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P 290558Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
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RHMFIUU/USFJ  PRIORITY
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RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 4859
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS TOKYO 000991 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR I/RF, PA/PR/FPC/W, IIP/G/EA, EAP/PD, R/MR, 
EAP/J, EAP/P, PM; 
USTR FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE; 
TREASURY FOR OASIA/IMI; 
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA; 
CP BUTLER OKINAWA FOR AREA FIELD OFFICE; 
PACOM HONOLULU FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO JA
SUBJECT: TOKYO MEDIA REACTION - PRESIDENT OBAMA'S FIRST 100 DAYS AND 
NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT 
 
¶1. LEAD STORIES: All Wednesday morning papers gave top or front-page 
play to the spread of swine influenza in the U.S. and six other 
nations. 
 
¶2. "President Obama's First 100 Days" The liberal Mainichi wrote in 
an editorial (4/29): "Looking back, we have the impression that only 
100 days have passed since President Obama took office. Even in 
Japan, we learned about his energetic work as we heard about him 
every single day. Despite the worsening economy and unemployment 
rate in the U.S., the latest opinion poll showed that the majority 
of American people highly value the President's achievements. In 
addition to his personal charm, the President's leadership in 
enacting a law concerning stimulus measures within a month after he 
took office and his timely explanations of his policy to the 
American people may lie behind his strong public support. Having 
said that, his noncommittal prescription for dealing with the 
financial crisis is regrettable. The source of the world-wide 
economic crisis is the financial sector. The President has 
acknowledged that the economy will not recover fully unless drastic 
measures are taken in the financial sector." 
 
¶3. "PM Aso Should Lead Japan's Nuclear Disarmament Efforts" The 
liberal Asahi editorialized (4/29): "... How will Japan support 
President Obama's efforts to seek the 'world without nuclear 
weapons' that he pledged at his speech in Prague? Foreign Minister 
Nakasone announced Japan's policy toward the reduction of nuclear 
arms in his speech titled 'Conditions to Zero - 11 Benchmarks for 
Worldwide Nuclear Disarmament.' We hope both the U.S. and Russia 
will accelerate their talks on a replacement for the Strategic Arms 
Reduction Treaty (START-1) and exercise their leadership in the 
creation of a new security order through additional reductions in 
nuclear warheads. China and other nuclear powers should also make 
efforts toward nuclear disarmament... It is disappointing, though, 
that Prime Minister Aso is leaving this issue to the foreign 
minister... Aso cannot possibly be indifferent to the issue. We hope 
Aso, as the prime minister of the only country ever to have been 
attacked with nuclear weapons, will express a clear position to 
support the trend of nuclear disarmament generated by President 
Obama's speech and help make nuclear disarmament possible." 
 
 
ZUMWALT