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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 07 TOKYO 000807 
 
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 04/08/09 
 
INDEX: 
 
(1) Poll on Aso cabinet, political parties (Yomiuri) 
 
(2) DPJ President Ozawa marks third year in office; Will he conduct 
politics along with his aides alone? (Yomiuri) 
 
(3) Taepodong -- fragile intimidation (Part 3): Japan, U.S., South 
Korea united over putting pressure on North Korea; Trilateral 
cooperation to be tested (Nikkei) 
 
(4) Naha police question U.S. Marine over hit-and-run by Y-plated 
vehicle; Ask about other passengers (Okinawa Times) 
 
ARTICLES: 
 
(1) Poll on Aso cabinet, political parties 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) 
March 9, 2009 
 
Questions & Answers 
(Figures shown in percentage) 
 
Q: Do you support the Aso cabinet? 
 
Yes 24.3 
No 66.5 
Other answers (O/A) 0.3 
No answer (N/A) 8.4 
 
Q: (Only for those who answered "yes" to the foregoing question) 
Pick only one from among the following reasons for your approval of 
the Aso cabinet. 
 
Something can be expected of its policy measures 18.7 
The prime minister has leadership 6.4 
There's something stable about the prime minister 6.7 
His cabinet's lineup is good 12.0 
Because it's a coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party and the New 
Komeito 42.0 
O/A 3.3 
N/A 11.0 
 
Q: (Only for those who answered "no" to the foregoing question) Pick 
only one from among the following reasons for your disapproval of 
the Aso cabinet. 
 
Nothing can be expected of its policy measures 27.5 
The prime minister lacks leadership 29.3 
There's nothing stable about the prime minister 23.1 
His cabinet's lineup is not good 4.0 
Because it's a coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party and the New 
Komeito 13.5 
O/A 0.6 
N/A 1.9 
 
Q: Which political party do you support now? 
 
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) 27.2 
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) 24.2 
New Komeito (NK) 3.3 
 
TOKYO 00000807  002 OF 007 
 
 
Japanese Communist Party (JCP) 2.4 
Social Democratic Party (SDP or Shaminto) 1.5 
People's New Party (PNP or Kokumin Shinto) 0.3 
Reform Club (RC or Kaikaku Kurabu) --- 
New Party Nippon (NPN or Shinto Nippon) --- 
Other political parties --- 
None 39.4 
N/A 1.7 
 
Q: When comparing Prime Minister Aso and DPJ President Ozawa, who do 
you think is more appropriate for prime minister? 
 
Prime Minister Aso 33.7 
DPJ President Ozawa 27.2 
N/A 39.1 
 
Q: The government plans to hand out 2-trillion yen cash benefits to 
individual households as an economic stimulus measure. Do you 
appreciate this cash payout plan? 
 
Appreciate very much 10.9 
Appreciate somewhat 25.3 
Don't appreciate very much 28.4 
Don't appreciate at all 31.5 
N/A 3.9 
 
Q: The government's budget for fiscal 2009 recently cleared the 
Diet. Do you think the government should hurry to work out 
additional pump-priming measures for economic recovery? 
 
Yes 73.6 
No 17.7 
N/A 8.7 
 
Q: The Maritime Self-Defense Force, now sent out to waters off the 
eastern African coast of Somalia for an antipiracy mission, is 
currently not allowed to protect foreign ships that are irrelevant 
to Japan. Do you support the idea of creating a new law so the MSDF 
can protect such foreign ships as well? 
 
Yes 50.4 
Yes to a certain degree 10.6 
No to a certain degree 7.4 
No 19.3 
N/A 12.2 
 
Q: North Korea launched a ballistic missile. Do you think the 
Japanese government should toughen its sanctions against North 
Korea, or do you otherwise think there is no need to do so? 
 
Toughen sanctions 77.7 
No need to do so 15.8 
N/A 6.5 
 
Q: Do you feel uneasy about North Korea's ongoing missile 
development? 
 
Feel very uneasy 66.5 
Feel somewhat uneasy 21.2 
Don't feel very uneasy 7.1 
Don't feel uneasy at all 4.2 
N/A 0.9 
 
TOKYO 00000807  003 OF 007 
 
 
 
Q: DPJ President Ozawa's secretary has been indicted for allegedly 
receiving illicit donations. Meanwhile, DPJ President Ozawa has 
clarified his intention to stay on as party head. Is this 
convincing? 
 
Yes 25.3 
No 66.4 
N/A 8.3 
 
 
Q: Do you think DPJ President Ozawa has fulfilled his accountability 
on the case this time? 
 
Yes 10.8 
No 84.0 
N/A 5.2 
 
Q: Do you think the House of Representatives should be dissolved for 
a general election right away, or do you otherwise think there's no 
need to hurry? 
 
Right away 44.9 
No need to hurry 46.6 
N/A 8.6 
 
Q: If an election were to be held now for the House of 
Representatives, which political party would you like to vote for in 
your proportional representation bloc? 
 
LDP 27.5 
DPJ 30.8 
NK 3.3 
JCP 4.1 
SDP 1.7 
PNP 0.9 
RC --- 
NPN --- 
Other political parties 0.0 
Undecided 24.3 
N/A 7.4 
 
Q: What form of government would you like to see after the next 
election for the House of Representatives? 
 
LDP-led coalition government 12.5 
DPJ-led coalition government 15.6 
LDP-DPJ grand coalition government 27.1 
Government under new framework after political realignment 38.3 
O/A --- 
N/A 6.5 
 
 
Polling methodology: The survey was conducted April 3-5 across the 
nation on a computer-aided random digit dialing (RDD) basis. 
Households with one or more eligible voters totaled 1,770. Valid 
answers were obtained from 1,042 persons (58.9 PERCENT ). 
 
(Note) In some cases, the total percentage does not become 100 
PERCENT  due to rounding. 
 
(2) DPJ President Ozawa marks third year in office; Will he conduct 
 
TOKYO 00000807  004 OF 007 
 
 
politics along with his aides alone? 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) 
April 7, 2009 
 
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) President Ichiro Ozawa today marks 
his third year in office. DPJ members have different views on such 
basic policy issues as national security and the Constitution, but 
Ozawa has led the party under while giving priority to elections. 
However, his state-funded secretary has now been indicted for 
violating the Political Funds Control Law over donations to his fund 
management organization. DPJ members are now at odds over whether 
Ozawa should stay on to lead the party into the next House of 
Representatives election. 
 
At DPJ headquarters on April 3, Ozawa ordered Masayuki Naoshima, 
chairman of the Policy Research Committee, to put together a 
large-scale economic stimulus package, without worrying about fiscal 
resources. Ozawa told him: "If we take over the reins of government, 
there will be no need to worry about money. So, I want you to come 
up with a large-scale package." 
 
Ozawa, who announced on March 24 his intention to remain in his 
party post, has gradually returned to his party business. 
 
He has often met with veteran lawmakers who have worked together 
with him for a long time, including DPJ Vice President Hajime Ishii. 
He has also met with members of the study group "Isshin-kai," which 
is made up of junior lawmakers supporting him. An Isshin-kai member 
compiled a document based on press reports. The document says 
investigations into the DPJ are called a politically motivated 
investigation. Ozawa reportedly was happy with the document. When 
Ozawa became DPJ president in April 2006, he declared that he would 
change himself first. A DPJ lawmaker who has distanced himself from 
Ozawa criticized him, noting: "He has now returned to the 
conventional style of carrying out politics with his aides alone. 
Such politics is out of touch with the public." 
 
Ozawa's stance of giving first consideration to elections has been 
consistent. After a DPJ candidate won the Lower House by-election 
for the Chiba No. 7 district in April 2006, Ozawa has strengthened 
his grip on the party. In the 2007 House of Councillors election, 
the opposition camp outnumbered the ruling camp. 
 
Ozawa has consolidated views within the party by taking the stand of 
opposing almost all the government policies, although there is a big 
difference in security policy between the conservative lawmakers and 
the members hailing from the former Japan Socialist Party. A person 
close to Ozawa said: 
 
"We do not want to be seen as an opposition party existing to oppose 
anything. That is a negative image. Rather than that, it would be 
better for us to see the government reach cul-de-sac." 
 
The DPJ has yet to iron out the differences within it on U.S. base 
issues in Okinawa and Afghan policy. The observation is growing that 
should the largest opposition party take the reins of government, 
those points would be a serious impediment to the party. 
 
DPJ Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama stated in a press conference on 
April 3: "The party has become united since Mr. Ozawa took became 
our party's president. He has had the party gain strength to bring 
 
TOKYO 00000807  005 OF 007 
 
 
about a change of government." Hatoyama also said: "Some people are 
still concerned that when our party comes into office, our arguments 
over security and other policy issues might become inconsistent." 
 
In a gathering held on April 5 in Kyoto City with DPJ Vice President 
Katsuya Okada, one of the audience there said: "It is difficult to 
win the general election under the leadership of Mr. Ozawa. I want 
Deputy President Kan to serve as next president. Okada said: "If 
there is a view calling for (Ozawa's) resignation, the DPJ will not 
be trusted." However, he did not get applause from the audience. 
 
Many DPJ lawmakers and supporters have taken the view that the 
fund-raising scandal involving Ozawa's political management body, 
which was caused by the LDP's old nature, is foreign to the DPJ." 
The reason for calls for Ozawa's exit not surfacing in the DPJ is 
because many in the party have hopes for Ozawa's voluntary 
resignation. 
 
Ozawa has indicated his intention to quit his party post once he is 
determined that his remaining in his post will have a negative 
impact on the Lower House election. Hatoyama, who has supported 
Ozawa, recently told his aides: "I am ready to resign from my party 
post with Ozawa if I have to." Many in the DPJ surmise that Ozawa is 
exploring when to announce his exit, in order to take advantage of 
his "resignation card." 
 
(3) Taepodong -- fragile intimidation (Part 3): Japan, U.S., South 
Korea united over putting pressure on North Korea; Trilateral 
cooperation to be tested 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
April 8, 2009 
 
Hiroshi Maruya, Washington 
 
North Korea launched a missile on April 5. U.S. President Obama, who 
was visiting the Republic of Czech at the time, categorically said 
in a conference in Plague, "The U.S. will send a strong message in 
cooperation with the international community." Secretary of State 
Hillary Clinton and National Security Adviser Jones were talking a 
corner of the room. The U.S. leadership clarified a policy of 
seeking a new UN resolution at the UN Security Council (UNSC). 
 
President refers to North Korea five times 
 
Obama referred to North Korea five times on the day when he received 
a report at 4:30 a.m., Czech time, noting that North Korea fired a 
missile. North Korea tested the U.S. on the very day when he 
delivered a nuclear disarmament speech. Obama said, "Violations must 
be punished." His aim of making such a statement was to show a 
resolute stance to the world. 
 
Japan, the U.S. and South Korea are lined up after many twists and 
turns with UNSC debate close at hand. 
 
Special Representative for North Korea policy Bosworth in early 
March said while visiting in Tokyo, "The six-party talks on North 
Korea's nuclear program should not become protracted." He was thus 
reluctant to make a hard-line response to North Korea's missile 
launch. 
 
Prime Minister Aso during the bilateral summit in late February 
 
TOKYO 00000807  006 OF 007 
 
 
asked Obama, "Please leave this matter to Japan." South Korea was 
the last stop on Bosworth's tour of Asia just in case he has to 
visit North Korea. As a matter of fact, Clinton later revealed that 
there was a plan for him to visit Pyongyang, adding, "Unfortunately, 
there was no invitation." 
 
In late March, when the launch of a Taepoding-2 was drawing near, 
Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau Director General Akitaka Saiki of 
the Foreign Ministry along with South Korea's top envoy to the 
six-party talks went straight to Bosworth in Washington. Seeing that 
the U.S. is eyeing holding talks with North Korea," they wanted to 
reconfirm the adoption of a pressure policy line. As a result of 
working-level coordination, Obama during the financial summit told 
Chinese President Hu Jintao, "I will bring this matter before the 
UNSC." 
 
Key person not yet in sight 
 
There is little room for optimism in dealing with the North. The key 
person for the Obama administration's North Korea policy is not yet 
clear. Some take the view that even if the U.S. takes a stern stance 
against the firing of a missile, it would eventually shift to a 
dialogue policy line. 
 
Reporters asked about questions about China and Russia, which are 
members of the six-party talks and are veto-holding UNSC members, 
during a press conference held by a senior U.S. government official 
in Istanbul on the 7th. Deputy Assistant to the President McDonough 
emphasized cooperation by the international community, saying, "It 
is too early to reach a conclusion." He also said, "The unity of the 
UNSC and the six-party talks will be the key." 
 
Obama needs cooperation from China to rebuild his country's economy, 
one of the most important challenges on the domestic front, and 
cooperation from Russia for nuclear disarmament, which is one of his 
foreign policy's features. The UNSC will continue debate on the 
7th. 
 
(4) Naha police question U.S. Marine over hit-and-run by Y-plated 
vehicle; Ask about other passengers 
 
OKINAWA TIMES (Page 1) (Full) 
April 8, 2009 
 
Naha police questioned yesterday on a voluntary basis a male U.S. 
Marine as a major witness for a hit-and-run by a Y-plated vehicle 
that occurred in Naha (on April 4). 
 
The questioning on a voluntary basis began around 4 p.m. at the 
Ishikawa Police Station. It lasted nearly two hours. The man in 
question showed up at the police station in a white sedan, 
accompanied by three persons connected with the U.S. military. 
 
According to the Naha Police Station and other sources, the Marine 
was asked, among other things, who had been in the car when the 
accident occurred. The police station has not made public where the 
Marine belongs to, his rank, or his age, saying the questioning was 
conducted strictly on a voluntary basis. Police intend to continue 
questioning him on a voluntary basis on April 8 and beyond, as 
necessary. The man is believed to be under surveillance of a U.S. 
military investigative organization. 
 
 
TOKYO 00000807  007 OF 007 
 
 
According to investigators, a black Japanese car hit three 
individuals at a crosswalk of the Matsuyama intersection in Naha and 
fled the scene toward Chatan around 6 a.m. April 4. The three 
suffered serious injuries, with one sustaining a broken bone. The 
vehicle was found parked at a restaurant district near Camp Hansen 
in Kin Town about one hour after the incident. The police station 
had asked via the U.S. military investigative organization for the 
Marine's voluntary appearance as a major witness for questioning. 
The police station received a reply on the afternoon of April 6, 
according to a source. 
 
ZUMWALT