VZCZCXRO7818
PP RUEHFK RUEHKSO RUEHNAG RUEHNH
DE RUEHKO #0950/01 1140051
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 240051Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2541
INFO RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEAWJA/USDOJ WASHDC PRIORITY
RULSDMK/USDOT WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J5//
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RHHMHBA/COMPACFLT PEARL HARBOR HI
RHMFIUU/HQ PACAF HICKAM AFB HI//CC/PA//
RHMFIUU/USFJ //J5/JO21//
RUYNAAC/COMNAVFORJAPAN YOKOSUKA JA
RUAYJAA/CTF 72
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 6022
RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 3684
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 7486
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 1354
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 4221
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 8976
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 4998
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 4795

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 09 TOKYO 000950 
 
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 04/24/09 
 
Index: 
 
Anti-piracy measures: 
1) Anti-piracy bill passes the House of Representatives  [Mainichi] 
 
2) Government breathes sigh of relief as anti-piracy bill passes 
Lower House, thanks in part to the opposition camp's inability to 
line up against the measure  [Mainichi] 
3) Japan considering 2 billion yen to Somalia at Brussels pledging 
conference  [Tokyo Shimbun] 
 
Constitutional issues: 
 
4) Prime Minister Aso wants serious consideration to be given to 
changing interpretation of Constitution to allow use of right of 
collective self-defense  [Sankei] 
5) Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) reacts negatively to ruling 
camp's plan to restart constitutional commission's deliberations on 
amending the Constitution  [Asahi] 
 
Nakasone diplomacy: 
 
6) Foreign Minister Nakasone to travel to Iran during upcoming 
holidays  [Yomiuri] 
7) Nakasone in speech on non-proliferation to call for increased 
funding of IAEA  [Asahi] 
8) China registers its unhappiness with Prime Minister Aso's gift to 
Yasukuni Shrine  [Asahi] 
 
9) Government's broadcaster NHK accused of "anti-Japan bias" in 
program on history of Japanese rule of Taiwan  [Sankei] 
 
Diet affairs: 
10) Diet session now being run at the pace of the ruling parties 
[Yomiuri] 
11) DPJ's Maehara: If it looks like there will not be a change of 
government, party will ask Ichiro Ozawa to resign as party head 
[Yomiuri] 
 
12) Government predicts minus 3.3% growth rate for economy in fiscal 
2009, worst level in postwar period  [Yomiuri] 
 
13) China's new system of requiring foreign companies to share IT 
secrets raises objections from Japan, U.S., EU  [Yomiuri] 
 
14) Fisheries Agency campaign: Whale meat is more eco-friendly than 
beef  [Sankei] 
 
Articles: 
1) Anti-piracy bill passes Lower House 
 
MAINICHI (Page 1) (Excerpt) 
April 24, 2009 
 
Yasushi Sengoku 
 
The anti-piracy bill that will expand the duties of the Self-Defense 
Forces (SDF) dispatched to waters off Somalia in Eastern Africa to 
include guarding foreign-owned vessels passed the House of 
Representatives on April 23 by a majority of approval votes from the 
ruling parties. It was then sent to the House of Councillors. All 
four opposition parties - Democratic Party of Japan, Japanese 
 
TOKYO 00000950  002 OF 009 
 
 
Communist Party, Social Democratic Party, and Peoples New Party - 
voted against the measure. The opposition camp does not plan to drag 
out deliberation on the bill in the Upper House. Even if the bill is 
voted down in the upper chamber, it will be passed by the Lower 
House by an overriding two-thirds vote. The outlook is that the bill 
will be enacted during the current Diet session. 
 
2) Opposition bloc out of step 
 
MAINICHI (Page 5) (Abridged) 
April 24, 2009 
 
Ryo Matsuo, Yasushi Sengoku 
 
A government-introduced antipiracy bill, bearing the Self-Defense 
Forces' antipiracy mission off Somalia in mind, passed through the 
House of Representatives yesterday. The legislation is now easily 
expected to clear the Diet during its current session. The 
government feels relieved and deflated. "I never expected it as soon 
as this," one official said. The Diet has been divided with the 
ruling coalition holding a majority of the seats in its lower 
chamber and the opposition parties dominating its upper chamber. The 
government and the ruling parties do not want to raise the hurdle of 
the SDF's overseas activities, while the leading opposition 
Democratic Party of Japan (Minshuto) wants to avoid being involved 
too much in security issues that could disturb the opposition 
parties' joint struggles and the DPJ's unity. The breakdown of talks 
over DPJ-proposed revisions to the bill can be said to have 
unexpectedly resulted from the concurrence of their respective 
expectations. The ruling and opposition parties avoided frontal 
debate in the House of Representatives, failing to discuss the point 
at issue. 
 
The government bill is simple, based on maritime security operations 
under the Self-Defense Forces Law's Article 82. The bill adds such 
measures as allowing the SDF to defend foreign ships that have 
nothing to do with Japan and fire on pirate ships that refuse orders 
to stop (i.e., easing the government's weapons use standards for the 
SDF). Meanwhile, it prescribes nothing about the Diet's role or 
commitment to such maritime security operations, only mandating the 
government to submit a report to the Diet. 
 
3) International conference pledges 20.8 billion yen in assistance 
to Somalia, with Japan considering 2 billion yen package 
 
TOKYO (Page 6) (Abridged) 
April 24, 2009 
 
By Hiroshi Hoshi in Brussels 
 
An international conference aimed at stabilizing Somalia, which 
continues to be wracked by internal conflict and incidents of 
piracy, was held on April 23 in Brussels. The participants agreed to 
provide assistance totaling $213 million (or approximately 20.8 
billion yen) for such projects as beefing up public security 
organizations. Japan is considering donating over 2 billion yen for 
such efforts as the peacekeeping activities of the African Union 
(AU) in Somalia. 
 
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon stressed: "Piracy has 
its roots in Somalia's lawlessness. If we strengthen public safety 
on land, the seas will be safe." He urged some 60 countries and 
 
TOKYO 00000950  003 OF 009 
 
 
regions to provide financial assistance for such efforts as beefing 
up the public security organizations of the provisional government 
in Somalia, economic reconstruction, and peacekeeping operations by 
the AU. Somali President Sharif Sheik Ahmed said, "Reconstruction is 
indeed the only way to resolve the piracy issue," and he asked for 
cooperation to create a coastal patrol squad. He praised the 
conference, saying, "This has been an historical opportunity to 
share out problem with the international community." 
 
Japan over the last two years has provided a total of $67 million 
for reconstruction assistance. State Secretary for Foreign Affairs 
Seiko Hashimoto did not specify at the conference how much Japan 
would provide, but she revealed to the press that Japan was 
considering an additional donation of approximately 2 billion yen. 
4) Aso mulls constitutional reform for collective self-defense 
 
SANKEI (Top play) (Abridged) 
April 24, 2009 
 
Prime Minister Taro Aso yesterday met at his office with former 
Ambassador to the United States Shunji Yanai, who presided over a 
security affairs advisory panel for then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, 
to hear his views concerning the government's conventional 
interpretation of the Constitution. The government has been taking 
the position that it is unconstitutional for Japan to exercise the 
right of collective self-defense. In the wake of North Korea's 
launch of a ballistic missile and the Maritime Self-Defense Force's 
start of antipiracy activities, Aso is believed to have judged that 
there are impending situations where there is need to reinterpret 
the Constitution so that Japan can participate in collective 
self-defense. If the prime minister moves in the direction of 
reinterpretation, Japan will take a big step forward in 
strengthening its alliance with the United States and making 
international contributions. 
 
The meeting was held with Assistant Chief Cabinet Secretary Kyoji 
Yanagisawa (for security affairs) also attending. Yanai spelled out 
the advisory panel's discussions and explained that constitutional 
reinterpretation is a pressing issue, according to Yanagisawa. 
 
"What the advisory panel discussed has been left as is," Aso told 
reporters after the meeting, "so I just listened to him." Aso added, 
"The report's wording is long, so I think I'll have to study it." 
With this, Aso indicated that he was positive about changing the 
government's constitutional interpretation. In June 2008, the 
advisory panel presented a report to then Prime Minister Yasuo 
Fukuda. 
 
The advisory panel's policy proposals focused on the advisability of 
participating in collective self-defense in four cases: 1) defending 
U.S. naval vessels on the high seas; 2) intercepting ballistic 
missiles targeted at the United States; 3) use of weapons in 
international peace activities; and 4) backing up foreign troops in 
United Nations peacekeeping operations. The report concluded that it 
would be possible for Japan to do so if the government alters its 
constitutional interpretation to allow collective self-defense. 
 
However, Prime Minister Fukuda at the time ruled out the possibility 
of changing the government's constitutional interpretation. He told 
reporters: "I've never said that I would change (the government's 
interpretation. The report is over, so it's concluded." The advisory 
panel's report was then sealed. 
 
TOKYO 00000950  004 OF 009 
 
 
 
5) Ruling coalition submits a constitution examination council 
motion; DPJ reacts to it as forcible 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Abridged) 
April 24, 2009 
 
The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the New Komeito yesterday 
presented to the House of Representatives Rules and Administration 
Committee a motion to propose a provision specifying the size of and 
requirements for decisions by the Lower House Constitution 
examination council that will discuss constitutional revision plans. 
The council's size has yet to be determined and it has not yet 
deliberated on any matter. The ruling coalition intends to set the 
council in motion before the current Diet session closes, with the 
national referendum law scheduled to take effect in May next year. 
 
The ruling bloc plans to have the council adopt the motion before 
the May 3 Constitution Memorial Day with the aim of presenting a 
provision during a Lower House plenary session. Nevertheless, in 
view of a negative reaction from the major opposition Democratic 
Party of Japan, whether the provision will be approved in the 
current Diet session remains unclear. 
 
The ruling bloc's plan is designed to set the total number of 
council members at 50, the same as the budget committee, and to 
assign seats in proportion to the size of political parties. Under 
its plan, a decision can be made by a majority of those present and 
the council can meet even while the Diet is out of session. 
 
DPJ principal director Koichiro Genba reacted strongly to the plan, 
saying: "We have never said that we are opposed to the provision, 
but it is regrettable that the matter is being handled in a forcible 
manner. Do the LDP and the New Komeito want to use the Constitution 
as a tool of political bargaining?" There are no prospects to 
present the provision to the opposition-controlled House of 
Councillors. 
 
6) Foreign Minister Nakasone to visit Iran 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) 
April 24, 2009 
 
Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone has decided to visit Iran during 
the Golden Week holidays in early May. He is expected to hold talks 
with his Iranian counterpart Manuchehr Mottaki in Teheran. In order 
to stabilize Afghanistan, a neighboring country of Iran, the two 
foreign ministers will confirm bilateral cooperation, including 
preventing the distribution of narcotics by strengthening security 
around the border, as well as helping Afghan refugees support their 
return to the country. Nakasone is also expected to take up Iran's 
enriched-uranium nuclear program as an agenda item for discussion. 
 
7) Nakasone to announce an increase in Japan's financial 
contribution to IAEA for nuclear disarmament 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Abridged) 
April 24, 2009 
 
Atsuko Niuchi 
 
Following President Barack Obama's announcement in his Prague speech 
 
TOKYO 00000950  005 OF 009 
 
 
that the U.S. would aim at achieving a nuclear-weapons free world, 
Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone will announce in a speech in 
Tokyo on April 27 Japan's comprehensive policy toward nuclear 
disarmament. He will specifically announce that Japan will increase 
its financial contribution to the International Atomic Energy Agency 
(IAEA) in order to reinforce the nuclear nonproliferation system. He 
also will call upon nuclear powers other than the United States and 
Russia, such as China, to join the nuclear disarmament initiative. 
 
Tokyo has already announced its "strong support" for the Obama 
speech. To give a boost to the Obama administration's nuclear 
disarmament effort, Nakasone is expected to point out some 10 items, 
such as: (1) the need for nuclear powers to reduce their nuclear 
arms in a transparent manner, (2) bringing the Comprehensive Nuclear 
Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) into effect, and (3) an early start of talks 
on the Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty. Japan puts especially high 
priority on the role of the IAEA, which supports the nuclear 
nonproliferation (NPT) system through inspections. Nakasone will 
announce an increase in Japan's financial contribution to that body, 
which has been suffering from a budgetary shortage due to an 
increase in inspections. 
 
The IAEA's main budget consists of a regular budget that includes 
inspection expenses, and a technical cooperation fund. The body's 
regular budget for fiscal 2009 comes to 300 million euros, of which 
Japan's contribution accounts for 16.5%. In addition, 16% of the 
IAEA's technological cooperation fund of 85 million dollars comes 
from Japan. 
 
8) China expresses displeasure to Aso's offering to Yasukuni Shrine 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
April 24, 2009 
 
Kengo Sakajiri, Beijing 
 
In reaction to Prime Minister Taro's Aso provision of an offering to 
Yasukuni Shrine, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman released a 
statement yesterday and indicated: "We expressed our great concern 
and displeasure to the Japanese side through diplomatic channels." 
Earlier, on April 21, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu 
took a constrained view. It is believed that because of unceasing 
criticism, the Chinese Foreign Ministry decided to lodge its 
protest. 
 
9) Machimura faction members slam NHK program on Japan's rule over 
Taiwan as overly anti-Japanese 
 
SANKEI (Page 2) (Abridged slightly) 
April 24, 2009 
 
The faction in the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) headed by former 
Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura held its general meeting 
yesterday. In the session, many members criticized NHK's program 
titled "The First-Class Country in Asia," aired on April 5 as the 
first installment of the series called "NHK Special: Japan Debut." 
 
The program looked at Japan's rule over Taiwan [between 1895 and 
1945]. House of Representatives member Tomomi Inada criticized it, 
saying: "In Taiwan, there are many pro-Japan people, such as former 
President Lee Teng-hui. But the program focused only on 
anti-Japanese aspects." Machimura, too, followed suit, commenting: 
 
TOKYO 00000950  006 OF 009 
 
 
"I watched the program, and I had many questions about it." Former 
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe noted: "The weekly magazine Shuken Shincho 
also mentioned the program, and I feel the program was terrible. I 
want people to watch this series with interest." 
 
Former Education, Science and Technology Minister Nariaki Nakamura, 
too, expressed his intention to the press corps to send an open 
letter to NHK as the head of the parliamentary league that considers 
Japan's future and history education. 
 
10) Ruling camp managing Diet affairs at its own pace 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) 
April 24, 2009 
 
The leadership of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has 
continued to take a bullish attitude in managing Diet affairs, 
aiming at an early enactment of the fiscal 2009 supplementary budget 
and related bills. The move is aimed to appeal its stance of giving 
priority to the economy to the public, as well as to leave room for 
an early dissolution of the House of Representatives. 
 
Calling the government' effort for compiling the extra budget for 
fiscal 2009 worth more than 15 trillion yen "the largest-ever 
operation," LDP Diet Affairs Committee Chairman Tadamori Oshima has 
said that the Diet should carry out deliberations even during the 
Golden Week of holidays. Cabinet ministers have been urged to 
refrain from overseas trips. 
 
In a meeting yesterday of the Diet affairs committee chiefs of the 
LDP and the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), an 
agreement was reached as the LDP asserted that Finance Minister 
Kaoru Yosano should deliver a policy speech on April 27 when the 
extra budget and related bills are presented; and that 
interpellation by representatives from each political party should 
be held on April 28 based on Yosano's policy speech. The DPJ has 
been facing a headwind due to the indictment of its leader Ichiro 
Ozawa's first state-funded secretary for violating the Political 
Funds Control Law over donations from Nishimatsu Construction Co. 
Therefore, the ruling coalition has seized control of the pace of 
Diet debate. In a gathering of the LDP Lower House members held last 
evening in Chiba City, Secretary General Hiroyuki Hosoda stressed: 
"We are determined to run (the extra budget and related bills) no 
matter how hard the DPJ opposes." 
 
The LDP leadership's prediction is that if the extra budget and 
related bills are enacted, the conditions will be satisfied for 
Prime Minister Taro Aso to dissolve the Lower House. Oshima, an aide 
to Aso, appears to be motivated to increase options as many as 
possible for Lower House dissolution until the September expiration 
of the terms of the Lower House members, including the possibility 
of dissolution in May, according to a person close to him. 
 
The ruling bloc aims to get the extra budget and related bill 
through the Lower House on May 8 and enact them by May 15. However, 
it cannot manage the House of Councillors as it likes, since the 
DPJ-led opposition camp controls the upper chamber. The ruling camp 
of the Upper House yesterday called for holding Yosano's speech on 
the 27th and interpellation by representatives from political 
parties on the 28th. The opposition, however, refused to hold the 
interpellation on the 28th. The DPJ caucus in the Upper House 
intends to propose holding the interpellation on May 7. 
 
TOKYO 00000950  007 OF 009 
 
 
 
DPJ Diet Affairs Committee Chairman Kenji Yamaoka told reporters 
yesterday: 
 
"We will not accept the idea that deliberations should be ended 
because certain amount of time is spent. If the ruling camp 
defiantly cuts deliberations in the Lower House, we will spend 
appropriate time for deliberations in the Upper House." 
 
11) DPJ's Maehara: Ozawa might be urged to resign if a change in 
government impossible 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) 
April 24, 2009 
 
Seiji Maehara, former president of the Democratic Party of Japan 
(DPJ), delivered a speech yesterday in Chigasaki City, Kanagawa 
Prefecture. Referring in it to the question of whether DPJ President 
Ichiro Ozawa will resign from his post, He stated: 
 
"President Ozawa will make a decision on his own as to whether to 
remain in or step down from his post. However, if we determine that 
it is impossible for our party to bring about a change in government 
under his leadership, the DPJ will be required to fulfill the 
capability of self-cleansing. Since there is a time limit, I 
together with likeminded colleagues will have to consider asking him 
to quit his post." 
 
Maehara indicated in his remarks that he and his colleagues as a 
group would urge Ozawa to resign if the support rate for the DPJ 
considerably dropped. 
 
12) Government projects minus 3.3% GDP growth in fiscal 2009 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) 
April 24, 2009 
 
The government decided yesterday to revise its projected real gross 
domestic product (GDP) growth for fiscal 2009 downward to 3.3% and 
its nominal growth rate to minus 3%. This is the worst ever level. 
 
The nation's GDP is expected to shrink for the second straight 
fiscal year. The government will announce the projection on April 
¶27. 
 
The government had set the real growth rate at 0% and the nominal 
rate at 0.1% in fiscal 2009 as of January, but it had to largely 
revise these figures downward, reflecting the gloomy economic 
situation since the latter half of 2008. 
 
The government says that although the real growth rate will shrink 
by about 5.2% unless it takes special fiscal steps, its additional 
economic package will serve to bring down the rate to minus 3.3%. 
 
13) Ignoring opposition from Japan, U.S., Europe, China to launch 
new system that would deal heavy blow to Japanese IT firms 
 
YOMIURI (Page 11) (Full) 
April 24, 2009 
 
Despite strong opposition from Japan, the U.S., and Europe, China 
has decided to launch a system to force foreign manufacturers of 
 
TOKYO 00000950  008 OF 009 
 
 
information technology (IT) products to disclose key information 
about them. Japanese firms had optimistically thought that China 
would not introduce what was considered to be an impractical system. 
If Japan's leading manufacturers are forced to pull out of the 
Chinese market with its high growth potential, the Japanese economy, 
which still shows no signs of recovery, will unavoidably receive a 
serious blow. 
 
Recently, an increasing number of information-technology (IT) 
products equipped with devices that allow the owner to identify them 
have been marketed, for example, a system of verification by using a 
personal identification number (PIN) or identification by the veins 
on one's palm. Source codes are the base of the information-security 
software program. Industrialized countries have introduced a 
mutual-recognition system, under which certification is mutually 
recognized between importing and exporting countries and regions. 
Given this, the disclosure of source codes is unnecessary among 
them. But China's new system will unprecedentedly require foreign 
companies to disclose their products' source codes. 
 
China reportedly has asked the governments of Japan, the U.S., and 
European countries to take action in line with international rules 
of the World Trade Organization (WTO). But it will take more than 
one year until the procedures complete. Under the current situation, 
they remain unable to find effective means to have China give up the 
system. 
 
Observers take the view that China's tough stance may reflect its 
confidence as the Chinese market is becoming more attractive to many 
countries amid all industrialized countries' markets shrink due to 
the global recession. 
 
14) Whale meat more eco-friendly than beef? CO2 emitted during whale 
meat production less than one tenth of that for beef 
 
SANKEI (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
April 24, 2009 
 
The amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases 
discharged in the production of whale meat is less than one tenth of 
that for beef production, according to research results by the 
Fisheries Research Agency (FRA). This shows that a certain aspect of 
whale meat is more eco-friendly than beef. Spotlighting this data, a 
Fisheries Agency official commented: "We can use this data as 
material for seeking anti-whaling countries' understanding in 
negotiations on the resumption of commercial whaling." 
 
After the contents of the stomach and other parts of whales caught 
by research whaling ships in the Antarctic Ocean and other seas are 
fully investigated, their meat is distributed across the nation. The 
FRA calculated the amounts of CO2 emissions based on the amounts of 
fuel used by research whaling vessels several years ago. 
 
As a result, the agency estimates that about 2.5 kg of CO2 is 
discharged in the process of producing 1 kilogram of meat from a 
whale seized in waters about 1,000 km from Japan. Even in the case 
of whales caught in the Antarctic Ocean, located more than 10,000 km 
from Japan, the amount is estimated to be no more than about 3 kg. 
 
Meanwhile, the volume of greenhouse gases discharged in the process 
of livestock farmers producing 1 kg of beef is calculated to be 36.4 
kg, over ten times more than in whale meat production. 
 
TOKYO 00000950  009 OF 009 
 
 
 
The Fisheries Agency thinks it would be easier to obtain 
understanding from anti-whaling countries if Japan emphasizes the 
advantages of whaling in terms of environmental protection. Such 
data may be used in future international negotiations. 
 
ZUMWALT