VZCZCXRO5843
PP RUEHFK RUEHKSO RUEHNAG RUEHNH
DE RUEHKO #2433 2940947
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 210947Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6971
INFO RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA PRIORITY 7020
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA PRIORITY 4287
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA PRIORITY 9375
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE PRIORITY 0838
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO PRIORITY 7532
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

UNCLAS TOKYO 002433 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR JIM LOI 
STATE PASS TO USTR WENDY CUTLER AND MICHAEL BEEMAN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON CASC ETRD EAGR PREL KOCI JP
SUBJECT: JAPAN: MINISTER FUKUSHIMA DISCUSSES HAGUE 
CONVENTION, OKINAWA, AND ECONOMIC AFFAIRS WITH AMBASSADOR 
 
REF: TOKYO 2410 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: State Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food 
Safety, Declining Birthrate, and Gender Equality Mizuho 
Fukushima discussed the Hague Convention and Okinawa in 
addition to her various portfolios during a courtesy call by 
Ambassador Roos on October 19.   Fukushima explained that her 
basic aim as a member of a coalition government is to find 
ways to reflect the views of the Social Democratic Party of 
Japan in the policies of the Hatoyama government. END SUMMARY 
 
¶2. (SBU) Hague Convention:  Fukushima opened the meeting by 
conveying a word of thanks from the Japanese Lawyers 
Federation for the Obama administration,s cooperation with 
non-governmental organizations on the prevention of torture. 
Reflecting on recent media coverage of cases of international 
child abduction in light of her own experience as a lawyer, 
Fukushima also noted that she believes Japan should consider 
whether to sign the Hague Convention, from the point of view 
of what is best for the child.  Acknowledging MOFA,s 
jurisdiction, she emphasized that an increase in 
international marriages has made the visitation rights for 
children of divorced parents a pressing issue, in part 
because access to visitation is not traditionally granted to 
the parent without custody. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Okinawa:  Fukushima praised Ambassador Roos for 
visiting Hiroshima with his family and urged that he visit 
Okinawa, particularly Henkoko, at an early date. 
Highlighting the issue of environmental protection, she 
pressed the Ambassador to reconsider Futenma relocation. 
(Note: The October 20 morning NHK television news reported 
that Minister Fukushima exchanged opinions about Okinawa with 
the Ambassador. End note.) 
 
¶4. (SBU) Declining Birthrate Countermeasures:  Fukushima 
reiterated the Hatoyama government,s commitment to provide a 
child allowance and free high school as countermeasures to 
the problem of Japan,s low birthrate.  Additionally, she 
expressed the hope that the government will be able to boost 
budgetary support for child care facilities to increase 
availability of after-school care for elementary school 
children (especially grades 1-3).  She described such 
policies as steps toward implementation of a &Human New 
Deal8 that emphasizes investing in people. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Consumer Affairs and Food Safety:  Fukushima said 
that her aim as minister is to show results during the newly 
launched Consumer Affairs Agency's first year.  She also 
welcomed any assistance the United States may be able to 
provide with respect to administration of such an agency. 
Referring to a recent incident where spinal material was 
found in U.S. beef, she reiterated the request of Minister of 
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) Akamatsu for an 
inquiry into the matter reported in reftel.  In response, the 
Ambassador reaffirmed the safety of U.S. beef and underscored 
how the existence of many different standards gives rise to 
this problem; a universal high standard would solve it. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Personal Note: At one point in the conversation, 
Fukushima mentioned that her grandmother and grandfather 
emigrated to Hawaii 90 years ago, and that her father and his 
siblings were born in Hawaii.  She added that her 
grandfather,s younger brother and wife were sent to an 
internment camp during the Second World War. 
ROOS