VZCZCXRO7749
PP RUEHFK RUEHKSO RUEHNAG RUEHNH
DE RUEHKO #2702/01 3290152
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 250152Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7754
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 9923
RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 7574
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 1385
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 4738
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 8082
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1985
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 8653
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 8111

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 09 TOKYO 002702 
 
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 11/25/09 
 
INDEX: 
 
1) Top headlines 
2) Editorials 
3) Prime Minister's daily schedule (Nikkei) 
 
Defense & security: 
4) Police obtain arrest warrant for four children of U.S. forces 
personnel in connection with motorcycle accident  (Yomiuri) 
5) Foreign Minister giving serious consideration to allocating funds 
for deployment of additional PAC3 missiles  (Sankei) 
6) Foreign Minister Okada: Govt. to investigate Aso administration's 
lobbying of U.S. congressional commission to maintain nuclear 
umbrella  (Asahi) 
7) Preparatory meeting on "nuclear security summit" to be held in 
Tokyo next month  (Nikkei) 
 
Futenma issue: 
8) Senior MOFA, MOD officials in U.S. for working level 
consultations on Futenma issue (Yomiuri) 
9) Funding for Futenma facility relocation included in budget 
(Asahi) 
 
Trade & economics: 
10) Govt. mulling subsidies to maintain flights after JAL's 
withdrawal (Nikkei) 
 
Foreign relations: 
11) Ambassador Roos to visit Okinawa  (Asahi) 
12) Ozawa to lead delegation of 140 lawmakers to China  (Sankei) 
 
Secret nuclear accord: 
13) Panel of experts will be set up to review results of MOFA 
investigation into the existence of "secret nuclear accord" 
(Nikkei) 
 
Politics: 
14) Budget screening panel slashes ODA funds; some govt. officials 
concerned about the decline in Japanese presence  (Yomiuri) 
15) ODA grant aid for building infrastructure in developing nations 
to be cut by one-third  (Tokyo Shimbun) 
 
Opinion: 
16) Yomiuri poll: 61 PERCENT  approve of consumption tax hike 
(Yomiuri) 
 
Articles: 
 
1) TOP HEADLINES 
 
 
Asahi: 
Government panel with new members to recalculate financial burden on 
households from 25 PERCENT  cut in greenhouse gas emissions 
 
Mainichi & Yomiuri 
Another political body linked to Hatoyama allegedly failed to report 
donations 
 
Nikkei: 
Transport minister eyes subsidies to local governments to maintain 
flights after JAL's withdrawal 
 
TOKYO 00002702  002 OF 009 
 
 
 
Sankei: 
Police to search offices of Kashima Construction Co. on suspicion of 
swindling 4.7 million yen in public works project 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
Government unit calls for cutting ODA grant aid for infrastructure 
in developing countries by 30 PERCENT 
 
Akahata: 
Nine university presidents protest against government unit's call 
for slashing budget requests related to science and technology 
 
2) EDITORIALS 
 
Asahi: 
(1) Release of Japanese hostage in Yemen proves importance of aid 
that wins people's hearts 
(2) Measures needed to stop increase in greenhouse gas emissions 
 
Mainichi: 
(1) Six months after introduction of lay judge system: In-depth 
discussion of confidentiality needed 
(2) Prevent soccer referees' mistakes by introducing video and other 
advanced technology 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1) Energy tax needed to cover revenue shortfalls that will result 
from abolishment of provisional tax rates 
(2) Take measures to quickly eliminate bad effects of 
recommendation-based admissions 
 
Nikkei: 
(1) Integration of three major airports in Kansai area necessary 
(2) Executive members of EU expected to demonstrate ability to act 
 
Sankei: 
(1) Prosecutors should thoroughly disclose details of illegal 
donations to Hatoyama 
(2) Japanese freed in Yemen: Efforts needed to protect civilian aid 
workers 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1) Are Cabinet Secretariat's secret funds really necessary? 
(2) New strain of flu: Review vaccine regulations 
 
Akahata: 
(1) Don't stop support for basic research and young researchers 
 
3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, November 24 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
November 25, 2009 
 
07:46 Attended meeting of ministerial committee on defense build-up 
at the Diet 
08:18 Held cabinet meeting; Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano 
stayed behind 
10:18 Met National Strategy Minister Naoto Kan at the Prime 
Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) 
 
TOKYO 00002702  003 OF 009 
 
 
11:00 Met President Hiroyasu Ito, other officials of NPO Japan 
Abilities Association; followed by meeting with Senior Vice Minister 
for Foreign Affairs Tetsuro Fukuyama and Ambassador for Aid to 
Afghanistan and Pakistan Motohide Yoshikawa 
12:10 Met Kan; joined by Hirano. 
14:12 Inspection of government-project screening by the Government 
Revitalization Unit with Minister for Administrative Reform Yoshito 
Sengoku, others at the National Printing Bureau's Ichigaya Center in 
Ichigayahonmura-cho 
15:02 Met Upper House member Shokichi Kina, Social Democratic Party 
Lower House member Kantoku Teruya, others at Kantei 
16:15 Phone call from British Prime Minister 
Gordon Brown; Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yorihisa Matsuno and 
MOFA's Director General for Global Issues Shinsuke Sugiyama present 
17:37 Met UN Development Program (UNDP) Administrator Helen Clark 
18:53 Had dinner with Kyocera Honorary Chairman Kazuo Inamori, Kan, 
Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada, DPJ Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa, 
Diet Affairs Committee Chairman Kenji Yamaoka, DPJ Upper House 
caucus chair Azuma Koshiishi, and Upper House Secretary General 
Yoshimitsu Takashima; joined by Land Minister Seiji Maehara 
21:31 Arrived at official residential quarters 
 
4) Police obtain arrest warrant for four dependents of U.S. service 
members for stringing rope across road and causing motorcyclist's 
crash, serious injury 
 
YOMIURI (Page 39) (Full) 
November 25, 2009 
 
Last August, a female company employee, 23, collided with a rope 
strung across a street in Musashimurayama City in Tokyo while riding 
on a motorcycle and fell as a result, suffering a serious skull 
fracture. The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) has obtained a 
warrant of arrest for four teenagers, aged 15-18, who are children 
of U.S. military personnel living on the Yokota base, on charges of 
attempted murder. These teenagers are suspected of stringing the 
rope across the road intentionally. The MPD will seek the 
cooperation of the Military Police on the Yokota base to detain the 
four this week and interrogate them on their motives. 
 
According to a source familiar with the investigations, the incident 
occurred at around 11:30 p.m. on Aug. 13 on a street in Inahira in 
Musashimurayama City. The motorcyclist ran into a rope stretched 
from a metal pole (about 1.5 meters high) on the grounds of a 
transportation company along the street to a utility pole on the 
opposite side of the road, which is about 6.5 meters wide. The woman 
fell and suffered serious injuries requiring three months to heal. 
 
According to the MPD's investigations, the rope is normally tied 
between two poles on either side of the entrance of the company in 
the evening to prevent trespassers from entering the garage. It was 
found that at the time of the incident, the rope was removed from 
one pole and tied to the utility pole at a height of about 70 
centimeters from the ground. A police patrol car that passed by the 
area some 10 minutes before the incident did not notice the rope 
strung across the street. The MDP suspected that somebody had 
intentionally tied the rope to the utility pole during that 
10-minute period, and their investigations revealed that three boys 
and one girl were playing near the area at that time. Nearby 
security cameras captured the four teenagers on video, and they 
acted suspiciously when police officers rushed to the scene of the 
accident. 
 
TOKYO 00002702  004 OF 009 
 
 
 
5) Okada cautious about allocating funds for additional PAC-3 
deployment 
 
SANKEI (Page 3) (Full) 
November 25, 2009 
 
The government yesterday held a meeting of its cabinet ministerial 
committee in the Diet on the defense budget for fiscal 2010. In 
connection with creating guidelines for defense-related spending for 
the next fiscal year, Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada indicated a 
cautious stance during the meeting about the Defense Ministry's 
budget request for an additional deployment of the Patriot Advanced 
Capability 3 (PAC-3), a ground-to-air guided missile system designed 
to intercept ballistic missiles. Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, 
Finance Minister Hirohisa Fujii, Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa, 
and Okada participated in the committee meeting. 
 
In response to such factors as North Korea's ballistic missile 
threat, the Defense Ministry has earmarked 94.4 billion yen in its 
budget request for the next fiscal year to deploy PAC-3 batteries at 
three additional sites in the country under its five-year deployment 
plan. 
 
Based on this antiballistic missile defense plan, Kitazawa insisted 
on the necessity of additional PAC-3 deployment. Okada rebutted by 
saying: "PAC-3 accounts for a considerable portion of the defense 
budget. We need public accountability on its effectiveness. I think 
it will be all right if we fully discuss the matter during fiscal 
2010." Fujii said, "I agree." Furthermore, a question was raised 
about the Defense Ministry's request to increase the number of 
Self-Defense Forces personnel. 
 
Meanwhile, the Hatoyama cabinet has decided to postpone the 
government's work schedule for a year of revising the National 
Defense Program Guidelines (NDPG) and formulating the next midterm 
defense buildup plan. The government had planned to work out these 
two new defense plans at the end of the year. The NDPG is to 
determine a basic course of action, including Japan's defense 
buildup and the SDF's operation over a long period of time. The 
midterm defense buildup plan is to specify such matters as the SDF's 
annual troop strength and costs. 
 
6) Foreign Ministry to investigate previous government's alleged 
lobbying of U.S. congressional commission to maintain nuclear 
capability 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
November 25, 2009 
 
Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada clarified at a press conference 
yesterday that his ministry would investigate the issue of the 
previous Liberal Democratic Party-New Komeito government allegedly 
lobbying a U.S. congressional commission, which compiled nuclear 
policy proposals (for the Obama administration), to maintain the 
U.S. nuclear capability in Japan. He stated: "I would like to know 
what the previous government told (the U.S. side)." 
 
The U.S. congressional body in question is called the Congressional 
Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States. The 
commission presented in May a set of nuclear policy proposals to the 
Obama administration. Former Secretary of Defense James Schlesinger, 
 
TOKYO 00002702  005 OF 009 
 
 
who serves as deputy chair of the commission, revealed in an 
interview to the Asahi Shimbun that the Japanese side expressed 
concern that the credibility of the U.S. "nuclear umbrella might be 
undermined." 
 
7) Preparatory meeting for nuclear security summit to take place 
next month in Tokyo 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
November 25, 2009 
 
The Japanese and U.S. governments have decided to hold a preparatory 
meeting on Dec. 3 in Tokyo for a nuclear security summit slated for 
next April. The United States will host the nuclear security summit 
with the attendance of 43 countries and four international 
organizations, including the United Nations and European Union (EU). 
Measures to prevent terrorism aimed at nuclear materials will be 
discussed at the summit. The preparatory meeting is the first step 
in cooperation between Tokyo and Washington toward achieving a world 
free of nuclear weapons as agreed upon at the summit meeting between 
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and President Barack Obama on Nov. 13. 
At the preparatory meeting, working-level officials will discuss 
such issues as international cooperation in dealing with nuclear 
terrorism and the establishment of an antitheft management system. 
Gary Samore, U.S. coordinator (for arms control and 
non-proliferation/antiterrorism), who held negotiations with North 
Korea under the Clinton administration, will chair the meeting. 
 
8) Senior MOFA, MOD officials in U.S. for working level 
consultations on Futenma issue 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) 
November 25, 2009 
 
Director General Kazuyoshi Umemoto of the North American Affairs 
Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and Director 
General Nobushige Takamizawa of the Defense Policy Bureau of the 
Ministry of Defense (MOD) left for Washington on Nov. 24 for 
discussions with the U.S. side on the issue of the relocation of the 
U.S. forces' Futenma Air Station. They will meet with Assistant 
Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and other U.S. officials for 
working level consultations relating to the ministerial level 
working group on the Futenma issue consisting of cabinet members in 
charge of foreign affairs and defense of the Japanese and U.S. 
governments. 
 
9) Government to earmark funds for relocation of Futenma facility, 
out of consideration for U.S., but make decision later 
 
ASAHI (Page 1) (Excerpts) 
November 25, 2009 
 
The Hatoyama cabinet has started coordination to earmark in the 
fiscal 2010 budget bill expenses needed to reclaim in the Henoko 
district in Nago City the alternative site for the U.S. Marine 
Corps' Futenma Air Station in Ginowan City, Okinawa Prefecture, and 
also to transfer U.S. Marines from Okinawa to Guam. Although Prime 
Minister Yukio Hatoyama has yet to reach a conclusion on where the 
Futenma facility should be moved, the government has judged that if 
necessary expenses are excluded from the budget bill, the U.S. could 
interpret that to mean Japan has scrapped the entire bilateral 
agreement (on the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan). 
 
TOKYO 00002702  006 OF 009 
 
 
 
In its budget request, the Defense Ministry included 28.8 billion 
yen as expenses for relocating the Futenma airfield to Nago City and 
34.6 billion yen for transferring U.S. Marines from Okinawa to 
Guam. 
 
A person close to the prime minister commented: "Unless the 
government earmarks expenses related to the realignment of U.S. 
forces in Japan, the roadmap for the plan will go back to the 
drawing board. The prime minister is not considering that option (at 
the present point in time)." In reaction to the Japanese 
government's wavering stance over the Futenma relocation issue, some 
members of the U.S. Congress have begun to call for trimming 
expenses related to transferring U.S. Marines in Okinawa to Guam. 
The government must have taken into consideration such moves in the 
U.S. 
 
10) Transport minister looking into using government subsidies to 
maintain flights after JAL's withdrawal 
 
NIKKEI (Top play) (Lead para.) 
November 25, 2009 
 
Transport Minister Seiji Maehara on Nov. 24 revealed a policy of 
allocating in stages more than half of the landing and departure 
slots at Haneda Airport for international flights, starting October 
next year. He will also aim to introduce daytime European and U.S. 
flights, a plan that is not included in the existing one. Maehara 
also plans to implement toll-free expressways on a trial basis, 
starting in April next year. The ministry is now making adjustments 
with the possibility of excluding key routes connecting major 
cities. It will also consider providing government subsidies to 
localities to maintain local flight routes, after Japan Airlines 
withdraws in the process of management restructuring. 
 
11) Ambassador Roos to visit Okinawa 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
November 25, 2009 
 
The U.S. Consulate in Okinawa announced yesterday that U.S. 
Ambassador John Roos will visit Okinawa from Nov. 30 through Dec. 2. 
This will be the Ambassador's first visit to Okinawa. He is expected 
to meet with Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima and other local politicians and 
business leaders. He is likely to discuss with them the pending 
issue of relocating the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station. He 
also plans to visit U.S. military bases on the island prefecture and 
the Peace Memorial Park in Itoman City. 
 
12) Ozawa to visit China with 140 Diet members 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (Abridged slightly) 
November 25, 2009 
 
The main ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) announced yesterday 
that about 140 DPJ lawmakers will join a delegation to China, which 
is expected to stay in China for four days from Dec. 10. In term of 
the size of an overseas delegation of Diet members, this delegation 
is unusually large. Including others who will participate in the 
delegation, the total number will exceed 600. 
 
The visit to China this time around will be carried out by the 
 
TOKYO 00002702  007 OF 009 
 
 
Japan-China Exchange and Discussion Mechanism, a regular exchange 
program between the DPJ and the Chinese Communist Party, and the 
Great Wall Program, a Japan-China exchange project, in which 
Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa has been involved since he was a 
member of the Liberal Democratic Party. 
 
Secretary General Ozawa will serve as honorary chairman of the 
delegation and Azuma Koshiishi, chairman of the DPJ caucus in the 
House of Councillors, as its chairman. Diet Affairs Committee 
Chairman Kenji Yamaoka will also join the delegation. Ozawa is 
expected to meet with key Chinese figures, including President Hu 
Jintao. 
 
13) Expert panel on Japan-U.S. secret pacts to hold first meeting 
tomorrow 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
November 25, 2009 
 
Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada said in a press conference yesterday 
that a new panel of experts set up to investigate the issue of 
alleged secret pacts between Japan and the U.S. will hold its first 
meeting tomorrow. The panel is composed of six experts and chaired 
by Tokyo University Professor Shinichi Kitaoka. After examining the 
historic background of the issue and other details, the panel will 
come up with a report in around mid-January. 
 
The panel will look into four alleged secret accords: (1) a pact 
allowing the U.S. military to bring nuclear weapons into Japan made 
in 1960 when the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty was revised; (2) a pact 
made in 1960 on combat action in times of emergency on the Korean 
Peninsula; (3) a pact allowing the U.S. military to bring nuclear 
weapons into Japan in the event of a contingency made at the time of 
the reversion of Okinawa from U.S. control to Japanese sovereignty; 
and (4) a pact concerning Japan's payment of fees for restoring the 
land the U.S. military has used to its original state. Okada 
emphasized: "The basic principle should be that the details of the 
secret accords are released after a certain period of time passes, 
although it depends on the contents." 
 
The members of the panel are Hosei University Professor Yasuko Kono, 
Osaka University Profesor Kazuya Sakamoto, Rikkyo University 
Professor Takuya Sasaki, Tsukuba University Professor Sumio Hatano, 
and Nagoya University Professor Mikio Haruna. 
 
14) Budgetary requests screening: Cut in public facilities, ODA; 
Concern about decline in Japan's presence 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) 
November 25, 2009 
 
The Government Administrative Unit (GRU) on Nov. 24 screened project 
requests filed by the Foreign Ministry as official development 
assistance (ODA) and decided to cut about one-third of grant aid for 
building public facilities, such as schools and hospitals, which 
account for about 50 percent of the 157.1 billion yen requested by 
the ministry as cooperation in the form of grants. Government 
officials are voicing concern about a possible decline in Japan's 
presence and diplomatic clout in the international community. 
 
Prime Minister Hatoyama in the speech delivered at the UN in 
September this year announced that he wanted to double Japan's 
 
TOKYO 00002702  008 OF 009 
 
 
efforts to support developing countries in cooperation with 
international agencies. However, on the 24th the GRU determined that 
it would be possible to trim projects being carried out in countries 
to which Japan is providing reimbursable yen loans in tandem with 
grant aid. Foreign Minister Okada during a press conference on the 
same day said: "If it is a matter of the total amount of ODA, then 
it is a policy argument. Except for some extraordinary reason we 
cannot easily alter the prime minister's major policy line (of 
strengthening assistance to developing countries)." However, he also 
said, "If there are problems with the specifics, it is only natural 
for us to modify them." 
 
15) Project screening: 30 percent cut in grant aid for building 
infrastructure in developing countries 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Top play) (Excerpts) 
November 25, 2009 
 
The Government Revitalization Unit (GRU), chaired by Prime Minister 
Yukio Hatoyama, on Nov. 24 continued with its second round of 
project screening with the aim of identifying wasteful budget 
requests for fiscal 2010. During the process, the panel called for 
about a one-third reduction in the development of infrastructure, 
such as the building of ports, harbors, and roads, in developing 
countries from requests filed by the Foreign Ministry as cooperation 
in the form of grants (budget request of 157.1 billion yen) in 
official development assistance (ODA). 
 
The building of infrastructure like this is referred to as the 
overseas version of public works. It usually accounts for about 50 
percent of grant aid. Lower House member Motoyuki Odachi, who was in 
charge of the screening, said, "The Democratic Party of Japan's 
(DPJ) policy of shifting the focus of spending from concrete to 
human resources will be adopted for policies involving overseas 
projects as well." 
 
From among ODA-related budgetary requests, the GRU has decided to 
cut research expenses for technical cooperation worth 9.6 billion 
yen by 30 percent from subsidies worth 150.8 billion yen requested 
by the Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA), an independent 
administrative agency tasked with providing economic and 
technological support to developing countries. 
 
16) Poll: 61 PERCENT  favor consumption tax hike 
 
YOMIURI (Page 1) (Abridged) 
November 25, 2009 
 
An estimated 61 PERCENT  of the nation think that it would be 
unavoidable to raise the consumption tax in order for the nation to 
maintain its social security system, while 37 PERCENT  do not think 
so, the Yomiuri Shimbun found from its recent face-to-face 
nationwide public opinion survey conducted Nov. 14-15. The 
proportion of those in favor of raising the consumption tax 
increased 14 percentage points from 47 PERCENT  in the last survey 
conducted in July 2008 and marked the highest level ever since July 
2004 when the same question was first asked. 
 
An increasing number of people seem to think it will be necessary to 
raise the consumption tax in order to ensure revenue resources for 
the growing cost of social security. 
 
 
TOKYO 00002702  009 OF 009 
 
 
Meanwhile, 62 PERCENT  answered that they thought the Hatoyama 
cabinet's policy of not raising the consumption tax rate in the next 
four years will make it impossible for the nation to maintain its 
current level of social security. 
 
ROOS