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RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 2020
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RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 8146

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 10 TOKYO 002721 
 
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:  DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 11/27/09 
 
INDEX: 
 
(1) LDP Okinawa chapter fails to reach decision to demand relocation 
of Futenma base out of Okinawa (Okinawa Times) 
 
(2) U.S. military base land: Defense ministry pays contract renewal 
cooperation fees to landowners every 20 years; 3.6 billion yen to be 
paid in fiscal 2012 (Tokyo Shimbun) 
 
(3) National Public Safety Commission chairman not to seek custody 
of U.S. soldier before indictment in Okinawa hit-and-run case 
(Ryukyu Shimpo) 
 
(4) Budget screening team calls for deep cuts in funds for 
diplomatic establishments overseas (Mainichi) 
 
(5) Review of "sympathy budget" may trigger new dispute with U.S., 
with fierce reaction from base workers union in Okinawa (Asahi) 
 
(6) Budget-screening panel plunges scalpel into Foreign Ministry 
budget (Asahi) 
 
(7) Finance Ministry also questioned over Defense Ministry's 
outsourcing practices on eighth day of budget screenings (Asahi) 
 
(8) Foreign minister Okada alarmed at possible cut in total sum of 
ODA budget (Asahi) 
 
(9) Warrant of arrest issued to divorced Japanese woman by 
Australian authorities for "kidnapping" her children (Asahi) 
 
ARTICLES: 
 
(1) LDP Okinawa chapter fails to reach decision to demand relocation 
of Futenma base out of Okinawa 
 
OKINAWA TIMES (Page 2) (Full) 
November 27, 2009 
 
The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Okinawa chapter held at the 
Prefectural Assembly building on Nov. 26 a general meeting of its 
Assembly members to discuss the Okinawa chapter's position on the 
relocation of the U.S. forces' Futenma Air Station. While a majority 
demanded the Hatoyama administration relocate the Futenma facility 
out of the prefecture, there was also the opinion that the group 
should persist in its policy hitherto, in order to realize the early 
removal of the danger posed by the Futenma base. No consensus was 
reached at the meeting. 
 
Okinawa chapter Vice Chairman Tetsuji Shingaki and Secretary General 
Masatoshi Onaga will meet with Nago Mayor Yoshikazu Shimabukuro on 
the morning of Nov. 27 and hold a general meeting of LDP Assembly 
members again in the afternoon of the same day to decide on a 
policy. Assembly members elected from Nago, the proposed relocation 
site under the current plan, and Ginowan, the site of the Futenma 
base, are cautious about relocation out of Okinawa, making it 
difficult to reach a consensus. 
 
Governor Hirokazu Nakaima continues to maintain his position that 
"while relocation out of Okinawa is the best option, relocation 
within Okinawa is inevitable as the realistic option." Furthermore, 
municipal assembly members and supporters of Shimabukuro in Nago, 
 
TOKYO 00002721  002 OF 010 
 
 
where a mayoral election will be held in January, call for careful 
handling of this issue in light of the impact on the election. At 
the meeting on Nov. 26, there was an opinion that Nakaima and 
Shimabukuro need to coordinate their policy. Onaga said: "Some 
Assembly members asked that a conclusion be reached through careful 
discussions. We are in the final stage of drawing a conclusion." 
 
(2) U.S. military base land: Defense ministry pays contract renewal 
cooperation fees to landowners every 20 years; 3.6 billion yen to be 
paid in fiscal 2012 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 1) (Full) 
November 26, 2007 
 
It has been learned that the Defense Ministry pays 100,000 yen to 
each landowner who provides their land for the use of the U.S. 
military as a contract renewal cooperation fee every 20 years. The 
ministry is expected to pay 7.2 million yen to 72 landowners in 
fiscal 2010. The amount to be paid in fiscal 2012 will jump to 
approximately 3.6 billion yen. This will likely stir up a 
controversy at the Government Revitalization Unit (GRU). 
 
Of the U.S. military land in Okinawa, 81 square kilometers is 
private land owned by 40,500 landowners. The Defense Ministry renews 
land lease contracts with them every 20 years, in principle, based 
on the Civil Code. The ministry paid 100,000 yen to each landowner 
as a contract renewal cooperation fee when it renewed contracts last 
time. 
 
It paid that amount once in around 1992, 20 years after the 
reversion of Okinawa to Japan in 1972. The renewal this time is the 
second time. The number of landowners whose contracts are to be 
renewed in fiscal 2010 is only 72 and the number for fiscal 2011 is 
only 50. But the number for fiscal 2012 is 36,000. The amount to be 
paid to them will jump to approximately 3.6 billion yen. 
 
No such money has ever been paid to landowners who refused to sign 
such a contract or the 6,500 landowners who provide their land to 
U.S. military troops stationed on the mainland. 
 
As reasons for paying such money only to landowners in Okinawa, the 
Defense Ministry Facilities Administration Division's land 
acquisition office explained that the payment is to reward the 
hardships the landowners underwent during the 40 years following the 
end of the Second World War, when their land was confiscated by the 
U.S. military, and the base-hosting burden they are bearing at 
present. 
 
The number of contracted landowners has increased proportionately to 
the increase in the divisions of lots. The number of landlords whose 
contracts are to be renewed this time has increased by about 7,000. 
As a result, contract renewal cooperation fees will increase by 700 
million yen. The amount of future payments is also expected to rise 
further. 
 
(3) National Public Safety Commission chairman not to seek custody 
of U.S. soldier before indictment in Okinawa hit-and-run case 
 
RYUKYU SHIMPO (Page 1) (Full) 
November 26, 2009 
 
Tokyo - At the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee on 
 
TOKYO 00002721  003 OF 010 
 
 
Nov. 25, Chairman Hiroshi Nakai of the National Public Safety 
Commission commented on the U.S. Army staff sergeant who has refused 
to present himself for questioning in the hit-and-run incident in 
Yomitan Village. He said: "We have not reached a stage where it has 
become impossible (for interrogation to take place as the 
prefectural police requested)." He indicated that in light of the 
U.S. forces' cooperative attitude, it is premature to demand custody 
of the suspect before indictment at this point. This was in response 
to a question from Taro Kono (Liberal Democratic Party). 
 
After the incident occurred, government officials have expressed the 
opinion that "it seems that the question of transfer of custody 
before indictment will not be an issue" (Chief Cabinet Secretary 
Hirofumi Hirano). However, the suspect has refused to present 
himself for questioning for over 10 days and the government still 
insists on dealing with this case within the bounds of the 
Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement. 
 
From his previous experience as senior vice minister of foreign 
affairs, Kono pointed out that refraining from demanding the 
transfer of custody before indictment is premised on the Japanese 
side's unimpeded questioning of the suspect. He asserted that this 
condition has not been met in the present case. Tetsuji Nakamura, 
parliamentary secretary of justice, responded that, "We are 
summoning him. We have not reached a stage where the condition is 
not being met." Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada also stated: "With 
regard to the question of whether a demand for transfer of custody 
will be made if the condition (that conducting the questioning is 
possible) is not met, this is not necessarily a case where the 
reverse is always true," indicating his position that this case does 
not require a demand for transfer of custody. 
 
Nakai said: "We will proceed with the investigation in two ways: Ask 
the U.S. forces to make further efforts to persuade him to appear 
for questioning and gather various evidence to prove that there is 
no doubt (that the staff sergeant is the culprit) even if the 
suspect does not confess, since he has already admitted to driving 
the car (in the hit-and-run incident)." He explained that 
investigations are taking place with the aim of building a case even 
if the suspect is not available for interrogation. He said that 
refusal to appear for questioning is a "very unusual situation." 
"This is probably because lawyers were appointed on Nov. 14 (when he 
began to refuse to appear for questioning)." 
 
(4) Budget screening team calls for deep cuts in funds for 
diplomatic establishments overseas 
 
MAINICHI (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
November 26, 2009 
 
Takashi Sudo 
 
In its second day, Nov. 25, of the second round of budget 
screenings, the Government Revitalization Unit scrutinized such 
fields as education, diplomacy, science, and technology. 
 
Diplomatic establishments abroad were also reviewed. 
 
China has far more diplomatic establishments than Japan in Africa 
and other areas. There are 166 Chinese embassies across the world 
compared to Japan's 133. In Africa alone, China has 48 embassies, 
which far surpasses Japan's 28. China is aiming to increase its 
 
TOKYO 00002721  004 OF 010 
 
 
influence in resource-rich African countries. Japan and China are 
now engaged in a fierce battle, with Tokyo also sending 
businessmen-turned-ambassadors to Africa. 
 
But on Nov. 25 panel members did not debate such issues, but focused 
on staff compensation and swimming pools, tennis courts, and other 
facilities at ambassadors' residences. Foreign Ministry officials 
explained that the monthly salary for an embassy worker in 
Washington who has been with the ministry for 15 years includes 
basic pay of 470,000 yen plus an overseas allowance of 510,000 yen. 
They also maintained that the amount is not especially high, citing 
the fact that among members of the Organization for Economic 
Cooperation and Development Japan ranks 18th in pay for staff at 
diplomatic establishments in Washington. Nevertheless, the 
cost-cutting panel concluded that various allowances for staff at 
diplomatic establishments overseas should be slashed. 
 
(5) Review of "sympathy budget" may trigger new dispute with U.S., 
with fierce reaction from base workers union in Okinawa 
 
ASAHI (Page 2) (Full) 
November 27, 2009 
 
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama told reporters yesterday: "Although 
the sympathy budget itself is a political budget agreement between 
Japan and the U.S., it is necessary to examine whether the current 
labor costs are proper." He thus emphasized the significance of 
having Japan's host nation support (HNS; the so-called omoiyari 
yosan or "sympathy budget") open to review for possible cutbacks. 
The Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) has called for reducing the 
nation's HNS budget ever since it was an opposition party. 
 
In its report titled "Okinawa vision" compiled in 2008, the DPJ 
specified that the host nation support budget should be trimmed, on 
the grounds that the current burden-sharing has not been fully 
reexamined. In the Diet the same year, the party opposed a plan to 
conclude a special agreement with the U.S. to extend HNS for another 
three years. The reasons included that operators of pleasure boats, 
animal handlers, and other recreation staff are among the base 
workers whose salaries Japan pays, and the non-transparency of 
utility and facility-maintenance expenditures. 
 
But the DPJ has assumed the reins of government. If it continues to 
call for cutbacks in HNS, that will inevitably spark a new dispute 
with the U.S. 
 
About 75 PERCENT  of all U.S. military bases in Japan are 
concentrated in Okinawa Prefecture. There are 9,000 Japanese base 
workers in Okinawa. Of them, about 6,500 are members of the Okinawa 
Branch Headquarters of the All Japan Garrison Forces Labor Union 
(Zenchuro). Their distrust in the Hatoyama cabinet is now growing 
because of its proposal to cut base worker salaries. Okinawa Branch 
Headquarters Chairman Eizo Yonaha commented: "The government, while 
placing a heavy base burden on Okinawa, is calling for cutting base 
worker salaries. If that is the case, the base burden should be 
equally shared across the nation." 
 
The DPJ had secured no seats in single-seat constituencies in 
Okinawa Prefecture before the general election in August, but the 
party won two seats in the election owing to support from Zenchuro. 
A union member grumbled, upon seeing base worker salaries targeted 
for review: "I wonder why we supported the DPJ. ... The party 
 
TOKYO 00002721  005 OF 010 
 
 
betrayed us." 
 
This issue also will unavoidably affect Japan-U.S. relations. For 
the U.S., Japan's HNS is a test case to see if Japan intends to 
continue the Japan-U.S. alliance. 
 
U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates stated when he visited Japan 
in October: "The defense umbrella (provided by the U.S.) has 
protected Japan for nearly 50 years. This has made it possible for 
Japan to contain its defense budget to 1 PERCENT  of its gross 
domestic product." His assertion can be interpreted to mean that 
since Japan's defense spending has been minimized due to the 
Japan-U.S. alliance and the presence of U.S. military bases, it is 
natural for Japan to pay the costs of stationing U.S. military bases 
in Japan. 
 
Japan and the U.S. have been at odds over the issue of relocating 
the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station. Against this background, 
if the government decides to slash the HNS budget, there will be 
additional friction between the two countries. Defense Minister 
Toshimi Kitazawa is skeptical of reviewing HNS. He said on Nov. 13: 
"If HNS is included among areas for review, Japan could fail to send 
an accurate message at home and abroad." 
 
(6) Budget-screening panel plunges scalpel into Foreign Ministry 
budget 
 
ASAHI (Page 3) (Abridged) 
November 25, 2009 
 
The Foreign Ministry's budget is no longer a sacred cow. The 
Government Revitalization Unit cut deep into the Foreign Ministry's 
budget in its screening session yesterday. It is difficult to 
evaluate the propriety of foreign affairs budgetary allocations 
based only on cost-benefit analysis. The screening process has 
disclosed that the ministry possesses a sense of cost far different 
from the average person's. Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada also 
intends to examine how to handle the issue. 
 
On the first day of the second round of the budget request screening 
process resumed after a lapse of one week, the unit plunged a 
scalpel into Foreign Ministry projects including those related to 
international conferences, international cooperation, and grant 
aid. 
 
About 20,000 staff members, including trainees, in the Japan 
International Cooperation Agency (JICA; President Sadako Ogata), an 
independent administrative institute under the Foreign Ministry, 
make overseas business trips annually. Their traveling expenses took 
center stage in the budget screening. 
 
A screening team member from the private sector snapped: "There is 
no private company that uses business-class tickets these days. 
Ordinary people travel economy class or on cheaper air tickets." 
JICA rules mandate that Japan Overseas Cooperation volunteers or 
non-governmental organization members fly economy class, executive 
members of foundations and specialists travel business class, and 
the president and the vice president travel first class. It has been 
found that JICA prepares business- or first-class full-fare tickets 
for more than 75 PERCENT  of all overseas business trips. 
 
Last year "the project team to eliminate wasteful spending" set up 
 
TOKYO 00002721  006 OF 010 
 
 
by the Liberal Democratic Party, a ruling party at that time, 
addressed the problem of JICA's high travel expenses. A responsible 
official of the Foreign Ministry explained "the results" produced by 
using discount tickets for some travel in accordance with the LDP's 
advice and emphasized: "It should be possible to reduce travel 
outlays by 700 million yen from now." 
 
Sumiko Kosemura, a screening team member who also attended the LDP 
screening process last year, claimed: "I pointed out last year 'it 
will be possible for JICA to reduce travel spending by 4 billion yen 
if it makes use of discount tickets,' but the amount has not 
decreased at all." 
 
The problem of high wages paid by JICA was another topic during the 
session. The JICA president's annual income reaches 22.16 million 
yen, and the average salary of its staff is at the highest level 
among all independent administrative agencies. The Laspeyres index 
of JICA staff's average salary, with public servants' average salary 
set at 100, is 133. A Foreign Ministry official emphasized their 
duties' distinctiveness, remarking: "JICA members are frequently 
transferred. Some are even assigned to places to which Japanese 
company employees do not go." A screening team member pointed out: 
"JICA should compare its salaries with those of similar institutes." 
JICA has not made an international comparison. 
 
The Foreign Ministry also came under fire. Japan will host an 
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum summit meeting next 
year. The government agencies concerned had requested a total of 
19.1 billion yen on Aug. 30 during the days of the Aso 
administration. They reduced the amount to 17.2 billion yen in their 
requests on Oct. 15 under the Hatoyama administration and then 
further to 16.6 billion yen before the start of the screening 
process. 
 
According to their explanations, they managed to cut the amount by 
reducing accommodation fees for state leaders and cabinet ministers 
in negotiations with hotels. A screening team member gave the 
ministry instructions in negotiating: "You took the wrong approach 
to price negotiations. You lost in negotiations the moment you asked 
hotels their prices." 
 
In the screening process, the corporations that have offered 
lucrative post-retirement posts for bureaucrats also drew attention. 
The Japan Institution of International Affairs, in which senior 
Foreign Ministry officials have secured post-retirement posts for 
many years, have received state subsidies for 50 years since fiscal 
¶1960. The ministry has requested 420 million yen for fiscal 2010. 
The screening team called for a halt to subsidies for the 
corporation, with one member remarking: "It is unclear whether the 
institutions are privately owned corporations or state organs. 
 
(7) Finance Ministry also questioned over Defense Ministry's 
outsourcing practices on eighth day of budget screenings 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Excerpts) 
November 27, 2009 
 
Keigo Narusawa 
 
On Nov. 26, the eighth day of budget screenings by the Government 
Revitalization Unit, Democratic Party of Japan House of Councillors 
member Renho locked horns with the Finance Ministry's budget 
 
TOKYO 00002721  007 OF 010 
 
 
examiner even though they were supposed to agree to cut budgets. 
 
The third working group focused on a plan to increase the number of 
Self-Defense Force personnel. The Defense Ministry sought an 
additional 3,500 personnel (costing some 7.2 billion yen), citing 
the need to improve and increase the frontline personnel responsible 
for measures against terrorism and North Korea, while playing up the 
ministry's restructuring efforts including the outsourcing of its 
food services and clerical work to private companies. 
 
A screening team member and the Finance Ministry's budget examiner 
made clear, however, that the outsourcing to the private sector has 
not helped the Defense Ministry reduce its costs. Parliamentary 
Secretary of Defense Akihisa Nagashima promised to properly review 
the ministry's outsourcing practices. "The approach presented by the 
parliamentary secretary will probably bring no change to the current 
situation," the budget examiner said, painting a gloomy picture. 
 
This prompted Renho to criticize the Finance Ministry in defense of 
Nagashima, asking: "Why has the Finance Ministry allowed (the 
Defense Ministry to continue with its costly outsourcing practices) 
for all these years?" Sensing an unfavorable situation, the budget 
examiner replied, "We didn't realize it until last year." 
 
(8) Foreign minister Okada alarmed at possible cut in total sum of 
ODA budget 
 
ASAHI (Page 3) (Full) 
November 25, 2009 
 
In a press conference yesterday, Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada 
said: "The various comments made from an unprecedented point of view 
provide me with very useful information." He welcomed the results 
produced in the screening process on Nov. 24 in general, although he 
refrained from mentioning any specific projects. 
 
Even so, the Foreign Ministry cannot easily make concessions on the 
government's official development assistance (ODA) budget, which is 
an essential tool for Japan's diplomacy. But the Government 
Revitalization Unit called for reducing one-third of the nation's 
grant aid to construct such facilities as hospitals and schools and 
using the reduced portion for soft infrastructure support. This 
policy direction could lead to reducing the total sum of the ODA 
budget. 
 
The Foreign Ministry's International Cooperation Bureau Director 
General Masato Kidera told reporters after the screening session: 
"There is a great demand for facilities.  ... I don't think anyone 
suggested in the session that aid for constructing facilities should 
be stopped. I would like to think about what should be done on a 
priority basis." 
 
Okada also took precautions in the press conference yesterday, 
saying: "If the total sum of the ODA is affected, it will turn into 
a policy debate." Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama pledged in his 
speech at the UN General Assembly in September: "We will strengthen 
our aid for developing countries in terms of both quality and 
quantity." Bearing this pledge in mind, Okada asserted: "This major 
policy pledge made by Prime Minister Hatoyama cannot be easily 
changed." 
 
(9) Warrant of arrest issued to divorced Japanese woman by 
 
TOKYO 00002721  008 OF 010 
 
 
Australian authorities for "kidnapping" her children 
 
ASAHI (Page 33) (Full) 
November 24, 2009 
 
Mariko Sugiyama 
 
A 36-year-old Japanese woman living in Osaka has been on the wanted 
list for nine months on charges of kidnapping. 
 
A warrant of arrest has been issued for her in Australia for 
returning to Japan with her two daughters, aged 10 and 5, without 
her ex-husband's consent. However, she will not be arrested because 
Japan has different laws. Nobody knows that she is on the wanted 
list. 
 
There have been numerous cases of Japanese women returning home from 
their countries of residence with their children after their 
international marriages have failed. According to Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs statistics, there were 168 such cases involving 
women returning from the U.S., the UK, Canada, and France as of 
October. In September, an American ex-husband who attempted to take 
back his children forcibly after his Japanese ex-wife brought them 
back from the U.S. was arrested by the Fukuoka Prefectural Police. 
 
We contacted this woman who returned from Australia in our attempt 
to find out why such cases continue to occur. She met us at a coffee 
shop in the JR Shin-Osaka station and told us with a sigh: "I had no 
other choice but to leave everything behind and flee." She began to 
tell us her story. 
 
She went to Australia under the working holiday scheme in 1995. She 
could hardly speak any English but men often asked her out. One of 
the men who approached her most enthusiastically was her 
ex-husband. 
 
"He said to me every day: 'You're so beautiful.' And to be honest, I 
was infatuated with the idea of an international marriage at that 
time." 
 
She married when she was 22 and started working at an American 
company. The couple took out a loan of 20 million yen to buy a 
house. They also had a child. 
 
However, the husband gradually stopped bringing money home. The wife 
resumed working three months after delivering the baby and was 
paying for everything from the mortgage to the husband's spending 
money. 
 
"I had been thinking about a divorce all along, but about four years 
ago, I found out from documents in the computer that my husband was 
suing banks and insurance companies left and right, and I was 
terrified. We had 20 million yen in debt, so I finally made up my 
mind." 
 
Two years ago, the procedures for a judicial divorce were completed, 
and the court ruled that the children would live with her. However, 
unlike under Japanese civil law, which gives parental rights to only 
one parent, both parents shared parental rights. 
 
The ex-husband began to call her and send her e-mails about the 
children frequently after the woman remarried. He said things like 
 
TOKYO 00002721  009 OF 010 
 
 
"their hair is cut too short" or "let them take ballet lessons 
instead of karate lessons." 
 
In January 2008, the ex-husband filed a court case making 14 
demands, including having the children live with either parent every 
other week and permission for him to travel with the children for 
three weeks during the spring break. 
 
A psychologist appointed by the court to interview the children 
reported that the elder daughter strongly refused to see her father. 
However, even after the woman won the case, the man appealed. The 
legal expenses totaled 16 million yen. 
 
"I was under intense psychological stress. My hands trembled when I 
used a knife for cooking. I thought if I died, I would be free from 
that man." 
 
In late 2008, her mother in Japan called her to inform her that her 
father was dying. She came to her senses and decided to return home 
with the children. 
 
Last January, she boarded the plane with just one suitcase 
containing a few clothes. As the cabin door closed, tears welled up 
in her eyes. She thought: "I will finally be able to live a normal 
life." 
 
In Japan, where there is a strong tendency not to interfere in civil 
affairs, it is very rare for a warrant of arrest to be issued for a 
parent who takes his or her children out of the country. However, in 
Australia, which basically adopts the principle of joint parental 
authority, it is not even possible to move from one town to another 
without the other parent's consent. 
 
One week after the woman's unauthorized return to Japan, the court 
granted sole parental authority to the ex-husband. The verdict says 
that "a warrant of arrest will be issued unless the children are 
returned to Australia in 21 days." She told the lawyer who contacted 
her that she had no intention to do so. 
 
She was prepared to be put on the wanted list. 
 
Last September, the ex-husband filed a case with a Japanese family 
court to seek a ruling allowing visitation rights with the children. 
He claimed that "(his daughters) would gain a lot from seeing their 
father and it is unacceptable for them to be separated from their 
father forcibly and illegally based on the mother's wishes." 
 
Western countries have been increasing their pressure on Japan for 
not signing the Hague Convention, which stipulates that children who 
have been taken to another country by their parents should be 
returned to their original country of residence. 
 
This woman, who now lives with her present husband and her children, 
thinks that it is ideal for children to maintain contact with both 
parents after a divorce. However, Japanese wives like her who 
returned with their children even if they had to violate foreign 
laws to do so probably had no other choice. 
 
She says: "If Japan signs the Hague Convention, it should also take 
measures to help Japanese citizens and children who are in distress 
overseas." 
 
 
TOKYO 00002721  010 OF 010 
 
 
Her children were born in Australia. However, this woman, who is on 
the wanted list, can never visit this country again. 
 
ZUMWALT