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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 08 TOKYO 001851 
 
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 08/14/09 
 
Index: 
 
1) Ambassador Roos arriving at Tokyo post next week: Charge? Zumwalt 
(Nikkei) 
 
Defense and security: 
2) U.S. government's strategic report, Nuclear Posture Review, 
stresses credibility of "nuclear umbrella" over Japan and other 
allies, centered on extended deterrence (Sankei) 
3) Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) to present at extraordinary Diet 
session new version of ship-search bill targeting North Korea that 
was scrapped in last session (Sankei) 
4) Okinawa residents stage protest rally five years after 
Futenma-based helicopter crash into university campus (Akahata) 
 
DPJ and Yasukuni: 
5) DPJ plans to set up panel of experts to make recommendations 
about the creation of a national war memorial (Sankei) 
6) Views of Yasukuni Shrine differ in the DPJ, which is proposing to 
create a secular war-dead memorial to replace the controversial 
shrine visits (Nikkei) 
7) South Korea welcomes DPJ President Hatoyama's plan for a national 
war-dead memorial (Nikkei) 
 
Election campaign: 
8) Prime Minister Aso, DPJ President Hatoyama debate on TV money and 
politics, secret nuclear pact (Yomiuri) 
9) Internet poll: 59% see policy debate is lacking in the current 
election campaign (Nikkei) 
 
10) Positive economic growth now likely after five quarters (Nikkei) 
 
 
Articles: 
 
1) New U.S. Ambassador Roos will arrive at his post as early as next 
week: Charg Zumwalt 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
August 14, 2009 
 
James Zumwalt, charg d'affaires ad interim at the U.S. Embassy in 
Tokyo, met some Japanese reporters yesterday at his official 
residence and told them that new U.S. Ambassador to Japan John Roos 
will arrive at his post as early as next week. Charg Zumwalt 
pointed out that building a stable U.S.-Japan relationship with the 
new Japanese government to be inaugurated after the upcoming House 
of Representatives election would be an immediate goal for the new 
ambassador and that he would further promote bilateral exchanges in 
such areas as environmental protection and energy conservation 
technology, the development of venture markets, and education. 
 
DEFENSE AND SECURITY 
 
2) U.S. Nuclear Posture Review stresses reliability of "nuclear 
umbrella," focuses on expanded deterrence 
 
SANKEI (Page 8) (Full) 
August 14, 2009 
 
Takashi Arimoto, Washington 
 
 
TOKYO 00001851  002 OF 008 
 
 
This newspaper learned on August 13 that the U.S. government is 
designating "expanded deterrence," including the "nuclear umbrella" 
for Japan and other allies, as the "core element" of its nuclear 
policy in its Nuclear Posture Review (NPR), a report which outlines 
U.S. nuclear strategy. It is believed that this is meant to 
emphasize the reliability of the "nuclear umbrella" with growing 
concerns in Japan about North Korea's possession of nuclear weapons. 
In the wake of President Barack Obama's speech in Prague in April, 
the U.S. is aiming at effective nuclear deterrence as it works for a 
reduction of the role of nuclear arms. 
 
The NPR is a blueprint of nuclear policy in the next five to ten 
years. It is being drafted by the Department of Defense and other 
offices and will be submitted to Congress before the end of the 
year. 
 
According to internal documents of the Defense Department obtained 
by Sankei Shimbun, "expanded deterrence" is defined as "fulfilling 
our treaty obligations (to our allies)," stressing that this will 
also prevent allies under the "nuclear umbrella" from developing 
nuclear arms, thus "contributing to the goal of nuclear 
non-proliferation." 
 
The report explains that President Obama's Prague speech is regarded 
as the "basis of the review," and that America will "continue to 
study how to make the long-term goal of a world without nuclear 
weapons compatible (with expanded deterrence)." The report stresses 
that while reducing the role of nuclear arms and cutting the 
stockpile of nuclear warheads, "safe, reliable, and effective 
nuclear deterrence will also be maintained." 
 
Comparing the new NPR with the two reviews conducted under the 
Clinton administration (1994) and Bush administration (2002), 
Elizabeth Turpen, senior researcher at the U.S. think tank Henry L. 
Stimson Center, points out that in the new NPR, "the U.S. government 
is listening to its allies carefully for the first time." She 
explains that this is due to doubts expressed on the reliability of 
the "nuclear umbrella." 
 
3) Changing tack, DPJ will now submit cargo inspection law targeting 
North Korea to extraordinary Diet session 
 
SANKEI (Page 3) (Excerpts) 
August 14, 2009 
 
The Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) decided on August 13 to 
re-submit the special measures law on cargo inspection on North 
Korea-related ships, which was scrapped at the previous Diet 
session, to the extraordinary Diet session this fall if it takes 
over the administration after the House of Representatives election. 
In order to enable the implementation of the law immediately after 
enactment, it has begun coordination with the government on an 
ordinance listing the items subject to cargo inspection. 
Coordination is underway for the bill to have provisions practically 
similar to the scrapped bill submitted by the government to the 
previous Diet, and the new bill is likely to pass with the support 
of the Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito. 
 
The DPJ had refused to deliberate the cargo inspection bill at the 
House of Councillors during the previous Diet session because it 
gave priority to political maneuvering over policies, submitting and 
passing a motion of censure on Prime Minister Taro Aso at the Upper 
 
TOKYO 00001851  003 OF 008 
 
 
House. This caused the bill to be scrapped. However, once it takes 
over the reins of government, it expects to be asked by the U.S. and 
other countries to participate in cargo inspections. Thus, the DPJ 
has judged that legislation is necessary as soon as possible. 
 
The DPJ has also included cargo inspection in its manifesto 
(campaign pledges) for the Lower House election. According to 
several senior party officials, the DPJ leadership has agreed on 
submitting the bill to the extraordinary Diet session. Discussions 
with government officials on the provisions of the bill and the 
ordinance are being held with President Yukio Hatoyama's approval. 
 
While there had been a suggestion in the DPJ to also amend the ship 
inspection operations law on ship inspections by the Self-Defense 
Forces, the enactment of the cargo inspection special measures law 
will be given priority for now, since a comprehensive review of the 
ship inspection law will take time, and this may delay Japan's 
participation in international cargo inspections. 
 
Okinawa International University holds protest meeting to mark fifth 
anniversary of helicopter crash, demands immediate return of Futenma 
base 
 
4) AKAHATA (Page 1) (Excerpts) 
August 14, 2009 
 
The Okinawa International University (president, Moritake Tomikawa) 
held a protest meeting on August 13 to mark the fifth anniversary of 
the crash of a U.S. military helicopter on the campus at the site of 
the crash in front of the university's administration building. This 
was the first official protest meeting organized by the university. 
Some 200 faculty and staff members and students attended the 
meeting. President Tomikawa read out a statement and professors and 
students made speeches to express their opinion. They demanded an 
immediate stop to flights by aircraft using the Futenma base and the 
closure of this base as soon as possible from the Japanese and U.S. 
governments. 
 
Tomikawa stated that it is "extremely regrettable" that U.S. 
military aircraft continue to fly over the university even after the 
accident, and the problem has not been resolved at all. He also 
said: "No matter how they justify these flights with theories of 
international politics and national security, such flights 
threatening the peace and quiet of the university, and even people's 
lives are unacceptable." 
 
An exhibit of photos and video footages of the "shocking and 
horrible sight" of the crash is being held at the university's 
library from August 13-15. A symposium on how to remove the danger 
posed by the Futenma base, organized by the city of Ginowan, will 
also be held on August 15. 
 
DPJ AND YASUKUNI 
 
5) DPJ to promote plan to build national war memorial 
 
SANKEI (Top Play) (Slightly abridged) 
August 14, 2009 
 
The Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) decided yesterday to promote a 
plan to build a national war memorial to replace Yasukuni Shrine if 
the party takes over the reins of government in the upcoming House 
 
TOKYO 00001851  004 OF 008 
 
 
of Representatives election. The party, after launching the 
administration, intends to set up an expert panel within the 
government and start preparations for the plan, based on 
recommendations by the panel. The Social Democratic Party (SDP), 
with which the DPJ is willing to form a coalition, also decided 
yesterday to formulate a construction plan. A number of Liberal 
Democratic Party (LDP) members remain negative about such a plan. 
The construction plan is likely to become a new campaign issue for 
the Lower House election. 
 
In a press conference at party headquarters yesterday, DPJ Secretary 
General Katsuya Okada said the party will pursue a plan to build a 
new facility, remarking: "A place to memorialize those who died for 
the sake of their country and the people is necessary." He further 
said that the party will determine what facility should be built, 
reflecting experts' views. 
 
In reference to the fact that he serves as president of the 
incorporated foundation that manages Chidorigafuchi National 
Cemetery, Okada also indicated his willingness to expand the 
cemetery, remarking: "I have half a mind to make use of 
Chidorigafuchi." 
 
The DPJ specified in its policy index released in July: "The party 
will work on building a new non-religious national memorial 
facility." But its manifesto (policy platform) for the Lower House 
election did not refer to this idea. On Aug. 12, however, President 
Yukio Hatoyama expressed his eagerness to create a new memorial 
facility, saying that if the party assumes power, "we would like to 
promote the plan of building a national memorial facility where 
everyone can pay homage without feeling uncomfortable." The 
statement by Okada yesterday pushed this plan a step forward. 
 
Meanwhile, SDP executives met yesterday and decided to formulate a 
construction plan for the memorial facility within four years. 
Deputy Secretary General Nobuto Hosaka in a press conference praised 
Hatoyama's statement. 
 
The plan to construct a memorial facility was included in a report 
of recommendations issued in 2002 by a private panel to then Chief 
Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda, based on the criticism of then Prime 
Minister Junichiro Koizumi's annual visits to Yasukuni Shrine. But 
LDP members were critical of this idea, citing such reasons as 
"wasteful spending of taxpayers' money" and "the idea is to 
undermine the status of Yasukuni Shrine." The government has put off 
appropriating research expenses for this plan. 
 
6) Argument calling for building national memorial for the war dead: 
Long-standing thorny issue; Difficulties expected before settlement 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
August 14, 2009 
 
With the anniversary of the end of the war close at hand on August 
15, what should be done about Yasukuni Shrine and the notion of 
creating a (secular) national memorial for the war dead are 
beginning to reemerge as a political issue. This is because 
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) President Yukio Hatoyama has said 
that he would consider creating a memorial for the war dead to 
replace Yasukuni Shrine, if his party takes the reins of government 
in the Lower House election on the 30th. The plan has appeared and 
then disappeared many times during past administrations, intertwined 
 
TOKYO 00001851  005 OF 008 
 
 
with Japan's diplomacy to Asia. Many difficulties are expected 
before the problem, including Yasukuni, is settled. 
 
Hatoyama underscores stance of attaching importance to Asia 
 
Referring to whether he will visit Yasukuni Shrine if he becomes 
prime minister, Hatoyama during a press conference on the 11th said: 
"I myself have no intention of visiting the shrine. I would also 
like ministers of my cabinet to refrain from visiting it." He 
stressed that he would honor the Murayama statement, issued by then 
Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama in 1995. Hatoyama's stance 
indicated an attaching of importance to Asia. 
 
Creating a national war memorial has been Hatoyama's pet argument. 
As to why he wants to see such built, he said on the 12th: "Class-A 
war criminals are enshrined at Yasukuni Shrine. The Emperor does not 
visit the shrine. I believe this is painful for him." 
 
However, what to do about Yasukuni Shrine and the establishment of a 
war-dead memorial are tough issues that past administrations tackled 
but failed to resolve. A senior official said, "This is not an issue 
that can be settled easily even with a change of administration." 
 
History of fortune of argument calling for building national 
memorial 
 
When Hiromu Nonaka was chief cabinet secretary during the Obuchi 
administration, he proposed turning Yasukuni Shrine into a special 
public corporation to dilute its religious connection. He also 
wanted to enshrine Class-a War criminals elsewhere. He tried to 
shape concrete measures, launching an informal council to discuss 
Yasukuni Shrine within the Liberal Democratic Party. However, the 
initiative was in effect put on the backburner when many party 
members and the Japan War-Bereaved Association opposing it. 
 
In 2002 during the Koizumi administration, then chief cabinet 
secretary Yasuo Fukuda's personal discussion council compiled a 
report noting the necessity of building a memorial for the war dead 
that will replace Yasukuni Shrine. Koizumi pledged to build such a 
memorial. However, as he himself visited the shrine, China and South 
Korea reacted negatively, hampering the discussion. When the Fukuda 
administration was launched in 2007, the plan appeared to make 
headway. However, meeting opposition from within the party, even the 
earmarking of a budget for a survey of such a facility was put on 
hold. 
 
Prime Minister Aso cautious 
 
A senior Cabinet Office official pointed out, "Since building such a 
memorial would cost an enormous amount of money, there is a problem 
about the priority order." Prime Minister Taro Aso is also cautious 
about the idea of building a memorial. 
 
In 2006, when he was a foreign minister, the prime minister released 
his private proposal for shifting the status of Yasukuni Shrine 
shifting to a non-religious public corporation from its current 
status as a religious organization. Since then, he is just 
continuing make statements, based on this private plan. 
 
Creating a secular memorial will not ensure the settlement of the 
Yasukuni issue. DPJ Secretary General Katsuya Okada during a press 
conference on the 13th said: "The nation should have a proper 
 
TOKYO 00001851  006 OF 008 
 
 
memorial (for the war dead). However, there may appear prime 
ministers in the future who want to visit Yasukuni Shrine. (The 
memorial) should be looked into separately from the Yasukuni 
issue." 
 
There exist differences in stances among DPJ members with some 
visiting Yasukuni Shrine on the anniversary of the end of the War. 
During the Koizumi administration, there was a case in which (South 
Korea) had high expectations of the prime minister. But the ROK felt 
greatly let down when Koizumi visited Yasukuni Shrine, and the 
bilateral relationship suffered for it. 
 
7) South Korea welcomes Japan building national memorial for war 
dead 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
August 14, 2009 
 
Shimao Ojima, Seoul 
 
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) President Hatoyama has announced his 
intention to look into building a new national memorial for the war 
dead if his party takes the reins of government. South Korea has 
taken this announcement favorably. Responding to a question asked by 
Nihon Keizai Shimbun, the ruling Grand National Party press 
secretary on August 13 welcomed the announcement, saying, "A 
settlement of one sensitive issue concerning Japan and South Korea 
will contribute to further deepening bilateral relations." The Maeli 
Business Newspaper on the 14th reported, "The announcement can be 
taken as a change in the direction of Japan's foreign policy to 
attaching importance to Asia." 
 
The Chinese government is taking a stance of closely watching how 
the discussion will develop, including to what extent the 
alternative facility can replace the role of Yasukuni Shrine, based 
on its position of opposing the Japanese prime minister visiting 
Yasukuni Shrine, where Class-A criminals are enshrined. Tsinghua 
University Professor Liu Jingyong said, "I cannot evaluate the 
statement, since I do not know its details." 
 
ELECTION CAMPAIGN 
 
8) Sparks fly between Aso and Hatoyama in TV debate program 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) 
August 14, 2009 
 
Prime Minister Taro Aso, president of the Liberal Democratic Party 
(LDP), Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) President Yukio Hatoyama, New 
Komeito leader Akihiro Ota, Japanese Communist Party (JCP) Chairman 
Kazuo Shii, Social Democratic Party (SDP) Chairperson Mizuho 
Fukushima, and People's New Party (PNP) leader Tamisuke Watanuki 
appeared on a TBS program yesterday evening. They held a debate 
prior to the forthcoming House of Representatives election. 
 
Referring to the allegations that the Japanese and U.S. governments 
signed a secret agreement that Japan would give a tacit approval to 
port calls by U.S. warships carrying nuclear weapons, Hatoyama said: 
"When we form a new government, we would like to conduct a thorough 
investigation and open the results to the public." He also expressed 
a positive view about setting up a joint consultative panel of the 
ruling and opposition parties to discuss pension-system reform. 
 
TOKYO 00001851  007 OF 008 
 
 
 
Aso criticized the issue of Hatoyama's fund-management 
organization's false reports on political funds, saying: "Just 
correcting the reports is not acceptable. You should hold your 
secretary accountable." Hatoyama responded: "I fired the secretary. 
I think I have fulfilled my responsibility but if that is 
insufficient, I will continue to do make efforts." Referring also to 
the DPJ's pledge to review the interpretation of the right of the 
use of collective self-defense, Aso stressed: 
 
"We should not forget the fact that North Korea is a neighboring 
country. Considering the case of warships of the United States, our 
ally, being attacked, it is important for Japan to create a 
situation under which the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) can defend those 
ships." 
 
9) Internet survey on Lower House election: 59% of surveyed say 
policy debate insufficient 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
August 14, 2009 
 
The Nihon Keizai Shimbun yesterday conducted its third Internet poll 
on the upcoming House of Representatives election. Of those who 
answered in the previous poll held on July 28-30 that they had not 
yet decided which party to cast their votes for, 10 percent of 
respondents this time said they would vote for the Democratic Party 
of Japan (DPJ), while seven percent said that they would vote for 
the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Of the respondents who said in 
the previous poll that they would vote for the LDP, five percent 
switched to the DPJ in the latest poll, while only one percent of 
the respondents who had said they would vote for the DPJ changed to 
the LDP. Although there is no change in the situation that the DPJ 
is leading over the LDP in the polls, the transfer of voters from 
the LDP to the DPJ has slowed down. 
 
Of the pollees who said in the previous poll that they had not 
decided on which candidate they would vote in the electoral district 
races, 16 percent of respondents in the latest poll said they would 
vote for the DPJ, while 7 percent said the LDP. Only one percent of 
the respondents who had said in the previous poll that they would 
vote for the LDP said in the third poll that they would vote for the 
DPJ, while two percent of the respondents who had said that they 
would vote for the DPJ answered that they would vote for the LDP. 
 
More than 90 percent said that they would definitely vote or plan to 
vote. Forty-nine percent, up two percentage points from the previous 
poll, said that they had decided on which candidate in the district 
races to vote. Only two percent thought that policy debate was 
sufficient, while 35 percent thought that policy debate was 
conducted to some extent, up nine percentage points from the 
previous poll. The percentage of respondents who said policy debate 
was insufficient decreased 10 percentage points to 59 percent. 
 
The survey was conducted over the Internet by Nikkei Research on 
1,095 male and female voters. The response rate was 34.5 percent in 
the first poll, 34.1 percent in the second one, and 31.3 percent in 
the third one. 
 
10) GDP in April-June quarter seen growing for first time in five 
quarters, but domestic demand remains weak 
 
 
TOKYO 00001851  008 OF 008 
 
 
NIKKEI (Page 3) (Full) 
August 14, 2009 
 
The nation's gross domestic product (GDP) in the April-July period 
is likely to grow for the first time in five quarters, according to 
estimates to be released by the Cabinet Office on Aug. 17. The 
economy is estimated to grow at an annualized rate of 3.4% in real 
terms from the previous quarter, according to the average estimate 
of 28 private-sector research institutions. Yet, there is concern 
that future growth could slow down again. 
 
QUICK Corp. conducted the survey as part of its macro-economic 
predictions. The government's stimulus measures and foreign demand 
drove up the growth rate. The institutions estimate increases of 
0.8% in consumer spending as environment-friendly appliances and 
other products, 9.8% in public investment, and 9.1% in exports, 
which reflected increased shipments to China. 
 
Domestic demand, however, is seen as down for the fifth straight 
quarter due to the continued tumble of residential investment and 
capital investment. The Japanese economy was buoyed up by the 
increased government spending in various countries, but it has yet 
to be back on a self-sustaining recovery track. Many observers 
anticipate economic growth may slow down again in the July-September 
quarter and beyond. 
 
Meantime, no end is in sight to the current loose monetary policy 
taken by the Bank of Japan (BOJ) to deal with the economic crisis. 
BOJ Governor Masaaki Shirakawa commented: "The central government 
will take policy maneuver while bearing a possible economic tumble 
in mind for the time being." Overnight index swaps (OIS) imply the 
BOJ's policy rate will be at the mid-0.1% level one year from now. 
This figure is virtually the same as the current level of 0.1%. 
 
In the U.S., as well, an official of the Federal Reserve Bank (FRB) 
said: "It is likely to be justified that the bank will keep its 
policy rate at an unprecedented low level for a long period." Europe 
is also likely to maintain the current policy rate for the time 
being. The economies of Japan, the U.S. and Europe are emerging from 
their worst period, but they are still saddled with serious problems 
such as unemployment, so it is difficult to imagine a return to a 
growth pattern. Bringing to an end those measures taken to cope with 
the economic crisis is not likely to be easy. 
 
ZUMWALT