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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 08 TOKYO 002473 
 
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 10/27/09 
 
INDEX: 
 
 
1) Top headlines 
2) Editorials 
3) Prime Minister's daily schedule (Nikkei) 
 
Special Diet session: 
4) SDP dissatisfied at speech's lack of specifics about base issue 
(Yomiuri) 
5) Main points of prime minister's to the Diet  (Sankei) 
6) Lawmakers to debate postal privatization, security, and political 
contributions; bills narrowed down to 12  (Nikkei) 
 
Futenma saga: 
7) Confusion over Futenma makes administration vulnerable to attack 
from opposition  (Nikkei) 
8) Hatoyama vague on Futenma in speech  (Yomiuri) 
9) Hatoyama fails to explain Futenma relocation to the nation 
(Sankei) 
10) Okinawa governor strongly desires relocation of Futenma facility 
outside of prefecture  (Sankei) 
 
Defense & security: 
11) Okada confirms Japan will play role in PKO  (Yomiuri)    7 
 
Foreign relations: 
12) Hatoyama calls for measures against harassment of research 
whaling  (Nikkei) 
13) GOJ hints at extension of sanctions against North Korea 
(Yomiuri) 
 
Politics: 
14) Opposition parties set to probe prime minister's political fund 
raising  (Nikkei) 
 
Articles: 
 
1) TOP HEADLINES 
 
Asahi: 
Health minister to scrap designated posts at medical association to 
improve conditions for doctors who work in hospitals 
 
Mainichi: 
U.S. convinced reluctant China to adopt UN Security Council summit 
resolution 
 
Yomiuri: 
Woman arrested for marriage fraud by Saitama Police on suspicion of 
involvement in deaths of two male acquaintances 
 
Nikkei: 
Lawson, Mitsubishi Corporation, others aim for Japan's largest joint 
point reward program, starting in March next year 
 
Sankei: 
Prime Minister Hatoyama delivers his fist policy speech in Diet 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
New flu: National universities to take special support measures in 
second entrance examinations 
 
TOKYO 00002473  002 OF 008 
 
 
 
Akahata: 
First extraordinary Diet session under new administration kicks off: 
Prime minister delivers policy speech 
 
2) EDITORIALS 
 
Asahi: 
(1) Prime minister's policy speech: Ideals should be backed by 
assurance of implementation 
(2) Six-year teacher training system: Improve teacher training 
course at post-graduate schools first 
 
Mainichi: 
(1) Prime minister's policy address: Show roadmap to materialization 
of "fraternity politics"; indicate order of priority for election 
pledges 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1) Prime minister's policy speech: Ideals alone insufficient 
(2) Printed-word culture: Improve children's linguistic ability 
 
Nikkei: 
(1) Prime minister's Diet speech is vague, but indicates his 
eagerness 
(2) Rise in interest rate of government bonds sets off warning 
 
Sankei: 
(1) Prime minister's Diet speech: Order of priority for policies not 
evident 
(2) Retrial of Ashikaga case: Reasons for false charge must be 
clarified 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1) Prime minister's policy address: Emphasis given to ideals 
(2) Debt repayment moratorium legislation: Views of parties 
concerned, such as banks, should be respected 
 
Akahata: 
(1) Prime Minister Hatoyama's policy speech: Did it respond to 
people's expectations and anxieties? 
 
3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, Oct. 26 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
October 27, 2009 
 
08:00 Met at the Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) with 
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirano, deputy chief cabinet secretaries 
Matsuno and Matsui. Matsui stayed behind. 
10:16 Greeted Dutch Prime Minister Balkenende and posed for photos 
with him. Attended a welcome event. Later, met Cabinet Secretariat 
Councilor Hirata. Attended an extraordinary Diet session. Foreign 
Minister Okada stayed behind. 
11:33 Attended a joint plenary meeting of party members of both 
Houses of the Diet. 
12:02 Attended a Lower House plenary session. 
13:00 Attended the opening ceremony of the extraordinary Diet 
session at the Upper House Chamber. 
14:02 Attended the Lower House plenary session. 
 
TOKYO 00002473  003 OF 008 
 
 
15:06 Attended an Upper House plenary session. 
16:11 Met Hirano at the Kantei. Later met Okada and Vice Foreign 
Minister Yabunaka. 
18:04 Attended a gathering of new party members at the Hotel New 
Otani. 
18:41 Met with Balkenende at the Kantei. 
19:26 Held a joint press conference. Hosted a dinner party for 
Balkenende. 
21:26 Met Upper House President Eda. 
22:21 Arrived at his private residence. 
 
4) SDP dissatisfied with lack of specifics on Futenma relocation in 
PM Hatoyama's policy speech 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) 
October 27, 2009 
 
While many senior ruling party officials praised Prime Minister 
Yukio Hatoyama's policy speech to the Diet for being easy to 
understand, some Social Democratic Party (SDP) members expressed 
their dissatisfaction. 
 
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa 
lavished praises on the speech at a news conference on Oct. 26, 
saying "it was a good, outstanding, and brilliant speech." 
 
However, the speech merely talked about "working seriously" on U.S. 
Forces Japan realignment, even though the coalition agreement among 
the DPJ, SDP, and People's New Party says that the government will 
deal with this issue "in the direction of a review." SDP Secretary 
General Yasumasa Shigeno said to reporters: "I got the impression it 
was somewhat lacking in specifics and certain portions were 
inadequate." 
 
Meanwhile, the opposition parties criticized the speech for its 
"abstract contents." 
 
Liberal Democratic Party President Sadakazu Tanigaki commented to 
reporters that "there was no clear message on where Japan is 
heading." New Komeito leader Natsuo Yamaguchi also pointed out to 
reporters that "discourse on how to handle revenue sources for the 
child allowances and free high school (tuition) was completely 
absent." 
 
Japanese Communist Party Chairman Kazuo Shii said: "He talked about 
changing politics repeatedly but did not say how this will be done 
in concrete terms." 
 
5) Prime Minister Hatoyama delivers his fist policy speech in Diet 
 
SANKEI (Top Play) (Excerpts) 
October 27, 2009 
 
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama on Oct. 26 delivered his fist policy 
address at a plenary session of the Lower House. He noted: "The 
viewpoints of socially vulnerable people and minorities must be 
respected. That is the starting point of my fraternity politics." He 
reiterated his determination to deliver on showcase pledges made for 
the August Lower House, including the establishment of a child-care 
allowance system and virtually free public high school education. 
However, he has given priority to stating ideals and sending 
messages, just as the Democratic Party of Japan's (DPJ) manifesto 
 
TOKYO 00002473  004 OF 008 
 
 
for the Lower House election fell short of proposing specific 
policies. 
 
Gist of prime minister's policy address 
 
Q Challenge reform of national politics through a bloodless Heisei 
restoration. 
Q Materialize politics that will protect the lives and livelihoods 
of the people under the philosophy of fraternity. 
Q Abolish the style of politics that depends on bureaucrats and 
clean up the post-war administration. 
Q Pursue close and equal Japan-U.S. relations. Seriously tackle U.S. 
Forces Japan realignment taking the burdens Okinawa has borne into 
consideration. 
Q Apologized for the political fund issue. Pledged full cooperation 
for the investigation. 
Q Have the Government Revitalization Unit eradicate wasteful 
spending of tax revenues and the National Strategy Office lay down 
basic guidelines for the management of the economy. 
Q Directly support household budgets through the establishment of a 
child-care allowance system and free high school education. 
 
6) Debate to kick off at Diet on postal services, security, 
political donations; government to submit 12 bills 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
October 27, 2009 
 
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama delivered his first policy speech at 
an extraordinary Diet session, which opened yesterday. The ruling 
and opposition parties will engage in a battle of words, starting 
with representative interpellations tomorrow. The government and the 
ruling camp are giving top priority to the fiscal 2010 budget. They 
have set a short period of 36 days up to Nov. 30 for the extra Diet 
session. They also have limited the number of government-sponsored 
bills to be submitted to the session to 12. The Liberal Democratic 
Party and other opposition parties are poised to grill the 
government over issues relating to Hatoyama's political donation 
reports and the contradiction between the government's decision to 
appoint a former bureaucrat for the presidency of Japan Post 
Holdings and the Democratic Party of Japan's policy. 
 
Bills the government plans to submit to the extraordinary Diet 
session 
 
¶1. Bill to freeze the sale of shares in Japan Post and other 
companies 
¶2. Bill to cope with credit crunch and withdrawal 
¶3. Bill to retain shakai-hoken (social insurance) and kosei-nenkin 
(employee annuity) hospitals as public facilities 
¶4. Bill to combat new strains of influenza 
¶5. Bill amending the law on the salaries of general government 
employees 
¶6. Bill amending the law on the salaries of special government 
employees 
¶7. Bill amending the law on civil servants' childcare leave 
¶8. Bill amending the law on the salaries of court judges 
¶9. Bill amending the law on the salaries of prosecutors 
¶10. Bill amending the law on childcare leave for court judges 
¶11. Bill amending the law on the salaries of Defense Ministry 
employees 
¶12. Bill to inspect cargo ships heading to and from North Korea 
 
TOKYO 00002473  005 OF 008 
 
 
 
Political and diplomatic timetable 
 
Oct. 28 Representative interpretations 
Nov. 12 U.S. President Obama to visit Japan (until the 13th) 
 Events in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Emperor's 
enthronement (until the 13th) 
Nov. 14 APEC Summit (in Singapore, until the 15th) 
Second half Submission by the Government Revitalization Unit of a 
report on the results of business classification 
Nov. 30 The extraordinary Diet session to end 
First half of Dec. The government to adopt its fiscal 2010 tax 
reform plan 
Dec. 7 The 15th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN 
Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP15, in Copenhagen, until 
the 18th) 
In late December The fiscal 2010 budget to be determined 
 
7) LDP poised to attack PM Hatoyama for wavering on Futenma 
relocation 
 
NIKKEI (Page 3) (Full) 
October 27, 2009 
 
The government is in disarray on foreign and security policies, with 
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama seesawing back and forth in his 
statements on the relocation of the U.S. forces' Futenma Air Station 
(in Ginowan City, Okinawa). The U.S. side is demanding a decision by 
the time of President Barack Obama's visit to Japan starting on Nov. 
12, but the Japanese side has not decided how to respond. The 
opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is waiting expectantly to 
expose the Hatoyama administration's shaky foreign and security 
policies through Diet deliberations. 
 
Hatoyama indicated earlier that he would like to spend more time to 
arrive at a conclusion after seeing the outcome of the Nago mayoral 
election in Okinawa in January, the House of Councillors election 
next summer, and the Okinawa gubernatorial race after that. However, 
he corrected himself later, saying: "I did not say that the decision 
will have to come after the Nago mayoral election." 
 
In reaction to the remarks by Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada and 
Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa that "a conclusion should be 
reached by the end of the year," Hatoyama stated again last weekend 
that, "We are in the process of reexamining the options; it will 
take some time," stressing that he will make the final decision. 
This reflects Hatoyama's wavering between the "consensus" of the 
people of Okinawa and the U.S. government's demand for an early 
decision. 
 
Any delay in deciding on Futenma's relocation site will also have an 
impact on procedures for the relocation of U.S. Marines to Guam 
already agreed upon by the two governments. The Prime Minister's 
aides are upset because "he has been saying too much." 
 
Okada, who was annoyed by Hatoyama's wavering statements, advised 
him: "Mr. Prime Minister, please let us handle this" after the ad 
hoc cabinet meeting on Oct. 26. Okada himself has been talking about 
merging Futenma with Kadena Air Base, a plan rejected previously by 
the U.S. side, which also provides fodder for the opposition's 
attack. 
 
 
TOKYO 00002473  006 OF 008 
 
 
8) Ambiguous wording on Futenma in Prime Minister's policy speech 
 
YOMIURI (Page 3) (Excerpts) 
October 27, 2009 
 
In his policy speech, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama also referred to 
challenges that will be potential sources of trouble for the 
administration as a result of drawing fire from the opposition camp. 
The Prime Minister and other cabinet ministers' ability to fulfill 
their accountability in interpellations and other events during the 
current extraordinary Diet session will be tested. 
 
On the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan, he said: "The history of 
Japan-U.S. agreements and other circumstances will be carefully 
examined, and the feelings of the local people will be properly 
taken into consideration." This statement refers to the relocation 
of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station (in Ginowan, Okinawa 
Prefecture), the biggest bone of contention between Japan and the 
United States. 
 
An agreement to form a coalition government with the Social 
Democratic Party and the People's New Party said that the 
administration will "look in the direction of making a review" of 
the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan, including Futenma Air 
Station. There is no denying that the expression used in the policy 
speech is more ambiguous than the wording in this agreement. This is 
probably because a conclusion has not been reached among the Prime 
Minister, Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada, and Defense Ministry 
Toshimi Kitazawa on the implementation of the Japan-U.S. agreement 
to build a replacement facility on the coastal area of Camp Schwab 
(in Nago in the prefecture) by 2014. "I laid out how we will review 
(the Japan-U.S. agreement) without using the single word 'review,'" 
the Prime Minister said to reporters at the Prime Minister's 
Official Residence (Kantei) after delivering the speech. But the 
policy direction remains unclear. 
 
Meanwhile, Shigeru Ishiba, Policy Research Council chairman of the 
major opposition Liberal Democratic Party, gave a lecture in Tokyo 
yesterday. In it, Ishiba indicated that (Futenma Air Station) must 
be relocated as was agreed upon between Japan and the United States, 
saying, "In reality, there is no other option but to relocate it to 
Nago." 
 
9) Prime Minister's policy speech is void of explanation to people 
on Futenma relocation 
 
SANKEI (Page 3) (Excerpts) 
October 27, 2009 
 
In his policy speech, Prime Minister Hatoyama did not specifically 
refer to the question of relocating the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma 
Air Station (in Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture), in defiance of the 
U.S. government's call for a settlement before President Barack 
Obama visits Japan in November. The Prime Minister voluntarily 
robbed himself of a golden opportunity to seek the public's opinion 
of the government's plan while the argument on a settlement before 
year's end is gaining ground. 
 
The Prime Minister said about the subject of realignment of U.S. 
forces in Japan: "I will earnestly address the matter by carefully 
examining the history of Japan-U.S. agreement and properly taking 
the feelings of the local people into consideration." But he stopped 
 
TOKYO 00002473  007 OF 008 
 
 
short of referring to the modalities of Futenma Air Station in his 
speech. 
 
10) Okinawa governor: "I strongly hope Futenma facility will be 
moved out of Okinawa" 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (Full) 
October 27, 2009 
 
Okinawa Governor Hirokazu Nakaima yesterday issued the following 
statement on the issue of relocating the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma 
Air Station in Ginowan City, Okinawa Prefecture: 
 
"It is regrettable that the government has yet to present any 
specific policy at present. Okinawa Prefecture strongly hopes that 
the government will present a plan to move the Futenma facility 
outside the prefecture in a realistic and concrete form and turn the 
plan into reality." 
 
Nakaima once expressed his willingness to accept the current plan to 
relocate Futenma Air Station to the coastal area of Camp Schwab in 
Nago City, from the viewpoint of removing the danger of the 
facility. Amid repeated changes in remarks by Prime Minister Yukio 
Hatoyama and other senior government officials, the governor called 
for the Futenma facility to be moved out of the prefecture. 
 
The governor said: "I thought it would be unavoidable" to accept the 
relocation of the facility within the prefecture. A senior 
prefectural official commented: "The governor actually does not want 
the government to push ahead with the plan to relocate the airfield 
within the prefecture just because the governor has accepted the 
current plan." 
 
11) Okada: Japan to continue its PKO role 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) 
October 27, 2009 
 
Foreign Minister Okada gave a speech in a meeting held yesterday at 
the Foreign Ministry with African ambassadors to Japan for an 
exchange of views. Okada, referring to Japan's participation in 
United Nations peacekeeping operations (PKO), stated that the 
Hatoyama government will play an appropriate role in its efforts to 
help (disputed African nations) build peace and stabilize it. This 
denotes that Okada is willing to expand the scope of Japan's 
contributions through such steps as amending the Law for Cooperation 
on United Nations Peacekeeping Operations or the so-called PKO 
cooperation law. Okada also stressed that Japan will positively 
embark on its activities in African nations, saying Japan will make 
even more contributions for a settlement of conflicts in such 
countries as the Sudan and Somalia. 
 
12) Prime Minister Hatoyama asks Dutch premier to deal with 
antiwhaling activities 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
October 27, 2009 
 
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama met yesterday evening with Dutch Prime 
Minister Jan Peter Balkenende at the Prime Minister's office. During 
the meeting, Hatoyama referred to the fact that the Sea Shepherd 
Conservation Society, an American antiwhaling organization, has 
 
TOKYO 00002473  008 OF 008 
 
 
tried to block Japanese research whaling by using a Dutch ship, and 
he asked Balkenende to deal appropriately with the matter to ensure 
maritime safety. The Dutch prime minister said, "We would like to 
crack down on any violations by Dutch ships in a stricter manner." 
 
13) Senior vice foreign minister hints at extension of sanctions on 
North Korea 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) 
October 27, 2009 
 
Yesterday at the first joint policy meeting of the Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, 
Senior Vice Foreign Minister Tetsuro Fukuyama said in reference to 
the total trade embargo on North Korea, which will expire next 
April: "If there is no change in the situation, we will extend it." 
 
14) Opposition parties geared up to thoroughly pursue prime 
minister's political funds issue 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
October 27, 2009 
 
The major focus at meetings of the Budget Committees of both 
chambers of the Diet will be the prime minister's political funds 
issue. Names of the deceased or those who have not donated have been 
entered as individual donors in his political funds management 
body's political fund reports. The prime minister himself and two of 
his secretaries have been charged on suspicion of violating the 
Political Funds Control Law. The prime minister contends that his 
former secretaries acted on their own discretion. 
 
In a policy speech given on Oct. 26, the prime minister apologized 
for this problem and said, "I will fully cooperate with the 
investigation so as to rebuild trust in politics." However, he 
refrained from giving a detailed account, citing that doing so would 
affect the investigation. 
 
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) President Sadakazu Tanigaki at an 
informal meeting of members of the Lower and Upper Houses displayed 
a confrontational stance, saying, "We will attack the ruling camp's 
Achilles heel in a Diet debate." A senior LDP official on the same 
day indicated his intention to call on the government to hold 
meetings of the Lower House Budget Committee for five days, taking 
the advantage of the prime minister's lengthy policy speech. The aim 
is to secure enough time to thoroughly pursue the issue. However, 
the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) is hoping to keep it as short as 
possible at a one-day meeting. 
 
Commenting on the prime minister's speech, New Komeito leader Natsuo 
Yamaguchi said, "Policy directions similar to those the New Komeito 
has indicated were seen throughout." Although he did not indicate an 
uncompromisingly confrontational stance, he will likely fall in step 
with the LDP over the prime minister's political funds donation 
issue. 
 
ROOS