VZCZCXRO9318
PP RUEHFK RUEHKSO RUEHNAG RUEHNH
DE RUEHKO #2459/01 2982341
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 252341Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7038
INFO RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEAWJA/USDOJ WASHDC PRIORITY
RULSDMK/USDOT WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J5//
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RHHMHBA/COMPACFLT PEARL HARBOR HI
RHMFIUU/HQ PACAF HICKAM AFB HI//CC/PA//
RHMFIUU/USFJ //J5/JO21//
RUYNAAC/COMNAVFORJAPAN YOKOSUKA JA
RUAYJAA/CTF 72
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 9432
RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 7076
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 0894
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 4328
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 7588
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1546
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 8203
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 7727

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 08 TOKYO 002459 
 
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 10/26/09 
 
INDEX: 
 
1) Top headlines 
2) Editorials 
3) Prime Minister's daily schedule (Nikkei) 
 
Futenma follies: 
4) SDP President Fukushima expresses opposition to Henoko plan 
(Nikkei) 
5) Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mullen says relocation of Futenma 
facility to Nago is absolutely necessary  (Yomiuri) 
6) Hatoyama says Obama visit not deadline for decision on Futenma 
relocation  (Tokyo Shimbun) 
7) Okada says relocation of Futenma facility outside Okinawa 
inconceivable  (Tokyo Shimbun) 
8) Prime Minister expresses his intention to make decision on 
Futenma facility relocation site this year; increasing likelihood he 
will accept relocation to Henoko  (Asahi) 
 
Economy: 
9) East Asia Summit chairperson announces agreement to hold 
intergovernmental discussion on regional-scale FTA  (Nikkei) 
10) Japanese, Chinese, and Korean economics ministers agree to 
conduct joint industry-government-academia study of FTA  (Nikkei) 
11) Aomori governor asks government to continue plutonium-thermal 
project  (Nikkei) 
 
East Asian Community initiative: 
12) Prime Minister Hatoyama says East Asian Community to include 
U.S.  (Nikkei) 
 
Defense & security: 
13) Gates asked Kitazawa to allow supply of Japan-U.S. jointly 
developed MD to third countries  (Tokyo Shimbun) 
 
Politics: 
14) DPJ chalks up two victories in Upper House by-elections  (Asahi) 
 
15) Special diet session convenes today  (Nikkei) 
16) Summary of Hatoyama's statements to press  (Nikkei) 
 
Articles: 
 
1) TOP HEADLINES 
 
Asahi: Yomiuri: Sankei: Tokyo Shimbun 
DPJ wins Upper House by-elections in Kanagawa, Shizuoka, giving 
impetus to upcoming extraordinary Diet session 
 
Mainichi: 
DPJ Secretary General Ozawa increases influence: Cautions members 
against becoming self-conceited with next summer's Upper House 
election in mind 
 
Nikkei: 
East Asia Summit statement calls for intergovernmental talks on 
wide-scale FTAs 
 
Akahata: 
Foreign minister's statement on Futenma relocation issue drawing 
criticism: Okinawa says "no" to new military base 
 
 
TOKYO 00002459  002 OF 008 
 
 
2) EDITORIALS 
 
Asahi: 
(1) Countries should together polish East Asia Community initiative 
 
(2) Diet debate to kick off: Prime minister's leadership to be 
tested 
 
Mainichi: 
(1) Upper House by-elections: LDP's decline serious 
(2) Motor show: Auto makers should further improve environmental 
technologies 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1) DPJ wins both by-elections: Diet debate to start 
(2) East Asian Community: Promote open regional cooperation 
 
Nikkei: 
(1) It is impossible to discuss East Asian Community initiative 
without U.S. 
(2) Results of by-elections in Kanagawa, Shizuoka reflect DPJ's 
momentum 
 
Sankei: 
(1) Hatoyama's Asia diplomacy: We want to reaffirm Japan-U.S. 
relations are the axis of Japan's diplomacy 
(2) DPJ wins two by-elections: We hope it will conduct politics 
protecting the national interest without becoming self-conceited 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1) DPJ wins both by-elections: Do not disappoint people's 
expectations 
(2) East Asian Community: We want to see specific image built, based 
on confidence and cooperation 
 
Akahata: 
(1) U.S. military's failure to pay highway tolls: It is abnormal to 
pay leisure expenses with tax revenues 
 
3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, Oct. 25 & 26 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
October 26 
 
Oct. 25 
Morning Met Indonesian President Yudhoyono at a hotel in Hua Hin. 
Attended the East Asia Summit. Later attended a working lunch of the 
East Asia Summit. 
Afternoon Departed from Hua Hin Airport by a chartered plane. Gave 
an interview to media agencies at Don Muang Airport. Departed from 
the airport by government plane. 
23:20 Arrived at Haneda Airport. 
Oct. 26 
00:08 Arrived at his private residence. 
 
4) SDP's Fukushima opposed to Henoko plan 
 
NIKKEI (Page 3) (Full) 
Eve., October 24, 2009 
 
 
TOKYO 00002459  003 OF 008 
 
 
State Minister for Consumer Affairs and Declining Birthrate Mizuho 
Fukushima, who heads the Social Democratic Party, one of the ruling 
Democratic Party of Japan's two coalition partners, has indicated 
that she is opposed to the current plan to relocate the U.S. Marine 
Corps' Futenma Air Station in Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture, to Henoko 
in the island prefecture's northern coastal city of Nago. "I think 
the opinion of the people of Okinawa Prefecture is against the 
construction of the new base off Henoko," Fukushima said in a TBS TV 
program aired this morning. "If the base is constructed there, it 
will create serious problems throughout history," she added. 
 
5) U.S. military top brass calls Futenma relocation to Nago 
"absolutely necessary" 
 
YOMIURI (Page 1) (Full) 
October 24, 2009 
 
Visiting U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Michael Mullen held a 
press conference yesterday at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, during 
which he said the planned relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' 
Futenma Air Station in Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture, to the island 
prefecture's northern coastal city of Nago is an "absolutely 
necessary condition." He added, "Without it, I don't think we can 
provide Japan and the region with security and defense support." The 
U.S. military top brass officer even brought up Japan's security as 
he urged Japan to carry out the bilateral agreement on the current 
relocation plan at an early date, demonstrating the U.S. 
government's resolute stance. 
 
Mullen pointed out that U.S. force realignment plans, such as moving 
Okinawa-based U.S. Marines to Guam, are also connected to budget 
compilation by the Japanese and U.S. governments. "We should make a 
decision as soon as possible," Mullen said. He confirmed that 
Secretary of Defense Gates asked the Japanese government to have the 
issue settled "before President Obama's visit to Japan (in 
mid-November.)" 
 
Meanwhile, there are calls from within the ruling Democratic Party 
of Japan for moving Futenma airfield out of Okinawa Prefecture. In 
this regard, Mullen clarified his opposition to that idea. 
"Relocation to any other place (than Okinawa Prefecture) will damage 
our security support to Japan and the region." 
 
6) PM Hatoyama says Futenma decision before President Obama's visit 
not necessary 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Top play) (Abridged) 
October 25, 2009 
 
Katsumi Sekiguchi in Hua Hin, central Thailand 
 
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama held an informal meeting with 
reporters accompanying him on his trip to Thailand (to attend the 
ASEAN Summit) on the evening of Oct. 24. Discussing the relocation 
of the U.S. forces' Futenma Air Station (in Ginowan City, Okinawa), 
he said: "I will be the one to make the final decision. We will 
study all the options and make a decision at an appropriate time." 
He indicated that he will make a political decision after consulting 
with Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada, Defense Minister Toshimi 
Kitazawa, and other cabinet ministers in charge. 
 
The U.S. is strongly demanding the relocation of the Futenma base to 
 
TOKYO 00002459  004 OF 008 
 
 
the coastal area of the U.S. forces' Camp Schwab (in Nago City) in 
accordance with the existing agreement between the two countries. 
Okada had indicated on Oct. 23 that the options of relocating the 
base out of Okinawa or out of Japan should be abandoned. 
 
Hatoyama indicated at the meeting with reporters that he will not 
focus solely on the timing of U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to 
Japan from Nov. 12, and intends to spend more time studying other 
relocation sites for the Futenma base. However, it is unclear if 
this will be acceptable to the U.S. side. 
 
7) Okada says moving Futenma outside Okinawa is inconceivable, 
studying Kadena consolidation option 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Top play) (Excerpts) 
October 24, 2009 
 
In a news conference on Oct. 23, Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada said 
regarding the issue of relocating the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air 
Station (in Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture), "In view of the current 
dangerous situation of Futenma, we cannot afford to take time, so 
moving it outside the prefecture is inconceivable," indicating that 
the Hatoyama administration should give up its plan to move Futenma 
outside the prefecture/country. Okada also presented a policy 
direction to merge Futenma with Kadena Air Base (in Kadena, 
Okinawa), raising doubts about the current plan to build an 
alternative facility on the coastal area of Camp Schwab (in Nago in 
the prefecture) by saying, "(Even if the envisaged alternative 
facility is moved further offshore than the planned site), the 
landfill area will increase." 
 
Call for Prime Minister's swift decision 
 
Commentary 
 
Foreign Minister Okada urged the government to give up its plan to 
move Futenma Air Station outside Okinawa/Japan and presented an 
option instead to merge Futenma with Kadena Air Base in a bid to 
elicit a swift decision from Prime Minister Hatoyama, who has been 
inclined toward postponing a conclusion. 
 
The Prime Minister has openly indicated that he will aim at moving 
Futenma out of Okinawa. However, the prevailing view in the 
government is that there is no chance for realizing such a plan 
swiftly. Given the situation, the Prime Minister has come up with a 
"package strategy" to put off the Futenma issue in exchange for 
presenting new Afghan aid measures. 
 
The Prime Minister has been set on sticking to this strategy 
although he was pressed for the swift implementation of the existing 
plan by U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and even plans to do 
so during the visit to Japan by President Barack Obama in November. 
 
Okada has concluded that even if the government somehow muddles 
through the Obama visit, the more Hatoyama postpones its conclusion, 
the more Washington will cling to the existing plan. Okada brought 
up the Kadena integration plan, which he has long been nursing, in 
the knowledge that he would be criticized for going behind the back 
of the Prime Minister. In 2008, the Democratic Party of Japan 
unveiled what is called the "Okinawa Vision" specifying a plan to 
move Futenma Air Station out of Okinawa/Japan. In its manifesto for 
the latest House of Representatives election, the DPJ simply pledged 
 
TOKYO 00002459  005 OF 008 
 
 
that it would move "in the direction of reexamining the existing 
plan." Okada judged that the Kadena integration plan would still be 
within the bounds of the DPJ pledge. 
 
8) Government likely to accept plan to relocate Futenma to Henoko; 
Prime Minister to make decision before year's end 
 
ASAHI (Top play) (Excerpts) 
October 24, 2009 
 
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama indicated on Oct. 23 that he will make 
a decision before year's end on the relocation site for the U.S. 
Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station (in Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture). 
Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada announced on the same day the 
intention to give up a plan to move Futenma outside Okinawa. It is 
difficult to look for alternative sites other than Henoko in Nago, 
Okinawa Prefecture -- the site agreed upon between Tokyo and 
Washington in 2006 -- by the end of the year. Chances have increased 
for the government to accept the existing plan or a slightly 
modified version of it. 
 
At a news conference, Okada referred to the option of integrating 
the Futenma functions with Kadena Air Base (in Kadena in the 
prefecture). But given Washington's negative view of this option and 
local opposition, chances are slim that such a plan will 
materialize. 
 
9) East Asia Summit statement calls for intergovernmental talks on 
wide-area FTAs 
 
NIKKEI (Top play) (Lead para.) 
October 26, 2009 
 
Masanori Yamaguchi, Hua Hin, Thailand 
 
Sixteen nations, including the Association of the Southeast Asian 
Nations (ASEAN), Japan, China and South Korea, on Oct. 25 held an 
East Asia summit in Hua Hin, Thailand. Participating countries 
agreed to discuss two broad-based FTA initiatives - an East Asian 
free trade agreement (EAFTA) with ASEAN, Japan, China and South 
Korea as members, and a comprehensive economic partnership in East 
Asia (CEPEA) participated in by all 16 nations - in parallel. They 
issued a chairman's statement which also noted their affirmation of 
the importance of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's initiative for an 
East Asian Community. 
 
10) Japanese, Chinese, South Korean economic ministers agree to 
launch joint FTA study by industry, government, academia next year 
 
NIKKEI (Page 3) (Full) 
October 26, 2009 
 
Toru Shimoharaguchi, Hua Hin, Thailand 
 
The economic ministers of Japan, China and South Korea met on Oct. 
25 and formally agreed to launch a joint study on a free trade 
agreement involving government, industry and academia early next 
year. FTA research has thus far been conducted on the private 
sector-level. However, the three countries have decided to involve 
their governments as well in order to accelerate efforts to lay the 
groundwork for the materialization of a Japan-China-South Korea 
FTA. 
 
TOKYO 00002459  006 OF 008 
 
 
 
According to a joint statement, they will set up a joint research 
council by the time a trilateral summit is held in South Korea 
probably during the first half of next year. A senior government 
official-level preparatory meeting will be organized at an early 
date to discuss how to push forward the envisaged joint research. 
 
11) Government, Aomori governor agree to continue nuclear fuel cycle 
policy 
 
NIKKEI (Page 5) (Excerpts) 
October 24, 2009 
 
Aomori Governor Shingo Mimura called on Chief Cabinet Secretary 
Hirofumi Hirano, Education, Culture, Sorts and S&T Minister Tatsuo 
Kawabata, and Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Masayuki Naoshima 
yesterday and asked them to continue the nation's nuclear fuel cycle 
policy, including the plutonium-thermal energy project to reprocess 
used nuclear fuel. Hirano indicated willingness to continue the 
previous government's policy, remarking: "The government has 
recognized that the policy was agreed on between the central 
government and the citizens of Aomori Prefecture." 
 
12) East Asia Community to involve U.S. as well: Premier announces 
his initiative at ASEAN-Japan-China-South Korea summit 
 
Nikkei (Page 1) (Excerpts) 
October 25, 2009 
 
Osamu Sato, Hua Hin, Thailand 
 
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Japan, China and 
South Korea on Oct. 24 held a summit in Hua Hin, Thailand. Prime 
Minister Yukio Hatoyama sought understanding of his initiative for 
an East Asian Community. He also underscored the need for U.S. 
involvement in the initiative, stressing his intention to make 
Japan-U.S. relations the basis of Japan's diplomacy. Participating 
countries agreed to make the currency swap agreement a multinational 
framework before year's end. They also vowed to strengthen ties for 
economic stabilization and development. 
 
The prime minister called for support for his East Asian Community 
initiative, noting, "I would like to promote the initiative, based 
on the notion that it is for open regional cooperation." As for 
specifics of the initiative, he explained, "ASEAN is at the center. 
The building of the framework will move ahead along with the 
development of the East Asian summit, involving ASEAN, Japan, China, 
South Korea, and the ASEAN community." 
 
At a time of strain in Japan-U.S. relations over U.S. Forces Japan 
realignment, there is concern among U.S. government officials that 
the prime minister's initiative for an East Asian Community could 
lead to the exclusion of the U.S. from the framework. 
 
13) U.S. reportedly asked Japan to allow the provision of SM-3 Block 
2A intercept missiles to third countries 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Slightly abridged) 
October 24, 2009 
 
It was learned that at his meeting with Defense Minister Toshimi 
Kitazawa on Oct. 21, U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates had 
 
TOKYO 00002459  007 OF 008 
 
 
asked Japan to take steps to enable the SM-3 Block 2A sea-based 
intercept missiles jointly developed by the Japanese and U.S. 
governments for missile defense (MD) to be provided to Europe and 
other third countries. This was revealed on Oct. 23 by several 
sources familiar with Japan-U.S. diplomacy. 
 
This was a move made in light of the U.S. government's announcement 
last month on the discontinuation of the deployment of a MD facility 
in East Europe, which was strongly opposed by Russia, and the 
reinforcement of a MD network utilizing sea-based weapons for 
dealing with mid-range missiles. This measure may lead to the 
relaxation of the three principles on arms exports, and opposition 
is expected from Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) members who were 
formerly members of the (defunct) Japan Socialist Party and from the 
Social Democratic Party (SDP), the DPJ's coalition partner. 
 
Gates asked for the relaxation of Japan's export policy. Kitazawa 
did not give an answer, telling him: "This is a domestic issue. We 
will discuss this inside the government." However, the U.S. plans to 
deploy Block 2A from 2018, and the dominant view in the ministries 
of foreign affairs and defense is that it will be difficult for 
Japan to refuse to provide Block 2A to third countries. The United 
States wants to get an answer from Japan by 2010, intending to 
supply SM-2 Block 2A to Germany and other European countries. The 
Hatoyama administration will likely face a tough decision. 
 
14) DPJ wins two Upper House by-elections 
 
ASAHI (Top play) (Excerpts) 
October 26, 2009 
 
First-time candidates backed by the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) 
scored victories in two House of Councillors by-elections held 
yesterday for a seat each in Kanagawa and Shizuoka prefectures. The 
party maintained its strength in the first national election since 
its landslide victory in the last House of Representatives election. 
Voter turnout stood at 28.67 PERCENT  in Kanagawa and 35.64 PERCENT 
in Shizuoka. 
 
The numbers of seats held by parliamentary groups after the 
by-elections are: 120 seats for the DPJ, Shinrokufukai, People's New 
Party, Nihon group; 85 for the Liberal Democratic Party and the 
Reform Club; 21 for the New Komeito; seven for the Japanese 
Communist Party; five for the Social Democratic Party and the 
constitution-protection group. 
 
Yoichi Kaneko, 47, elected in Kanagawa Prefecture: Works at the 
Cabinet Office and the OECD Paris Headquarters after serving as a 
part-time lecturer at Aoyama Gakuin University; graduated from the 
University of Tokyo. 
 
Hirokazu Tsuchida, 59, elected in Shizuoka Prefecture: Is a doctor 
and serves as president of a medical corporation and of a social 
welfare corporation; graduated from Kansai Medical University 
 
15) Extraordinary Diet session convenes today 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Abridged) 
October 26, 2009 
 
The extraordinary Diet session will be convened today, kicking off 
the first debate between ruling and opposition parties since the 
 
TOKYO 00002459  008 OF 008 
 
 
inauguration of the Hatoyama administration. This session is 
scheduled to last for 36 days until Nov. 30. The government and the 
ruling parties are giving top priority to compiling the FY2010 
budget before the end of this year and have narrowed down the number 
of bills to be submitted to the Diet to 12, including a bill on 
measures to deal with the new influenza epidemic. The goal is to 
have all the bills passed, but it is possible that the Diet session 
may be extended depending on how the opposition parties handle Diet 
deliberations. 
 
16) Gist of PM Hatoyama's remarks at informal meeting with reporters 
on October 24 
 
NIKKEI (Page 5) (Excerpts) 
October 25, 2009 
 
Following is the gist of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's remarks at 
an informal meeting with reporters accompanying him on his trip to 
Thailand (to attend the ASEAN Summit) on Oct. 24: 
 
Futenma 
 
I will be the one to make the final decision. We will make various 
efforts to arrive at a conclusion, and I will make the decision. 
(Although the foreign minister has said that relocation out of 
Okinawa will be difficult), this does not mean that such an option 
no longer exists. There are different options. The feelings of the 
people of Okinawa need to be respected. We are looking for new 
options in consideration of such feelings. I will make the decision 
at an appropriate time. 
 
It will take some time (to arrive at a conclusion), and at this 
point, it is not possible to do so immediately. I do not think we 
need to rush a decision in time for President Obama's visit. 
 
Japan-U.S. alliance 
 
Japan will continue to value the Japan-U.S. alliance and the 
bilateral security treaty. On the other hand, Japan has become too 
dependent on the United States and has lost its capacity for 
independent thinking. 
 
East Asian community 
 
We have no intention of excluding the U.S. or any other country. We 
would like to give emphasis to a body founded on the cooperation of 
the East Asian countries. I am not thinking of a rigid organization 
with a fixed idea of which countries should be members and which 
should not. 
 
ROOS