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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 14 TOKYO 001651 
 
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 07/22/09 
 
Index: 
1) Top headlines 
2) Editorials 
3) Prime Minister's daily schedule  (Nikkei) 
 
Lower House election: 
4) Campaign for the Lower House election begins, with Prime Minister 
Aso giving priority to economy, DPJ head Hatoyama stressing change 
of government  (Nikkei) 
5) LDP support at less than 20 PERCENT  going into the election 
campaign: FNN poll  (Sankei) 
6) Prime Minister Aso in announcing Diet dissolution expresses 
self-reflection in a tearful voice  (Tokyo Shimbun) 
7) Political parties speeding up compilation of manifestos: LDP slow 
to make adjustments due to internal disarray; DPJ steadily drafting 
framework (Asahi) 
8) Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) 
to clash in election campaign on consumption tax, other issues 
(Nikkei) 
9) Aso, after tumultuous 10 months as prime min, trying now to 
prolong his stay in office by even one day  (Nikkei) 
10) DPJ taking pains to maintain harmony with opposition parties in 
the election campaign but concern that small parties may be buried 
in the election  (Yomiuri) 
11) Altogether 1,235 candidates running in the Lower House race 
(Nikkei) 
12) LDP backing 287 candidates for single district seats  (Asahi) 
 
13) DPJ's victory with small margin might trigger political 
realignment  (Nikkei) 
14) 114 bills were scrapped when Aso dissolved the Lower House 
(Asahi) 
15) After 2,029 days as Lower House speaker, Yohei Kono to retire 
from politics  (Nikkei) 
16) Former Defense Minister Kawara to retire from politics 
(Yomiuri) 
17) Foreign Ministry's appointment of new counsellor of Cabinet 
Secretariat a strategic move toward possible Hatoyama 
administration?  (Yomiuri) 
 
18) Former Deputy Secretary Armitage in interview discusses 
responses to North Korea  (Nikkei) 
 
19) Japan sending team of observers to monitor Afghanistan's 
upcoming president election  (Yomiuri) 
 
20) Chinese ship withdraws from Shirakaba gas field in E. China Sea 
(Mainichi) 
 
Articles: 
 
1) TOP HEADLINES 
 
Asahi: 
Japan's ruling, opposition parties launch scramble for power 
 
Mainichi: 
General election effectively starts 
 
Yomiuri: 
Voters to determine who should take the reins of government in Aug. 
30 election 
 
TOKYO 00001651  002 OF 014 
 
 
 
Nikkei: 
Economy, social security, securing fiscal resources key issues in 
choosing new government 
 
Sankei: 
LDP meltdown - 2009 Lower House election (Part 1): Chances high for 
LDP to become opposition party 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
Lower House dissolved; LDP aims for sense of security, DPJ 
determined to topple LDP-New Komeito coalition 
 
Akahata: 
Lower House dissolved for Aug. 30 election; JCP determined to 
realize politics of security and hope 
 
2) EDITORIALS 
 
Asahi: 
(1) Lower House dissolved for general election that will determine 
who should take the reins of government 
 
Mainichi: 
(1) Lower House dissolved; General election will choose an 
administration 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1) Vote on policies rather than change for change's sake 
 
Nikkei: 
(1) Policy debates essential for choosing an administration 
 
Sankei: 
(1) Political parties must debate on the country's future course 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1) A change of government may result from Aug. 30 general election 
 
Akahata: 
(1) Chance has come to end LDP-New Komeito politics 
 
3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, July 20, 21 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
July 22, 2009 
 
July 20 
10:02 Took a walk around his official residence. 
16:01 Met Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Asano at the Kantei. 
19:04 Met at party headquarters with Secretary General Hosoda, 
Policy Research Council Chairman Hori, Diet Affairs Committee 
Chairman Oshima, Chief Cabinet Secretary Kawamura and others. Joined 
by Election Strategy Council Vice Chairman Suga. Hosoda and Suga 
stayed behind. 
21:46 Returned to his official residence. 
July 21 
08:01 Attended a cabinet meeting at the Kantei. Later met Kawamura. 
10:18 Met special advisor Shimamura, followed by Kawamura. 
10:35 Met New Komeito President Ota and Secretary General Kitagawa, 
 
TOKYO 00001651  003 OF 014 
 
 
with Hosoda and Kawamura present. 
11:32 Attended a meeting of lawmakers of both Houses of the Diet at 
party headquarters. 
12:12 Met former Prime Minister Mori, former Chief Cabinet Secretary 
Machimura, Hosoda, and others. 
12:51 Attended a meeting of lawmakers in the Diet Building. 
13:02 Attended a Lower House plenary session. Later, called on Lower 
House Speaker Kono and Vice Speaker Yokomichi, Upper House President 
Eda and Vice President Santo, senior members of the New Komeito, and 
others, with Kawamura and deputy chief cabinet secretaries Matsumoto 
and Asano. 
13:22 Attended a general rally of both Houses of the Diet. 
14:02 Attended a special cabinet meeting at the Kantei. 
14:37 Attended a meeting of the Election Strategy Council at party 
headquarters. Former education minister Suzuki stayed behind. 
Followed by Executive Council Chairman Sasagawa. Later, put up the 
signboard of election headquarters in front of the gate. 
15:08 Handed official recognition letters to candidates for the 
Lower House election in the presence of Hosoda and others. 
17:39 Met Kawamura 
18:00 Held a press conference. Later met Kawamura. 
19:21 Arrived at his official residence. Met with Kawamura, 
Matsumoto and Asano. 
 
4) Lower House election to offer choice of government, with economy, 
social security, funding sources as campaign issues 
 
NIKKEI (Top Play) (Full) 
July 22, 2009 
 
The House of Representatives was dissolved yesterday, opening a 
battle between the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the Democratic 
Party of Japan (DPJ) leading up to the 45th Lower House election. 
The election will be officially announced on Aug. 18 and will be 
held on the 30th. In a bid to maintain the ruling coalition of the 
LDP and the New Komeito, Prime Minister Taro Aso has underscored the 
government's ability to properly deal with foreign and security 
affairs, with an eye on even a consumption tax hike after the 
economy turns around as the financial source for social security 
measures. Meanwhile, DPJ President Yukio Hatoyama plans to release 
the party's policy manifesto by the end of this month and will 
stress the need for a change of government. The 40-day battle was 
kicked off. 
 
The government endorsed the dissolution of the Lower House with 
approval from all cabinet members at a regular cabinet meeting 
yesterday morning. Speaker Yohei Kono read out an Imperial decree 
proclaiming the dissolution at a Lower House plenary session in the 
afternoon. After the Lower House was dissolved, the government 
decided on the schedule for the election at a special cabinet 
meeting in the afternoon. 
 
The ruling and opposition parties have launched a substantial 
election fight. The leaders of political parties will engage in a 
verbal battle in the 40-day campaign. The 40 days from the 
dissolution to the vote is the longest since the introduction of the 
Constitution. 
 
At the outset of a press conference held after the dissolution, Aso 
apologized for his gaffes and lack of consistency on key policies, 
saying: "They caused public distrust in the government. I deeply 
reflect on them." He also apologized for the conflict caused in the 
 
TOKYO 00001651  004 OF 014 
 
 
LDP. 
 
He then said: 
 
"The upcoming Lower House election is an election to realize a 
society where everyone can live worry-free. I would like to ask the 
people to focus on our party's responsibility. If I fail to live up 
on this promise, I will take responsibility. ...I will not walk off 
my job as prime minister and party president before we place the 
economy on a recovery track. I am determined to boost the economy 
without fail." 
 
He also said: "We will put an end to the current excessive 
market-forces principle." He indicated his resolve to introduce 
measures to make child education free of charge, improve the working 
conditions for part-timers, and raise the consumption tax to finance 
social security measures after the economy turns around. He 
emphasized: 
 
"Everyone hates tax hikes, but we cannot leave our debts for our 
children and grandchildren. The DPJ has only opposed proposals made 
by the LDP and the New Komeito to buoy up the economy, raise funds 
to finance welfare measures, and to ensure Japan's national 
security. ... The DPJ has just come up with pork-barrel measures 
without talking about where necessary revenues will come from." 
 
In the meanwhile, Hatoyama made the following remark in a press 
conference yesterday: 
 
"I am determined to introduce a politics joined by all the people in 
place of the current bureaucracy-led politics that has lasted since 
the Meiji era. We must bring about a change of government, with a 
revolutionary major purpose. ... We will grab the reins of 
government in cooperation with other opposition parties. Our goal is 
to win a majority on our own or in cooperation with the opposition 
parties." 
 
He cited three major campaign issues - declining birthrate, pension, 
and decentralization. He indicated that the party will announce its 
policy manifesto for the election by the end of this month. He 
emphasized: "We will take thorough measures to protect the people's 
lives and livelihoods. With this as our buzzword, we would like to 
engage in the election campaign." 
 
5) Poll: LDP support falls below 20 PERCENT 
 
SANKEI (Page 3) (Abridged) 
July 22, 2009 
 
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party's public support rating fell 
below 20 PERCENT  in a telephone-based nationwide public opinion 
survey conducted by Fuji News Network (FNN) on July 18-19. In the 
FNN survey, the LDP's support rate was 19.8 PERCENT , down 0.3 
points from the last survey taken June 20-21. Respondents were also 
asked which political party they would vote for in their 
proportional representation blocs of the House of Representatives in 
its forthcoming general election. In this public preference of 
political parties for proportional representation as well, the LDP 
dropped 1.5 points to 23.7 PERCENT . Both figures reached a new low 
under the Aso cabinet. In the public preference of political parties 
for proportional representation, the leading opposition Democratic 
Party of Japan (Minshuto) inched up to 46.0 PERCENT . The Aso 
 
TOKYO 00001651  005 OF 014 
 
 
cabinet also remains low in public support. Its public approval 
rating was 15.9 PERCENT , down 1.6 points from the last survey. 
Meanwhile, its disapproval rating also dropped 1.3 points to 71.4 
PERCENT . 
 
6) Tearful prime minister expresses "remorse" at meeting of LDP Diet 
members; Humble attitude suppresses discontent 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Full) 
July 22, 2009 
 
Akihiro Ikushima 
 
At the meeting of Liberal Democratic Party members of both houses of 
the Diet held before the plenary session of the House of 
Representatives where its dissolution would be declared, Prime 
Minister Taro Aso said: "My only wish is that all of you who plan to 
run in the election will (get elected and) return to this place." 
Aso's tearful words suppressed the discontent going into the 
election campaign amid a raging adverse wind. 
 
The prime minister, who abhors showing his weakness or being 
criticized for "wavering," admitted his responsibility for the 
successive defeats in the recent major local elections and expressed 
his "remorse and apology." He took a humble attitude because he 
wanted to show the party's unity at the dissolve the Diet with the 
party manifesting its unity. 
 
Aso takes pride in the fact that he was able to prevent the economy 
from sinking deeper and deeper since he took office. Even after the 
cabinet support rating dropped to a crisis level, his determination 
to "seek the people's verdict for this administration's 
achievements" remained unshaken, and he insisted on exercising his 
power to dissolve the Diet. 
 
However, the prime minister also understands that this election 
campaign will be an uphill battle. His aides say that: "He is 
anxious that his policies have not been conveyed properly to the 
people and is not so self-assured about winning the election." 
 
In his news conference announcing the dissolution of the Diet, Aso 
did not define his criterion for victory in the general election. He 
bristled at reporters' persistent questions on this and said: "Do 
you think I can answer a question premised on losing the election 
just like that? The election campaign has just begun." 
 
Will the prime minister be able to fight off the adverse wind? 
Toward the end of the news conference, he could only fall back on 
his fighting spirit. He stated: "An election is where one does 
everything in his power, works as hard as possible, and puts forth 
all his strength." 
 
7) Political parties speeding up compilation of manifestos: LDP slow 
to make adjustments due to internal disarray; DPJ steadily drafting 
framework 
 
ASAHI (Page 5) (Abridged slightly) 
July 22, 2009 
 
Both ruling and opposition parties are speeding up efforts to draft 
their manifestos in the run-up to the official announcement of a 
general election on August 18. While the Liberal Democratic Party 
 
TOKYO 00001651  006 OF 014 
 
 
(LDP) is slow to make adjustments due to internal disarray following 
its loss in the recent Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election, the 
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) is steadily making preparations by 
drafting a framework for its manifesto. 
 
The LDP's manifesto is called the Aso manifesto, for which a small 
number of close aides to Prime Minister Aso, including Election 
Committee Vice Chairman Yoshihide Suga, have secretly drafted. The 
party wants to complete internal procedures before the end of the 
week at the earliest and have the prime minister release it at a 
press conference by the end of the month. However, since the 
drafting was not completed in time for the Diet dissolution, many 
lawmakers will likely be left in the dark. 
 
In an effort to continue its economic stimulus measures in the next 
fiscal year and after, the LDP will highlight its track record and 
the continuation of the stimulus measures. Some anti-Aso members are 
indicating moves to enter the election with their own manifestos 
that are different from the party's manifesto. 
 
The New Komeito has by and large completed its internal discussions. 
It will release an outline before the end of the week. Its 
catchphrase is: "Protecting people's livelihoods. Politics is the 
ability to get things done." As a policy that attaches importance to 
the working people, it will pledge free children's education, a 
revision to the high-priced medical treatment system, and an 
improved pension system. 
 
DPJ President Hatoyama during a press conference on the 21st 
announced that his party would release its manifesto before the end 
of July. As policies which it wants to stress in particular, it will 
cite the low birthrate issue, the pension issue, and 
decentralization. 
 
Major pillars of the DPJ manifesto will be abolishing amakudari 
(golden parachute) practices, eradicating wasteful spending of 
budgetary funds, support for education including child allowances 
and free high school education, restructuring the pension and 
medical service systems, and implementing decentralization. 
 
Since the DPJ does not view foreign affairs and security policies as 
the focus of the upcoming election, its manifesto is unlikely to 
include an overall picture of those policies and specifics. 
 
8) LDP, DPJ at loggerheads over consumption tax 
 
NIKKEI (Page 3) (Abridged slightly) 
July 22, 2009 
 
& Fiscal resources 
 
The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is at odds with the Democratic 
Party of Japan (DPJ) over the issue of securing fiscal resources. 
The LDP plans to stress the need to raise the consumption tax rate 
after the economy picks up to secure funding. The LDP's aim is to 
depict itself as a party of responsibility by deliberately 
mentioning the unpopular option of hiking a tax. If the LDP-New 
Komeito coalition is maintained, a fundamental tax reform plan will 
be implanted in line with a mid-term program which was endorsed by 
the cabinet late last year. Meanwhile, the DPJ will seal off the 
option of raising the consumption tax for at least four years. 
Intending to squeeze out funding by reducing wasteful spending, the 
 
TOKYO 00001651  007 OF 014 
 
 
DPJ puts an emphasis on reducing the burden by, for instance, 
abolishing the provisional gasoline tax rate. The Japanese Communist 
Party (JCP), the Social Democratic Party (SDP), and the People's New 
Party (PNP) also intend to maintain the current tax rates. 
 
& Decentralization, administrative reform 
 
With requests from local governments on the rise, the issue of 
decentralization has begun drawing attention. The LDP-New Komeito 
coalition's basic policy course is to promote a doshu (regional 
bloc) system. The LDP is considering abolishing the share of local 
governments in the costs of projects carried out by the central 
government. The DPJ puts high priority on shifting power and fiscal 
resources to basic autonomous bodies equivalent to municipalities. 
The largest opposition party also intends to replace a tied subsidy 
system with an untied lump-sum subsidy scheme. The JCP and the PNP 
will promise greater tax grants. 
 
As part of administrative reform, the DPJ will also call for the 
abolition of the amakudari (golden parachuting) practice and a 
review of independent administrative corporations and special 
corporations. In terms of political reform, the DPJ advocates 
prohibiting corporate and organizational donations in three years' 
time. The LDP and the New Komeito stress the need to reduce the 
number of Diet seats. The LDP plans to restrict hereditary 
candidates in the election after the next. 
 
& Foreign and security affairs 
 
Policy toward the United States is expected to be a major point at 
issue in the diplomatic and security fields. The LDP eyes 
strengthening the Japan-U.S. alliance and the New Komeito will call 
for the steady promotion of U.S. force realignment. The DPJ plans to 
consider revising the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement, while 
placing high priority on the Japan-U.S. alliance. With the party 
also intending to review the Maritime Self-Defense Force's refueling 
mission in the Indian Ocean, the DPJ wants to have talks with the 
United States. 
 
The JCP and the SDP will play up their opposition to amending the 
Constitution and the importance of peace and protecting the 
Constitution. The PNP will call for a drastic review of the U.S. 
force realignment program. The Japan Renaissance Party will 
emphasize the need to have a system to defend the country from the 
threat of North Korean missiles. 
 
9) Prime minister vacillated over Diet dissolution for 10 months, 
ends up dissolving at "worst timing," aiming only to prolong 
administration 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
July 22, 2009 
 
The 351 votes Prime Minister Taro Aso won at the Liberal Democratic 
Party (LDP) presidential election in September 2008 was based on the 
assumption that the then relatively popular Aso would dissolve the 
Diet at an early date. However, Aso postponed dissolution, citing 
the financial crisis originating from the U.S. as his reason. This 
caused an outburst of discontent in the party. Anti-Aso moves 
smoldered beneath the surface and it appears that eventually, his 
exercising the power of dissolution became an end in itself for 
Aso. 
 
TOKYO 00001651  008 OF 014 
 
 
 
Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism Kazuyoshi 
Kaneko points out: "There were a few junctures where dissolution 
would ensure victory for us." The first opportunity was last 
October, soon after the administration started. The cabinet support 
rating was still around 50 percent. 
 
In an article contributed to a monthly magazine, the prime minister 
wrote, "My first mission is to seek the people's verdict," but the 
financial crisis originating from the U.S. surfaced during the LDP 
presidential election campaign. His feeling of responsibility that a 
political vacuum should not be created amid economic turmoil came to 
be intertwined with his desire to be the prime minister for as long 
as possible. 
 
Sensing the prime minister's vacillation, Election Strategy Council 
Vice Chairman Yoshihide Suga and his other close aides also advised 
him to put off Diet dissolution. Aso announced at a news conference 
on October 30 the postponement of dissolution. 
 
Subsequently, cabinet support ratings dived due to the prime 
minister's own gaffes, the scandal involving former Finance Minister 
Shoichi Nakagawa, and other issues. While Aso was having difficulty 
finding the right timing to dissolve the Diet, a second chance 
suddenly presented itself as a result of the enemy's fault. 
 
On March 3, (then) Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) President Ichiro 
Ozawa's government-paid principal secretary was arrested in 
connection with the Nishimatsu Construction Company political 
donation scandal. The Aso cabinet's support rate, then languishing 
at the 10 percent level, enjoyed a rebound. The process of preparing 
for Diet dissolution after the enactment of the fiscal 2009 budget 
began. However, while the prime minister was still watching trends 
in the LDP and DPJ approval ratings, Ozawa resigned as president on 
May 11. Ironically, this gave the DPJ an opportunity to launch a 
counteroffensive. 
 
The last scenario drawn up by the Prime Minister's Official 
Residence to stage a Diet dissolution initiated by Aso was "plunging 
into Diet dissolution right after the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly 
election and holding the election in early August." However, with 
the LDP's crushing defeat in the Tokyo election, Aso was unable to 
resist demands in the party to regroup and get it back on its feet. 
He was forced to put off election day to August 30. Consequently, 
"dissolution came at the worst timing." (Kaneko) 
 
The only thing that the prime minister never wavered about was the 
desire to dissolve the Diet with his own hands. At a news conference 
on July 21, Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura showed his 
support by saying: "He felt very strongly the responsibility of the 
two previous prime ministers resigning successively. He was under 
strong pressure to dissolve the Diet with his own hands." However, a 
former LDP secretary general expresses his doubt: "Was this good for 
the LDP?" 
 
10) DPJ struggling to maintain joint struggle with other opposition 
parties: SDP, PNP concerned about being shunted into background 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) 
July 22, 2009 
 
The Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) is struggling to maintain a 
 
TOKYO 00001651  009 OF 014 
 
 
joint struggle with the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the 
People's New Party (PNP) in Lower House election campaigns, the aim 
being to later form a coalition administration with them. Voices 
criticizing the DPJ have begun to be heard from among other 
opposition parties, which are wary of that party becoming the 
sole-winner. DPJ Secretary General Okada on an NHK TV program on 
July 21 indicated the DPJ's stance of speeding up policy talks with 
them with a three-party coalition government as a goal. He said, "We 
want to form a coalition administration regardless of the numbers of 
seats secured by them. If possible, we want to make policies in 
common with those of the SDP and the PNP a major pillar." 
 
The DPJ does not hold a single majority in the Upper House. As such, 
even if it wins a landslide victory in the Lower House election, it 
will not be able to manage its administration stably unless its 
forms a coalition with the SDP or the PNP. For this reason, when it 
coordinated candidates, it decided not to field its own candidates 
in more than 20 of the 300 single-seat constituencies, giving in to 
a request made by both parties. The DPJ will instead recommend 
candidates running on the SDP or PNP ticket or non-affiliated 
candidates in those 20 constituencies. In particular, it reached an 
agreement with the PNP that it will encourage voters to choose the 
PNP in the proportional representation section of the election in 
return for fielding its own candidates in the Kanagawa No.1 
Constituency and the Fukuoka No. 4 Constituency. 
 
The SDP and the PNP are increasingly concerned about their identity 
being shunted in the background of the DPJ. 
 
SDP President Fukushima criticized the DPJ at a press briefing on 
the 21st: "We will pursue an election battle, in which we will 
appeal that not only the DPJ but also the SDP are needed to carry 
out new politics. The DPJ has been inconsistent over the three 
nonnuclear principles and (continuation of refueling operations in 
accordance with) the New Antiterrorism Special Measures Law. It is 
unstable and uncertain." 
 
PNP Secretary General Hisaoki Kamei stressed his party's stance of 
displaying its identity, noting, "We cannot accept the idea of two 
major parties alone moving Japanese politics." 
 
In the meantime, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) criticized the 
DPJ, noting that it is in a situation in which it finds it 
imperative to make concessions to other opposition parties. 
 
Some participants in the informal meeting of members of both 
chambers of the Diet checked the DPJ: "President Hatoyama 
categorically said that the DPJ will team up with the SDP. Voters 
are beginning to ask the possibility of a lawmaker (related to the 
Japan Teachers' Union) becoming education minister." 
 
11) Survey: 1,235 candidates to run for election 
 
NIKKEI (Page 1) (Full) 
July 22, 2009 
 
The number of would-be candidates for the upcoming 45th House of 
Representatives election is 1,235, exceeding the figure of 1,131 
candidates in the previous general election in 2005, according to a 
survey by the Nikkei as of July 21. According to the survey, 1,111 
persons plan to run in the single-seat constituencies, while 124 are 
expected to run in the proportional representation segment. 
 
TOKYO 00001651  010 OF 014 
 
 
 
12) LDP endorses 287 official candidates as first group for 
single-seat constituencies, 22 for proportional representative 
segment 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
July 22, 2009 
 
The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) announced a first group of 287 
candidates to run in the 300 single-seat constituencies of the 
upcoming House of Representatives election (on Aug. 30). The LDP 
will hurriedly endorse candidates for the five districts of the 
remaining 13 electoral districts, in which it has fielded no 
candidates due to the candidates' sudden retirement from politics 
and resignation from the party. In order to recommend candidates on 
the New Komeito ticket, the LDP will not file any candidates in 
eight districts, including the No. 12 district in Tokyo and No. 8 
district in Hyogo Prefecture. 
 
The LDP has yet to endorse candidates for the five districts, 
including the No. 9 in Kanagawa Prefecture, in which Koichi 
Yamauchi, one of the "Koizumi children" and a first-term lawmaker, 
was expected to run but submitted a letter of resignation from the 
LDP, and the No. 3 in Tochigi Prefecture, for which the party is 
working on fielding an "assassin" candidate against Yoshimi 
Watanabe, who left the LDP. Regarding a candidate for the No. 1 
district in Aomori Prefecture, which was the home constituency of 
Tax System Research Commission Chairman Yuji Tsushima, who announced 
on July 19 his intention to retire from politics, Tsushima's eldest 
son will likely apply to the LDP Aomori chapter's advertisement for 
the candidacy. 
 
The LDP also announced a first group of 22 candidates for the 
proportional representation segment. The LDP has endorse Policy 
Research Council Chairman Kosuke its official candidate for the No. 
3 district in Saga Prefecture, the seat of which was held by Motoko 
Hirotsu, who was an assassin in the 2005 Lower House election. The 
LDP, however, forwent including Hirotsu in the first group of its 
candidates for the proportional representation section. 
 
13) DPJ's victory with small margin might trigger political 
realignment 
 
NIKKEI (Page 3) (Abridged slightly) 
July 22, 2009 
 
Even if the major opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) fails 
to win a working majority but garners a majority when the seats won 
by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the People's New Party 
(PNP) are combined in the House of Representatives, a DPJ-led 
coalition government is likely to be launched. 
 
Things would be complicated if seats were evenly split between the 
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the DPJ. It is possible that the 
DPJ will not be able to garner a majority even by teaming up with 
the SDP and the PNP, and the LDP-New Komeito coalition will also not 
secure a majority. In such a case, both the LDP and DPJ are likely 
to engage in a fierce battle to bring lawmakers into their camps, 
thereby throwing the Diet into turmoil. Such might eventually result 
in political realignment. 
 
Both the SDP and the JCP have rejected the option of forming a 
 
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coalition. But there still remains the option for the DPJ to form a 
partial coalition by obtaining policy-specific cooperation from the 
JCP. 
 
14) 114 bills scrapped with Diet dissolution, 17 submitted by the 
government, 97 by Diet members 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
July 22, 2009 
 
With the dissolution of the House of Representatives, the regular 
Diet session adjourned on July 21. Seventeen bills submitted by the 
government and 97 bills submitted by Diet members were scrapped. The 
amendment to the organized crime punishment law, which includes the 
new crime of "conspiracy" - a controversial issue during the Koizumi 
and Abe administrations - has also been scrapped. Thirty-five bills 
(including those submitted by Diet members), such as the bill 
submitted by the government to amend the law on support for the 
self-reliance of the disabled in order to review the disabled 
people's payment of 10 percent of their medical and care service 
bills, were not even taken up in the committees. 
 
Of the government-submitted bills, seven bills that were newly 
submitted to the current Diet session - including the special 
measures law on cargo inspection for the purpose of sanctioning 
North Korea and the bills related to civil service reform providing 
for unifying the appointment of senior national government officials 
- and 10 bills that were carried over from the previous session - 
including the amendment to the temporary worker placement law to ban 
day laborers, in principle - were scrapped. Out of the 69 bills 
submitted by the government to this Diet session, 62, or 89.9 
percent, were passed. 
 
As to the bills submitted by Diet members, 62 from the House of 
Representatives (including those carried over from the previous 
session) and 35 from the House of Councillors (also including those 
carried over from the previous session) were scrapped. Of the bills 
submitted by the Democratic Party of Japan, 13 were passed by the 
Upper House but were not deliberated in the Lower House. These 
included an amendment to the Livelihood Protection Law meant to 
revive additional welfare benefits for single mother families, a law 
on transparency of the criminal investigation process, and a law to 
make high school education free by paying subsidies to parents of 
high school students. 
 
15) House Speaker Kono retires with longest service record of 2029 
days 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
July 22, 2009 
 
The dissolution of the House of Representatives concluded the term 
of Yohei Kono as the longest serving House speaker after holding the 
post for 2,029 days. Last November, he became the longest serving 
speaker, surpassing Ikuzo Ooka (1,785 days). 
 
Kono assumed the post of House speaker in November 2003. He retired 
from the political world after the Diet dissolution yesterday. 
 
16) Former Defense Agency chief Kawara to retire from politics 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) 
 
TOKYO 00001651  012 OF 014 
 
 
July 22, 2009 
 
Tsutomu Kawara, a Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) member and former 
Defense Agency director general, yesterday revealed to the press 
corps in the Diet building his intention to retire from politics, 
not running in the forthcoming House of Representatives election. A 
total of 25 lawmakers, including former Prime Minister Junichiro 
Koizumi and Lower House Speaker Yohei Kono, have decided to retire 
from politics or not to run in the upcoming general election. 
 
17) Foreign Ministry's appointment of new counsellor of Cabinet 
Secretariat a strategic move toward possible Hatoyama 
administration? 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) 
July 22, 2009 
 
The Foreign Ministry announced that it had appointed on July 21 
First North American Division Director Kanji Yamanouchi, 51, as 
counsellor of the Cabinet Secretariat (assistant deputy chief 
cabinet secretary). 
 
Yamanouchi served as a secretary to then Deputy Chief Cabinet 
Secretary Yukio Hatoyama, who is now president of the Democratic 
Party of Japan (DPJ), in the cabinet of Prime Minister Morihiro 
Hosokawa. He is regarded as most likely candidate for a secretary to 
the prime minister if a Hatoyama administration is inaugurated in 
the upcoming House of Representatives election. 
 
Although the Foreign Ministry says that it was a regular personnel 
assignment, there is this view: "The ministry has already begun 
taking action with an eye on a change in government" (government 
source). 
 
18) N. Korea aiming to display unity under new leader: Armitage 
 
NIKKEI (Page 8) (Full) 
July 22, 2009 
 
Tsuyoshi Sunohara, senior writer 
 
North Korea, which has conducted nuclear and missile tests, is now 
squaring off with the international community. What is North Korea 
trying to achieve? The Nihon Keizai Shimbun interviewed former U.S. 
Deputy Secretary of State Armitage, who was in charge of North 
Korean affairs in the former Bush administration and is familiar 
with the Obama administration's North Korea policy. 
 
-- What is your view of the recent nuclear and missile tests carried 
out by North Korea? 
 
Armitage: North Korea probably intended to display unity under the 
new leader. This new leader means Kim Jong Un (i.e., Kim Jong Il's 
third son). U.S. Secretary of Defense Gates and others have also 
said that a complete, verifiable, and irreversible dismantling of 
North Korea's nuclear weapons programs (CVID) is a common policy 
goal of Japan and the United States. However, all the other 
countries participating in the Six-Party Talks will have to wait for 
resumption until North Korea's new regime figures out a new way of 
dealing with this issue. 
 
-- When you say "new regime," do you mean a new leadership under Kim 
 
TOKYO 00001651  013 OF 014 
 
 
Jong Un? 
 
Armitage: I don't know whether the father-to-son transfer of power 
will be successful. The son is young, and he holds a low rank in the 
military committee. For the past two years, the military has had the 
political initiative in North Korea. We cannot ignore this. 
 
-- Do you think Kim Jong Un will be a puppet of the military? 
 
Armitage: That is a possibility. (As a figure to seize real power) 
Chang Sung Taek (i.e., Kim Jong Il's brother-in-law) is also a 
potential candidate. He has a strong influence on the Korean Workers 
Party, and he's a powerful man. 
 
-- What about the possibility of North Korea launching a nuclear 
attack on Japan? 
 
Armitage: I don't think North Korea is thinking of committing 
suicide. If they attack Tokyo, we will fight back immediately. 
 
-- Former Defense Secretary Perry says North Korea has six nuclear 
bombs. 
 
Armitage: I think they have the necessary means to acquire six to 
ten nuclear bombs. However, I don't think they have acquired that 
many nuclear bombs yet. I don't think they have missile-loading 
technology either. 
 
-- Will the Obama administration take military action against North 
Korea? 
 
Armitage: The United States will not take military action for a 
change of regime. If we learned with absolute conviction that we or 
our allies were going to be attacked, then the United States would 
not rule out preemptive action. But that's unlikely. 
 
-- In Japan, there are also arguments calling for going nuclear. 
 
Armitage: That's a negative step. However, I'm not negative about 
Japan's option of having the capability of striking enemy bases. The 
question is about (whether or not to have) ballistic missiles. 
There's no need (for Japan's missiles) to reach Beijing. 
 
19) Japan to send observers for Afghan presidential election 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) 
July 22, 2009 
 
Keigo Sakai, Kabul 
 
The Japanese government has decided to send an election-monitoring 
team to Afghanistan for its presidential election set for Aug. 20. 
Motohide Yoshikawa, special representative for assistance to 
Afghanistan and Pakistan, now visiting the Afghan capital of Kabul, 
revealed this decision. The government will send a total of more 
than 10 observers to Afghan localities, including the midwestern 
district of Chaghcharan, where Japan will send a provincial 
reconstruction team (PRT), and also to Kabul. In 2004, Japan sent a 
10-member team to Afghanistan to observe the presidential election. 
 
Yoshikawa told Afghan President Karzai in a meeting yesterday that 
holding a fair election would lead to Japan's continued assistance. 
 
TOKYO 00001651  014 OF 014 
 
 
 
20) Chinese vessels vacate Shirakaba gas field; Foreign Ministry 
unable to verify drilling 
 
MAINICHI (Page 2) (Full) 
July 22, 2009 
 
It has been learned that Chinese vessels that were gathering near 
the Shirakaba (Chunxiao in Chinese), which Tokyo and Beijing have 
agreed to develop jointly, have left the waters near the site. A 
senior Foreign Ministry official revealed this information on July 
¶21. It appears that the ships left for China on the 15th. The 
Chinese government explained that the ships were in the area to 
conduct maintenance of the gas field. The Japanese government was 
unable to observe any activities seen to be violations of the 
bilateral agreement, such as drilling the gas field, according to a 
senior government official. However, it will continue to monitor the 
situation vigilantly. 
 
Concerning the development of the Shirakaba gas field, which the 
Chinese side had already started developing, Tokyo and Beijing 
agreed to suspend the development last June until Japanese companies 
begin participating in the project to jointly develop the gas field 
and specific conditions for such issues as an investment ratio, 
etc., are set. If drilling is confirmed, it means that the Chinese 
side has violated the agreement. The Foreign Ministry has been 
conveying strong concern to China since three Chinese vessels 
arrived at the site on the 10th. 
 
ZUMWALT