistan. Aso will express a willingness to offer 
Japan's Shinkansen bullet train technology for the express railway 
construction projects being promoted by the U.S, so that Japanese 
firms will be able to receive orders in the emerging U.S. rail 
market. 
 
Aso is the first foreign leader to meet with Obama at the White 
House. He told reporters just before leaving Japan: 
 
"The world is facing a mountain of problems, including the global 
financial crisis, terrorism and global environmental deterioration. 
I would like to share the need (with the President Obama) to jointly 
deal with these long-term global issues in a proper way." 
 
The summit meeting will be held at noon of Feb. 24, local time, 
ahead of Obama's first State of the Union address before Congress. 
After the summit meeting, Aso will have a luncheon meeting with 
former Deputy Secretary of State Armitage and other persons 
knowledgeable about Japan and then will visit Arlington National 
Cemetery to place flowers. He will return to Japan on the night of 
the 25th. 
 
At a time when calls are growing for "dumping Aso" in the ruling 
camp, the prime minister hopes to turn the tables by taking 
advantage of the meeting with President Obama. Given little time 
spent for preparations for the meeting, though, Aso will try to 
build a relationship of trust with Obama, rather than producing 
specific results. 
 
Railways emit little carbon dioxide than automobiles and airplanes, 
so the railway construction plans are in line with the Obama 
 
TOKYO 00000416  004 OF 010 
 
 
administration's Green New Deal. JR East Japan Railway Co., Central 
Japan Railway Co., as well as Japanese trading firms and automakers 
are eager to receive orders in the U.S. railway business. 
 
As a specific project, the Japanese firms are focusing on the 
California High-Speed Rail project (worth 3 trillion yen), the first 
future high-speed rail system of the U.S. In 2005, the Land, 
Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry signed a memorandum 
for cooperation on the project with the California High-Speed Rail 
Authority. 
 
4) Japan, U.S. to cooperate in four environmental areas: Leaders of 
both countries to reach agreement 
 
YOMIURI (Page 1) (Excerpts) 
February 24, 2009 
 
The Yomiuri Shimbun learned on February 23 that the Japanese 
government will propose at the bilateral summit to be held in 
Washington on the 24th extending full support for the Obama 
administration's Green New Deal program, which prioritizes 
investment in the environment area. The two leaders are expected to 
reach an agreement. 
 
Prime Minister Aso will propose Japan-U.S. energy and environmental 
technology cooperation in four areas, including the dissemination of 
next-generation vehicles and low carbon technology. Both leaders 
will vow to lead the world in these fields. They will also look into 
a new framework for bilateral dialogue with the aim of addressing 
global-scale challenges, such as the global economy and the 
environmental issue. 
 
Bilateral cooperation in the energy and environment areas will focus 
on: (1) measures to disseminate next-generation vehicles, such as 
electric cars and plug-in cars that can be charged with utility 
power; (2) innovative low carbon technology that enables substantial 
cuts in carbon emissions; (3) expansion of energy conservation and 
new energy markets; and (4) peaceful utilization of nuclear power. 
 
5) Prime minister to propose Japan-U.S.-China talks on prevention of 
global warming at Japan-U.S. summit 
 
NIKKEI (Page 1) (Full) 
February 24, 2009 
 
Prime Minister Aso has decided to propose during his first summit 
with U.S. President Obama to be held in Washington on Feb. 24 
launching talks among Japan, the U.S. and China on the prevention of 
global warming. His aim is to take the lead in talks on a framework 
for preventing global warming to be adopted in 2013, replacing the 
Kyoto Protocol, by bringing the U.S. and China into the fold. He 
will also announce a plan to provide technologies for clean energy, 
such as solar energy generation, Japan's bailiwick. 
 
Prime Minister Aso left yesterday evening for the U.S. on a 
government plane. The two leaders are also expected to agree to 
strengthen cooperation for assistance to Afghanistan. The prime 
minister will explain to the president his policy of continuing the 
Maritime Self-Defense Force's refueling mission in the Indian Ocean 
and expanding cooperation in the civilian area, such as assistance 
for police activities. As a measure to address the ongoing financial 
crisis, he will tell the president that Japan is looking into a new 
 
TOKYO 00000416  005 OF 010 
 
 
set of measures, which he will propose at the East Asia summit to be 
held in Thailand in April. 
 
6) Prime Minister Aso holds 15-minute teleconference with South 
Korean President Lee 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) 
February 24, 2009 
 
Prime Minister Taro Aso yesterday held a telephone conversation with 
South Korean President Lee Myung Bak for about 15 minutes. Aso told 
Lee that he will meet on Feb. 24 with U.S. President Barack Obama 
(in Washington). The two leaders shared the perception that close 
cooperation among Japan, the United States and South Korea is 
important in dealing with the global economic crisis and North 
Korea's nuclear programs. 
 
Aso welcomed a visit to Japan by Lee, which is planned to take place 
before the end of this year. Lee then said: "I would like to visit 
Japan as early as possible." The telephone talks were held at the 
request of the Japanese government. 
 
7) Aso, Chinese Communist Party leader agree on need for Japan, 
China to make efforts to expand domestic demand 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
February 24, 2009 
 
Prime Minister Taro Aso met with Wang Jiarui, the head of the 
Chinese Communist Party's International Development, at Liberal 
Democratic Party headquarters yesterday. The two exchanged views on 
how to tackle the ongoing global economic recession. They shared the 
view that Japan and China should make efforts to expand domestic 
demand. 
 
Prior to the Aso-Wang meeting, Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo 
Kawamura met with Wang at the Prime Minister's Office and sought 
China's cooperation in resolving the North Korean abduction, nuclear 
and missile issues. 
 
Wang replied: "These are complicated issues, but China will continue 
to make efforts to encourage the countries concerned to reach a 
settlement." 
 
8) Resumption of yen loans to Vietnam, foreign minister says 
 
NIKKEI (Page 5) (Full) 
February 24, 2009 
 
Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone during a meeting with visiting 
Planning and Investment Minister Phuc of Vietnam on February 23 
announced Japan's plan to resume fresh yen loans to that nation, 
which has been suspended due to a bribery scandal over official 
development assistance (ODA). The government intends to reach a 
decision on specific cooperation items. 
 
Regarding ODA to Vietnam, a bribery scandal involving Pacific 
Consultants International (PCI), a Japanese leading consulting firm, 
was brought to light in August last year. Japan has suspended new 
yen loans for fiscal 2008, calling for the prevention of a 
recurrence and the punishment of involved sources. 
 
 
TOKYO 00000416  006 OF 010 
 
 
The Japan-Vietnam Joint Committee on the Prevention of Corruption 
over ODA joined by the governments and the private sectors of the 
two countries released a report that includes specific measures. 
Punishing involved sources has been under way with the Vietnamese 
government arresting officials who accepted bribes. As such, the 
Japanese government has determined that conditions for resuming new 
loans have been set. 
 
9) Government in new aid proposal willing to pay salaries of 80,000 
police in Afghanistan 
 
YOMIURI (Page 1) (Excerpt) 
February 24, 2009 
 
It was learned that the government's new package of aid proposals 
for Afghanistan has been finalized. The package features payments of 
salaries of Afghan police officers, as well as construction of 
hospitals and schools. During their meeting on Feb. 17, Foreign 
Minister Nakasone presented the proposed plan to U.S. Secretary of 
State Clinton, and Prime Minister Aso is expected to explain the 
package to President Obama during their summit meeting on Feb. 24. 
 
The government has announced financial assistance to Afghanistan's 
reconstruction worth 2 billion dollars in total (or approximately 
180 billion yen). The new package will come from that assistance 
framework. 
 
To improve public security in Afghanistan, Japan will provide the 
salaries of all the police officers in that country, a total of 
80,000 persons, for a half year. 
 
10) Defense Ministry mulls using supply ship in Indian Ocean for 
antipiracy mission 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
February 24, 2009 
 
Administrative Vice Defense Minister Kohei Masuda, meeting the press 
yesterday, clarified that the Defense Ministry would consider using 
a Maritime Self-Defense Force supply ship-currently deployed to the 
Indian Ocean for refueling activities under the Antiterrorism 
Special Measures Law-for the planned dispatch of MSDF destroyers in 
early March for an antipiracy mission in waters off Somalia. The 
Defense Ministry takes the position that there is no problem about 
refueling MSDF vessels that are Japanese ships. However, the purpose 
of refueling those MSDF destroyers tasked with an antipiracy mission 
differs from that of the special measures law, and it therefore 
could be taken as use outside the law's purpose. 
 
The Defense Ministry is considering such countries as Djibouti, 
which is situated at the western edge of the Gulf of Aden, for 
refueling the MSDF destroyers to be sent out for an antipiracy 
mission. The destroyers need to be refueled about once in 7-10 days, 
so they will inevitably have to suspend their activities whenever 
they are refueled. The Defense Ministry deems it possible to conduct 
antipiracy operations in an efficient way if the supply ship in the 
Indian Ocean can be used for underway replenishment. 
 
11) DPJ trying to bring about lower House dissolution in spring, by 
approving passage of budget and related bills within current fiscal 
year; some opposition members feeling disappointed 
 
 
TOKYO 00000416  007 OF 010 
 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
February 24, 2009 
 
The main opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) has begun taking 
a stance of approving the government's plan to enact the fiscal 2009 
budget and related bills before the end of the current fiscal year 
(March), giving up on its strategy of preventing an early enactment 
of them by dragging out deliberations. The aim is to cause discord 
in the ruling parties after the passage of the budget, eventually to 
bring about Lower House dissolution in the spring. However, since 
there is a possibility that Prime Minister Taro will put off 
dissolving the Lower House even after the passage of the budget, 
some opposition members have still called for continuing thorough 
deliberations. 
 
"I would like you to return to Tokyo on the 27," DPJ Diet Affairs 
Committee Chairman Kenji Yamaoka said on the 23rd to President 
Ichiro Ozawa. Yamaoka suggested attending a Lower House plenary 
session on Feb. 27 with the schedule of taking a vote on the budget 
and related bills in mind. He also told Ozawa that the Lower House 
was expected to take a second vote on a bill to fund for the 
cash-hand out program, which is now being deliberated in the Upper 
House. 
 
Based on a Diet rule, if the fiscal 2009 budget clears the Lower 
House before the end of February, it will be enacted within the 
current fiscal year. Although the opposition can prevent the related 
bills from being enacted before the end of this fiscal year by 
dragging out deliberations, Yamaoka and other DPJ executive members 
appear to be willing to take a vote on them in March in the Upper 
House. 
 
The reason is that DPJ executives expect that a mood for Lower House 
dissolution will grow in the ruling coalition after the budget is 
enacted. Yamaoka told reporters yesterday in the Diet building: 
"After the budget is passed, internal discord may occur in the LDP. 
As a result, the LDP will lose the ability of assuming the reins of 
government." The day before yesterday, he indicated the outlook that 
the Lower House election would be carry out in May after the Golden 
Week holidays. 
 
12) DPJ President Ozawa tells China's Wang: If DPJ assumes political 
power, it will give priority to bilateral relations with China 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) 
February 24, 2009 
 
Ichiro Ozawa, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of 
Japan (DPJ), met yesterday with Wang Jiarui, head of the 
International Department of the Chinese Communist Party's Central 
Committee. 
 
In the meeting, Ozawa emphasized that if his party took over the 
reins of government, it would place priority on economic measures 
and Japan's relations with China. He told Wang: 
 
"As I have a special affinity with China, I want to promote a 
friendship. If our party gets a good result in the next Lower House 
election, we will reconstruct the Japanese economy and will try more 
than ever to improve the friendship between Japan and China." 
 
Wang responded: 
 
TOKYO 00000416  008 OF 010 
 
 
 
"Japanese people serving in important posts, whom I met recently, 
said that the DPJ would assume political power soon. If the DPJ 
comes into office, I would like to see the Japanese economy recover 
and promote a further development of the bilateral relations between 
Japan and China." 
 
The planned one-hour meeting was extended by about 15 minutes. 
 
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Aso met yesterday with Wang at Liberal 
Democratic Party headquarters. Aso and Wang shared the view that 
both Japan and Chine should continue taking measures to expand 
domestic demand. 
 
13) Ozawa stepping up diplomatic activities 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Abridged slightly) 
February 24, 2009 
 
Meeting with Chinese Communist Party leader 
 
Democratic Party of Japan President Ichiro Ozawa held talks with 
visiting Chinese Communist Party International Department head Wang 
Jiarui at party headquarters yesterday. Although readying for the 
next Lower House election is Ozawa's top priority, there are those 
in the party calling for responses that are aimed at a change in 
administration. Ozawa thus has been stepping up diplomatic 
activities following his meeting on Feb. 17 with U.S. Secretary of 
State Hillary Clinton. 
 
Diet Affairs Committee Chairman Kenji Yamaoka was also present at 
the Ozawa-Wang meeting. The two leaders agreed to strengthen and 
develop exchanges between the two parties. According to Yamaoka, 
because Wang visited North Korea in late January and held talks with 
Kim Jong Il, the North Korean issue was on the agenda, but (Ozawa 
and Yamaoka) were asked not to reveal what was discussed. 
 
In the meeting, Ozawa said: "I feel a special affinity with China. I 
would like to develop good relations between the two countries." In 
response, Wang said: "I would like to make the bilateral 
relationship even loser so that the two countries will be able to 
deal with and guide the global economic crisis centering on the 
financial crisis to a solution." 
 
In view of growing chance for a change of government after the next 
Lower House election, Wang also discussed prospects for the DPJ, 
saying: "Although relations between China and Japan have been good 
over the last several years, once a DPJ administration is launched, 
I believe bilateral relations will develop further in a variety of 
areas." 
 
On Feb. 20, Wang met with Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama and Vice 
President Katsuya Okada. In the meeting, there was a scene in which 
Hatoyama gave candid advice to Wang who played up China's efforts to 
improve the environment regarding the Tibet issue. 
 
In his earlier meeting with Secretary Clinton, Ozawa emphasized the 
need for an "equal relationship." The DPJ's challenge is how it can 
come to terms with reality in the event it takes power, while 
playing up its proactive diplomacy to clarify Japan's standpoint. 
 
14) DPJ's Hatoyama calls for shifting Japan's diplomacy of "blindly 
 
TOKYO 00000416  009 OF 010 
 
 
following U.S." to international cooperation 
 
MAINICHI (Page 5) (Full) 
February 24, 2009 
 
Joichi Sato 
 
Democratic Party of Japan Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama gave a 
speech in English in a seminar held in Tokyo yesterday mainly for 
overseas investors mainly in Asia. In it, Hatoyama indicated that 
his party would aim at a victory of the next Lower House election to 
take power. Referring to Japan-U.S. relations, he also announced, 
"Japan's diplomacy of blindly following the United States must be 
clearly shifted to an international cooperation policy course." He 
also made it clear that realizing an Asia-Pacific community would be 
a new national target. 
 
While explicitly indicating that the Japan-U.S. relationship is 
important than anything else, Hatoyama noted: "As its friend, Japan 
must offer candid advice to the United States so that it will not 
take the wrong (military) action and lose its credibility." He also 
brushed aside the question of attaching importance to the Japan-U.S. 
alliance or to the United Nations as "wrong." 
 
15) DPJ's Okada intends to develop relations with U.S. 
administration 
 
MAINICHI (Page 5) (Full) 
February 24, 2009 
 
Naruyuki Tanaka 
 
Democratic Party of Japan Vice President Katsuya Okada gave a speech 
in a Maichichi-public opinion forum held in the city of Fukuoka 
yesterday. In it, touching on U.S. bases in Japan, he said: "In 
addition to protecting Japan, they are important bases for the U.S. 
military for operations in the Asia-Pacific and the wider area 
beyond it." 
 
Okada also displayed a stance to build better relations with the 
Obama administration after taking over the reins of government in 
order to establish a new Japan-U.S. alliance. 
 
16) Hatoyama in policy speech proposes moving cabinet members from 
ministries into Kantei 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
February 24, 2009 
 
Delivering a speech in Tokyo yesterday, Democratic Party of Japan 
(DPJ) Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama revealed plans to strengthen 
the functions of the Prime Minister's Office (Kantei), with an eye 
on a change of government after the next House of Representatives 
election. 
 
Under his vision, the cabinet ministers would be moved from their 
respective ministries into the Kantei in principle, the aim being to 
strengthen cooperation between the prime minister and the ministers. 
He hopes to prevent the cabinet ministers from being taken in by 
bureaucrats and to establish a government led by politicians, as his 
party aims at. Hatoyama emphasized in the speech: "Once the DPJ 
grabs political power, we will take time and build a system that 
 
TOKYO 00000416  010 OF 010 
 
 
will enable us to thoroughly counter bureaucrats." He indicated that 
the prime minister and major cabinet ministers would determine basic 
policies over two to three weeks. He also said: "We will accept only 
government officials who follow our policy decisions. Once the DPJ 
assumes political power, we will promptly tell officials at the 
bureau director level or over to submit a letter of resignation." 
 
Under the current system, administrative vice ministerial meetings 
are held under the lead of the deputy chief cabinet secretary for 
administrative affairs. But Hatoyama proposed a new system to allow 
the deputy chief cabinet secretaries for parliamentary affairs to 
join such meetings. In the DPJ, however, many members take the view 
that the stance of confronting bureaucrats will make it impossible 
to carry out constructive policy measures. Under the current 
situation, it is uncertain to what extent the Hatoyama vision would 
be accepted. 
 
On the assumption that the DPJ will take over the political reins 
after it wins a victory in the Lower House election, the DPJ has 
worked out a policy platform under Hatoyama's initiative. DPJ 
President Ichiro Ozawa has proposed including more than 100 
lawmakers in the government, but Hatoyama did not refer to this 
idea. 
 
ZUMWALT