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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 13 TOKYO 001170 
 
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 05/22/09 
 
INDEX: 
 
(1) Prime minister calls for return of four islands in package at 
Japan-Russia summit (Asahi) 
 
(2) Russian Foreign Ministry criticizes prime minister for his 
statement: "Russia is illegally occupying the four islands" (Asahi) 
 
 
(3) Civilians to be sent to NATO-led PRT in Afghanistan for first 
time; Damage to Japan's neutrality feared (Asahi) 
 
(4) Clash on greenhouse gas reduction target; Prime minister to 
decide in June (Asahi) 
 
(5) Income falls to level 20 years ago; household income down to 
5.56 million yen in 2007 (Tokyo Shimbun) 
 
(6) Toru Hasuike, brother of abductee, publishes book calling for 
priority to dialogue over sanctions (Tokyo Shimbun) 
 
(7) Editorial: Nuclear non-proliferation: Time to speed up agreement 
on test ban (Tokyo Shimbun) 
 
(8) Sankei-FNN poll on Aso cabinet, political parties, DPJ's 
leadership change (Sankei) 
 
ARTICLES: 
 
(1) Prime minister calls for return of four islands in package at 
Japan-Russia summit 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
May 22, 2009 
 
Asahi Shimbun has learned that Prime Minister Aso during his talks 
with Prime Minister Putin on May 12 had asked for the settlement of 
the Northern Territories issue through the return of all four 
islands as a package, saying that the 1956 Declaration stipulating 
the return of the two islands of Habomai and Shikotan before the 
other islands in the territories would not settle the Northern 
Territories issue. This was revealed by a Japanese government 
source. 
 
The prime minister at a meeting of the Upper House Budget Committee 
on May 21, as well, categorically said that he has no intention of 
adopting an in-stages approach of realizing the return of the 
islands of Habomai and Shikotan before the islands of Kunashiri and 
Etorofu, whose possibility the government once searched for when 
Mori was prime ministers. He said, "If the attribution of the four 
islands is ascertained, we will respond to a timeframe for an actual 
return of such or the method of such a return in a flexible 
manner." 
 
According to the same source, the prime minister announced this 
stance at the main session of the summit on the 12th. During a 
15-minute one-on-one meeting with Putin, he reportedly underscored: 
"I would like to hear a firm reply at the July summit (to be held on 
the sidelines of the G-8 Summit.) I would like you to convey what we 
discussed today to President Medvedev (who will attend the G-8 
Summit)." 
 
 
TOKYO 00001170  002 OF 013 
 
 
Putin pledged, "We will convey our stance properly at the July 
meeting." He also stated, "The president and I are in complete 
agreement on this issue." However, Putin said, "Though there were 
various oppositions and criticisms from various view points on the 
domestic front, I changed my stance to that of the 1956 
Declaration." He thus stressed that it was a difficult decision to 
approve even the return of the two islands. 
 
As other reasons why it is difficult to settle the Northern 
Territories issue, Putin cited domestic public opinion in Russia, 
and cases involving Ukraine, which fought with Russia over the 
Crimean Peninsula after the collapse of the USSR, and Kaliningrad, 
located on the coast of the Baltic Sea, which became the territory 
of the USSR after World War II. Putin thus reportedly pointed out 
the danger that if Russia gives in to Japan on the territorial 
issue, territorial disputes in its neighboring countries could 
rekindle. 
 
Putin also stated at his talks with former prime minister Mori, 
which were held prior to the summit, that he did not want to replace 
the 2001 Irkutsk statement, which characterized the 1956 Declaration 
as the starting point for the negotiations process. 
 
Given the series of statements made by Putin, there has appeared a 
view among Japanese government officials that there is only a slim 
chance of President Medvedev making an in-depth proposal. A Foreign 
Ministry official said, "There is a possibility of the president 
showing enthusiasm or proposing joint development." 
 
(2) Russian Foreign Ministry criticizes prime minister for his 
statement: "Russia is illegally occupying the four islands" 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
May 22, 2009 
 
Hideki Soejima, Moscow 
 
Referring to the situation in the Northern Territories, Prime 
Minister Taro Aso said that they are illegally occupied by Russia. 
Russian Foreign Ministry Information and Press Department Spokesman 
Nesterenko on May 21 issued a statement criticizing his statement as 
unforgivable. 
 
The prime minister at a meeting of the Upper House Budget Committee 
on the 20th said: "The four northern islands have never become the 
territories of any foreign country. They are an integral part of 
Japan. It is very regrettable that the illegal occupation of the 
islands by Russia still continues more than 60 years after the end 
of World War II." He thus stressed the Japanese government's 
principle stance. 
 
Nesterenko pointed out, "If there is anything illegal, it is Japan's 
demand, which has no legal basis at all."  He criticized Aso, "The 
prime minister's statement will not lead to bilateral political 
dialogues and the creation of an environment conducive to 
implementing the agreements between the two countries on issues such 
as visa-free exchanges." 
 
(3) Civilians to be sent to NATO-led PRT in Afghanistan for first 
time; Damage to Japan's neutrality feared 
 
ASAHI (Page 3) (Abridged slightly) 
 
TOKYO 00001170  003 OF 013 
 
 
May 21, 2009 
 
Erika Fuji, Atsuko Tannai 
 
The government will send later this month civilians to the North 
Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) military-civilian provincial 
reconstruction team (PRT) as part of the country's human 
contributions to reconstruction assistance in Afghanistan. Concerns 
are being heard in opposition parties and nongovernmental 
organizations (NGOs) that Japan's neutrality might be harmed or that 
humanitarian assistance involving troops might cause collateral 
damage. 
 
Four individuals will be sent to Afghanistan: two male Foreign 
Ministry officials and two publicly-recruited female members, 
including one specializing in peace building. They will take part in 
the Lithuania-led PRT in the mid-western Afghan town of Chagcharan 
in the status of secretaries at the Japanese Embassy in Kabul on a 
two-month rotational basis. They plan to survey local needs to lead 
to assistance in education, medicine and other fields under the 
protection of Lithuanian troops. 
 
The publicly recruited are Hisako Ishizaki, 30, who previously 
worked at the Japanese Embassy in Iran, and Chihiro Imai, 41, who 
was engaged in reconstruction in Afghanistan as an NGO member. 
 
This is the first time for Japan to dispatch personnel to a PRT by 
going a step further than providing financial aid. The step follows 
a visit in January 2007 to NATO headquarters by then Prime Minister 
Shinzo Abe where he announced Japan's plan to make humanitarian 
contributions in consideration of the United States. Abe 
specifically expressed eagerness to dispatch Self-Defense Force 
(SDF) troops. But the government eventually dropped the SDF option, 
saying that such might result in the use of force overseas which is 
prohibited under the Constitution. 
 
The government then received a request last fall from Lithuania for 
Japanese civilians' participation (in the PRT). Lithuania, which 
could not afford to send its own civilians, had been looking for a 
country that could take over the role played by Iceland until last 
summer. In compliance with the request, the Foreign Ministry 
concluded based on the results of a fact-finding survey in 
Afghanistan that the security situation was relatively calm and that 
neither a suicide bombing nor the kidnapping of a foreigner had 
occurred. 
 
Even so, some raised objections to the dispatch. For instance, 
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) lawmakers Tadashi Inuzuka, who is 
grappling with Afghan issues, noted: "People do not have an image 
that NATO-centered PRTs are neutral. Japan is regarded more neutral 
than the United Nations, so joining a PRT would be 
counterproductive." 
 
Japanese NGOs and other organizations conducting activities in 
Afghanistan have been critical of the modalities of PRTs. Japan 
International Volunteer Center Afghanistan representative Takatoshi 
Hasebe took this view: "As collateral damage increased, people's 
views toward foreign forces have become severe. Japan might be 
looked at in the same light, and that might take a toll on NGO 
activities." 
 
According to Japanese aid agency source, there are cases in which 
 
TOKYO 00001170  004 OF 013 
 
 
aid agency and NGO workers conduct activities separately from PRTs 
in the judgment that working alongside PRT troops would increases 
risks. 
(4) Clash on greenhouse gas reduction target; Prime minister to 
decide in June 
 
ASAHI (Page 7) (Full) 
May 22, 2009 
 
Kenichi Goromaru, Tomohisa Yamaguchi 
 
How much will Japan be able to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 
2020 from the 1990 level? The tug-of-war among cabinet ministers, 
the business sector, labor, and environmental groups over the 
mid-term target for global warming prevention measures that Prime 
Minister Taro Aso will decide in June is growing in intensity. These 
players are divided in their support for the six options presented 
by the experts' group, but there are now moves to find a 
compromise. 
 
Labor, business both support 4 PERCENT  increase 
 
A full-page advertisement was placed in the May 21 issue of Asahi 
Shimbun which stated: "Only Option 1 will ensure international 
fairness, appropriate burden on the people, and feasibility. Options 
3 to 6 will have a serious impact on the social economy and impose 
an extremely heavy financial burden on families. Will they be 
feasible?" 
 
The ad was placed by 59 economic and business organizations, 
including the Nippon Keidanren (Japan Business Federation) and the 
Japan Iron and Steel Federation, and seven industry-specific (mostly 
heavy industries) labor unions, including the Kikan-roren (Japan 
Federation of Basic Industry Workers' Unions). A joint advertisement 
by labor and business is very unusual. 
 
Option 1 calls for controlling emissions at an increase of 4 PERCENT 
. This is the most lenient among the six options presented in April 
by the government's committee on the mid-term target. It is expected 
that the target can be met by continuing with current energy 
conservation efforts. 
 
According to a government source, more than 50 PERCENT  of the 
10,000 comments collected from the public via e-mail through the 
government's "public comment" webpage (on the e-Gov website) also 
supported Option 1. 
 
However, a senior government official says that, "With Option 1, it 
will not be possible to draw China into the international framework 
for global warming prevention." Environment Minister Tetsuo Saito 
also said at his news conference on May 12: "Japan will be ridiculed 
by the world if it comes up with a target like that," criticizing 
the Nippon Keidanren for supporting Option 1. 
 
However, according to a Keidanren official, Chairman Fujio Mitarai 
reacted very strongly to the minister's remark. A senior Ministry of 
Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) official lamented that, "I went 
to persuade him, telling him 'we also have to take international 
negotiations into account,' but he would not listen, so I had to 
leave." 
 
Option 6 calling for a 25 PERCENT  reduction, which is the opposite 
 
TOKYO 00001170  005 OF 013 
 
 
extreme of Option 1, has the support of environmental NGOs and other 
groups. Both the New Komeito party and the Democratic Party of Japan 
are including this in their campaign platforms. However, this is 
premised on the upgrading of all equipment, including existing 
equipment, with the most advanced energy saving functions. It is 
said that this will result in the reduction of annual disposable 
income per household by 220,000 yen to 770,000 yen by 2020. 
 
A senior Environment Ministry official voices the criticism that, 
"This does not take into account the elements of the Green New Deal 
(stimulating the economy with global warming prevention measures)," 
but admits that "25 PERCENT  reduction will indeed be difficult." 
 
7 PERCENT  reduction a possible compromise 
 
The mid-term target committee has also presented four options in 
between these two extremes. Option 2 calls for assigning reduction 
goals by country based on progress made in past energy conservation 
efforts (ranging from a 1 PERCENT  increase to a 5 PERCENT 
reduction) with the basic goal being "a 25 PERCENT  overall 
reduction by the developed countries." Option 4 would assign targets 
based on the size of the economy (8-17 PERCENT  reduction). Option 3 
would apply the target only to replacement equipment for the purpose 
of introducing the latest technology (7 PERCENT  reduction), while 
Option 5 would apply this also to some existing equipment (15 
PERCENT  reduction). 
 
While Options 2 and 4 will make Japan's reduction target lower, the 
computation formula is very complicated. It will be difficult to 
reach an agreement with the other developed countries that Japan 
needs to collaborate with. 
 
Among these options, Option 3 has been attracting the most 
attention. The Keizai Doyukai (Japan Association of Corporate 
Executives), whose members are individual business operators, 
announced its support on May 18. Chairman Masamitsu Sakurai 
(chairman of Ricoh Company, Ltd.) paid a visit to Environment 
Minister Saito on the next day and told him that "the scientific 
viewpoint is also very important," taking into account the proposal 
of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for 
"25-40 PERCENT  reduction by the developed nations." This made Saito 
very happy. 
 
Option 3 is premised on "maximum introduction of energy conservation 
technology" as written into the METI council's long-term projection 
of energy demand and supply. Representatives of the industries 
participated in the discussions on this, so there is a growing 
opinion in the government that "this may be the lowest common 
denominator for all parties." 
 
Meanwhile, an idea has also emerged in the government that the 
figures should be flexible to a certain extent in order to save some 
cards for future international negotiations. 
 
The government will be holding a meeting of the council on global 
warming issues attended by Prime Minister Taro Aso on May 24, thus 
entering the final phase of coordination. However, since this is "a 
set of simultaneous equations with no real correct answer," where 
the wishes of businesses and scientists, international political 
agendas, and other factors all come into play, the prime minister 
will be facing some tough decisions. 
 
 
TOKYO 00001170  006 OF 013 
 
 
(5) Income falls to level 20 years ago; household income down to 
5.56 million yen in 2007 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 1) (Full) 
May 22, 2009 
 
Data from the "Comprehensive Basic Survey of the People's Living 
Conditions, 2008" published by the Ministry of Health, Labor and 
Welfare (MHLW) on May 21 show that average household income in 2007 
was 5,562,000 yen, the lowest in the 19 years since the Heisei Era 
started in 1989. 
 
Average household income reached its peak in 1994 at 6,642,000 yen 
and has been declining consistently. It has now reverted to the 1988 
level. The analysis of the MHLW's Office for the Basic Survey of the 
People's Living Conditions is that "the reasons are a reduction in 
the earnings of the bread winner and an increase in households 
consisting only of the aged." It is believed that this can be 
attributed to changes in the employment environment, such as the 
increase of mostly young non-regular workers who are unlikely to get 
substantial pay increases. 
 
Average household income in 2007 dropped by 106,000 yen from the 
previous year. It has been pointed out that this was due to the 
cutback in bonuses in small and mid-sized businesses experiencing 
difficulties during this period. 
 
The ratio of households that complained of "hard times," 57.2 
PERCENT , was the same with the highest record marked in the 2007 
report, exceeding the 50 PERCENT  level for 11 consecutive years. 
 
The ratio of households with lower-than-average income was 60.9 
PERCENT , only 0.3 percentage points below that of the previous 
year, which was an all-time high. This figure exceeded 60 PERCENT 
for four years in a row. The median was 4,480,000 yen, which is 
regarded as closer to the perception of most households, and 44.3 
PERCENT  of households had income lower than 4 million yen. 
 
In this survey, average income of households consisting of people 65 
or older or of people who are above 65 and unmarried children who 
are 18 or younger was 2,989,000 yen, going below 3 million yen for 
the first time since 2004. Households with minor children (18 or 
younger) had an average income of 6,914,000 yen, dropping below 7 
million yen for the first time since 1990. 
 
The survey was conducted in June and July 2008. 
 
(6) Toru Hasuike, brother of abductee, publishes book calling for 
priority to dialogue over sanctions 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Full) 
May 21, 2009 
 
Toru Hasuike, former secretary general of the Association of the 
Families of Victims Kidnapped by North Korea, published a new book 
titled: "Abduction - Heading toward fight beyond the barrier between 
rightists and leftists (Rachi - Sayuu no kakine o koeta tatakai 
he)," issued by Kamogawa Publishing Co. In the book, the elder 
brother of Kaoru (who had been abducted by North Korea but returned 
home in 2002) calls for giving priority to a dialogue over sanctions 
(in dealing with North Korea), taking a different stance from that 
of the families' group. 
 
TOKYO 00001170  007 OF 013 
 
 
 
No progress was made on the abduction issue during the past five 
years. Hasuike has attended left-wing groups' meetings since last 
year. In such meetings, he criticizes the Japanese government's 
stance of prioritizing sanctions in dealing with the North, 
claiming: "Even if relations between the two countries are hostile, 
both should hold discussion. Without dialogue, they will never be 
able to find a clue to resolving the issue." 
 
His new book in the outset includes this phrase: "I am now under 
fire from rightists, unlike in the past, with such words as 'he 
changed sides," and "he is a betrayal'." But he says that his true 
intention is to prompt both right and left wings to move to rescue 
the abduction victims. 
 
Ball in Japan's court 
 
Hasuike emphasizes: 
 
"I am still enthusiastic to resolve the abduction issue. But now I 
feel keenly that we should not be emotional but should be rational. 
To prompt the North to open the door to start negotiations, our side 
must take the North's views into consideration; otherwise, 
negotiations will never be carried out. The ball is in the Japanese 
court." 
 
The present state, though, seems to be going against this direction. 
Citing Japan's response to North Korea's launch of a projectile in 
early April, Hasuike vents this view: 
 
"It was an overreaction. Considering in a cool-headed manner, we 
should realize the Nodong (an intermediate-range ballistic missile) 
is a graver threat to Japan. I think Japanese hawks and munition 
companies took advantage of the North's test firing." 
 
Hasuike further says: 
"The Japanese government, while emphasizing that what the North did 
is wrong, has pledged to bring the victims back to Japan, but it has 
given a low priority to the North's nuclear development and Japan's 
wartime history. The government's assertion that the bad fellow must 
be expelled is understandable but is dangerous." 
 
Hasuike stresses the need for studies and analysis of the deadlocked 
situation from a various angles. He expects that his new book will 
contribute to urging the government to start this effort. 
 
(7) Editorial: Nuclear non-proliferation: Time to speed up agreement 
on test ban 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 5) (Full) 
 
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty is the international framework 
for achieving nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. While there 
is criticism that the treaty is "dysfunctional," we should work for 
reinforcing the NPT regime in light of the recent rise in the 
opportunity for disarmament. 
 
Delegates from member states stirred when U. S. President Barack 
Obama's message that, "Through cooperation and shared understanding, 
I am hopeful that we will strengthen the pillars of the NPT and 
restore confidence in its credibility and effectiveness" was read 
out at the meeting of the Preparatory Committee for the NPT Review 
 
TOKYO 00001170  008 OF 013 
 
 
Conference held at the UN headquarters in early May. 
 
The 2005 Review Conference failed to adopt an agreement and ended in 
discord due to conflict between the U.S. and the Middle Eastern 
countries. However, at the present preparatory committee, the 
assessment of the national delegates is that the agenda has been set 
and "the atmosphere for dialogue on the nuclear issue has emerged." 
The change in the U.S. administration's policy has presented a 
golden opportunity to strengthen the NPT regime. 
 
The NPT requires the five "nuclear powers" - the United States, 
Russia, United Kingdom, France, and China - to "make sincere efforts 
to negotiate on nuclear disarmament." The U.S. and Russia have 
started talks on a new treaty for the reduction of strategic 
weapons. We hope that these two nations, which possess 90 PERCENT 
of the nuclear weapons in the world, will take the lead in 
disarmament. 
 
On the other hand, India and Pakistan have refused to become NPT 
members and went ahead to possess nuclear arms. Iran is suspected of 
enriching uranium even though it is a NPT member. 
 
An agreement on nuclear test ban is necessary to prevent 
proliferation and strengthen the NPT regime. The U.S. and China are 
now positive about ratifying the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban 
Treaty (CTBT). If they do ratify the treaty, this will constitute 
pressure on Iran, Israel, and other countries that have not done 
so. 
 
There are three countries that are not signatories to the CTBT. 
India and Pakistan have claimed that they "will not conduct any 
further nuclear tests." Their accession to the treaty will attest to 
this promise. We also urge North Korea to refrain from conducting a 
second nuclear test. 
 
Negotiations on the Fissile Materials Cut-Off Treaty (FMCT) banning 
the manufacture of fissile materials for use in weapons, which has 
been shelved for over a decade, should resume. There are numerous 
issues for the NPT Review Conference in May 2010. 
There have been numerous calls for nuclear disarmament since 
President Obama's speech on a "nuclear-free world" in Prague in 
April. Seventeen Nobel Prize laureates recently issued a 
"Hiroshima-Nagasaki Declaration" asking national leaders and 
citizens to take action toward the abolition of nuclear arms. 
 
The Japanese government will convene an international conference on 
nuclear disarmament early next year. It should play a role in making 
this event contribute to strengthening the NPT regime. 
 
(8) Sankei-FNN poll on Aso cabinet, political parties, DPJ's 
leadership change 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (Full) 
May 19, 2009 
 
Questions & Answers 
 
(Note) Figures shown in percentage. Figures in parentheses denote 
findings from a previous Sankei-FNN survey conducted April 25-26. 
 
Q: Do you support the Aso cabinet? 
 
 
TOKYO 00001170  009 OF 013 
 
 
Yes 27.4 (28.2) 
No 60.9 (59.2) 
Don't know (D/K), etc. 11.7 (12.6) 
 
Q: Which political party do you support? 
 
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) 27.5 (29.2) 
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) 30.5 (21.5) 
New Komeito (NK) 4.0 (3.0) 
Japanese Communist Party (JCP) 3.0 (2.9) 
Social Democratic Party (SDP or Shaminto) 1.3 (1.3) 
People's New Party (PNP or Kokumin Shinto) 0.4 (0.5) 
Reform Club (RC or Kaikaku Kurabu) 0.0 (0.1) 
New Party Nippon (NPN or Shinto Nippon) 0.0 (0.1) 
Other political parties 0.2 (1.2) 
None 31.4 (39.6) 
D/K, etc. 1.7 (0.6) 
 
Q: Do you appreciate Prime Minister Aso and his cabinet on the 
following points? 
 
Prime Minister Aso's personal character 
Yes 32.0 (37.7) 
No 57.2 (55.5) 
D/K, etc. 10.8 (6.8) 
 
Prime Minister Aso's leadership 
Yes 15.8 (16.6) 
No 75.5 (78.4) 
D/K, etc. 8.7 (5.0) 
 
Economic policy 
Yes 25.2 (27.6) 
No 67.0 (65.8) 
D/K, etc. 7.8 (6.6) 
 
Foreign policy 
Yes 31.1 (33.4) 
No 50.1 (52.7) 
D/K, etc. 18.8 (13.9) 
 
Cash benefits 
Yes 36.4 (39.2) 
No 58.2 (55.7) 
D/K, etc. 5.4 (5.1) 
 
Expressway toll reductions 
Yes 46.3 (58.0) 
No 46.7 (37.7) 
D/K, etc. 7.0 (4.3) 
 
Preferential system for purchases of eco-friendly home electronics 
and automobiles 
Yes 50.7 (---) 
No 40.6 (---) 
D/K, etc. 8.7 (---) 
 
Response to Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Konoike's resignation 
Yes 27.9 (---) 
No 56.7 (---) 
D/K, etc. 15.4 (---) 
 
 
TOKYO 00001170  010 OF 013 
 
 
Q: Do you have expectations for new DPJ President Hatoyama? 
 
Yes 41.6 
No 49.4 
D/K, etc. 9.0 
 
Q: Were you interested in the DPJ presidential election? 
 
Yes 70.8 
No 27.3 
D/K, etc. 1.9 
 
Q: Do you think DPJ President Ozawa's resignation was good for the 
DPJ? 
 
Yes 73.8 
No 17.6 
D/K, etc. 8.6 
 
Q: Do you think DPJ President Hatoyama is more appropriate as DPJ 
president than Mr. Katsuya Okada? 
 
Yes 35.2 
No 45.4 
D/K, etc. 19.4 
 
Q: Do you think Mr. Ozawa should continue to display his influence 
in a key party post? 
 
Yes 35.5 
No 57.4 
D/K, etc. 7.1 
 
Q: Do you think DPJ President Hatoyama will be more influenced by 
Mr. Ozawa than Mr. Okada? 
 
Yes 80.7 
No 9.1 
D/K, etc. 10.2 
 
Q: Is Mr. Ozawa's explanation of his resignation convincing? 
 
Yes 21.2 
No 72.9 
D/K, etc. 5.9 
 
Q: Do you think the DPJ presidential election's campaign period was 
too short? 
 
Yes 64.9 
No 27.8 
D/K, etc. 7.3 
 
Q: When comparing Prime Minister Aso and DPJ President Hatoyama, 
which one do you think is more trusworthy? 
 
Prime Minister Aso 29.6 
DPJ President Hatoyama 49.3 
D/K, etc. 21.1 
 
Q: When comparing Prime Minister Aso and DPJ President Hatoyama, 
which one do you think is better in terms of policy? 
 
TOKYO 00001170  011 OF 013 
 
 
 
Prime Minister Aso 25.7 
DPJ President Hatoyama 43.1 
D/K, etc. 31.2 
 
Q: When comparing Prime Minister Aso and DPJ President Hatoyama, who 
do you think would be more appealing in an election campaign? 
 
Prime Minister Aso 30.1 
DPJ President Hatoyama 46.7 
D/K, etc. 23.2 
 
Q: When comparing Prime Minister Aso and DPJ President Hatoyama, who 
do you think is more appropriate as prime minister? 
 
Prime Minister Aso 33.1 
DPJ President Hatoyama 37.7 
D/K, etc. 29.2 
 
Q: Do you think it is necessary to carry out the political reforms 
listed below and now being discussed between the ruling and 
opposition parties? 
 
Reduce Diet members 
Yes 87.5 (85.8) 
No 8.1 (11.0) 
D/K, etc. 4.4 (3.2) 
 
Restrict hereditary politics 
Yes 56.2 (51.9) 
No 36.1 (41.5) 
D/K, etc. 7.7 (6.6) 
 
Prohibit corporate, organizational donations 
Yes 68.0 (68.5) 
No 24.0 (25.4) 
D/K, etc. 8.0 (6.1) 
 
Review the single-seat constituency system 
Yes 69.1 (---) 
No 16.7 (---) 
D/K, etc. 14.2 (---) 
 
Q: Do you feel uneasy about the new type of influenza? 
 
Yes 76.5 
No 22.9 
D/K, etc. 0.6 
 
Q: Are you doing something in your daily lives to prevent yourself 
from being infected with this novel flu virus? 
 
Yes 67.2 
No 32.4 
D/K, etc. 0.4 
 
Q: Do you think the government and local public entities have taken 
appropriate measures against the new influenza? 
 
Yes 74.2 
No 19.3 
D/K, etc. 6.5 
 
TOKYO 00001170  012 OF 013 
 
 
 
Q: Who do you think is most appropriate now as Japan's prime 
minister among the following politicians in the ruling and 
opposition parties? 
 
Taro Aso 8.3 (8.7) 
Nobuteru Ishihara 4.5 (5.4) 
Yuriko Koike 3.1 (3.7) 
Junichiro Koizumi 13.0 (11.7) 
Yoichi Masuzoe 10.7 (10.6) 
Kaoru Yosano 4.1 (5.3) 
Other ruling party lawmakers 2.1 (3.5) 
Yoshimi Watanabe 4.7 (4.0) 
Ichiro Ozawa 3.7 (5.2) 
Katsuya Okada 9.0 (5.4) 
Naoto Kan 2.7 (2.8) 
Akira Nagatsuma 2.0 (---) 
Yukio Hatoyama 7.6 (2.2) 
Seiji Maehara 2.4 (2.3) 
Other opposition party lawmakers 2.6 (2.9) 
None 15.3 (20.1) 
D/K, etc. 4.2 (3.3) 
 
Q: When do you think an election should be held for the House of 
Representatives? 
 
Right away 16.3 
In July right after passing the supplementary budget 40.0 
Upon the current membership's expiry, or in August or afterward 
40.3 
D/K, etc. 3.4 
 
Q: What do you think about replacing Prime Minister Aso before the 
next election for the House of Representatives? 
 
He should resign and the election should be held under the new prime 
minister 18.4 (23.5) 
Prime minister should be selected according to election results 77.0 
(72.5) 
D/K, etc. 4.6 (4.0) 
 
 
Q: Which political party would you like to vote for in the next 
election for the House of Representatives in your proportional 
representation bloc? 
 
LDP 31.3 (34.6) 
DPJ 45.2 (34.0) 
NK 4.7 (3.9) 
JCP 3.5 (4.5) 
SDP 1.7 (2.0) 
PNP 0.7 (0.6) 
RC 0.0 (0.0) 
NPN 0.1 (0.4) 
Other political parties 5.4 (10.3) 
D/K, etc. 7.4 (9.7) 
 
Polling methodology: The survey was conducted May 17 by the Sankei 
Shimbun and Fuji News Network (FNN) over the telephone on a 
computer-aided random digit dialing (RDD) basis. For the survey, a 
total of 1,000 persons were sampled from among men and women, aged 
20 and over, across the nation. 
 
TOKYO 00001170  013 OF 013 
 
 
 
ZUMWALT