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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 09 TOKYO 000942 
 
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 04/23/09 
 
Index: 
 
1) Top headlines 
2) Editorials 
3) Prime Minister's daily schedule [Nikkei] 
 
4) Prime Minister Aso while in office has decided not to visit 
Yasukuni Shrine  [Nikkei] 
 
5) Former Secretary of State Kissinger meets Prime Minister Aso 
[Mainichi] 
 
Anti-piracy measures: 
6) Talks collapse between camps over Diet involvement in SDF 
dispatches for anti-piracy missions; Government to ram bill through 
Lower House today   [Asahi] 
7) Democratic Party of Japan gives priority to unity of the 
opposition bloc in deciding response to anti-piracy measure 
[Nikkei] 
8) 2.7 billion yen provided as aid to Somalia unaccounted for 
[Tokyo Shimbun] 
 
9) Official development assistance to the Middle East to be doubled, 
with aim of helping nations hit by terrorism  [Nikkei] 
 
10) JAXA to be moved under the jurisdiction of the Cabinet Office 
for such matters as space development, early warning satellites 
[Sankei] 
 
Political merry-go-round: 
11) Chief Cabinet Secretary Kawamura blasted by LDP members for 
saying that the timing of the next general election should give 
consideration to New Komeito  [Mainichi] 
12) LDP's Ishihara wants campaign pledges (manifesto) to include 
promise to increase taxes  [Sankei] 
13) Former DPJ President Okada wants Ozawa to step down as party 
head if he cannot give a clear explanation of his secretary's arrest 
taking corporate donations.  [Sankei] 
 
Articles: 
 
1) TOP HEADLINES 
 
Asahi: 
Norinchukin Bank to book pretax loss of 620 billion yen in fiscal 
2008 
 
Mainichi: 
IMF expects global economy to shrink 1.3% in 2009 
 
Yomiuri: 
Nara court orders hospital to award overtime pay for night and 
holiday work to doctors 
 
Nikkei: 
Retailers expect sales of private-brand products to increase 35% in 
fiscal 2009 
 
Sankei: 
JAXA to be transferred to Cabinet Office: Promotion of space 
development expected 
 
 
TOKYO 00000942  002 OF 009 
 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
Chiba mayor arrested over bribe 
 
Akahata: 
Temporary workers and others hold demonstration, calling on 
government to protect jobs, businesses, livelihoods 
 
2) EDITORIALS 
 
Asahi: 
(1) Hitachi's misleading fridge ads: "Green buying" must not be 
stopped 
(2) Offering by prime minister to Yasukuni Shrine contrary to his 
argument 
 
Mainichi: 
(1) Trade deficit: Support to strengthen competitiveness needed 
(2) Inauguration of conference to create safe society: Aso's vision 
invisible 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1) Set goal for when to resume Monju nuclear reactor 
(2) Lawsuit over wages to obstetricians: The state of overwork must 
be quickly improved 
 
Nikkei: 
(1) The use of government's recapitalization program must be 
limited 
(2) Japanese firms should craft strategy focusing on domestic demand 
in Vietnam 
 
Sankei: 
(1) Urgently revise Oran Transplant Law 
(2) Revised Industrial Revitalization Law: Specify' management 
responsibility 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1) Aso should pay homage at Yasukuni Shrine in stately way 
(2) Use national tests to improve class work 
 
Akahata: 
(1) Abolish antipiracy bill that would incur violent actions 
 
3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, April 22 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
April 23, 2009 
 
09:02 
Met Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsumoto at the Kantei. 
 
10:01 
Attended an Upper House plenary session. 
 
11:26 
Attended a party celebrating the completion of the JA Building in 
Otemachi. Afterward chatted with JA-Zenchu Chairman Moki, followed 
by MAFF Minister Ishiba. 
 
13:30 
 
TOKYO 00000942  003 OF 009 
 
 
Met former U.S. Secretary of State Kissinger at the Kantei, in the 
presence of Fuji Television Chairman Hieda. 
 
14:16 
Met New Zealand's Parliament Speaker Smith. 
 
15:12 
Met former Prime Minister Abe. Afterward met Japan Prize winners, 
concluding University of New Hampshire Professor Emeritus Meadows, 
in the presence of Science and Technology Foundation of Japan 
President Yoshikawa. 
 
16:31 
Met Public Security Intelligence Agency Director General Kitada. 
 
17:35 
Attended a Council for Overseas Economic Cooperation meeting. 
Afterward met Chief Cabinet Secretary Kawamura. 
 
18:33 
Attended a Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy meeting. Finance 
Minister Yosano and Matsumoto stayed on. 
 
20:00 
Dined at a Japanese restaurant in Kagurazaka with Cabinet Councilor 
Sueyoshi and others. 
 
21:57 
Returned to his official residence. 
 
4) Prime Minister Aso while in office will not pay homage at 
Yasukuni Shrine 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
Eve., April 22, 2009 
 
Prime Minister Taro Aso firmed up his intention today not to pay 
homage at Yasukuni Shrine while he is in office. The aim is to avoid 
politicizing the issue [prime minister's visiting the shrine]. With 
China and South Korea in mind, he has given major diplomatic 
consideration to his decision, one aide saying, "If the prime 
minister pays homage there, it would not be taken as a private 
visit." 
 
5) Aso exchanges views with Kissinger 
 
MAINICHI (Page 5) (Full) 
April 23, 2009 
 
Ai Yokota 
 
Prime Minister Taro Aso met with former U.S. Secretary of State 
Henry Kissinger, 85, at his office yesterday, and they exchanged 
views for about 25 minutes on the North Korean issue, Japan-U.S. 
relations and other matters. After the meeting, Kissinger told the 
press: "(The prime minister and) I spoke of the need to remove the 
threat that is caused by North Korean nuclear programs." He also 
said this about the abduction issue: "I can sympathize with Japan's 
position." 
 
According to the Foreign Ministry, Kissinger is visiting Japan to 
coincide with this year's meeting of the Trilateral Commission, to 
 
TOKYO 00000942  004 OF 009 
 
 
be held on April 25-26 in Tokyo, to discuss the financial crisis and 
other matters. 
 
6) Antipiracy talks break down 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Abridged) 
April 23, 2009 
 
The ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party and the New 
Komeito yesterday broke down in its talks with the leading 
opposition Democratic Party of Japan (Minshuto) over DPJ-proposed 
revisions to a government-introduced antipiracy bill, which is for a 
new law to endorse the Maritime Self-Defense Force's deployment to 
the Gulf of Aden off Somalia. They failed to compromise on the 
Diet's role, one of the legislation's focal points. The House of 
Representatives Antipiracy and Antiterrorism Special Committee will 
meet today and will approve the bill as drafted by the government. 
The bill will pass the House of Representatives in its plenary 
sitting this afternoon. The DPJ will come up with an amendment, but 
it is expected to be voted down. 
 
After the breakdown, Prime Minister Aso told reporters yesterday 
evening: "We'll have to ensure the position of those MSDF members 
sent out there, and that's what we must consider most. I hope the 
legislation will be enacted as soon as possible." 
 
The revision talks focused primarily on the Diet's role. According 
to the government-drafted bill, the government is to make a report 
to the Diet for its ex post facto approval of its dispatch of the 
Self-Defense Forces for overseas antipiracy activities and is to 
make a report when the SDF's antipiracy activities are wound up. The 
DPJ insisted that the government has to ask the Diet for approval 
before sending out the SDF for overseas antipiracy activities. 
However, the ruling coalition rejected the DPJ's proposal since the 
bill could not be approved in the opposition-controlled House of 
Councillors and the government may not be able to dispatch the SDF. 
Gen Nakatani, an LDP lawmaker and a former director general of the 
Defense Agency, now the Defense Ministry, showed a compromise 
proposal to the opposition parties yesterday, indicating that the 
Diet can call off the SDF's overseas deployment if both of its lower 
and upper chambers decide to do so. 
 
The Diet's role or involvement can be broken down into: 1) prior 
approval; 2) ex post facto approval; and 3) parliamentary reporting. 
Nakatani's compromise proposal was to vest 'veto power' in the Diet 
without touching on prior and ex post facto approval. In the case of 
prior approval, the government cannot send out the SDF if either of 
the lower and upper houses rejects it. Unlike this, Nakatani's 
proposal was that the government's SDF dispatch plan needs decisions 
from both houses. Yoshio Hachiro, foreign minister in the DPJ's 
shadow cabinet, stuck to "prior" approval. The gap was not closed. 
 
7) Antipiracy bill to pass Lower House today; DPJ gives priority to 
common front with other opposition parties; Ruling coalition remains 
bullish 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
April 23, 2009 
 
Talks on amending an antipiracy bill between the ruling coalition 
and the major opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) broke down 
yesterday. Giving priority to the common front with the Social 
 
TOKYO 00000942  005 OF 009 
 
 
Democratic Party (SDP) and the People's New Party (PNP), which 
oppose an easy compromise, the DPJ did not lower its hurdle. The 
ruling bloc, too, gave up reaching an accord, concluding that in 
order to hold intensive deliberations on the fiscal 2009 
supplementary budget bill, the antipiracy bill's passage of the 
House of the Representatives within this week was indispensable. 
Eagerness for compromise was apparently absent from both sides. 
 
The principal directors of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and 
the DPJ of the Lower House Antipiracy Committee continued their 
discussions yesterday afternoon. Around that time, DPJ Diet Affairs 
Committee Chairman Kenji Yamaoka met the party's principal director 
Yoshio Hachiro in a room in the Diet building and told him: "If a 
compromise isn't reached, it's acceptable for us to respond to their 
call for bringing the bill to a vote." Four hours later, the talks 
ruptured and the decision to vote on April 23 on the 
government-sponsored bill was finalized. 
 
Prior Diet approval 
 
The DPJ was unyielding on the issue of prior Diet approval of a 
Self-Defense Forces (SDF) dispatch. The ruling bloc presented a 
compromise plan that included a provision to allow a Diet resolution 
to halt an SDF dispatch. But DPJ Policy Research Committee Chairman 
Masayuki Naoshima ordered Hachiro and others not to reach an 
agreement. The leadership had decided from the beginning not to 
settle on anything less than prior approval. 
 
Behind this stance lay the wishes of the SDP and the PNP. The SDP is 
against any SDF dispatch and the PNP made requests about what 
revisions the DPJ should demand. DPJ President Ichiro Ozawa 
instructed the person in charge to handle the matter in a way the 
three opposition parties could remain aligned with each other. This 
forced the DPJ to give priority to the tripartite common front. At 
the same time, in consideration of conservative members in the party 
calling for the establishment of an antipiracy law, the party 
leadership had to choose the difficult option of allowing the Lower 
House to take a vote on the bill. 
 
Many DPJ members in the opposition controlled-Upper House are of the 
view that their party should oppose and dispose of any bill quickly 
that might cause a rift in the party or among opposition parties. 
Chances are high therefore that the bill will be brought to a vote 
before the current Diet session closes on June 3. But uncertainties 
still remain, such as the SDP insisting on protracting the 
deliberations. 
 
In preparation for the next Lower House election 
 
The LDP's principal director Gen Nakatani held a press conference 
after the talks collapsed yesterday in which he said: "We think the 
original plan is the best." LDP Diet Affairs Committee Chairman 
Tadamori Oshima told a New Komeito executive on the phone: "It was 
good that the talks ended without making any revisions to the 
bill." 
 
Irrespective of the results of the revision talks, the ruling 
coalition intended from the beginning to have Prime Minister Taro 
Aso explain at the Diet the immediacy of the antipiracy legislation, 
followed by a vote on the bill at the special committee later this 
week and then the bill's passage by the Lower House. The ruling 
coalition's bullish stance was underpinned by the belief that 
 
TOKYO 00000942  006 OF 009 
 
 
antipiracy measures were relatively easy to obtain public support 
for, and that the enactment of the legislation would help increase 
support for the achievements of the government and the ruling 
coalition ahead of the next Lower House election. 
 
8) Approximately 2.7 billion yen in aid for Somalia unaccounted for 
 
TOKYO SHMBUN (Page 2) (Full) 
April 23, 2009 
 
In a meeting of the House of Representatives' Antipiracy Special 
Committee yesterday, a lawmaker said that approximately 2.7 billion 
yen Japan had disbursed for United Nations activities in Somalia 
operations remained unaccounted for. 
 
The statement of accounts for fiscal 1993, which has been kept by 
the Foreign Ministry, notes that about 2.7 billion yen of the funds 
disbursed to international economic cooperation organizations was 
appropriated as assistance funds for Somalia. Based on the 
statement, Social Democratic Party member Nobuto Hosaka pursued the 
government on this issue. 
 
The Foreign Ministry, however, was unable to make a clear reply, 
with Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone only saying: "We would like 
to make a report upon checking the details." The ministry has 
started examining data of that time. 
 
Hosaka assailed: "I guess that the money is unaccounted for, 
probably because the Foreign Ministry allocated it on its own 
judgment, with no Diet examination." 
 
9) Government to double yen loans to Middle East in ODA priority 
distribution policy 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 1) (Full) 
April 23, 2009 
 
The government will announce for the first time starting in fiscal 
2009 areas to which official development assistance (ODA) funds will 
be provided on a priority basis. The draft of a report due out today 
designates as priority assistance areas projects aimed at helping to 
strengthen the economic growth potential of Asia, which has been hit 
by the ongoing financial crisis, and to fight terrorism, including 
assistance for Afghan reconstruction. Japan intends to boost yen 
loans to the Middle East almost double that of the previous fiscal 
year to 113 billion yen, and to Asia by 100 billion yen to 760 
billion yen in fiscal 2009. 
 
The government previously only announced records of ODA 
disbursements at the end of a fiscal year after the funds were 
provided, but many critics had pointed out that how the money was 
use remained unclear. To make ODA spending more transparent and 
efficient, the government has decided to announce a basic ODA policy 
and region-specific distribution targets at the beginning of each 
fiscal year. 
 
U.S. President Barack Obama has already released a strategy to step 
up efforts in both military and public welfare areas to stabilize 
Afghanistan. Japan has also decided to double yen-loan disbursements 
to the Middle East, an amount equivalent to more than one tenth of 
the total amount. By helping improve people's livelihoods through 
setting up infrastructure, the government hopes to strengthen 
 
TOKYO 00000942  007 OF 009 
 
 
cooperation with the U.S. 
 
The draft also specifies priority distribution of funds to the 
Palestinians with an eye on Middle East peace and to projects 
related to reconstruction in Iraq. Through ODA assistance to Gulf 
nations, the government aims to deepen relations with oil-producing 
countries, as part of its efforts to promote energy security. 
 
10) JAXA to be under Cabinet Office's wing 
 
SANKEI (Top play) (Abridged) 
April 23, 2009 
 
The government decided yesterday to transfer the Japan Aerospace 
Exploration Agency, or JAXA for short, to the Cabinet Office. JAXA 
is currently under the wing of the Ministry of Education, Culture, 
Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) and carries out research and 
development in the space aeronautics area. Japan's space development 
has so far been limited to scientific purposes. However, the Space 
Law came into effect in August 2008, paving the way to the expanded 
use of outer space for security and industrial development. As it 
stands, the government judged that MEXT would have its own limits to 
oversee JAXA. With JAXA's transferral to the Cabinet Office, Japan 
is expected to gear up for introducing early warning satellites, 
which can detect missile launches, and heightening the performance 
of intelligence-gathering satellites or de facto surveillance 
satellites. 
 
JAXA's transferral will be incorporated in a five-year space master 
plan to be worked out in late May, and it will be set for fiscal 
¶2010. 
 
Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura has indicated that Japan's 
space development would make rapid progress with JAXA's transferral. 
"The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology 
alone is not enough to step up the functionality of space 
development in industrial development, security, and all other 
areas," Kawamura said yesterday in Tokyo. "The government is in 
charge of this task, so it would be better for the Cabinet Office 
and JAXA to team up with each other," he added. 
 
JAXA's purpose is limited to "basic research" under the Japan 
Aerospace Exploration Agency Law. This point has been criticized 
within the government and ruling parties for the lack of awareness 
to cut costs and improve reliability for commercialization. The 
government and ruling parties have therefore reviewed JAXA's 
organizational modality in conformity with the law's supplementary 
provisions. 
 
11) Chief Cabinet Secretary Kawamura's comment criticized by ruling 
and opposition parties, even though he retracts it 
 
MAINICHI (Page 2) (Full) 
April 23, 2009 
 
Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura, referring to the timing of 
the next House of Representatives election, said yesterday: "What 
the New Komeito says cannot be ignored," suggesting that the Lower 
House not be dissolved around the July timeframe for the Tokyo 
Metropolitan Assembly election. However, Kawamura's comment created 
a stir in the ruling and opposition parties. From the ruling Liberal 
Democratic Party (LDP), one member voiced criticism, saying: "Prime 
 
TOKYO 00000942  008 OF 009 
 
 
Minister's right to dissolve the Lower House would be tied." An 
opposition member rebutted: "That's maneuvering for party 
interests." 
 
Kawamura said in a speech yesterday: "We have received a warning 
(from the New Komeito) that if the Lower House is dissolved around 
(the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election), it won't be able to 
support the LDP's campaign for the general election." At a press 
conference later in the day, he withdrew his earlier remarks, 
saying: 
 
"I made the remarks at a gathering of supporters for the LDP. In 
order to make them understand easily, I cited an example. The prime 
minister has the right to dissolve the Diet. He is now considering 
it from all aspects." 
 
Prime Minister Taro Aso yesterday told the press corps: "I always 
give consideration to the New Komeito. However, I will never pick 
the date for the election for the sake of the New Komeito." 
 
In the LDP, a former cabinet member made this comment: "He made an 
unnecessary remark. The prime minister holds the right on Lower 
House dissolution." 
 
Kawamura's comment drew a mixed reaction from the New Komeito. One 
New Komeito member said: "I think it is a message that the Lower 
House dissolution and the Tokyo election will not be close together. 
A senior member, however, expressed unhappiness with the fact that 
Kawamura described the party's request as 'a warning," noting: "His 
comment sounds like our party was threatening the LDP." Secretary 
General Kazuo Kitagawa said: "The right to dissolve the Lower House 
is a sole prerogative of the prime minister. I don't remember giving 
any warning." 
 
Meanwhile, Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) Secretary General Yukio 
Hatoyama at a gathering yesterday in Yokohama said: "The chief 
cabinet secretary giving consideration to the New Komeito means that 
he is pursuing party interests. The Lower House should be dissolved 
as quickly as possible." 
 
12) LDP's Ishihara: Consumption tax hike in 2011 should be included 
in manifesto for Lower House election 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (full) 
April 23, 2009 
 
Nobuteru Ishihara, senior deputy secretary general of the ruling 
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), revealed yesterday his outlook that 
the LDP would include in its manifesto (set of campaign pledges) for 
the next House of Representatives election a pledge to  increase the 
consumption tax, probably in fiscal 2011. He gave this outlook in a 
round-table discussion in Tokyo held by the People's Council to 
Create a New Japan, which is made up of experts. 
 
Ishihara stated there: "I think that measures to make up for the 
deficit will be included , such as a consumption tax hike in fiscal 
2011 after the economy recovers." 
 
Referring to the fact that the distribution of the copies of the 
manifesto is limited to such certain places as venues to deliver 
speeches, Ishihara stressed that conditions should be eased further, 
saying: "It is only natural that an environment should be created so 
 
TOKYO 00000942  009 OF 009 
 
 
that voters can refer to the manifesto." 
 
13) DPJ's Okada: A change will be in government impossible unless 
Ozawa accounts for donation scandal 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (Excerpts) 
April 23, 2009 
 
With his secretary having received illegal donations from Nishimatsu 
Construction Co., the question of whether Democratic Party of Japan 
(DPJ) President Ichiro Ozawa will step down from his post has 
continued to smolder in the main opposition party. DPJ Vice 
President Katsuya Okada, whom many DPJ lawmakers anticipate will 
become the next party head, has taken a wait-and-see approach, 
although he is beginning to make more specific remarks about Ozawa. 
There is a view in the party that in order to wipe away the negative 
image of Ozawa, Okada, who has a clean image, is most suitable to 
become the next party leader. Meanwhile, some DPJ members are 
alarmed about his political stance, which is described as a kind of 
fundamentalism. Okada's judgment is that now is not the right time 
to take action to remove Ozawa from his post. 
 
Okada delivered a speech yesterday in a Tokyo Hotel, in which he 
strongly urged Ozawa to give a sufficient explanation about the 
donation scandal involving Nishimatsu. He said: 
 
"Under the situation where 60 to 70 percent of the public thinks 
they cannot fully understand (Ozawa's) explanation, it is impossible 
to bring about a change in government." 
 
He also said: "The DPJ is now being tested. We must deal calmly with 
the matter." He suggested that all party members unite to overcome 
the negative impact of the scandal. 
 
Okada's comment reflects a sense of crisis in the DPJ that if Ozawa 
resigns as party head, the chance for the party to take power will 
slip away. This feeling lies behind the mood in the party favoring 
Okada as the one to replace Ozawa. A mid-level lawmaker said: 
 
"Junior members in the House of Representatives are looking forward 
to Okada's becoming the party head. Lawmakers coming from the former 
Japan Socialist Party also favor Okada." 
 
Okada has yet to actively campaign to succeed Ozawa because he does 
not have his own group and has not used his personal influence on 
the party. Okada's prediction is that if he becomes the LDP 
president, he would be at a disadvantage, dependent on what actions 
Deputy President Naoto Kan and Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama 
would take. 
 
However, there are also many in the DPJ who are strongly alarmed 
about Okada stepping into the presidency. 
 
ZUMWALT