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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 10 TOKYO 002821 
 
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 12/10/09 
 
INDEX: 
 
1) Top headlines 
2) Editorials 
3) Prime Minister's daily schedule (Nikkei) 
 
Futenma relocation: 
4) Kitazawa says relocation of Futenma facility to Guam would be 
difficult  (Asahi) 
5) Kitazawa accepts U.S. explanation; tries to quickly draw curtain 
on idea to relocate Futenma facility to Guam  (Asahi) 
6) MOD remarks there is pessimism about the relationship of trust 
between Japan and the U.S.  (Yomiuri) 
7) Former Vice Defense Minister Moriya says some Okinawans are tough 
negotiators  (Asahi) 
8) Japan-U.S. summit at COP15 put off  (Yomiuri) 
9) DCM Zumwalt meets with DPJ 's Koshiishi  (Mainichi) 
 
Foreign relations: 
10) Ozawa-led delegation leaves for China today  (Tokyo Shimbun) 
11) Foreign Minister : quid pro quo for North's reopening 
investigation into abductions  (Nikkei) 
12) Government to continue grant program for northern Okinawa 
(Sankei) 
 
Economy: 
13) Delta to boost aid for JAL  (Asahi) 
 
Space: 
14) Study group proposes establishing lunar base by 2020  (Yomiuri) 
 
 
Politics: 
15) Coalition party chiefs to powwow tomorrow  (Nikkei) 
16) DPJ to introduce bill to increase number of parliamentary 
secretaries  (Asahi) 
17) SDP to investigate former vice defense minister's allegation 
that business interests are roiling Futenma issue  (Yomiuri) 
 
Articles: 
 
1) TOP HEADLINES 
 
Asahi: 
Japan to demand emerging countries be required to reduce emissions 
 
Mainichi: 
Nikai's secretary indicted in summary procedure 
 
Yomiuri: 
Volkswagen to buy 19.9 percent of Suzuki's shares 
 
Nikkei: 
Seven and I aims to increase sales in China five-fold 
 
Sankei: 
Prime Minister Hatoyama intends to admit to "gift" fund 
contributions from mother 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
84 independent administrative institutions sent funds improperly 
 
 
TOKYO 00002821  002 OF 010 
 
 
Akahata: 
Hatoyama administration's tax policy unacceptable 
 
2) EDITORIALS 
 
Asahi: 
(1) Futenma issue: Prime Minister Hatoyama must avoid crisis in 
Japan-U.S. relationship 
(2) Nikai's secretary: Need for drastic measures to prevent 
falsified political donations 
 
Mainichi: 
(1) Indictment of Nikai's secretary: Ruling, opposition parties must 
move toward amending law 
(2) Taxpayer identification number system: Wide-ranging debate 
should be conducted 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1) Futenma talks suspended: Prime Minister Hatoyama must make 
decision to avert crisis in Japan-U.S. alliance 
(2) Summary indictment: Nikai cannot avoid taking responsibility 
 
Nikkei: 
(1) With delay in decision on Futenma, growing possibility of three 
crises 
(2) Suzuki, VW eye markets in emerging countries 
 
Sankei: 
(1) Postponement of Japan-U.S. talks: Reason is Prime Minister 
Hatoyama's "breach of trust" 
(2) Ozawa-led delegation to China: We hope the delegation holds 
discussions that will advance the national interest 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1) Japan-U.S. relations: Tokyo, Washington must make a further 
effort for building relationship of trust 
(2) Cut in resident tax: Nagoya City has moved one step forward at 
any rate 
 
Akahata: 
(1) Intelligence-gathering satellite project should be abolished 
 
3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, December 9 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
December 10, 2009 
Japan time 
09:56 Met with Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirano at the Prime 
Minister's Official Residence (Kantei). 
10:14 Met with Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Nagatsuma. 
12:01 Award ceremony for persons of merit in the promotion of 
barrier-free universal design. 
13:25 Met with State Minister for National Policy Kan and Deputy 
Cabinet Office Minister Furukawa, joined by Hirano. 
14:07 Council for Science and Technology Policy. Then met with 
Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno. 
15:52 Left Haneda Airport by government plane to attend the Bali 
Democracy Forum. 
Local time 
Evening Arrived at Ngurah Rai Airport in Bali, Indonesia. Stayed 
 
TOKYO 00002821  003 OF 010 
 
 
overnight at Grand Hyatt Bali. 
 
4) Guam relocation "difficult": Kitazawa 
 
ASAHI (Page 1) (Full) 
December 10, 2009 
 
Hisashi Ishimatsu 
 
GUAM-Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa, who is now visiting Guam, 
indicated yesterday that it would be difficult to move the entire 
functionality of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station in 
Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture, to Guam, while some ruling party 
lawmakers have been calling for relocation of the entire facility to 
Guam. "It strays too far from our agreement with the United States 
(on the current Futenma relocation plan)," Kitazawa told 
accompanying reporters. 
 
The current Japan-U.S. agreement is to move 8,000 Okinawa-based U.S. 
Marines to Guam along with the planned construction of an 
alternative facility for Futenma airfield. The Social Democratic 
Party, one of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan's two coalition 
partners, and some of Okinawa's local mayors have been insisting 
that the government should consider relocating Futenma airfield to 
Guam instead of building a new facility. Prime Minister Yukio 
Hatoyama also said on Dec. 4: "They're talking about relocating the 
Futenma base in its entirety. When we think about U.S. deterrence, 
we should consider whether it's appropriate to do so." 
 
Concerning that move, Kitazawa indicated that the Futenma relocation 
itself would not make headway. "When we're trying to do something 
while expecting that, we may hit a snag," Kitazawa said. He also 
expressed concern, indicating that a deferred solution to the 
Futenma issue would have a serious impact on the global 
transformation of U.S. forces. 
 
Furthermore, Kitazawa said it would be "quite difficult" to proceed 
with the idea of moving the Marines to Guam before resolving the 
Futenma issue. "They want to resolve the issue as early as possible 
and go ahead with the project," he said. "We need to respond to 
their feelings properly," he added. 
 
5) Defense minister tries to put end to Guam idea, shows 
understanding for U.S. side's explanation 
 
ASAHI (Page 3) (Abridged slightly) 
December 10, 2009 
 
Hisashi Ishimatsu in Guam, Hiroshi Ito in Washington 
 
An idea announced by Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama on relocating the 
U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station from Ginowan, Okinawa 
Prefecture, to Guam has already hit a snag. Upon taking a firsthand 
look at the situation in Guam, Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa 
yesterday tried to quickly put an end to the Guam idea, saying that 
it would be difficult to realize it. 
 
"From what I've heard from many people, I feel there is no room in 
Guam for an additional air station," Kitazawa said to the press 
corps traveling with him after touring U.S. air and marine bases on 
Guam on Dec. 9. His conclusion is that given the ongoing global 
transformation of U.S. forces, making changes to the existing plan 
 
TOKYO 00002821  004 OF 010 
 
 
would be difficult. 
 
Earlier this month, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) threatened to 
bolt from the coalition government, and as a result the Hatoyama 
administration decided to postpone a solution to the relocation 
issue until early next year or later. In late November, the SDP made 
an abrupt proposal to consider such places as Guam and Iwo Jima as 
possible candidate sites. Guam has emerged as a possible relocation 
site because Prime Minster Hatoyama also expressed his willingness 
to consider a move to the U.S. island. 
 
Mayor Yoichi Iha of Ginowan, home to Futenma Air Station, also 
pointed to the need to examine the possibilities for Guam, saying 
hasty discussions must not be conducted premised on relocation 
within Okinawa. This has resulted in rising expectations in 
Okinawa. 
 
To begin with, Guam is specified in the existing plan, agreed upon 
by Tokyo and Washington in 2006, as the site where some 8,000 
Marines will be transferred from Okinawa. The Hatoyama 
administration is exploring ways to move the Futenma base itself in 
addition to the 8,000 Marines. In November, the U.S. Navy released 
an environmental impact assessment report on the relocation of 
Marines to Guam which says that 8,552 Marines - a number greater 
than that agreed upon between the two countries - will be relocated. 
This has resulted in the observation that the United States might 
have a more extensive relocation plan in mind than the one agreed 
upon. 
 
Nevertheless, the United States needs to keep Marines in Okinawa to 
conduct landing and special operations on the front line in time of 
a contingency at the Taiwan Strait or in North Korea. It takes three 
hours for an aircraft to travel between Guam and Taiwan and three 
days for a vessel. 
 
Furthermore, there has been no change in the U.S. position that (1) 
it will move Marines from Okinawa to Guam centering on command 
functions and will keep front-line troops in Okinawa; and (2) 
Okinawa needs at least one alternative air base besides Kadena to 
deal with contingencies. "Moving Futenma to Guam is a too great a 
change for the United States to accept," a Japan-U.S. relations 
expert said. 
 
In Guam, an environmental impact assessment is underway, which is 
required for building a command center and helicopter tarmacs. 
Construction work is scheduled to start as early as next February. 
The Japanese government has disbursed 34.6 billion yen for Guam 
relocation costs this fiscal year. The Hatoyama cabinet has decided 
to disburse about 50 billion yen in the next fiscal year. The plan 
is designed for Japan to shoulder up to 2.8 billion dollars (250 
billion yen) by 2014. 
 
Kitazawa visited Guam at this time in a bid to demonstrate Tokyo's 
eagerness to steadily advance the Marine Guam relocation plan to 
Washington as well as to show maximum consideration to the SDP, 
which insists on examining the option of moving Futenma to Guam. 
 
But there are no signs that the Defense Ministry has earnestly 
considered the Guam option. Being briefed by the U.S. side on Dec. 
9, Kitazawa has subscribed to the view that U.S. Marines are 
stationed in Okinawa out of strategic necessity. The fear that the 
discussion on Futenma might spin further out of control if 
 
TOKYO 00002821  005 OF 010 
 
 
expectations for Guam relocation mount without any prospect for 
realization has prompted Kitazawa to try to quickly close the 
curtain on the idea. 
 
6) Defense minister: Pessimism is growing about Japan-U.S. 
relationship of trust 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) 
December 10, 2009 
 
Yoshikazu Shirakawa, Tumon (U.S. territory of Guam) 
 
On Dec. 9 Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa visited among other 
places a district in northern Guam where the U.S. military plans to 
transfer about 8,000 U.S. Marines in Okinawa. In a press conference 
after the tour, Kitazawa said regarding the possible transfer of 
Marines from Okinawa to Guam with no prospect in sight for a 
settlement of the issue of relocating the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma 
Air Station in Okinawa: "It would be difficult. Pessimism is growing 
about the future of the relationship of trust between Japan and the 
U.S." 
 
7) Former vice defense minister Moriya in magazine article: 
"Okinawan people are tough negotiators" 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
December 10, 2009 
 
Writing for the edition of the monthly magazine Chuo Koron to go on 
sale on Dec. 10, former administrative vice defense minister 
Takemasa Moriya gives the following advice to the Hatoyama cabinet, 
which has been straying off course over the relocation of U.S. 
Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station in Ginowan City, Okinawa 
Prefecture: "The Hatoyama cabinet does not understand that some of 
the Okinawan people engaged in negotiations with the central 
government are tough." Under the government led by the Liberal 
Democratic Party, Moriya was involved in negotiations with Okinawa. 
He participated in the process of formulating the existing plan to 
relocate the Futenma facility to the Henoko district in Nago. 
 
In an interview with the Chuo Koron, Moriya pointed out that 
interests over land reclamation are behind the current deadlock in 
the negotiations. He criticizes a call from Okinawa Governor 
Hirokazu Nakaima and others for moving the planned construction site 
further offshore, a plan that would widen the area to be reclaimed: 
"They are apparently trying to put off the settlement of the 
issue." 
 
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has indicated that he would give 
priority to local people's intentions, eyeing the upcoming Nago 
mayoral election in January and other events in Okinawa. Speaking of 
Hatoyama's stance, Moriya notes: "That is the strategy the Okinawan 
people have used in negotiations with the central government, aiming 
to put off the solution of issues. Many people in Okinawa are hoping 
to see the central government take responsibility for dealing with 
the issue." 
 
Moriya got a prison sentence on charges of bribery and violating the 
Diet Testimony Law over the procurement of defense equipment and has 
entered an appeal. 
 
8) COP15: Japan-U.S. summit put off 
 
TOKYO 00002821  006 OF 010 
 
 
 
YOMIURI (Page 1) (Full) 
December 10, 2009 
 
Prime Minister Hatoyama on Dec. 9 revealed that he had not yet 
proposed to the U.S. a bilateral summit to discuss the issue of 
relocating the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station. The prime 
minister appears eager to hold a meeting (with the U.S. President) 
on the sidelines of the summit-level meeting of the 15th session of 
the Conference of the Parties to the Climate Change (COP15). 
However, it is now clear that coordination for a meeting has made 
little progress. A growing view is that it would be difficult to 
realize full-fledged talks, since the U.S. is negative toward the 
idea. 
 
On the afternoon of the 9th the Prime Minister told the press corps 
at his office: "The first thing we should do is to finalize the 
government's stance (toward the Futenma relocation issue). I would 
like to hold a meeting if it is necessary or if there is an 
opportunity. I have not yet formally proposed a meeting." 
 
The prime minister had earlier indicated his intention to finalize 
the government's stance toward the Futenma issue by the COP15. He 
intends to put off a decision until next year in order to search for 
a revision of the existing plan for relocating the Futenma facility 
to the coastal part of Champ Schwab in Nago City, Okinawa 
Prefecture. 
 
The prime minister remains unable to propose a meeting to the U.S., 
because of growing opposition to and a backlash against his policy 
stance both in Japan and the U.S. 
 
Worrying that Japan-U.S. relations will deteriorate, Foreign 
Minister Okada is calling for a settlement of the issue before the 
year end. The prime minister has reportedly expressed displeasure at 
Okada's call for a settlement this year, reportedly asking his 
aides, "Why is he saying such a thing?" The Japanese government has 
not made progress toward unifying the views of ministers. 
 
The U.S. side strongly distrusts the prime minister. Since the 
President's schedule in Copenhagen is tight, some close to the prime 
minister are beginning to take the view that the U.S. will not allow 
the two leaders to meet, and even if they did meet, they would only 
engage in casual conversation. 
 
9) DPJ's Koshiishi meets with U.S. Embassy minister over Futenma 
issue 
 
MAINICHI (Page 2) (Full) 
December 10, 2009 
 
Yesterday U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission Zumwalt from the U.S. Embassy 
in Japan called at the Diet and met there with Azuma Koshiishi, 
chair of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan's lawmakers seated in 
the House of Councillors, to exchange views on the pending issue of 
relocating the U.S. military's Futenma airfield in Ginowan, Okinawa 
Prefecture. During the meeting, Zumwalt sought to settle the Futenma 
relocation issue as early as possible. "We want this issue resolved 
at the earliest possible date," he said. Koshiishi replied, "We will 
have to take time (to reach a conclusion); otherwise we will become 
even more troubled." Thus the DPJ floor leader sought understanding 
for the Japanese government's response. 
 
TOKYO 00002821  007 OF 010 
 
 
 
10) Ozawa along with 143 lawmakers to visit China today: Is the aim 
a show of power? 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Full) 
December 10, 2009 
 
The Democratic Party of Japan's delegation led Secretary General 
Ichiro Ozawa as honorary head will visit Beijing on Dec. 10. The 
delegation consists of 143 lawmakers, and totals approximately 630 
people including private citizens. 
 
The visit is an activity of the Great Wall Program, a grass-roots 
exchange project launched by the Japan-China exchange talks 
organization formed by the DPJ and the Chinese Communist Party, and 
Ozawa, when he was a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. 
Lawmakers close to Ozawa, including honorary deputy delegation chief 
Azuma Koshiishi, head of the DPJ caucus in the Upper House, Diet 
Affairs Committee Chairman Kenji Yamaoka, chief of the delegation, 
and lawmakers who were for the first time elected in the August 
Lower House election will participate in the delegation. 
 
Ozawa is expected to meet with President Hu Jintao on the 10th. He 
said, "Our visit is basically a grass-roots exchange. We have no 
plans to discuss types of issues that should be taken up by the 
government." However, his visiting China along with more than 
one-third of DPJ lawmakers is presumably intended to demonstrate to 
China his power in the Hatoyama administration. 
 
Ozawa will visit South Korea on the 11th on his own and have a 
dinner meeting with President Lee Myung Bak. They are expected to 
exchange views on the question of whether foreign nationals with 
permanent resident status in Japan should be vested with the right 
to vote in local elections. 
 
11) FM Okada says rewards needed if North Korea reinvestigates 
abduction cases 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
December 10, 2009 
 
Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada met the Association of Families of 
Victims Abducted by North Korea at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
(MOFA) on Dec. 9. He said: "If North Korea responds in good faith, 
Japan will have to consider rewards." He indicated that if the DPRK 
begins to reinvestigate the abduction cases, Japan is willing to 
lift certain sanctions, as per the agreement reached at the 
bilateral working-level meeting in Shenyang, China, in August 2008. 
 
Shigeo Iizuka, chairman of the association, asked Okada to "request 
that the U.S. and China send out a message (to North Korea) to 
resolve the abduction issue at an early date." Okada said: "Our 
policy to work for a comprehensive solution to the nuclear, missile, 
and abduction issues remains unchanged." 
 
Meanwhile, a senior MOFA official revealed on Dec. 9 that Stephen 
Bosworth, U.S. special envoy for North Korea policy who is currently 
visiting the DPRK, will be in Japan on Dec. 12-13. Vice Foreign 
Minister Mitoji Yabunaka and other officials will receive a briefing 
on the U.S.-DPRK talks from him and discuss future policy toward 
North Korea. 
 
 
TOKYO 00002821  008 OF 010 
 
 
12) Government to continue economic development measures for 
northern Okinawa in connection with accepting Futenma replacement 
facility, contradicting its policy of reviewing relocation site 
 
SANKEI (Page 3) (Excerpts) 
December 10, 2009 
 
It was learned that the Hatoyama administration will continue beyond 
FY2010 the economic development measures for the northern area of 
the main island of Okinawa, including Nago City, which has been 
identified as the relocation of the U.S. forces' Futenma Air Station 
(in Ginowan City, Okinawa) under the Japan-U.S. agreement. When 
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama was in the opposition camp, he used to 
criticize the policy of linking the acceptance of the Futenma 
replacement facility with economic development measures as a 
carrot-and-stick tactic, but now he is adopting a contradictory 
policy of continuing the economic development measures and subsidies 
paid out to local governments in relation to U.S. Forces Japan 
(USFJ) realignment even though he is reviewing the existing Futenma 
relocation plan. 
 
The economic development measures for northern Okinawa consist of 
the injection of 100 billion yen into the development of Okinawa and 
the 12 municipalities in its northern region over 10 years from 
FY09. They were announced after Nago agreed to accept the Futenma 
replacement facility. Some 77 billion yen has already been spent for 
public work projects under this scheme. The Hatoyama administration 
will change the name of these economic development measures to 
"special development measures for the revitalization of northern 
Okinawa" and has decided to extend the allocations by two years to 
FY2011 after the government's overall economic development program 
for Okinawa expires. Seven billion yen will be allocated in FY2010. 
 
 
Furthermore, USFJ realignment subsidies being paid to municipalities 
accepting new military facilities from FY2007 based on the degree of 
their cooperation with realignment projects under the special 
measures law for USFJ realignment will continue to be paid out to 39 
municipalities nationwide, including Nago and Ginoza Village, which 
is on the flight route for helicopters using the proposed Futenma 
replacement facility. A total of 9.1 billion yen is being allotted 
in the budget for this purpose. 
 
If the existing Futenma relocation plan is scrapped as a result of 
the Hatoyama administration's review, the economic development 
measures and realignment subsidies will have lost their purpose. 
Therefore, the government intends to "make budget allocations for 
Okinawa's genuine economic development," (according to Okinawa 
Affairs Minister Seiji Maehara). It plans to continue the 
development measures by changing the purpose of the appropriations. 
 
13) Delta Airlines to boost capital assistance to JAL 
 
ASAHI (Page 10) (Excerpts) 
December 10, 2009 
 
Richard Anderson, CEO of Delta Airlines of the U.S., which has 
announced its readiness to extend capital assistance to Japan 
Airlines (JAL), on Dec. 9 met with JAL President Haruka Nishimatsu 
and conveyed the carrier's plan to boost capital assistance to JAL. 
The size of assistance the company had previously indicated was 
almost on the same level as that proposed by its rival carrier 
 
TOKYO 00002821  009 OF 010 
 
 
American Airlines. Delta Airlines aims to have JAL switch to 
SkyTeam, an aviation alliance it leads, by increasing capital 
assistance. 
 
Until today, Delta has offered capital assistance totaling 1.02 
billion dollars (approximately 89.8 billion yen), including 
investment worth 500 million dollars and compensation for the loss 
JAL will incur when it shifts to Delta-led alliance. The carrier has 
apparently proposed an increase in the cost involved in shifting to 
its alliance. 
 
Anderson also met with Transport Minister Seiji Maehara at the 
Transport Ministry on the previous day. He explained to Maehara 
details of Delta's proposal to JAL. He also stressed the advantage 
of JAL shifting from Onewolrd, to which JAL currently belongs, to 
SkyTeam. 
 
In response, Maehara said, "It is up to JAL to decide on its 
business partner." However, he added, "Since the Enterprise 
Turnaround Initiative Corporation of Japan (ETIC) will help JAL 
using taxpayers' money, we would like to responsibly keep an eye on 
JAL's decision." He thus indicated that the government will be 
involved in JAL's decision to choose its business partner. 
 
14) Government panel plans to build base on moon by around 2020 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) 
December 10, 2009 
 
In a meeting of the government's panel on lunar exploration 
yesterday, Chairman Katsuhiko Shirai, Waseda University president, 
presented a plan to construct an unmanned, robot-controlled base at 
the south pole of the moon by around 2020 and bring rocks from the 
far side of the moon back to the earth by around 2025. 
 
The Cabinet Office has announced that this plan is estimated to cost 
approximately 400 billion yen. The panel will discuss the plan and 
submit a report to the government's Space Development Strategy 
Headquarters, chaired by Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, around next 
June. 
 
Under the chairman's plan, Japan would have its lunar probe land on 
the surface of the moon by around 2015. Electric power would be 
supplied for a robot at the unmanned base that the panel plans to 
build by around 2020. The robot would bring rocks collected from the 
far side of the moon back to the earth for such purposes as 
scientific research and utilization of natural resources. 
 
15) Ruling party heads to meet tomorrow 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
December 10, 2009 
 
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama clarified yesterday that he will meet 
with Social Democratic Party head Mizuho Fukushima and People's New 
Party leader Shizuka Kamei on the evening of Dec. 11. Hatoyama told 
the press corps: "We will exchange views on various pressing 
issues." He is expected to discuss government policy with regard to 
the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station, which 
he plans to explain to the United States, as well as the compilation 
of a state budget for fiscal 2010. The Prime Minister reportedly 
proposed holding the party-head meeting. 
 
TOKYO 00002821  010 OF 010 
 
 
 
Hatoyama said, "The basic purpose of holding the meeting is to 
express my gratitude for their contribution until now to maintaining 
the coalition government." Meanwhile, Fukushima commented on the 
Futenma issue, saying, "The agreement between the three parties is a 
super manifesto (campaign pledge), which is stronger than each 
party's manifesto. The Prime Minister said during the campaign for 
the House of Representatives election (in August) that the Futenma 
base should be moved out of Okinawa or Japan," stressing that her 
party cannot accept the plan to relocate the base within Okinawa 
Prefecture. 
 
16) DPJ political reform panel eyes lawmaker-initiated legislation 
to increase number of parliamentary secretaries 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Excerpt) 
December 10, 2009 
 
The Democratic Party of Japan's Political Reform Promotion 
Committee, headed by Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa, held an 
executive meeting at party headquarters yesterday. The panel decided 
to include among bills related to Diet reform a bill amending the 
National Government Organization Law to increase the number of 
parliamentary secretaries. The panel intends to submit the bill as 
legislation initiated by the three ruling parties -- the DPJ, the 
Social Democratic Party and the People's New Party - to the next 
ordinary Diet session, aiming to have the bill enacted at an early 
date. 
 
17) SDP to investigate former vice defense minister's comment 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) 
December 10, 2009 
 
In reference to former Administrative Vice Defense Minister Takemasa 
Moriya's comment that business interests relating to land 
reclamation work are a factor behind the confusion over the 
relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station in Okinawa, 
Social Democratic Party (SDP) head Mizuho Fukushima, currently state 
minister for consumer affairs, said at a press conference yesterday, 
"The issue is related to the propriety of the work. The SDP will 
investigate and reveal the facts." 
 
ROOS