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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 14 TOKYO 000431 
 
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 02/25/09 
 
INDEX: 
 
(1) Japan called "great partner" in summit meeting; U.S. has clearly 
turned away from unilateralism (Yomiuri) 
 
(2) Japan burdened with heavy responsibility in exchange for 
prestigious invitation (Yomiuri) 
 
(3) Japanese, U.S. leaders meet under crisis: Prime Minister Aso 
eager to hold summit, motivated by desire to buoy up his 
administration (Nikkei) 
 
(4) Ozawa placing his own imprint on foreign policy; 75 minutes with 
Wang, 30 minutes with Clinton (Asahi) 
 
(5) DPJ President Ozawa harshly criticizes Japan-U.S. summit 
meeting: The U.S. did not put its heart into the talks (Jiji Press) 
 
 
(6) Ozawa speaks of possibility of reducing U.S. forces in Japan: 
"The 7th Fleet would be enough" (Jiji Press) 
 
(7) With sharp plunge in support rates, DPJ watching Aso cabinet 
from good vantage point; Party stops wrangling over fiscal 2009 
budget, while paying attention to discord in LDP (Mainichi) 
 
(8) Prime Minister Aso may try to find way to extend his 
administration by shuffling cabinet (Tokyo Shimbun) 
 
(9) Aso administration with only 10 PERCENT  public support 
(Mainichi) 
 
(10) U.S. serviceman gets six-month prison term for sexually 
assaulting Philippine woman: Court martial decides to drop rape 
chargen (Okinawa Times) 
 
ARTICLES: 
 
(1) Japan called "great partner" in summit meeting; U.S. has clearly 
turned away from unilateralism 
 
YOMIURI (Page 3) (Excerpts) 
Eve., February 25, 2009 
 
By Satoshi Ogawa in Washington 
 
In the Japan-U.S. summit meeting, President Obama lauded Japan as "a 
great partner," taking a stance that the U.S. together with Japan 
would work out resolutions to global-scale challenges. Such an 
approach differs from that of the Bush administration, which often 
would first make the decision and then ask Japan to agree to it. 
There is now the possibility for this kind of approach to become the 
standard for the Japan-U.S. relationship. 
 
"The Afghanistan problem should be tackled by the international 
community. Every country needs to put in more efforts than before." 
In this way, the President in his meeting with Prime Minister Aso 
repeatedly stressed the need for every country including Japan to 
play a role. It was decided that Japan, too, would take part in the 
planning of a comprehensive strategy for assisting Afghanistan. 
There was an outstanding difference from the previous U.S. 
administration, which used words like, "Show the flag," and strongly 
 
TOKYO 00000431  002 OF 014 
 
 
requested that countries follow the U.S. lead in the "war on 
terror." 
 
A former high-level State Department official said: "The Obama 
administration plans to greatly rely on the roles of its partners in 
the world even in national security areas." There has been a switch 
away from the foreign policy of the previous administration, which 
was known for its unilateralism. The stance of the Obama 
administration of aiming for each country to share the burden was 
reflected in the summit meeting between the President and Prime 
Minister Aso. 
 
Prime Minister Aso, responding to such a stance, made an appeal 
regarding Japan's "unique fields," such as civilian assistance to 
Afghanistan and environmental technologies. A senior Foreign 
Ministry official proudly said: "In addition to bilateral and 
regional issues, talks covered global-scale problems, as well, 
proving that the Japan-U.S. alliance has become multi-layered." 
 
However, it is conceivable that Japan, saddled with its unstable 
political situation, may not be able to rise to meet U.S. 
expectations of its "great partner" in the future. At that time, the 
new Japan-U.S. relationship will be put to the test. 
 
(2) Japan burdened with heavy responsibility in exchange for 
prestigious invitation 
 
YOMIURI (Page 3) (Excerpts) 
February 25, 2009 
 
Prime Minister Taro Aso and U.S. President Barack Obama held their 
first summit meeting in Washington on the morning of Feb. 24, local 
time. For Obama, this was the first meeting with a foreign state 
leader in the U.S. since he assumed the presidency. 
 
U.S. to ask Japan to expand international contributions 
 
 Call for contributions 
 
It was unprecedented for a new U.S. president to invite a Japanese 
prime minister as the first foreign leader to the White House, 
particularly at a time when he is busy preparing for his first State 
of the Union address before Congress. 
 
The prime minister's meeting with the new president only one month 
after the president assumed office marks the third earliest, 
following the "Ikeda-Johnson meeting" and the "Takeshita-Bush 
(senior)" one. Kenji Hirata, secretary general of the Democratic 
Party of Japan's (DPJ) caucus in the House of Councillors, 
criticized Aso's U.S. visit under the current gloomy economic 
situation, but a senior Foreign Ministry official commented: "It is 
significant for Japan and the U.S. to declare their determination to 
work hand in hand to tackle vital global issues." Chief Cabinet 
Secretary Kawamura said yesterday: "There is the basic perception 
that the President's stance of placing emphasis on Asia and 
favorable Japan-U.S. relations are vital for the world." 
 
Focusing on the United States' preferential treatment to Japan, as 
shown by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit to Japan as the 
destination of her first official overseas trip, a Japanese 
government source fears that the U.S. might ask for Japan's 
contributions afterward. The source means that Japan may be asked to 
 
TOKYO 00000431  003 OF 014 
 
 
offer more contributions than before for reconstructing Afghan, to 
which the Obama administration gives priority, and neighboring 
Pakistan. 
 
 Speculations 
 
Richard Bush, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, takes 
this view: President Obama's invitation of the Japanese prime 
minister as his first foreign guest stems from the judgment that 
"Japan will be a very helpful ally for the president in carrying out 
his policy challenges." In actuality, the two leaders confirmed the 
importance of the Japan-U.S. alliance at the outset of the meeting. 
 
The Obama administration hopes that the stock and dollar exchange 
markets will be favorably affected by demonstrating its willingness 
to jointly work with Japan to contain the global economic crisis. On 
climate change, the U.S. thinks that cooperation with Japan, which 
has jointly developed environment-related technologies with China, 
will make it easier to draw China into discussion on the issue. As a 
result, major business opportunities may be given to American firms. 
In addition, the U.S. anticipates that cooperation with Japan will 
make it easier for the U.S. to counter Europe, which has different 
basic views from the U.S. over a new international framework to 
fight global warming following the 2012 expiration of the Kyoto 
Protocol. 
 
The expression "a helpful ally" also means that Japan naturally 
should offer its due contributions. As a symbolic case, the U.S. has 
called on Japan to take part in reviewing its comprehensive strategy 
toward Afghanistan. Balbina Hwang, who served as senior special 
advisor to U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill until 
last month, pointed out: "High expectations tend to be accompanied 
by heavy responsibility, no matter whether it is money or civilian 
aid." 
 
The Obama administration has proposed expanding the North Atlantic 
Treaty Organization's (NATO) trust fund for Afghan police officers 
and having countries concerned pay personnel costs. This idea is 
estimated to require 2 to 4 billion dollars annually. A Japanese 
government official said: "Once a framework for the plan is worked 
out, there will be no option for Japan to stay away from it. Unless 
Japan disburses at least several hundred millions of yen annually, 
Japan's contributions will not be appreciated." If Japan fails to 
win appreciation, "the Japan-U.S. alliance" will be downgraded," 
according to a diplomatic source of the U.S. Democratic Party. In 
this sense, as a senior Foreign Ministry official said, "Japan has 
been burdened with a heavy responsibility." 
 
The role Japan is expected to play in addressing the financial and 
economic crisis can be cited as another reason. Japan trails only 
China as the largest foreign holder of U.S. Treasury bonds. To 
implement Washington's large-scale economic stimulus package, it 
will be necessary to float more government bonds. Some analyze that 
the Obama administration expects Japan to buy more U.S. Treasury 
bonds. The Japanese government views it unlikely for the U.S. 
government to immediately ask Japan to buy its bonds under the 
current situation, but the situation may change depending on future 
economic conditions of the two countries. 
 
U.S. less eager for personal confidence building 
 
No lunch or dinner or other events aimed to establish a personal 
 
TOKYO 00000431  004 OF 014 
 
 
relationship between the two leaders were not set. Also, the U.S. 
did not arrange for a joint press conference after the talks. Aso 
was not accompanied by his wife, either. 
 
For President Obama, there are few advantages from establishing a 
relationship of trust with Prime Minister Aso, who is losing 
political ground. Unless the U.S. underscores the stance of placing 
emphasis on Japan as a precondition for the U.S. policy of 
strengthening relations with China, as revealed during Secretary of 
State Clinton's visit to China, the U.S. could send a wrong message 
to the world audience. The Obama administration probably is also 
keeping in mind the Clinton administration of the Democratic Party 
having been criticized as "Japan bashing." 
 
Given this, the Obama administration judged it necessary to hold a 
summit meeting with Japan before the U.S. holds a bilateral summit 
meeting with China. An informed source said that the reason why the 
Japan-U.S. summit was arranged in a quite short period of time was 
because "it would become difficult to set a summit meeting afterward 
because there is a possibility of increasing government instability 
in March or later. 
 
The U.S. administration's real intention seems to have been "to 
demonstrate the stance of placing importance on Japan, and not on 
Prime Minister Aso," as analyzed by the said government source. 
 
(3) Japanese, U.S. leaders meet under crisis: Prime Minister Aso 
eager to hold summit, motivated by desire to buoy up his 
administration 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
February 25, 2009 
 
The Japan-U.S. summit held on February 24 amid the backdrop of the 
financial meltdown was the first meeting between Prime Minister Aso 
and U.S. President Obama. To what extent the two leaders, who are so 
contrasting in terms of generation, background and political base, 
can build a relationship of trust to strengthen the bilateral 
alliance will determine the future course of the Aso administration, 
which is suffering from sagging public-support ratings. 
 
When the President took office in late January, Aso cited 
similarities between himself and Obama: "We share the perception of 
the global economic crisis. We basically have the same method for 
bringing out the nation's potential." 
 
The prime minister, who calls himself "the economic Aso," was 
calling for a summit with Obama even before he took office as 
president, noting that Japan and the U.S. as economic powers needed 
to indicate their resolve to cooperate to overcome the financial 
crisis. The talks on Feb. 24 are the result of the Japanese Foreign 
Ministry having frantically worked on the U.S. for a summit in order 
to respond to the prime minister's enthusiasm, according to an aide 
to Aso. 
 
The prime minister is having trouble maintaining his administration, 
with public support ratings for his cabinet having dropped to 15 
PERCENT  and a non-support rate at 80 PERCENT . The president is 
still enjoying a high support rate of 60 PERCENT . Aso's ulterior 
motive, visible from time to time, is that he wants to create an 
opportunity to buoy up his administration by riding on Obama's 
coattails. 
 
TOKYO 00000431  005 OF 014 
 
 
 
In order for the two leaders to overcome the economic crisis, it is 
necessary for them to hurry to reconstruct their countries' domestic 
economies. 
 
The prime minister will aim at enacting the fiscal 2009 budget and 
compiling an additional stimulus package, as soon has he returns 
home. However, a storm is blowing in the ruling camp with many 
wanting to oust him. 
 
Points of Japan-U.S. summit: Japan to take part in planning strategy 
to Afghanistan 
 
 Further strengthen the Japan-U.S. alliance. Jointly deal with 
various issues facing the world. 
 Do the utmost for the reconstruction of each country's domestic 
economy with the aim of overcoming the economic crisis. Counter the 
spread of protectionism. Look into a new framework for bilateral 
economic dialogue. 
 Package settlement of North Korea's abduction, nuclear and missile 
issues. Collaborate to settle the abduction issue. 
 Japan to take part in the planning of a U.S. strategy toward 
Afghanistan. Japan to proactively extend assistance in the civilian 
area 
 Cooperation in assistance to Pakistan, as well. 
 Collaboration on the compilation of a mid-term goal for cutting 
greenhouse gas emissions. Search for a framework for consultation 
among Japan, the U.S. and China. 
 Technology cooperation in the clean energy area. Japan ready to 
cooperate for a U.S. plan for a high-speed railway system. 
 
(4) Ozawa placing his own imprint on foreign policy; 75 minutes with 
Wang, 30 minutes with Clinton 
 
ASAHI (Page 2) (Full) 
February 25, 2009 
 
Democratic Party of Japan (Minshuto) President Ozawa is now sending 
out his diplomatic signals. Ozawa recently met with U.S. Secretary 
of State Clinton and then met with Wang Jiarui, head of the Chinese 
Communist Party's international liaison department. In the meetings, 
an outline of Ozawa's style of diplomacy loomed as he would not 
cover up his friendly feeling toward China and constrained the 
United States. 
With a change of government becoming more likely, there is a growing 
sense of alarm at home and abroad. 
 
A special, close feeling toward China 
 
On Feb. 23, Ozawa had quite a long conversation with Wang at DPJ 
headquarters. Wang visited Japan at the ruling parties' invitation. 
However, his meeting with Ozawa was longer than that with Prime 
Minister Aso, lasting one hour and 15 minutes. 
 
"How was your meeting with Clinton?" In this way, Wang asked Ozawa 
about his meeting with the U.S. secretary of state on Feb. 17. Ozawa 
reportedly asked Wang about his visit to Pyongyang late last month 
when Wang met with North Korea's General Secretary Kim Jong Il. 
 
Ozawa has a deep relationship with China as he has been promoting 
grassroots exchanges between Japan and China since 1989. In 2006, 
Ozawa visited China on behalf of the DPJ and created a mechanism for 
 
TOKYO 00000431  006 OF 014 
 
 
talks with the Chinese Communist Party. Since then, Ozawa has 
annually met with Chinese President Hu Jintao. 
 
However, the meeting with Clinton was contrasting. It took time to 
have the meeting schedule arranged. Moreover, the meeting time was 
only some 30 minutes. In his meeting with Clinton, Ozawa stressed: 
"I am one of those who have maintained that the Japan-U.S. alliance 
is more important than anything else. However, one country must not 
be subservient to the other country in their bilateral 
relationship." Meanwhile, Ozawa referred to the China problem, 
saying, "It's inconceivable that North Korea will give up its 
nuclear card. Besides, China wants to maintain the present 
situation." He also said, "China's democratization of itself-or its 
soft landing-is the biggest task for Japan and the United States." 
 
Ozawa, in his meeting with Wang, brought up his ideal regarding the 
trilateral relationships of Japan, the United States, and China, 
likening the trilateral ties to an "isosceles triangle" with the 
Japan-U.S. relationship and the Japan-China relationship being the 
same in length. "I have a special, close feeling toward China," 
Ozawa said. Ozawa thinks Japan and the United States are close at 
present, and Japan and China are far, but he thinks Japan and China 
should be close as well. 
 
That stance, however, could be taken as meaning Japan and China join 
hands to constrain the United States. In point of fact, U.S. opinion 
leaders often voiced their concerns to DPJ executives, saying Ozawa 
might be anti-U.S. 
 
"I had advice from an American friend," Ozawa said, "and I was told 
that I am being misunderstood." In this way, Ozawa underscored his 
stance of prioritizing the Japan-U.S. relationship. However, Ozawa 
is proud that he managed negotiations with the United States over 
Japan's market liberalization and international contributions about 
20 years ago when Ozawa was with the ruling Liberal Democratic 
Party. He is therefore bullish in what he says. 
 
On Feb. 24, Ozawa visited the Nara prefectural city of Kashiba and 
he faced a reporter's question there about the presence of U.S. 
military bases in Japan. In reply, Ozawa developed his argument: 
"Japan should not always be at the beck and call of the United 
States. Instead, we, too, should have an appropriate global 
strategy. The question is what role Japan is going to play." At the 
same time, Ozawa referred to the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet, which is 
based in the Kanagawa prefectural city of Yokosuka and covers the 
West Pacific and the Indian Ocean. "For the United States to forward 
station troops at this time is meaningless," Ozawa said. "The 
Seventh Fleet alone is enough for the U.S. presence in the Far 
East," he added. 
 
No action to U.S. on 4 issues 
 
Recently, there has been a sharp increase in the number of requests 
to DPJ headquarters from various countries wishing to meet with 
party executives. The number of requests began increasing in 
December last year from the pace of once a week to three. The DPJ 
has actually held 30 meetings since that month. One from an Asian 
country's embassy in Tokyo explained: "The DPJ may take office. 
Given this possibility, we take it for granted." 
 
On the morning of Dec. 19 last year, a group of U.S. experts met at 
a Tokyo hotel with DPJ leaders, including Naoto Kan, Yukio Hatoyama, 
 
TOKYO 00000431  007 OF 014 
 
 
Seiji Maehara, and Katsuya Okada. Among those visitors in the 
meeting was Harvard University Professor Joseph Nye, who is now 
being considered for the post of ambassador to Japan under the U.S. 
Obama administration. According to one of those present at the 
meeting, the U.S. group referred to "four pending issues": 1) the 
Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA); 2) U.S. military 
realignment in Japan; 3) Afghan policy; and 4) refueling activities 
in the Indian Ocean. 
 
The DPJ is upholding a drastic review of all the four points for an 
"equal Japan-U.S. alliance." However, the U.S. participants were 
concerned about this DPJ standpoint, with one of them saying: "If 
all these points are specified in the manifesto, that will be an 
obstacle to your smooth building of a relationship with the Obama 
administration." Maehara recalls, "Mr. Nye said he would regard us 
as anti-U.S." In concluding the one-hour meeting, the U.S. group 
suggested that the DPJ should send a delegation to the United States 
at an early date for coordination, according to Maehara. 
 
Hatoyama and other DPJ executives began at once to discuss the idea 
of sending a delegation to the United States. However, Ozawa was 
cautious. According to one DPJ executive, Ozawa told the party 
executives in late January: "I will not meet with Obama until we 
take office. It would be just something for prep talks. When we took 
office, they may say different things. That's no good." 
 
Meanwhile, the DPJ has its own circumstances. "There's no way we can 
enter into coordination with the U.S. side before the House of 
Representatives election," one of the DPJ's executives confessed. 
That is because the Social Democratic Party (Shaminto), a potential 
partner for the DPJ to form a coalition government, is on the same 
wavelength with the DPJ for a drastic review of the SOFA pact and 
the U.S. force realignment but is against sending the Self-Defense 
Forces overseas. 
 
The election comes first. This is Ozawa's way of thinking. In the 
meantime, the government will ask the Diet during its current 
session for its approval of a treaty on the planned realignment of 
U.S. forces in Japan. Ozawa, when asked by a reporter whether the 
DPJ will consent to the treaty, went no further than to say: "Why 
don't you please ask about such an individual matter after we've 
taken office?" 
 
DPJ may negotiate own plan for Afghan peace 
 
Ozawa, though remaining critical of the United States, is paying 
close attention to the Obama administration's moves. The Obama 
administration regards Afghanistan as the main theater of war in the 
war on terror. For Afghan peace, the DPJ is now beginning to hold 
behind-the-scenes negotiations with various countries. 
 
Tadashi Inuzuka, who served as a senior vice foreign minister in the 
DPJ's shadow cabinet until last month, visited Brussels and 
Washington on Feb. 14-20. In Afghanistan, the conflict between the 
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), which is led by the 
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and the Taliban, a group 
of antigovernment militants, was getting bogged down. Inuzuka 
explained the DPJ's initiative like this. 
 
The United States and NATO withdraw their troops deployed to the 
Pakistani border, where the armed insurgents are based. Then, the 
SDF and an unarmed U.N. ceasefire monitoring delegation of 
 
TOKYO 00000431  008 OF 014 
 
 
representatives from Arab states will be sent there instead. In 
Tokyo, Afghanistan and Pakistan will hold working-level 
consultations and hold a summit meeting of their leaders. 
 
Inuzuka, who worked out the initiative, and Kenji Isezaki, a 
professor at the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies' graduate 
school, visited Afghanistan late last year with Ozawa's approval. 
Isezaki, who served as a special delegate of the Japanese government 
for Afghanistan's disarming, took part in the DPJ's work of drafting 
a bill in late 2007 to eradicate terrorism. The DPJ bill approved 
the SDF's limited deployment to a conflict-suspended area for 
civilian assistance. 
 
The conflict-suspending initiative is in line with Ozawa's advocacy 
of sharing roles with the United States through proactive 
participation in U.N. operations. However, Ozawa criticized the 
Obama administration's plan to send reinforcements to Afghanistan. 
"They can never prevail," Ozawa said in a radio program aired on 
Feb. 16. Ozawa then stressed the idea of recovering farmland as 
Japan's possible contribution. The question is whether he will 
decide to send SDF troops there. Yet, he does not appear to be 
determined. 
 
Policy differences between the government and the DPJ on major 
security issues 
 
Government 
SDF deployment overseas The government has sent the SDF overseas for 
specific issues under such legislative measures as the PKO 
Cooperation Law and the Antiterrorism Special Measures Law, but the 
government is now considering a general law (or a permanent law 
allowing Japan to send the SDF overseas as needed). The government 
constrains the SDF's overseas activities under the Constitution that 
prohibits Japan from using armed force if it is not for the defense 
of Japan. 
Afghanistan Under the Antiterrorism Special Measures Law, the 
Maritime Self-Defense Force has been tasked with refueling 
multinational forces' naval vessels on stage mainly in the Indian 
Ocean. Japan has sent no Ground Self-Defense Force troops to 
Afghanistan. 
U.S. force realignment It is important to maintain deterrence and 
mitigate the burden of base-hosting localities in order to maintain 
and develop bilateral security arrangements between Japan and the 
U.S. Based on the agreement with the U.S. government, Futenma 
airfield in Okinawa Prefecture will be relocated to Nago City by 
¶2014. 
SOFA In conformity with SOFA provisions, the U.S. will hold suspects 
in custody until they are indicted in case the U.S. detains them, 
even though Japan has primary jurisdiction over them and even if 
their crimes were committed off duty. The custody of suspects may be 
turned over to Japan through improvements in the way of implementing 
SOFA provisions. 
 
DPJ 
SDF deployment overseas If there is a U.N. resolution, it is 
constitutional to use armed force outside the defense of Japan. 
Enact a general law (or a permanent law) for Japan's proactive 
participation in U.N. operations. Decision yet to be made on whether 
to send the SDF or a different organization (DPJ manifesto in 
2006). 
Afghanistan The DPJ is opposed to refueling in the Indian Ocean 
because there is no definite U.N. resolution. The SDF may be sent to 
 
TOKYO 00000431  009 OF 014 
 
 
a "conflict-suspended area" in Afghanistan for humanitarian and 
reconstruction assistance (DPJ-drafted antiterror bill in 2007). 
U.S. force realignment Alleviate Okinawa Prefecture's base-hosting 
burden immediately. Relocate Futenma airfield elsewhere outside 
Okinawa Prefecture, disperse USMC bases in Okinawa Prefecture to 
other locations outside Okinawa Prefecture or outside Japan, based 
on changes in the strategic environment (DPJ's Okinawa Vision in 
2008). 
SOFA Drastic revisions needed immediately. Japan has primary 
jurisdiction over U.S. military personnel even in the case of crimes 
committed on duty outside the areas of USFJ facilities, and Japan 
will hold suspects in custody at its facilities (ditto). 
 
(5) DPJ President Ozawa harshly criticizes Japan-U.S. summit 
meeting: The U.S. did not put its heart into the talks 
 
JIJI PRESS (Internet edition) (Full) 
February 25, 2009 
 
Speaking to the press corps in Osaka this morning, Democratic Party 
of Japan (DPJ) President Ichiro Ozawa harshly criticized the 
Japan-U.S. summit meeting between Prime Minister Taro Aso and 
President Barack Obama, saying: "With a prime minister who has lost 
the trust of 70 to 80 percent of the public, effective negotiations 
are impossible. The United States, too, probably did not put its 
heart into the various things talked about." 
 
Ozawa also pointed out: "(The U.S.) has come out with policy of 
giving priority to Japan and Asia. In that context, even though the 
(meetings) that the prime minister's side requests from time to time 
are realized, there does not seem to be any contents to them." DPJ 
Secretary General Hatoyama told the press corps in Tokyo: "Can a 
prime minister with such a low level of public support be able to 
have talks on an equal level with President Obama? I doubt it. I 
can't imagine there was any specificity in the contents of the 
talks." 
 
(6) Ozawa speaks of possibility of reducing U.S. forces in Japan: 
"The 7th Fleet would be enough" 
 
JIJI Press (Internet service) (Full) 
February 25, 2009 
 
Speaking to the press corps today in Osaka, Democratic Party of 
Japan (DPJ) President Ichiro Ozawa expressed his thinking about the 
realignment of U.S. forces in Japan, saying that it would be 
possible to reduce the U.S. presence but cutting the Army, Marines 
and other troops.  He said: "If Japan has the resolve to do by 
itself what it should be doing by itself, there would be no need for 
the U.S. armed forces to forward deploy so many units in Japan. The 
(U.S. Navy's) 7th Fleet would seem to be enough." 
 
Ozawa pointed out, "Once Japan assumes it role on the security 
front, the role of the U.S. forces be reduced by that much." He 
stressed: "Japan must properly discuss with the United States its 
global strategy and then assume more responsibility than it has in 
the past." However, he did not touch at all on whether "Japan's 
responsibility" meant increasing Japan's defense power. 
 
On the other hand, DPJ Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama, referring 
to Ozawa's remarks, told the press corps in Tokyo, "My understanding 
is that he was not envisioning an increase in Japan's military 
 
TOKYO 00000431  010 OF 014 
 
 
power." 
 
(7) With sharp plunge in support rates, DPJ watching Aso cabinet 
from good vantage point; Party stops wrangling over fiscal 2009 
budget, while paying attention to discord in LDP 
 
MAINICHI (Page 2) (Full) 
February 25, 2009 
 
The Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), the largest opposition force, 
is now looking on with folded arms at the sharp plunge in the 
support rates for the cabinet of Prime Minister Taro Aso. The DPJ 
has already ditched its policy of engaging in a fierce battle (with 
the ruling parties) in the Diet over the passage of the fiscal 2009 
budget by allowing the ruling coalition to pass it by the March 31 
end of the fiscal year. As such, the largest opposition party 
intends to closely watch what will occur in the ruling Liberal 
Democratic Party (LDP) after the budget clears the Diet. 
 
In Kashiba City, Nara Prefecture, on Feb. 24 just before Aso was 
expected to meet with U.S. President Barack Obama, DPJ President 
Ichiro Ozawa told reporters with a smile: 
 
"I think it is not good (for U.S. President Barack Obama) to hold 
talks with the prime minister, who has been told to leave office by 
most of the Japanese public. It is impossible for them to hold a 
substantive meeting." 
 
A senior DPJ member said: "Since the LDP itself has stumbled badly, 
there is no need to drive Prime Minister Aso into a corner." This 
view is shared by many DPJ lawmakers. From this standpoint, the DPJ 
has decided to allow the passage of the fiscal 2009 budget before 
the end of this fiscal year. Diet Affairs Committee Chairman Kenji 
Yamaoka views that there will be discord in the LDP as to whether 
the party should go into the next election under Aso's leadership or 
find a replacement. The best scenario for the DPJ is to see Aso 
dissolve the Lower House immediately after the budget clears the 
Diet. The DPJ has a heightened sense of alarm toward the idea of the 
LDP picking another prime minister without going through a Lower 
House election. 
 
During a meeting on the night of Feb. 23 between Ozawa and veteran 
DPJ Upper House members, one participant said: "Considering that 
case in which the prime minister does not dissolve the Lower House, 
we should start working on the issue of (former New Komeito Chairman 
Junya) Yano." What they talked about was that the DPJ should demand 
the summoning of Yano to testify as a witness before the Diet. Yano 
has filed a complaint accusing the religious sect Soka Gakkai, the 
New Komeito's main backer, of obstructing freedom of speech. The DPJ 
is also considering issuing a censure motion against Aso and a 
no-confidence motion against the cabinet as options. 
 
With a sharp plunge in the support rates for the Aso cabinet, senior 
DPJ members have now often use a term 'once the party is in power.' 
When requested by Mayor of Ginowan City Yoichi Iha that the base 
land to be vacated by the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station be 
returned to the city as early as possible, Secretary General Yukio 
Hatoyama said in a strong tone: "Once our party assumes the reins of 
political power, this is the very issue the new government will 
encounter. We will do our best." Iha asked Hatoyama to include the 
party's 'Okinawa vision' - which advocates the relocation of the 
Futenma Air Station from Okinawa to someplace overseas -- in its set 
 
TOKYO 00000431  011 OF 014 
 
 
of campaign pledges for the next Lower House election, but Hatoyama 
made no reply. Ozawa, who has criticized the Japan-U.S. summit as 
meaningless, did not answer a question by reporters as to whether he 
was for or against an agreement on the relocation of U.S. marines on 
Okinawa to Guam. 
 
Although there is a sense of emotional uplift in the DPJ, there are 
uncertain factors in the party. Ozawa said: "Japan should not 
blindly follow everything the United States says it should do," but 
the overall picture of what Japan-U.S. relations would look like 
will remain unclear until after the next Lower House election. 
 
(8) Prime Minister Aso may try to find way to extend his 
administration by shuffling cabinet 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Full) 
February 24, 2009 
 
Some officials in the government and ruling coalition are looking 
into the possibility of using a cabinet shuffle to extend the life 
of the Aso administration. The possibility has suddenly moved closer 
to reality because of the need to end as soon as possible the 
situation of Kaoru Yosano concurrently serving in three cabinet 
posts: finance minister, state minister of financial services, and 
state minister of economic and fiscal policy. 
 
Aso has hinted at reviewing the appointment of Yosano holding three 
cabinet posts after the fiscal 2009 budget and related bills are 
enacted. Therefore, it is most likely that the cabinet will be 
shuffled at the same time when Yosano's wearing of three hats comes 
to an end. Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshitada Konoike in the 
Prime Minister's Official Residence and State Minister for 
Administrative Reform Akira Amari have both called for a cabinet 
shuffle. 
 
A person close to Aso has asserted that replacing cabinet members is 
one option, since the present situation is that the public does not 
appreciate the prime minister's effort no matter how much effort he 
puts into coming up with policy measures. 
 
Aso, however, is reluctant to shuffle his cabinet. The major reasons 
for the cabinet's plummeting support rates in the polls are Aso's 
gaffes, such as his flip flop on postal privatization. If Aso 
shuffles his cabinet, a chorus of voices from within the party and 
outside will call on him to step down. Aides to Aso, too, are not 
sure whether a cabinet shuffle is a good idea. The question is 
whether to give priority to finding the replacement for the 
unpopular Aso to lead the LDP into the Lower House election or 
whether to choose a cabinet of capable lawmakers to compile an 
additional economic package. Depending on how the cabinet is 
shuffled, those LDP members given the cold shoulder from Aso might 
react negatively. 
 
Many members of the ruling camp are reacting coldly to the cabinet 
shuffle argument. A senior LDP member said: "The prime minister 
lacks the will to shuffle his cabinet." 
 
(9) Aso administration with only 10 PERCENT  public support 
 
MAINICHI (Page 1) (Full) 
February 24, 2009 
 
 
TOKYO 00000431  012 OF 014 
 
 
Can Aso cabinet implement additional economic measures? 
 
"Is it possible for the government to adopt a huge economic stimulus 
package under the current situation? Is it proper for the Aso 
cabinet to implement those measures?" Former Policy Research Council 
Chairman Yoshito Sengoku of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) 
asked these questions in a meeting of the House of Representatives 
Budget Committee yesterday. 
 
Kaoru Yosano, Finance Minister and State Minister in Charge of 
Economic and Fiscal Policy, replied: "It is now essential for all of 
us to consider what measures should be taken to buoy up the economy, 
no matter who is in charge." There arose a small commotion in the 
room when he said, "no matter who is in charge." These words might 
be taken as expressing his view that it would be difficult to come 
up with an additional economic package under the Aso cabinet. 
 
In the latest opinion survey conducted by the Mainichi Shimbun, 
public support for the Aso cabinet dropped to 11 PERCENT  - the 
third worst on record (in the Mainichi polls). Many Liberal 
Democratic Party members say that the party will not be able to win 
the next election under Prime Minister Taro Aso. Close attention is 
now being paid to moves by Yosano, who has somewhat distanced 
himself from Aso. 
 
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) President Ichiro Ozawa, Chairman 
Azuma Koshiishi of the DPJ Caucus in the House of Councillors, and 
several other members met at a Tokyo hotel last night. In 
anticipation of a collapse of the Aso administration, many 
participants said that only Yosano could be touted as a potential 
candidate to succeed Aso. A senior New Komeito member added: "If LDP 
members say it is desirable to go into the next election under 
someone other than Aso, we will accept that suggestions." 
 
Unable to predict how the situation would develop after the fiscal 
2009 budget is enacted, the government finds it difficult to compile 
an additional economic package. Even a senior government official 
was overheard grumbling: "Nobody knows whether the administration 
would be able to survive until a new package is prepared." 
 
Prime Minister Aso left for Washington last night, after telling 
reporters: "I have to take the results of public surveys with 
humility." 
 
While placing hopes on U.S. visit, Aso concerned about seen as "lame 
duck" 
 
Prime Minister Aso attended an LDP executive meeting on the evening 
of the 23rd, in which he said: "The world is now facing a host of 
difficult issues, such as the global recession, environmental 
destruction, and global warming. I would like to fully discuss these 
issues with President Obama." 
 
Aso, already driven into a corner, is eager to give a boost to his 
administration by producing positive results through the U.S. visit 
and then swiftly implementing economic stimulus measures. 
 
Aso is also increasingly concerned that the Obama administration 
might see his administration as a "lame duck." 
 
Visiting U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told reporters on 
Feb. 17: "The U.S. will invite (the prime minister) to the White 
 
TOKYO 00000431  013 OF 014 
 
 
House on the 24th," but the next day's morning newspapers gave a 
great deal of space to the news of Shoichi Nakagawa's resignation as 
finance minister for improper behavior at a press conference after a 
meeting of Group of Seven (G-7) finance ministers and central bank 
governors. Eventually, the news about "the prime minister's visit to 
the U.S., and the Japan-U.S. summit" was completely overshadowed by 
the Nakagawa debacle. 
 
Needless to say, Prime Minister Aso felt deeply embarrassed before 
Secretary Clinton, who brought to him the "honor" of being invited 
to the White House as the first foreign leader to meet President 
Obama. 
 
In policy toward Russia, Aso also made a grave miscalculation. Aso 
attended talks with Russian President Medvedev on Feb. 18, with a 
strong resolve to pave the way to settling the Northern Territories 
issue. After the bilateral meeting, Aso told reporters: "There was 
no progress on the territorial dispute, the other side insisting on 
returning only two islands and this side demanding the return of all 
four islands." Inviting a reaction from conservatives, this remark 
was harshly criticized by Hiroshi Kimura, professor emeritus at 
Hokkaido University: "His remark could give the impression to Russia 
that Japan has retreated from its conventional position of demanding 
the return of all four islands. This remark is a serious stain on 
Japan's territorial negotiations with Russia." 
 
No progress has been made on the economic stimulus package, either. 
Although the second supplementary budget was enacted on Jan. 27, the 
Diet has yet to pass its related bills that would finance the 
government's cash handouts plan inserted in the second extra budget, 
in part because of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's remark: 
"I do not think that the government should enact the bills even by 
resorting to the override vote tactics." The government positions 
the handout plan as an eye catcher in the package, but 70 PERCENT 
of respondents in opinion polls by the Mainichi Shimbun said the 
plan did not merit appreciation. The former prime minister's 
declaration that he would abstain from a voting has also undermined 
the image of the plan. 
 
To boost public support of the Aso cabinet, some in the government 
and the ruling camp are calling for shuffling the cabinet. But Aso 
has been quoted as saying: "I have no intention to replace the 
members because there are no flaws in them." In the run-up to the 
expiration of the Lower House members' terms of office, Aso remains 
unable to prepare measures to get more public support. 
 
(10) U.S. serviceman gets six-month prison term for sexually 
assaulting Philippine woman: Court martial decides to drop rape 
charge 
 
Okinawa Times (Page 1) (Full) 
Evening, February 24, 2009 
 
With U.S. Army Colonel Donna Wright presiding, U.S. forces began on 
February 24 at Kadena Air Base a general court-martial against Army 
specialist Ronald Hopstock, 25, who is stationed in Okinawa, on the 
charge of having sexually assaulted a Filipino woman in Okinawa City 
in February 2008. The court martial was completed that same morning, 
with the defendant sentenced to six months in prison and demoted to 
a private. He also received a dishonorable discharge from the Army 
for unlawful conduct. With agreement having been reached by 
prosecutor and attorney before the trial, the punishment was decided 
 
TOKYO 00000431  014 OF 014 
 
 
beforehand, and the case was closed the same day. 
 
The rape charge was dropped. The sentence was handed down regarding 
three violations of the unified court martial act, such as that the 
defendant went outside the base on his own in defiance of the 
commander's order. Hopstock will likely be taken into custody 
immediately. 
 
Referring to the rape charge, U.S. Army Japan spokesman James 
Crawford explained: "According to examinations made by both Japanese 
and U.S. doctors, there was no evidence suggesting rape. Therefore, 
the decision was reached to drop that charge." 
 
Representatives of four Japanese media organizations attended the 
court martial. 
 
Hopstock belongs to the First Air Defense Artillery Regiment First 
Battalion at Kadena Air Base. He is now performing regular duties, 
based on the determination that there is no possibility that he can 
escape. He is not being detained or placed under surveillance. 
 
The incident occurred at an Okinawa hotel on February 18 last year. 
The Prefectural Police sent papers to the prosecutors charging 
Hopstock with committing rape resulting in bodily injury. However, 
the Naha District Public Prosecutors Office in May dropped the case 
because of insufficient evidence. 
 
The U.S. Army's investigative authority started its own 
investigation in May and decided to charge him in July. It has been 
listening the circumstances from Hopstock and the Filipino woman. 
 
ZUMWALT