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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 09 TOKYO 002421 
 
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 10/21/09 
 
INDEX: 
 
1) Top headlines 
2) Editorials 
3) Prime Minister's daily schedule (Nikkei) 
 
U.S.-Japan relations 
4) Gist of Okada-Gates talks  (Mainichi) 
5) Policy Board Chairperson Koike participates in workshop sponsored 
by U.S.-Embassy  (Akahata) 
6) House of Councillors President Eda conveys to Ambassador Roos 
people's hopes for presidential visit to atomic-bombed cities 
(Akahata) 
7) Kanagawa and Okinawa governors to visit U.S.  (Nikkei) 
 
Futenma saga: 
8) Gates: Failure to come to quick resolution of Futenma issue could 
delay realignment of U.S. forces in Japan  (Nikkei) 
9) Gates asks Okada to keep to original plan for Futenma facility 
relocation  (Asahi) 
10) Shrinking options for Futenma resolution  (Nikkei) 
11) Ginowan Mayor Iha criticizes Futenma relocation plan  (Akahata) 
 
 
Afghanistan: 
12) SDP makes proposal for Afghan assistance  (Nikkei) 
 
Politics: 
13) Ruling and opposition parties agree to convene special Diet 
session on Oct. 26  (Nikkei) 
14) Prime Minister to explain "fraternal society" in first policy 
speech before Diet on Oct. 26  (Asahi) 
15) LDP and Japan Renaissance Party agree to form parliamentary 
coalition party  (Asahi) 
16) Four Upper House lawmakers ask to join DPJ  (Asahi) 
17) Japan Post President Nishikawa announces resignation  (Nikkei) 
 
Economy: 
18) Govt. mulling injection of public funds to keep JAL afloat 
(Nikkei) 
 
Articles: 
 
1) TOP HEADLINES 
 
Asahi, Mainichi, Yomiuri, Nikkei & Sankei 
Japan Post President Nishikawa expresses intention to resign 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
Toyota to voluntarily repair seven models 
 
Akahata: 
Japan's poverty rate in 2006 stands at 15.7 PERCENT , worst level 
among industrialized countries 
 
2) EDITORIALS 
 
Asahi: 
(1) Don't forget about main purpose of postal privatization 
(2) Road to nuclear abolition: Implement measures earlier than 
proposed in report drafted at meeting of the minds 
 
 
TOKYO 00002421  002 OF 009 
 
 
Mainichi: 
(1) Starting from scratch on review of postal business is 
undesirable 
(2) Revival of welfare supplement for single-mother families: 
Fine-tuned aid needed 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1) Don't reverse postal privatization policy 
(2) Misuse of subsidies by social welfare company: Expose actual 
state of sloppy subsidy administration 
 
Nikkei: 
(1) Is government trying to pull plug on postal reform? 
(2) Where is control tower for economic and fiscal management? 
 
Sankei: 
(1) Reversal of postal privatization regrettable 
(2) Foreign minister urged to be rational by enacting early cargo 
inspection bill promptly 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1) Postal services should be reviewed from viewpoint of users' 
convenience 
(2) Nuclear disarmament international committee: Retreated efforts 
for greenhouse reductions regrettable 
 
Akahata: 
(1) Government's tax commission: Bring back democratic principle for 
tax system 
 
3) Prime Minister's schedule, October 20 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
October 21, 2009 
 
08:55 Japan Security Council meeting at the Prime Minister's 
Official Residence (Kantei) 
09:18 Cabinet meeting 
10:17 Met Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) Masayuki 
Naoshima and International Trade Policy Bureau Director General 
Hideichi Okada. 
11:20  Greeted the Empress on her birthday with wife Miyuki at the 
Imperial Palace. 
12:18 Arrived at the Kantei. 
12:57 Visited Kawasaki plant of Nihon Rikagaku Industry, a chalk 
manufacturer, in Kawasaki City. 
13:44 Campaign speech for Kawasaki mayoral election in front of 
Mizonokuchi Station 
14:46 Left JR Shin-Yokohama Station on Kodama 663 train. 
16:28 Campaign speech for Shizuoka House of Councillors by-election 
in front of JR Hamamatsu Station 
17:10 Left JR Hamamatsu Station on Hikari 478 train. 
18:21 Arrived at JR Shin-Yokohama Station. 
18:53 Campaign speech for Kanagawa Upper House by-election in front 
of JR Yokohama Station 
19:57 Dinner with secretaries and others at Akasaka Shisen Hanten 
Chinese restaurant in Hirakawa-cho 
22:42 Arrived at his private residence. 
 
4) Gist of meeting between Foreign Minister Okada, U.S. Secretary of 
Defense Gates 
 
 
TOKYO 00002421  003 OF 009 
 
 
MAINICHI (Page 5) (Full) 
October 21, 2009 
 
The following is the gist of the meeting between Foreign Minister 
Katsuya Okada and U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates at the 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Oct. 20. 
 
Japan-U.S. relations 
 
Okada: The Hatoyama administration fully understands the importance 
of the Japan-U.S. alliance. 
 
Gates: The Japan-U.S. alliance is the cornerstone of U.S. security 
policy in Asia. 
 
U.S. Forces Japan (USFJ) realignment 
 
Gates: The current plan for the relocation of the USFJ's Futenma Air 
Station is the result of a long process of deliberations between 
Japan and the U.S. and is the only feasible plan. We hope for a 
decision in line with the Japan-U.S. agreement as soon as possible. 
 
Okada: We are currently examining the process that led to the 
current plan. We are aware of the Japan-U.S. agreement. On the other 
hand, the political situation in Japan has changed. We ask for your 
understanding of the difficult political situation. 
 
Afghan aid 
 
Gates: It is for Japan to decide what form of aid it will provide to 
Afghanistan and Pakistan. 
 
Okada: We are drawing up aid plans that will take full advantage 
Japan's fortes but we have not yet reached the stage of submitting 
bills on logistics support to the extraordinary Diet session. 
 
Nuclear issue 
 
Okada: The investigation into the secret nuclear agreement is 
Japan's internal affair. The government is studying the question of 
no-first-use of nuclear weapons. 
 
Gates: The two countries share the common goal of achieving a 
nuclear-free world, but the flexibility of deterrence is also 
necessary. 
 
(A meeting by Okada, Gates, and two other officials was held after 
this, but the exchanges have not been made public.) 
 
5) Policy Committee Chairman Koike attends workshop hosted by 
American Embassy 
 
AKAHATA SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Full) 
October 21, 2009 
 
Japanese Communist Party Policy Commission Chair Akira Koike 
attended a (Diet member) workshop at the invitation of the Tokyo 
American Center of the U.S. Embassy in Japan. The theme of the 
meeting was "Cancer clinical trials: The importance of International 
Cooperation and Government Support." Participants also included 
lawmakers of the Democratic Party of Japan. 
 
 
TOKYO 00002421  004 OF 009 
 
 
After exchanging greetings with Ambassador John Roos at the 
workshop, Koike had a friendly talk with him. 
 
Participants discussed the desired nature of cancer treatments in 
Japan and the U.S., following a speech given by Dr. Edward L. 
Trimble of the National Cancer Institute of the U.S. 
 
6) Eda calls for Obama's visit to A-bombed cities 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
October 21, 2009 
 
House of Councillors President Satsuki Eda held talks with U.S. 
Ambassador to Japan John Roos in the Diet building on Oct. 20. 
According to the Upper House Secretariat, Eda said, "Japanese people 
and the Japanese government have strong hopes for (the President) to 
visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki," in connection with President Barack 
Obama's visit to Japan in November. Ambassador Roos was quoted as 
responding, "That is a matter for the President to decide." 
 
7) Kanagawa, Okinawa governors to visit U.S. for SOFA revision 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
October 21, 2009 
 
A liaison consultative body of governors of 14 prefectures, 
including Tokyo and Hokkaido, hosting U.S. bases announced yesterday 
that Kanagawa Gov. Shigefumi Matsuzawa and Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu 
Nakaima will visit the United States Nov. 4-6. Matsuzawa and Nakaima 
will meet high-ranking American government officials to request the 
Japanese and U.S. governments consult on such issues as reviewing 
the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement. 
 
8) Washington concerned about delay in realignment of U.S. forces in 
Japan 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
October 21, 2009 
 
Itaru Oishi, Washington 
 
In talks on Oct. 20, U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates called 
for an early settlement to the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' 
Futenma Air Station and other issues. This reflects Washington's 
growing concern that if this situation persists, implementation of 
the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan might be delayed. The United 
States launched the global transformation of U.S. forces in 2001 
with the aim of building a system capable of rapidly dealing with 
terrorism by operating the U.S. military in combination with the 
forces of its allies. The realignment of U.S. forces in Japan is in 
line with such a plan. The planned relocation of Marine Corps from 
Okinawa to Guam is part of the U.S.'s Asia strategy with the rise of 
China in mind. 
 
Washington fears that if the Futenma relocation issue, for which the 
likelihood of resolution is uncertain, takes a toll on the planned 
relocation of U.S. Marines to Guam, it could upset the entire U.S. 
global strategy. The U.S. latitude in the Futenma relocation issue 
is limited. 
 
Ahead of Gates's Japan visit, a high-ranking U.S. Defense Department 
official made a statement accepting "minor modifications" to the 
 
TOKYO 00002421  005 OF 009 
 
 
Futenma relocation site apparently in a bid to settle the issue as 
soon as possible. If the outcome falls short of expectations, it 
might result in disappointment with the Hatoyama administration. 
 
9) Gates urges Okada to implement existing Futenma relocation plan 
 
ASAHI (Page 1) (Full) 
October 21, 2009 
 
Akira Uchida 
 
U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates arrived in Japan on Oct. 20 
and held talks with Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada at the Foreign 
Ministry. Gates called for the implementation of the Japan-U.S. 
agreement to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station to 
the Henoko district in the city of Nago in Okinawa Prefecture, 
saying: "It is the only feasible plan. It is necessary to steadily 
implement U.S. force realignment." Okada said: "We want to reach a 
conclusion at the earliest possible time, but I hope you will 
understand the difficult political situation," avoiding a clear-cut 
answer. 
 
Gates is the first cabinet minister of the Obama administration to 
visit Japan since the Hatoyama administration was launched. Gates is 
scheduled to hold talks with Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and 
Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa today. 
 
"The United States spent a long time looking at various options, and 
the present plan is the result of those discussions," Gates said 
regarding the Futenma relocation issue. "We would like to see (the 
Japanese government) reach a conclusion as soon as possible." 
 
Regarding Afghanistan assistance, Gates expressed his appreciation 
for the Maritime Self-Defense Force's refueling mission in the 
Indian Ocean, which will expire next January, saying, "It was of 
great significance." He also indicated that Japan's new aid 
measures, which the Hatoyama administration is looking into, are a 
matter for Tokyo to decide, while expressing hopes for powerful 
support. Okada told Gates that the government would not be able to 
submit a bill to extend the refueling mission to the next 
extraordinary Diet session. 
 
10) PM Hatoyama's options on Futenma relocation narrowed down by 
meeting between FM Okada, Defense Secretary Gates 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
October 21, 2009 
 
The meeting between Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada and U.S. 
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates on Oct. 20 illustrated the gap 
between Japan and the United States on the pending issue of the 
relocation of the U.S. forces' Futenma base (in Ginowan City, 
Okinawa). With the U.S. side's position of seeking an early solution 
becoming clear, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama is now facing a 
difficult decision amid the persistent calls for Futenma's 
relocation out of Okinawa both in Okinawa and in the coalition 
government itself. 
 
Okada and Gates hardly smiled at all during their meeting lasting 35 
minutes. Gates said that "there can be no progress in Guam 
relocation without progress in Futenma relocation," warning that the 
plan to relocate U.S. Marines in Okinawa to Guam under the 
 
TOKYO 00002421  006 OF 009 
 
 
Japan-U.S. agreement will also be in limbo if Futenma relocation is 
stalled. He pressed for the relocation of the Futenma base under the 
existing plan. Gates will meet with Hatoyama and Defense Minister 
Toshimi Kitazawa on Oct. 21. 
 
Okada explained at the meeting that the government is in the process 
of examining the negotiation process that led to the Japan-U.S. 
agreement and would only say, "We are fully aware that an agreement 
exists between Japan and the U.S." He cited "domestic political 
circumstances" as the reason for the delay in reaching a conclusion. 
He also explained that candidates advocating a review of the current 
relocation plan won in all four single-seat districts in Okinawa in 
the recent House of Representatives election. 
 
The situation in Okinawa is indeed complicated. If the incumbent 
mayor loses the Nago mayoral race in January, the execution of the 
Japan-U.S. agreement may come up against a wall in light of the 
expressed popular will in the city in favor of relocation out of 
Okinawa. The relocation project may not be completed by the 2014 
deadline. 
 
Okada did not give a timeframe for reaching a final decision on the 
relocation site. The main issue for now is the proposal to make 
minor modifications to the current plan and move the relocation site 
in Camp Schwab further offshore. A senior U.S. Defense Department 
official indicated acceptance of this proposal just before Gates's 
visit to Japan. Gates, in his statements, has also indicated he 
"does not necessarily reject minor modifications to the current 
plan." 
 
However, it is clear from the meeting on Oct. 20 that the U.S. is 
highly unlikely to agree to the relocation of Futenma out of 
Okinawa. While the Hatoyama administration is still looking at other 
options, the reality is that the Japanese side's options have been 
narrowed down. 
 
11) Ginowan Mayor raps Pentagon chief 
 
AKAHATA (Page 2) (Full) 
October 21, 2009 
 
Okinawa Prefecture's Ginowan Mayor Yoichi Iha criticized U.S. 
Secretary of Defense Gates for indicating his intention to accept 
minor changes to the planned relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' 
Futenma Air Station in Ginowan within the bounds of an 
intergovernmental agreement reached between Japan and the United 
States on the Futenma relocation. "What he said makes light of the 
people of Okinawa," Iha told reporters yesterday in Naha, Okinawa 
Prefecture. "The Marines do not belong in Japan or in Okinawa," he 
added. 
 
The current relocation plan for Futenma airfield is to build an 
alternative facility in a coastal area of Camp Schwab, a U.S. 
military base located in Nago City's Henoko district. "The plan must 
not destroy the ocean in a place like Henoko," Iha said. He also 
said, "The coalition government led by the Democratic Party of Japan 
would not do anything like that." 
 
12) SDP makes proposals for Afghan assistance 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
October 21, 2009 
 
TOKYO 00002421  007 OF 009 
 
 
 
Social Democratic Party (SDP) policy chief Tomoko Abe met yesterday 
with Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada at the Foreign Ministry. In the 
meeting, Abe made proposals for civilian assistance based on her 
recent visit to Afghanistan. The main points of her proposals were 
(1) construction of medical institutions, (2) teacher training, and 
(3) regional development by cooperating with local communities. 
Okada stressed that "although the security situation in the country 
is poor, we must expand the civilian assistance that Japan is able 
to offer." 
 
13) Parties agree to convene extra Diet session on Oct. 26 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
October 21, 2009 
 
Yesterday the ruling and opposition parties agreed at meetings of 
the steering committees of the two Diet chambers to convene an 
extraordinary Diet session on Oct. 26. They also agreed that Prime 
Minister Yukio Hatoyama will deliver his policy speech on the 26th. 
At the meeting of the Lower House Steering Committee, the ruling 
camp proposed that the extra session run until Nov. 30, but two 
opposition parties - the Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito - 
insisted that the session should last until the end of the year. The 
ruling and opposition camps also failed to agree on the allocation 
of time for party representatives' interpellation with respect to 
the speech. The two camps will meet again today. 
 
14) Hatoyama to explain "fraternal society" in policy speech 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
October 21, 2009 
 
In his first policy speech to the Diet, Prime Minister Yukio 
Hatoyama will pledge to realize a society modeled on his pet concept 
of "fraternity," according to informed sources. He aims to 
underscore differences between his and past prime ministers' 
speeches, which were based on manuscripts prepared by government 
agencies. He intends to use his "own words." 
 
Hatoyama will deliver the speech to both houses of the Diet on Oct. 
26 -- the first day of the extraordinary Diet session. 
 
Hatoyama said in a ministerial meeting yesterday: "I will outline 
the government's domestic and foreign policies. But I will not 
merely present policy after policy." The government plans to submit 
about 10 bills, including a bill to freeze the planned sale of Japan 
Post shares, to the extraordinary Diet session. But he said: "I am 
going to briefly refer to the bills; I will not go into their 
details." 
 
In the speech, Hatoyama will emphasize five key policies: (1) 
Thoroughly eliminate wasteful spending; (2) protect the people's 
livelihoods and lives; (3) realize an economy without a bias toward 
economic rationality; (4) grant more power to local governments in a 
substantial way; and (5) strive to make Japan a "bridge" to the 
world. 
 
Most past policy speeches merely listed policy after policy drafted 
by government agencies. But Hatoyama, giving priority to having 
people feel there has been a change of government, intends to 
explain principles, including the significance of building a 
 
TOKYO 00002421  008 OF 009 
 
 
"fraternal society." 
 
15) LDP, Japan Renaissance Club agree to form joint parliamentary 
group 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
October 21, 2009 
 
The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the Japan Renaissance Party 
have agreed to form a joint parliamentary group in the Lower House, 
following one formed in the Upper House, and notified the Lower 
House of the decision on Oct. 20. The distribution of strength in 
the Lower House after the formation of their joint parliamentary 
group is as follows. 
 
Q The Democratic Party of Japan and the Independents' Club:  311 
Q The LDP and the Japan Renaissance Party:  119 
Q The New Komeito:  21 
Q The Japanese Communist Party:  9 
Q The Social Democratic Party and the Citizens' Group:  7 
Q The Your Party:  5 
Q The People's New Party:  3 
Q The Group to Protect National Interests and the Livelihood of the 
People (Kokushu-no-Kai):  3 
Q Independents:  2 
 
16) Four independent Upper House members to join DPJ 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
October 21, 2009 
 
Four independent House of Councillors members, who belong to the 
Democratic Party of Japan-led parliamentary group, yesterday 
submitted to DPJ Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa requests to join the 
DPJ. The four Upper House members are Yoetsu Suzuki (Akita 
Prefecture), Toshiro Tomochika (Ehime), Hajime Hirota (Kochi), and 
Ikitsu Toyama (Miyazaki). Their requests to join the party are 
expected to be approved this week. They will bring the number of the 
DPJ Upper House members to a total of 113, nine short of a 
single-party majority. Ozawa, after meeting with the four, said to 
reporters, "Their joining the party would greatly contribute to (the 
stability of the administration)." 
 
17) Japan Post President Nishikawa announces resignation 
 
NIKKEI (Top play) (Excerpts) 
October 21, 2009 
 
Japan Post Holdings Co. President Yoshifumi Nishikawa (71) announced 
his intention to step down at a press conference held on the evening 
of Oct. 20 at the head office of the company. He decided that it 
would not be appropriate for him to remain in the post, as there is 
a wide gap between the present management policy and the new policy 
the government adopted at a cabinet meeting on the morning of the 
same day in order to review the postal business. His successor will 
most likely be picked from among private citizens. 
 
The government is now pressing ahead with the work of picking a 
successor to Nishikawa under the leadership of State Minister for 
Postal Reform Shizuka Kamei. It appears that the government is 
focusing on CEOs of privatized companies, such as former public 
corporations. NTT Chairman Norio Wada and Central Japan Railway 
 
TOKYO 00002421  009 OF 009 
 
 
Company (JR Tokai) Chairman Yoshiyuki Kasai have been named as 
candidates. There is a possibility that the next president will be 
picked as early as the 21st. 
 
18) Government eyes public funds for JAL reconstruction 
 
NIKKEI (Page 1) (Lead paragraph) 
October 21, 2009 
 
The government is examining a possible infusion of public funds to 
help rebuild Japan Airlines Corp. The examination is in response to 
a suggestion by a task force established under the construction and 
transport minister. The amount of assistance would total 300 billion 
yen, including money from the private sector. The government appears 
to be planning to inject public funds into JAL under the revised 
Industrial Revitalization Special Measures Law and through the Japan 
Corporate Revitalization Support Platform. The task force also calls 
for 200 billion yen worth of emergency loans in November. As it 
stands, the government is likely to strengthen its involvement in 
the JAL reconstruction plan. 
 
ROOS