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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 06 TOKYO 000696 
 
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 03/27/09 
 
INDEX: 
 
(1) Gap between Ozawa's decision to stay on in DPJ presidency; 
Anti-Ozawa group gaining momentum (Tokyo Shimbun) 
 
(2) Troika system of DPJ appears to be crumbling (Tokyo Shimbun) 
 
(3) North Korean missile: Government gripped by sense of gridlock 
with UNSC resolution, its own sanctions lacking efficacy (Mainichi) 
 
 
(4) Gov't compared its plan with 6 offshore plans (Ryukyu Shimpo) 
 
(5) TOP HEADLINES 
 
(6) EDITORIALS 
 
(7) Prime Minister's schedule, March 26 (Nikkei) 
 
ARTICLES: 
 
(1) Gap between Ozawa's decision to stay on in DPJ presidency; 
Anti-Ozawa group gaining momentum 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Full) 
March 27, 2009 
 
A Kyodo News poll has revealed a strong public backlash against 
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) President Ichiro Ozawa, who has 
expressed his intention to remain in his post. Prior to meetings 
today of DPJ House of Councillors members and House of 
Representatives members, a tug-of-war is intensifying between a 
group of party members critical of Ozawa who are now gaining 
strength, and a group supporting Ozawa who are trying to silence 
calls for Ozawa's resignation as party leader. 
 
With more than 60 percent of the public in recent polls saying that 
Ozawa should resign from his party post, DPJ Secretary General Yukio 
Hatoyama yesterday had no choice but to say: "(Ozawa) should make 
efforts to gain public understanding. He should explain whatever is 
necessary so that the DPJ will be able to take over the reins of 
government." 
 
At a press conference on March 24, Ozawa stated that he would make a 
decision on his course of action after gauging public opinion. With 
the discovery of a majority of the public dissatisfied with his 
decision to continue serving as party leader, Ozawa has now been 
forced into a difficult situation. 
 
A veteran lawmaker calling for Ozawa's voluntary resignation said: 
"That's within the scope of the assumption. Public awareness and my 
feeling are the same," stressing his support for public opinion. The 
view calling on Ozawa to quit his post is now being heard in the 
DPJ, with a mid-level lawmaker saying: "As long as Ozawa remains in 
the party leader's post, the support rate for the party will drop. I 
want him to decide to step down from his post as quickly as 
possible." 
 
Although Ozawa intends to seek understanding for his bid to continue 
serving as party leader in the meetings of the LDP Upper House 
members and Lower House members, it is projected that based on the 
results of the polls, he will come under severe criticism. 
 
TOKYO 00000696  002 OF 006 
 
 
 
Preparing for such circumstances, a group of junior party members 
supporting Ozawa and Hatoyama-led group yesterday in a meeting 
confirmed that they would back Ozawa respectively. Assuming that 
Ozawa would be severely criticized in the meetings, the two groups 
drew up countermeasures such as having persons chosen in advance 
play up the need for the party to unite under Ozawa's leadership. 
 
(2) Troika system of DPJ appears to be crumbling 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Full) 
March 27, 2009 
 
The troika system made up of Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) 
President Ichiro Ozawa, Deputy President Naoto Kan, and Secretary 
General Yukio Hatoyama has begun to unravel 
 
Ahead of the party executive meeting and standing council meeting on 
the evening of March 24, at the request of Kan, a one-on-one meeting 
between Kan and Ozawa was held for about ten minutes. 
 
Referring to this meeting at a press conference on March 26, Kan 
said: "I suggested (Ozawa) should take more time to determine (his 
fate)." He then added in a strong tone: 
 
"In the standing council meeting (after the one-on-one meeting), the 
attendees, including me, approved the party head's decision to 
remain in his post. We would like to bring about a change in 
government under President Ozawa." 
 
Although Ozawa has said nothing about his meeting with Kan, he 
reportedly is suspicious of Kan. The Ozawa-Kan meeting was held 
behind closed doors. Therefore, some DPJ members are speculating 
that Kan called on Ozawa to resign from the party presidency. 
 
Ozawa, Kan, and Hatoyama have managed the party under a troika 
system. The rumor is that there is a distance between Kan and Ozawa 
and Hatoyama, who took the lead in supporting Ozawa's bid to remain 
in his post. A senior member is concerned that the rumor is creating 
discord in the party over calls for Ozawa's resignation. 
 
(3) North Korean missile: Government gripped by sense of gridlock 
with UNSC resolution, its own sanctions lacking efficacy 
 
MAINICHI (Page 2) (Full) 
March 27, 2009 
 
The government has determined that there is a strong possibility of 
North Korea launching a long-range ballistic missile, having 
officially announced a plan to launch what it claims to be an 
"artificial satellite." For that reason, it has been cool-headedly 
taking it as predicted North Korea's readying of a launching pad. 
The government plans to step up pressure on North Korea in 
two-stages: (1) having the UN Security Council meet and adopt a 
resolution; and (2) imposing separate sanctions. However, since 
those measures will likely produce only limited effects, even if 
realized, a sense of impasse has been gripping the government. 
 
Prime Minister Taro Aso on the evening of the 26th indicated to 
reporters his desire to have the UNSC adopt a new resolution, 
noting: "I will deal with the matter, including the possibility of 
having the UNSC adopt a resolution. The international community must 
 
TOKYO 00000696  003 OF 006 
 
 
coordinate its views and condemn that country in unison." 
 
The government has repeatedly asserted that if North Korea launches 
a missile, it would violate UNSC resolution 1718, which calls on 
North Korea to end all activities related to its ballistic missile 
program. However, China and Russia, both UNSC permanent members, do 
not agree that the "launching of a satellite" by North Korea 
violates the UNSC resolution. This is because the DPRK has announced 
a specific timetable for the planned launching of a "satellite" and 
the area where the projectile will fall. For this reason, it is 
difficult to have the UNSC adopt a resolution, according to a senior 
Foreign Ministry official. The government is working on related 
countries in an effort to have a resolution condemning North Korea 
adopted by the UNSC. However, chances are that the UNSC would only 
release a chairman's statement, which has no binding power. 
 
As Japan's own sanctions, the government is looking into imposing 
additional sanctions with a focus on placing a blanket ban on 
exports to that nation, which the Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) 
Special Committee to Deal with the Abduction Issue has drafted. 
However, exports to North Korea have already sharply dropped from 
6.9 billion yen in 2005 to 800 million yen in 2008 as a result of 
the imposition of such sanctions as a ban on port calls by North 
Korean vessels, which are already in place. Since Japan is already 
imposing a considerable degree of sanctions against North Korea, it 
would be difficult to impose more, according to the same official, 
sanctions to be adopted, following the launch, will likely be no 
more than symbolic ones. 
 
The government is also trying to work out how to inform the public 
when a missile has been launched. It is now undergoing coordination 
with the possibility of the chief cabinet secretary holding a press 
conference, after revealing the launch to media organizations as 
soon as the launch has been confirmed. For informing local 
governments, there is a system of the Fire and Disaster Management 
Agency relaying fax messages to all municipalities through the 
wireless fire and disaster network, once it receives the report from 
the Cabinet Secretariat. 
 
However, it takes only 7-8 minutes for a launched missile to come 
down. To what extent the report can be passed on to the public is 
unclear. 
 
(4) Gov't compared its plan with 6 offshore plans 
 
RYUKYU SHIMPO (Page 1) (Full) 
March 27, 2009 
 
The Defense Ministry will send in a report to Okinawa Prefecture on 
April 1 in preparation for its environmental impact assessment 
accompanying the planned construction of an alternative facility for 
the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station (to a coastal area of 
Camp Schwab in Nago City). In this preliminary paper, the Defense 
Ministry dismisses Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima's offshore 
relocation proposal, taking the position that there is "no rational 
reason" for the proposal. In this regard, the Defense Ministry had 
compared the government's plan with six other plans, including one 
to move the construction site out at sea, the Ryukyu Shimpo learned 
yesterday from an outline of the preliminary paper. According to the 
outline, the Defense Ministry collected and analyzed data about such 
main items as landfill acreage, aircraft noise, coral, underwater 
forest, and tides. As a result, the report concludes that the 
 
TOKYO 00000696  004 OF 006 
 
 
government plan is "appropriate" from the comprehensive perspective 
of living and natural environments and feasibility, explaining that 
the impact (of the six other plans) on the environment could be 
considerably big or vary. 
 
The preliminary report will be presented to an environmental impact 
assessment working group in its meeting today with specific data. 
 
The Defense Ministry plans to hold a consultative meeting on April 8 
to discuss the relocation of Futenma airfield, during which the 
ministry will brief Gov. Nakaima and Nago Mayor Yoshikazu 
Shimabukuro. 
 
According to the six plans compared, the government-planned 
construction site of Futenma airfield's alternative facility is 
moved 100 meters to the east, 200 meters to the west, to the 
southwest (based on Nago City's plan), 50 meters to the south, 100 
meters to the south, or 100 meters to the west. 
 
The Defense Ministry deems that three of the six plans-a plan for 
building the alternative facility at a location moved 100 meters to 
the east,  a plan for 200 meters to the west, and Nago City's 
plan-could have a comparatively big impact on the environment. 
 
In the case of the other three plans for the construction site moved 
50 meters to the south, 100 meters to the south, or 100 meters to 
the west, the report says their potential impact on the environment 
and their relative merits vary with each item studied. As a result 
of factoring in all the data, however, the Defense Ministry judges 
that the government plan is appropriate from the perspective of 
environmental preservation and its environmental impact will be less 
than the six other plans. 
 
In addition, the government, considering the governor's view of the 
government-presented plan for how to assess the environmental 
impact, has given up on its initial plan to set up a floating yard 
in a sea area off the west coast of Oura Bay and will use other port 
facilities. The Defense Ministry will also change the sea yard's 
location in an effort to preserve the natural environment. 
 
On March 14, the Defense Ministry wrapped up its annual survey for 
environmetal assessment. However, the ministry will continue an ex 
post facto survey of radio disturbance and animals and plants. 
 
The preliminary report will be made public from April 2 through May 
¶1. 
 
(5) TOP HEADLINES 
 
Asahi: 
New stimulus package to include subsidies for raising wages of 
caregivers: 1 trillion yen for consolidation of facilities 
 
Mainichi: 
Senior Vice Finance Minister Hirata quits over stock sale 
 
Yomiuri: 
Yomiuri poll: 68 PERCENT  disapprove of Ozawa's continuing as DPJ 
chief after aide's indictment 
 
Nikkei: 
Ruling parties mulling setting up public-private fund to assist 
 
TOKYO 00000696  005 OF 006 
 
 
REIT 
 
Sankei: 
Additional economic stimulus package drafted by ruling camp: 2 
trillion yen for solar energy generation; Subsidies for raising 
salaries of caregivers 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
Nationwide poll: 66 PERCENT  call for resignation of Ozawa 
 
Akahata: 
Economic difficulty hits students: Increasing number of students 
quit or take leave of absence 
 
(6) EDITORIALS 
 
Asahi: 
(1) North Korea's missile: Cool-headed response needed 
(2) Senior Vice Finance Minister Hirata quits: Aso administration 
has gone out of gear 
 
Mainichi: 
(1) Senior vice finance chief quits: Administration unbelievably 
lacks tense atmosphere 
(2) Officials secretly engaging in union activities, while receiving 
salaries: Agricultural ministry has lost confidence, making false 
reports 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1) DPJ President Ozawa's future course of action: Can he endure the 
backlash from public? 
(2) Officials secretly engaged in union activities: It is a problem 
that the agricultural ministry has not been forthcoming about the 
scandal 
 
Nikkei: 
(1) Road map for reforming central government's local branches is 
much too inadequate 
(2) Ukraine's economic woes 
 
Sankei: 
(1) Ozawa's DPJ: We question its ability to reform itself 
(2) Officials secretly engaging in union activities, while receiving 
salaries: Falsifying of papers by agriculture ministry takes the 
people lightly 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1) Officials secretly engaging in union activities, while receiving 
salaries: Agriculture ministry totally lacks tense atmosphere 
(2) Shizuoka Prefecture governor announces his resignation: 
Buck-passing of neglecting efforts to understand residents 
 
Akahata: 
(1) Minamata Disease special measures bill: It is unforgivable to 
abandon victims 
 
(7) Prime Minister's schedule, March 26 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
March 27, 2009 
 
09:50 
 
TOKYO 00000696  006 OF 006 
 
 
Met Deputy Foreign Minister Otabe at the Kantei. Joined by Vice 
Finance Minister Sugimoto and Vice Minister of Finance for 
International Affairs Shinohara. 
 
10:35 
Met Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Nikai, Vice Minister 
Mochizuki, Deputy Vice Minister Ishige, and Economy and Industry 
Policy Bureau Director General Matsunaga. 
 
11:09 
Met Japanese Economy Reconstruction Strategy Council Chairman 
Machimura. Followed by Cabinet Intelligence Director Mitani, Defense 
Ministry's Defense Policy Bureau Director General Takamizawa and 
Intelligence Headquarters chief Shimohira. Mitani stayed behind. 
 
12:55 
Met Sadako Miura, regular director of the National Federation of 
Private Kindergartens. 
 
13:06 
Met Toyohisa Asada, representative of his support group in Kanazawa 
and others. Later, met deputy chief cabinet secretaries Matsumoto 
and Konoike. Matsumoto stayed behind. 
 
14:51 
Attended a meeting of the Upper House Fiscal and Monetary Policy 
Committee. 
 
17:25 
Attended a regional business council meeting at the Kantei. Later, 
met Finance Ministry's Sugimoto, Budget Bureau Director General 
Tango, and Chief Secretary Katsu. 
 
18:01 
Attended a meeting of the Council for Gender Equality. Met Chief 
Cabinet Secretary Kawamura. 
 
18:40 
Attended a female lawmakers' policy research council meeting at LDP 
headquarters. 
 
19:11 
Dined with former Kansai Economic Federation Chairman Yoshihisa 
Akiyama and others at a Japanese restaurant in Kioicho. 
 
21:04 
Met Foreign Ministry's Otabe and Shinohara, Assistant Deputy Chief 
Cabinet Secretary Hayashi present. 
 
POST