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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 08 TOKYO 002648 
 
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 11/17/09 
 
INDEX: 
 
1) Top headlines 
2) Editorials 
3) Prime Minister's daily schedule (Nikkei) 
 
Futenma relocation issue: 
4) Futenma working group to hold first meeting today  (Mainichi) 
5) Prime Minister says Futenma working group talks not premised on 
implementation of existing plan  (Nikkei) 
6) LDP's Ishiba slams premier again over Futenma  (Tokyo Shimbun) 
7) Foreign Minister Okada says Futenma-Kadena integration is one 
plan  (Mainichi) 
8) Prime Minister waffles on Futenma  (Sankei) 
9) Kadena Mayor rejects consolidation of Futenma facility and Kadena 
Air Base  (Sankei) 
 
Politics: 
10) Manifesto budget to be squeezed  (Yomiuri) 
11) Kamei takes steps to form new party  (Asahi) 
12) Ozawa: Government-proposed legislation for local suffrage for 
permanent foreign residents is desirable  (Asahi) 
13) Christian group protests Ozawa statement  (Yomiuri) 
 
Defense & security: 
14) Ministry of Defense mulls using "Osumi" as "fraternity boat" 
(Mainichi) 
 
Economy 
15) Compromise avoids tuna-fishing ban  (Mainichi) 
 
Articles: 
 
1) TOP HEADLINES 
 
Asahi: 
Three Health Ministry independent administrative agencies hiring 
amakudari ex-officials with high salaries not included in 
information disclosure 
 
Mainichi: 
29 education boards oppose plan to extend teacher training course to 
6 years 
 
Yomiuri: 
Working group to start cutting budget for implementing policies in 
DPJ's manifesto this week 
 
Nikkei: 
Sharp to supply LED parts for liquid crystal TVs to Sony 
 
Sankei: 
Prime Minister wavers in statements on Futenma relocation; 
government has no good idea for revising existing plan 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
Public welfare corporations win 97.5 PERCENT  of bids for projects 
of Land Ministry Regional Development Bureaus 
 
Akahata: 
Increasing number of children not going to class, spending time in 
school clinic; need to increase number of teachers 
 
TOKYO 00002648  002 OF 008 
 
 
 
2) EDITORIALS 
 
Asahi: 
(1) 4.8 PERCENT  GDP growth: Use supplementary budget to stimulate 
private sector demand 
(2) Annual auto production at 10 million units: China should give 
momentum to green revolution 
 
Mainichi: 
(1) Economic growth in two consecutive quarters: Adopt policies that 
will bring peace of mind, hope 
(2) Busan shooting gallery fire: Safety should be first 
consideration when traveling 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1) Hatoyama economic policies: Do not trigger recession caused by 
manifesto 
 
Nikkei: 
(1) Formulate highly effective policies to prepare for economy 
losing steam 
(2) Prime Minister should engage in party leaders' debate 
 
Sankei: 
(1) Next generation supercomputer: Objection to freezing development 
without any strategy 
(2) Hatoyama's statements: Is he trying to damage trust between 
Japan and the U.S.? 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1) Leaking of GDP figures: Coordination among cabinet ministers in 
question 
(2) Busan shooting gallery fire: South Korea should be "close and 
safe" tourist destination 
 
Akahata: 
(1) July-September quarter GDP: Urgent need for rehabilitation of 
livelihoods, employment 
 
3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, November 16 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
November 17, 2009 
 
09:09 Signed in at the Imperial Palace to report his return to 
Japan. 
09:38 Met National Strategy Minister Kan and Senior Vice Cabinet 
Minister Furukawa at the Kantei. 
10:35 Met military analyst Kazuhisa Ogawa. 
11:16 Met Finance Minister Fujii, Senior Vice Finance Minister Noda, 
Parliamentary Secretary for Finance Furumoto, Vice-Finance Minister 
Tango, and others. 
12:20 Met Kan and Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirano. 
15:12 Met State Minister for Financial Affairs Kamei. 
17:05 Attended talks between the central and local governments. 
Later met Hirano. 
19:31 Arrived at his official residential quarters. 
 
4) Japan-U.S. working group to hold first meeting today to discuss 
 
TOKYO 00002648  003 OF 008 
 
 
Futenma relocation 
 
MAINICHI (Page 1) (Full) 
November 17, 2009 
 
The governments of Japan and the U.S. on Nov. 17 will hold at the 
Foreign Ministry the first meeting of their ministerial-level 
working group to discuss the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps 
Futenma Air Station (Ginowan City, Okinawa Prefecture). President 
Obama during the recent bilateral summit asked Prime Minister Yukio 
Hatoyama to implement a Japan-U.S. agreement on the relocation of 
the Futenma functions to the coastal area of Camp Schwab in Nago 
City, Okinawa Prefecture. However, since Japan's cabinet ministers 
differ in their views on the relocation site and the timing to reach 
a decision, talks will likely face rough going. 
 
The ministerial-level working group will be attended by Foreign 
Minister Katsuya Okada and Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa from 
the Japanese side, and U.S. Ambassador to Japan John Roos and 
Assistant Secretary of Defense Wallace Gregson from the U.S. side. 
The U.S. characterizes the working group as, in President Obama's 
words, "a vehicle intended to implement the agreement"; the group 
will not to approve revisions to the Japan-U.S. accord other than 
minor ones. However, the prime minister has repeatedly indicated his 
stance of not eliminating the option of relocation outside the 
prefecture. The U.S. and Okada want to reach a decision before 
year's end. However, the prime minister has hinted at the 
possibility of putting off a decision until after the Nago mayoral 
election in January next year. 
 
5) Prime Minister: Japan-U.S. agreement not premise for Futenma 
relocation; cabinet-level meeting today 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
November 17, 2009 
 
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama reiterated yesterday that the existing 
plan to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station to the 
coastal area of Camp Schwab, on which Japan and the United States 
agreed in 2006, is not the premise for the Futenma relocation issue. 
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada indicated that the 
relocation must be premised on the intergovernmental agreement to a 
certain extent. The views of the two leaders remained wide apart 
yesterday, the day before the first meeting of the Japan-U.S. 
cabinet-level working group on Nov. 17. 
 
"I think that is the foreign minister's view," the Prime Minister 
said to the press corps last night about the foreign minister's 
statement. At the same time, the Prime Minister emphatically said: 
"I don't think there are concerns about Japan-U.S. relations. I 
think the relationship of trust has deepened between U.S. President 
Obama and myself." 
 
The inaugural meeting today of the cabinet-level working group will 
be attended by Foreign Minister Okada and Defense Minister Toshimi 
Kitazawa from the Japanese side and U.S. Ambassador to Japan John 
Roos, Assistant Secretary of Defense Wallace Gregson, and others 
from the U.S. side. 
 
6) LDP's Ishiba slams premier again over Futenma 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Full) 
 
TOKYO 00002648  004 OF 008 
 
 
November 17, 2009 
 
Shigeru Ishiba, chairman of the opposition Liberal Democratic Party, 
reiterated yesterday his criticism of Prime Minister Hatoyama for 
his recent remarks over the pending issue of relocating the U.S. 
Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station. The Japanese and U.S. governments 
plan to launch a ministerial working group to discuss the Futenma 
issue. However, Hatoyama has said the working group's discussions on 
the Futenma issue will not be premised upon the current relocation 
plan that is based on an intergovernmental agreement reached between 
Japan and the United States. "What the prime minister says is almost 
completely opposite from the U.S. President's view," Ishiba said. 
"This could produce irreparable consequences," he added. 
 
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada has indicated that it 
would be difficult to call off the bilateral agreement over Futenma. 
"That's an extremely sensible, appropriate judgment," Ishiba said, 
adding: "He was talking about verifying the Futenma issue, but I 
wonder if his judgment is a result of verifying the issue." Ishiba 
also pointed to divergence within the Hatoyama cabinet over the 
Futenma issue, saying, "They say they're doing things under their 
political initiative, but it's really just inconsistency in the 
cabinet." 
 
7) Foreign Minister Okada tells Okinawan mayors that proposal to 
merge Futenma base with Kadena Air Base is "one option" 
 
MAINICHI (Page 1) (Full) 
Evening, November 16, 2009 
 
Shinichiro Nishida, Teruhisa Mimori 
 
In connection with the issue of the relocation of the U.S. forces' 
Futenma Air Station (in Ginowan City, Okinawa), Foreign Minister 
Katsuya Okada visited the Kadena Air Base (KAB) (straddling the 
towns of Kadena and Chatan and Okinawa City) on the morning of Nov. 
¶16. Okada is considering a plan to merge the Futenma base with the 
KAB as an alternative to the current plan to relocate to the coastal 
area of Camp Schwab (in Nago City). After the visit, he met with 
Kadena Mayor Tokujitsu Miyagi and the mayors of Chatan and Okinawa 
City. Okada explained that "the Kadena merger plan is one of the 
options being considered" and that "the prerequisite is that the 
noise level will be lower than what it is at present." 
 
Miyagi reiterated his opposition to the plan and pointed out that 
the 1996 agreement on measures to reduce noise has not been 
observed, and the noise level has not improved even with the 
relocation of training activities. He told Okada: "Our burden should 
be reduced first before any further plans are considered." Okada 
responded with: "If such an agreement exists, we will make (the U.S. 
forces) observe this agreement," indicating his intention to make 
efforts to reduce the local community's burden. 
 
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama gave the following comment 
on the new Japan-U.S. cabinet level working group on Futenma 
relocation on the morning of Nov. 16: "If everything is going to be 
decided based on the Japan-U.S. agreement, there will be no need for 
any discussions," stressing once again that discussions will not be 
premised upon the existing agreement. He also said: "President Obama 
also fully understands the meaning of engaging in discussions." He 
made the above statements in front of his official residential 
quarters. 
 
TOKYO 00002648  005 OF 008 
 
 
 
8) PM Hatoyama waffles on Futenma relocation 
 
SANKEI (Top play) (Abridged) 
November 17, 2009 
 
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama continues to waver on the issue of the 
relocation of the U.S. forces' Futenma Air Station (in Ginowan City, 
Okinawa) in his statements. Shortly before the cabinet-level working 
group agreed upon at the Japan-U.S. summit meeting was to be 
convened, he said on the morning of Nov. 16: "If everything will be 
decided based on the (existing) Japan-U.S. agreement, there will be 
no need for any discussions." However, in the late afternoon of the 
same day, he commented that "the Japan-U.S. agreement has great 
significance." Why does he keep on wavering? 
 
The background to this is the Prime Minister's political style of 
giving importance to public opinion. He likes to use the phrase "the 
feelings of the Okinawan people," and his comment on the hit-and-run 
incident in Yomitan Village, Okinawa, was "accidents like this occur 
because of the military bases." He has a strong desire to speak for 
the Okinawans, and this affects the main thrust of his statements. 
When he found out that toll-free expressways, one of the 
high-profile campaign pledges in the manifesto of the Democratic 
Party of Japan, was not popular in public opinion polls, he started 
talking about a policy shift. He gives absolute priority to public 
opinion. 
 
Although Hatoyama does give consideration to the Japan-U.S. 
relationship, his statements change by the day. He said on Nov. 2: 
"I have no intention to ignore the Japan-U.S. agreement in making a 
decision," but stated subsequently on Nov. 16: "If everything will 
be decided based on the Japan-U.S. agreement, there will be no need 
for any discussions." His style of saying different things at 
different times is complicating the issue. 
 
9) Kadena mayor nixes base merger plan 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (Full) 
November 17, 2009 
 
Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada yesterday visited the U.S. Kadena Air 
Base in Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture, in connection with the pending 
issue of relocating the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station. 
After that, Okada met with three municipal heads, including Kadena 
Mayor Tokujitsu Miyagi, whose town hosts the Kadena base. 
 
In the meeting, Okada asked for the local mayors' understanding of 
his proposal to integrate the heliport functions of Futenma airfield 
into the Kadena base. "It's a categorical imperative to lower noise 
levels," Okada said, adding: "We're now verifying the Futenma issue 
while assuming some of the Kadena base's functions will be 
transferred somewhere else. I'm thinking of negotiating with the 
United States." 
 
However, Miyagi rejected Okada's advocacy of merging Futenma 
airfield with the Kadena base. "There's something very difficult 
about bringing the functions of Futenma to Kadena as is," Miyagi 
said. "We can't place faith in his saying the government will lessen 
our base-hosting burden." 
 
10) Manifesto budget to be squeezed 
 
TOKYO 00002648  006 OF 008 
 
 
 
YOMIURI (Top play) (Lead para.) 
November 17, 1009 
 
The Democratic Party of Japan pledged in its manifesto for the Lower 
House election to implement various key policies, including 
toll-free highways, starting in fiscal 2010. However, the government 
on Nov. 16 decided to squeeze budgets for those policies, because, 
while the government was deciding the implementation time for those 
policies and its policy on budgetary distributions, related 
budgetary requests each government agency filed for fiscal 2010 have 
ballooned significantly. The government intends to vet the amounts 
of budgets requested by all government agencies in the same way it 
handled existing project programs without regarding the manifesto 
budget as a sacred cow. 
 
11) People's New Party, New Party Nippon to form new party before 
year end, aiming at becoming the third force 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Abridged) 
November 17, 2009 
 
Shinichi Sekine 
 
Shizuka Kamei (state minister for financial affairs and postal 
reform), leader of the People's New Party (PNP), has begun to move 
toward forming a new party. He will first form a parliamentary group 
with New Party Nippon (NPN) leader Yasuo Tanaka in the House of 
Representatives, then join forces with the group led by former 
Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry Takeo Hiranuma, aiming at 
launching a new party before year end. His goal is to gather the 
non-LDP and non-DPJ forces to secure a voice in politics, but it is 
unclear how effective this will be. 
 
Kamei told reporters on Nov. 16: "The PNP and the NPN are both 
planning to dissolve the parties to form a new party. He (Tanaka) is 
also thinking about doing so," indicating that an agreement will be 
reached shortly. The new party will maintain the coalition with the 
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) and the Social Democratic Party. At 
a news conference on the same day, DPJ Secretary General Ichiro 
Ozawa stated: "This will be a positive development if it boosts the 
number of ruling party seats (in the Diet)," thus expressing his 
approval of the founding of the new party. 
 
12) DPJ Secretary General Ozawa: Government should submit own 
foreign residents' suffrage bill to the Diet 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
November 17, 2009 
 
In reference to a bill to grant local suffrage to permanent foreign 
residents, Democratic Party of Japan Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa 
said yesterday at a press conference: "It is best for the government 
to submit its own bill from the standpoint of making clear its 
position." DPJ Diet Affairs Committee Chairman Kenji Yamaoka on Nov. 
6 expressed the intention to submit lawmaker-initiated legislation 
during the ongoing Diet session, but the government and DPJ decided 
to entrust Ozawa with the suffrage bill issue in their executive 
meeting on Nov. 11. Ozawa refrained from referring to the timing of 
submitting the bill. 
 
13) Christian group protests remark by DPJ Secretary General Ozawa 
 
TOKYO 00002648  007 OF 008 
 
 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) 
November 17, 2009 
 
The Japan Confederation of Christian Churches, which is comprised of 
60 Christian-related organizations and chaired by Nobuhisa Yamakita, 
has sent a letter of protest to the ruling Democratic Party of Japan 
(DPJ) with regard to its Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa's remark 
that called Christianity "exclusive and self-righteous." In the 
letter, the Christian group said: "Ozawa's remark itself, based on a 
one-sided understanding of Christianity, was 'exclusive' and 
'self-righteous.' We have serious doubts about his good judgment." 
The letter of protest was faxed and mailed to Ozawa on Nov. 11, the 
day after Ozawa made the remark. In response, Ozawa explained at a 
press conference yesterday that he was talking about fundamental 
differences between religious philosophies and outlooks on life. 
 
14) Defense Ministry considering using MSDF transport vessel Osumi 
as yuai boat 
 
MAINICHI (Page 5) (Full) 
November 17, 2009 
 
Yasushi Sengoku 
 
The Defense Ministry began considering yesterday using the Maritime 
Self-Defense Force's transport vessel Osumi (178 meters long, 25.8 
meters wide) as a yuai (fraternity) boat to carry out medical and 
other activities in a disaster-stricken area. The Osumi has a large 
amount of space to carry medical equipment and other supplies and is 
capable of transporting 330 Ground Self-Defense Force personnel. The 
ministry intends to dispatch the vessel after it takes part in joint 
exercises with the United States and other countries to be carried 
out in the next fiscal year. 
 
The yuai boat concept was announced by Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama 
in his Asia policy speech delivered in Singapore. According to this 
plan, private citizens and nongovernmental organization (NGO) 
personnel aboard a yuai boat will carry out medical and cultural 
exchange activities in the Pacific/Southeast Asian regions starting 
next year. "With the withdrawal of the refueling mission in the 
Indian Ocean near at hand, the plan is intended to play up the 
government's eagerness to make manpower contributions," a senior 
Defense Ministry official said. 
 
15) Ban on bluefin tuna catch avoided through compromise: 40 percent 
cut in annual catch quota 
 
MAINICHI (Page 3) (Lead para.) 
November 17, 2009 
 
At its annual meeting, the International Commission for the 
Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) on Nov. 15 reached an 
agreement to set a catch quota of bluefin tuna in the East Atlantic 
Ocean, including the Mediterranean Sea, for 2010 at 13,500 tons, by 
cutting the level by 38.6 percent from the 2009 level. The move 
reflects a growing call for the conservation of bluefin tuna. The 
cut in the catch quota is unlikely to have effects on Japan, such as 
a sharp rise in price, because its domestic stock of the fish has 
increased sharply due to sluggish consumption of the fish. However, 
if the trend of regulating catch quotas continues, a rise in price 
will be unavoidable over the mid- to long-term. A view calling for 
 
TOKYO 00002648  008 OF 008 
 
 
the application of the Convention on International Trade in 
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES = Washington 
Convention) on the fish, citing that the ICCAT catch quota 
regulation is insufficient, is deep-rooted in European countries and 
the U.S. As a result, the next focus of attention will be the CIES 
Conference of the Parties to be held next March. 
 
ROOS