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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 11 TOKYO 002135 
 
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 09/15/09 
 
Index: 
1) Top headlines 
2) Editorials 
3) Prime Minister's daily schedule (Nikkei) 
4) DPJ President Hatoyama's schedule, September 14  (Nikkei) 
 
Misawa Air Base 
5) U.S. floated idea of removing F-16s from Misawa Air Base  (Kahoku 
Shimbun) 
6) U.S.'s putting out feelers on F-16 redeployment shakes base 
community  (Too Nippo) 
 
Futenma Relocation 
7) Ginowan Mayor calls on DPJ, SDP, and PNP  (Mainichi) 
8) Ginowan Mayor asks JCP leader Shii for help in resolving Futenma 
issue  (Akahata) 
 
9) Politics 
10) Fujii tapped as Finance Minister; Maehara selected as Minister 
of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism  (Nikkei) 
11) DPJ parliamentary group grows to 312 members  (Nikkei) 
12) The curtain falls on Aso cabinet tomorrow  (Sankei) 
13) Kono also to run for LDP president  (Asahi) 
 
Japan-U.S. Relations 
14) White House examined possibility of Ford visit to Hiroshima in 
1974  (Asahi) 
15) U.S. Assistant Secretary of State to arrive in Japan on the 17th 
 (Asahi) 
16) Senior U.S. officials arrive in Japan in succession  (Yomiuri) 
 
 
Trade 
17) Okada and Australian Ambassador to Japan agree on EPA's 
importance  (Mainichi) 
 
Economy 
18) Keidanren requests DPJ adopt policies for greenhouse-gas 
reduction  (Yomiuri) 
 
Foreign Relations 
19) Japan and China to examine "East Asia Community"  (Yomiuri) 
 
Articles: 
 
1) TOP HEADLINES 
 
Asahi: 
White House studied possibility of visit to Hiroshima by President 
Ford during his 1974 trip to Japan 
 
Mainichi: 
Greed returning to Wall Street a year after Lehman collapse 
 
Yomiuri: 
Lineup of Hatoyama cabinet to be unofficially decided today 
 
Nikkei: 
Hatoyama likely to pick Fujii as finance minister, Maehara as 
transport minister 
 
Sankei: 
 
TOKYO 00002135  002 OF 011 
 
 
Toll-free system to be introduced first in Hokkaido, Kyushu next 
fiscal year 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
A year after Lehman shock: Huge salaries still being paid 
 
Akahata: 
Ichiro sets new record, achieving 200 hits for ninth straight 
season 
 
2) EDITORIALS 
 
Asahi: 
(1) Review of postal privatization: Present alternative plan first 
(2) 200 hits for ninth straight season: Ichiro sets new record 
 
Mainichi: 
(1) Burden was too heavy for Aso cabinet 
(2) Implement measures for elderly requiring care in urban 
districts 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1) Once year after Lehman collapse: Make use of lessons to revive 
financial system 
(2) Ichiro sets remarkable record 
 
Nikkei: 
(1) Highest value of gold to test dollar's credibility 
(2) Abolishment of vice ministers' press conferences displays lack 
of consideration 
 
Sankei: 
(1) More motivated LDP members should run in LDP presidential race, 
following Tanigaki 
(2) One year after Lehman collapse: Make efforts to avoid second 
bottoming-out 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1) Ichiro's outstanding achievement: Aim for 200 hits every season 
(2) JAL reconstruction: Make own efforts without depending solely on 
foreign capital 
 
Akahata: 
(1) Ichiro's amazing achievement is result of persistent efforts 
 
3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, September 14 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
September 15, 2009 
 
07:31 Took a walk around his private residence in Kamiyama-cho. 
10:00 Met Defense Parliament Secretary for Defense Takeda at the 
Kantei. 
11:45 Met Chief Cabinet Secretary Kawamura, followed by Vice Foreign 
Minister Yabunaka and Deputy Foreign Minister Sasae. 
13:07 Parliamentary Secretary for Education, Culture, Sports and S&T 
Hagiuda. 
14:00 Met DPJ President Hatoyama in the Diet building. Kawamura and 
DPJ executive office chief Hirano were present. Kawamura stayed 
behind. 
 
TOKYO 00002135  003 OF 011 
 
 
14:31 Arrived at the Kantei. 
15:08 Met foreign trainees at the Japan Patent Office. Then 
inspected the office. 
16:12 Arrived at the Kantei. 
18:54 Dined with his secretaries at a steak house in Nihonbashi. 
22:06 Arrived at his private residence. 
 
4) DPJ President Hatoyama's schedule, September 14 
 
09:00 Left home in Denenchofu with his wife Miyuki. 
09:33 Arrived at his private office in Nagata-cho. 
11:02 Met Korean actor Lee Seojin. His wife was present. 
11:34 Met party executive office chief Hirano at the party 
headquarters. 
12:06 Dined with his wife at a Chinese restaurant in the Sanno Park 
Tower in Nagata-cho. 
13:03 Met Policy Research Council Chairman Naoshima at the party 
headquarters. 
14:00 Met Prime Minister Aso in the Diet building. Chief Cabinet 
Secretary Kawamura and Hirano were present. 
14:48 Met Lower House member Motohisa Furukawa at the party 
headquarters. Lower House member Yorihisa Matsuno was present. 
15:28 Met Furukawa, Matsuno, and Hirano. Hirano stayed behind. 
Deputy President Kan joined. 
16:06 Met Deputy Foreign Minister Otabe and Vice Finance Minister 
for International Financial Affairs Tamaki. Furukawa was present. 
17:19 Met Upper House member Kohei Otsuka and Furukawa. 
18:22 Met Deputy President Ozawa. 
18:56 Met U.S. Ambassador to Japan Roos at the U.S. Embassy in 
Akasaka. His wife was present. 
21:45 Arrived home. 
 
5) U.S. sounded out Japan this April on F-16 pullout from Misawa 
base; Tokyo frowned, withholding reply 
 
KAHOKU SHIMPO (Online) (Abridged) 
September 12, 2009 
 
The U.S. government sounded out the Japanese government early this 
April on a plan to withdraw all of about 40 F-16 fighter jets 
currently deployed to the U.S. Misawa Air Base in Misawa City, 
Aomori Prefecture, beginning as early as this year, sources on 
Japan-U.S. relations revealed yesterday. At the same time, the U.S. 
government also proposed reducing the current deployment of F-15 
fighter jets to the U.S. Kadena Air Base, which straddles Kadena 
Town and some other municipalities in Japan's southernmost island 
prefecture of Okinawa and which currently deploys more than 50 
F-15s, according to the sources. 
 
The move reflects the Obama administration's review of the United 
States' defense strategy since coming into office. The Japanese 
government, concerned about the impact on the North Korean situation 
and the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan, is opposed to the 
proposed plans and withholding an answer, the sources said. Japan 
and the United States have reached an intergovernmental agreement on 
a plan to realign U.S. forces in Japan, based on the current 
deployment of U.S. forces in Japan. With the Democratic Party of 
Japan soon to launch a new government under DPJ President Hatoyama, 
the Japanese and U.S. governments could enter into consultations 
over this issue and again focus on such matters as the proposal to 
move the heliport functions of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air 
Station in Ginowan City, Okinawa Prefecture, to the Kadena base. 
 
TOKYO 00002135  004 OF 011 
 
 
 
A Japanese government official predicts that in case the 
Misawa-based F-16s are withdrawn, F-35 fighter jets could be 
deployed instead in rotation from a U.S. base on Guam. The F-35 is a 
next-generation fighter jet model. 
 
The F-35, however, has yet to be mass-produced. Its deployment is 
still more than five years away. The Misawa base may therefore have 
no fighter planes deployed on a standing basis. 
 
On April 6 this year, U.S. Secretary of Defense Gates held a press 
conference at the Department of Defense regarding a plan to review 
the defense budget for fiscal 2010 (Oct. 2009 through Sept. 2010). 
In his press remarks there, Gates clarified his decision to forgo 
placing additional orders for the F-22 Raptor, a state-of-the-art 
stealth fighter that the Air Self-Defense Force had regarded as a 
likely candidate in the process of screening and selecting its 
follow-on mainstay fighter jet model. On that occasion, the Pentagon 
chief revealed a plan to retire 250 outdated fighter planes, 
including F-16s, in FY2010. In addition, he also revealed a plan to 
expedite the procurement of F-35s, produce 513 F-35s in five years, 
and buy a total of 2,443 F-35s in the end. 
 
Washington came up with the plans through diplomatic channels around 
that press conference to withdraw the Misawa-based F-16s and reduce 
the Kadena-based F-15s, according to sources on Japan-U.S. 
relations. The plans were conveyed to the Defense Ministry through 
the Foreign Ministry. However, Tokyo sealed the plans as extremely 
confidential information, giving thought to such factors as the 
potential impact on the bilateral alliance. The Japanese government 
has not formally owned up to its having been sounded out on the 
plans. 
 
6) F-16 pullout plan an earth-shattering event for base town 
 
TOO NIPPO Online (Excerpts) 
September 12, 2009 
 
Reports that the U.S. government has sounded out Japan on a plan to 
pull out F-16 fighters from Misawa Air Base have shaken the local 
community. The news has also sparked concerns that the fighter 
withdrawal will deal a serious blow to the local economy. 
 
A Misawa city official did not conceal his surprise at the U.S. 
government's plan to withdraw the F-16s, describing it as an 
"astounding event." In 1970 an air unit was relocated from the 
Misawa base to South Korea and the continental United States as part 
of a plan to reduce U.S. forces in Japan. Consequently, over 1,000 
base workers lost their jobs. 
 
"That event caused the collapse of about half of Misawa City." The 
city official is concerned about the reoccurrence of that 
"incident." 
 
"It's a bolt from the blue," said a 49-year-old Japanese base 
employee. "There has been a rumor that the aging F-16s will be 
replaced with a new model. (The U.S. military announced the other 
day) a plan encouraging U.S. service members and their families to 
live on base. Was it a move in anticipation of the F-16 pullout? If 
the F-16s are actually pulled out, it will deal a serious blow to us 
base workers and to the city itself." 
 
 
TOKYO 00002135  005 OF 011 
 
 
A Misawa real estate agent managing apartments and houses for many 
U.S. service members commented: "If the aircraft are pulled out 
rather than replaced with new ones, we will be in trouble. Over 
1,000 service members might be pulled out along with the fighters. I 
want more information." The owner of a restaurant whose patrons are 
70 PERCENT  Americans said, "I don't know how many people will leave 
the city, but a withdrawal is certain to deal a big blow to us. We 
are already suffering from a strong yen." 
 
There is an observation that the F-16 pullout plan is designed to 
apply pressure to the incoming administration led by the Democratic 
Party of Japan (DPJ). A senior commerce and industry association 
official wondered why information on the pullout was disclosed just 
as the new administration is about to be launched. A senior official 
of a civic organization active in exchanges with Americans took this 
view: "Information was probably leaked intentionally to intimidate 
the DPJ. It's just like the United States to take such an approach." 
 
 
7) Misawa, prefectural governments have not received any information 
on F-16 pullout 
 
TOO NIPPO Online (Excerpts) 
September 12, 2009 
 
The U.S. government sounded out Japan on a plan to withdraw the F-16 
fighters from the U.S. Misawa base. To the Misawa municipal 
government and the Aomori prefectural government, this move was a 
bolt from the blue. In an interview on Sept. 11, Misawa Mayor 
Kazumasa Taneichi stated: "We have not received any information. I 
cannot say anything about (a possible impact on the local region) 
based on a hypothetical situation. I want to confirm the matter with 
the central government early next week." City assembly base affairs 
special subcommittee chairman Masahiko Kohiruimaki said 
emphatically, "The local region has been left behind in talks 
between the two states. We wanted them to show some consideration, 
such as providing advance information." 
 
An official with the prefectural government anti-disaster and 
firefighting division also indicated with a surprised look on his 
face that the prefectural government had not received any 
information from the central government. Vice-Governor Takeshi Ebina 
said, "We haven't received any information, so I cannot comment on 
our response at this point." 
 
8) Ginowan mayor pays visit to DPJ, SDP, PNP regarding Futenma 
relocation 
 
MAINICHI (Page 5) (Full) 
September 15, 2009 
 
Okinawa Prefecture's Ginowan Mayor Yoichi Iha yesterday visited the 
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), Social Democratic Party (SDP), and 
People's New Party (PNP) to file a petition with the three parties 
in connection with reviewing the planned relocation of the U.S. 
Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station in his city. In yesterday's 
meetings with the three parties' leaders, Iha filed a petition for 
relocating Futenma airfield outside Japan or the prefecture. 
According to Iha, DPJ Policy Research Committee Chairman Masayuki 
Naoshima said, "We want to tackle this issue while building a 
relationship of mutual trust with the U.S. Obama administration." 
Iha also quoted SDP President Mizuho Fukushima as saying her party 
 
TOKYO 00002135  006 OF 011 
 
 
would exert its utmost effort to resolve the Futenma issue. The 
PNP's leaders were all absent and a staff official met with the 
mayor. 
 
9) Ginowan mayor asks Shii to resolve Futenma issue swiftly 
 
AKAHATA (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
September 15, 2009 
 
Japanese Communist Party (JCP) Chairman Kazuo Shii held talks with 
Ginowan Mayor Yoichi Iha at party headquarters yesterday. In the 
session, the mayor asked for the JCP's cooperation for the early 
closure and return of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station, 
which occupies the city's central part, and for making (U.S. forces) 
abide by the safety and environmental criteria comparable to those 
in the continental United States. 
 
In response, Chairman Shii promised the party's cooperation, saying, 
"It is important that in party-head debates during the campaigning 
(for the Aug. 30 general election), Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) 
President Yukio Hatoyama declared that (a DPJ administration) will 
move Futenma Air Station out of the prefecture. It is a public 
pledge, so we will press the party to deliver on its promise." 
 
At the same time, Chairman Shii indicated that if Hatoyama is to 
carry out what he promised, the 1996 SACO (Special Action Committee 
on Okinawa) agreement must be reviewed. "We will urge (the DPJ) to 
hold talks to fundamentally review the Japan-U.S. agreement and 
return it to square one" Shii said. 
 
He also underlined the need to immediately correct the U.S. forces' 
failure to abide by the U.S.-level safety criteria at Futenma Air 
Station, indicating that it is the incoming administration's 
responsibility to eliminate the danger to the base by shutting it 
down. 
 
Iha said: "I am counting on such a position of the DPJ. I also want 
to see the parties joining the new administration to resume talks on 
a review of the intergovernmental agreement. I definitely want to 
see the DPJ give a boost to such an effort." 
 
Shii stated: "The Obama administration has shown positive changes 
regarding the nuclear weapons issue and other matters. Meanwhile, 
there has been no change in Japan-U.S. relations because the LDP-New 
Komeito administration said absolutely nothing. It is important to 
make efforts to convey the voices of the peoples of Japan and 
Okinawa to the other side. We are going to urge the new 
administration to do just that." 
 
10) Hatoyama likely to pick Fujii as finance minister, Maehara as 
transport minister, Fukushima as state minister for consumer affairs 
or state minister for declining birthrate, Kamei as defense 
minister 
 
NIKKEI (Top play) (Excerpts) 
September 15, 2009 
 
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) President Yukio Hatoyama met 
yesterday evening with DPJ Deputy President Ichiro Ozawa to discuss 
the appointment of new cabinet and DPJ executive members. At the 
meeting, Hatoyama decided to appoint Hirohisa Fujii, a supreme 
advisor to the DPJ, as finance minister. He is also likely to pick 
 
TOKYO 00002135  007 OF 011 
 
 
Vice President Seiji Maehara for the post of land, infrastructure, 
and transport minister. Hatoyama intends to assign the post of state 
minister for consumer affairs or state minister for declining 
birthrate to Mizuho Fukushima, chairperson of the Social Democratic 
Party (SDP), with which the DPJ will form a coalition government. He 
also plans to assign the post of defense minister to Shizuka Kamei, 
leader of the People's New Party (PNP), the other coalition 
partner. 
 
Hatoyama has so far informally appointed Hirofumi Hirano, head of 
the DPJ's executive office, as chief cabinet secretary, Deputy 
President Naoto Kan as deputy prime minister and national strategy 
minister, and Secretary General Katsuya Okada as foreign minister. 
It has also been decided that Policy Research Committee Chairman 
Masayuki Naoshima will join the new cabinet. The planned National 
Strategy Bureau, which will be under the direct control of the new 
prime minister, is responsible for drafting state budgets and the 
nation's basic policies. In order to centralize decision-making 
processes, Kan will concurrently serve as LDP policy chief. 
 
11) DPJ parliamentary group actually to have 312 members in Lower 
House 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
September 15, 2009 
 
It was decided yesterday that New Party Nippon leader Yasuo Tanaka 
(elected in the Hyogo No. 8 district), Hiroshi Kawaguchi (Akita No. 
2 district), an independent, and Hidesaburo Kawamura (Miyazaki No. 1 
district), an independent, will join the Democratic Party of Japan 
(DPJ) parliamentary group in the House of Representatives. The three 
won their seats in the Sept. 30 Lower House general election. 
 
The DPJ won 308 seats in last month's general election. Since New 
Party Daichi leader Muneo Suzuki (proportional representation 
Hokkaido bloc) has already decided to join the group, the DPJ 
parliamentary group will count 312 members. However, if Takahiro 
Yokomichi is elected as speaker of the Lower House at a special Diet 
session to be convened on Sept. 16, he will leave the parliamentary 
group in accordance with convention. As a result, the DPJ 
parliamentary group will have 311 Lower House members. 
 
12) Aso cabinet to come to an end tomorrow 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (Abridged) 
September 15, 2009 
 
The Aso cabinet will resign en masse on Sept. 16 after 358 days in 
office, to be replaced by the next administration. Prime Minister 
Taro Aso in September last year was elected last September as 
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) president as the "face of the 
election." However, approval ratings for his cabinet plunged after 
he put off Lower House dissolution due to the global economic 
crisis. Moves to oust him have continued in the party due in part to 
his inappropriate comments. The state of mind of the prime minister, 
who has brought the 50-year-old LDP administration to an end, may be 
like Tokugawa Yoshinobu, the 15th shogun, who surrendered without 
firing a shot at the Satsuma-Choshu allied forces. 
 
13) Taro Kono intends to run in LDP presidential race 
 
ASAHI (Page 1) (Full) 
 
TOKYO 00002135  008 OF 011 
 
 
September 15, 2009 
 
House of Representatives member Taro Kono, 46, of the Liberal 
Democratic Party (LDP) met with junior and mid-level LDP members 
yesterday evening in Tokyo. At the meeting, he made up his mind to 
run in the Sept. 28 LDP presidential election, for which the 
official campaign will kick off on Sept. 18. Kono is now serving in 
his fifth term in the Diet, representing the Kanagawa No. 15 
district. Former Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki, 64, who 
declared his candidacy on Sept. 13, is supported by veteran 
lawmakers. Therefore, the situation in the LDP is now beginning to 
take on aspects of generational confrontation. 
 
"I intend to run for the presidency," said Kono. "Taking the lead in 
reforming the party, I wish to promote a generational change. I 
think I am the most suitable person to do so. If 20 recommendations 
(the number of supporters required for LDP members to run in 
presidential elections) are collected, I will formally announce my 
candidacy." 
 
House of Councillors member Hiroshige Seko said, "He needs two more 
recommendations." Kono is the oldest son of former Lower House 
Speaker Yohei Kono. He belongs to the Aso faction of the LDP. 
 
14) White House studied possibility of visit to Hiroshima by former 
President Ford during his trip to Japan in 1974 
 
ASAHI (Top Play) (Excerpts) 
September 15, 2009 
 
(Toshihiro Okuyama) 
 
The White House studied the possibility of former U.S. President 
Gerald Ford (Republican) visiting Hiroshima as the first U.S. 
president to do so when he visited Japan in 1974, according to an 
internal document from the Ford administration. A presidential aid 
made the proposal in an attempt to demonstrate reconciliation 
between Japan and the U.S. and to advocate arms reduction to the 
world. The White House seriously studied the possibility for two 
weeks, but decided against the plan in the end out of concern that 
the envisioned visit could cause a negative reaction in Japan. 
 
Barriers to a Hiroshima visit by Obama 
 
(Hirotsugu Mochizuki, Washington) 
 
Now that expectations are growing for arms reduction following the 
inauguration of U.S. President Obama, who has been calling for a 
world free of nuclear weapons, the proposal made 35 years ago is 
becoming more significant. But there are a number of hurdles to 
clear before the plan can be translated into concrete action. 
 
Dennis Wilder, who served as National Security Council (NSC) Asian 
director under the previous Bush administration, commented on a 
visit to Hiroshima by Obama: "Now is the proper time to seriously 
consider the possibility. If American citizens see the President 
mourning for those who died in the atomic bombing, they will take it 
as the President showing respect for the Japanese people." 
 
Wilder said that the White House never considered the possibility of 
a presidential visit to Hiroshima during his service. 
 
 
TOKYO 00002135  009 OF 011 
 
 
Meanwhile, many Japanese support Obama's vision of a world without 
nuclear weapons. There are even moves in Japan to invite the 
President to Hiroshima. 
 
The key lies in the trend of public opinion in the U.S. Some 
Americans see the atomic bombings as appropriate, as seen from this 
comment by a person who once served as Defense Department secretary: 
"The atomic bombing saved the lives of several million people in 
Japan and Asia." Conservatives criticize as weak-kneed Obama's 
stance of admitting "the U.S.'s past mistakes" over the Iraq war and 
other actions. If the propriety of a visit to Pearl Harbor by a 
Japanese ranking official is brought up in exchange for a 
presidential visit to Hiroshima, it might develop into a delicate 
political issue. 
 
15) Campbell to visit Japan on Sept. 17 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
September 15, 2009 
 
Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, who is responsible for 
Japan policy, is expected to visit Japan on Sept. 17-19 and meet 
with the new prime minister, Yukio Hatoyama, the new foreign 
minister, Katsuya Okada, and other new government officials, 
according to a senior Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) member. The 
U.S. hopes to confirm the close Japan-U.S. relationship before the 
first meeting between Hatoyama and U.S. President Barack Obama 
planned for next week. 
 
In the U.S. there is concern about the DPJ's promise to propose 
revising the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement and to make 
efforts to revise the U.S. force realignment plan. Some in the U.S. 
were perplexed by an article written by Hatoyama, which they took as 
criticism of the U.S. 
 
Campbell is one of the Obama administration officials most 
knowledgeable about Japan. 
 
16) Senior U.S. officials to visit Japan in succession for policy 
talks with incoming Hatoyama administration 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) 
Evening, September 14, 2009 
 
(Satoshi Ogawa, Washington) 
 
The U.S. government plans to send senior officials mainly in the 
State Department and the Defense Department to Japan to exchange 
views with officials in the new Hatoyama administration. 
 
Final coordination is underway for a visit to Japan by Deputy 
Secretary of State James Steinberg in late September. This is part 
of his round of visits in Asia, but the main purpose of the visit is 
to start full-scale talks with new Japanese government officials. In 
addition to administrative talks with Vice Foreign Minister Mitoji 
Yabunaka and others, Steinberg is scheduled to meet the foreign 
minister and other cabinet members in the new administration. 
National Security Council Asian Affairs Director Jeffery Bader is 
expected to accompany Steinberg on his Asia visit. 
 
The U.S. government expects that Japanese and U.S. government 
officials will fully exchange views. A U.S. diplomatic source said, 
 
TOKYO 00002135  010 OF 011 
 
 
"We are worried that the Democratic Party of Japan in its policy 
agreement on forming a coalition government referred to plans 
calling for a review of the realignment of U.S. forces and for 
revision of the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement." 
 
During this week, Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell will 
visit Japan. In the following week, President Barack Obama and 
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will meet Democratic Party of 
Japan (DPJ) President Yukio Hatoyama and Secretary General Katsuya 
Okada (who has been tapped as foreign minister), both of whom will 
be visiting the U.S. to attend the UN General Assembly and other 
meetings. 
 
Furthermore, arrangements are now being made for Special 
Representatives for North Korea Policy Stephen Bosworth to visit 
Japan in early October. Around Oct. 20, Secretary of Defense Robert 
Gates is slated to visit Japan to discuss the U.S. military 
realignment plan, the SOFA, and Japan's host-nation support. 
 
17) DPJ Okada agrees with Australian ambassador on importance of 
EPA 
 
MAINICHI (Page 5) (Full) 
September 15, 2009 
 
Secretary General Katsuya Okada of the Democratic Party of Japan 
(DPJ), who has been informally named as the next foreign minister, 
met with Australian Ambassador to Japan McLean on Sept. 14 at the 
party headquarters. They agreed on the importance of a 
Japan-Australian economic partnership agreement (EPA) and vowed to 
continue talks on the matter. 
 
18) Nippon Keidanren seeks cautious stance from DPJ in setting goal 
for greenhouse gas emissions reduction 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) 
September 15, 2009 
 
The Japan Business Federation (Nihon Keidanren) on Sept. 14 
finalized a list of 10 requests to be submitted to the incoming 
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ)-led administration. Concerning a 
goal for greenhouse gas emissions reduction, the report calls on DPJ 
President Hatoyama, who has announced a plan to cut emissions by 25 
percent in comparison with the 1990 level, to take a cautious 
stance, noting that a mid-term goal should be set based on national 
discussions on the propriety of the burden shouldered by the people 
and the feasibility of the goal. 
 
Nippon Keidanren Chairman Fujio Mitarai at a press conference on the 
14th pointed out, "The government should obtain understanding from 
the people by presenting specific methods for cutting greenhouse gas 
emissions based on scientific studies." He also expressed the view 
that the participation of major emitters, such as the U.S., India, 
and China, in the protocol should be the premise for Japan to set an 
emissions reduction goal. The list of requests also includes a call 
for strengthening the employment safety net. 
 
19) Japan, China likely to agree to look into East Asia community 
initiative 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
September 15, 2009 
 
TOKYO 00002135  011 OF 011 
 
 
 
Japan and China are expected to agree to cooperate in looking into 
an East Asia community initiative at a bilateral summit between 
Japan's new Prime Minister Hatoyama and Chinese President Hu Jintao 
to be held in New York later this month. This was revealed by a 
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) official on Sept. 14. The East Asia 
community initiative is included in the DPJ's manifesto for the 
Lower House election. There is a possibility that the U.S. will 
express concern about the creation of such a framework under the 
leadership of Japan and China. 
 
Coordination is now underway to hold the summit, the first meeting 
between the two leaders, around Sept. 23 on the sidelines of the UN 
General Assembly. Hatoyama will ask Hu to cooperate on the 
initiative. According to a source connected with Japan-China 
relations, the Chinese side has indicated its understanding of the 
initiative and Hu is expected to display a positive stance. 
 
ROOS