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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 07 TOKYO 000167 
 
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 01/27/10 
 
INDEX: 
 
1) Top headlines 
2) Editorials 
 
Futenma relocation: 
3) Hirano says legal resolution of Futenma issue also possible 
(Yomiuri) 
4) Okinawa reps in Diet to protest ministers' leaving Nago as 
relocation candidate site  (Yomiuri) 
5) Campbell: U.S. will keep an eye on Japan's policy  (Akahata) 
6) Hirano: Gov't might implement Futenma relocation plan without 
local resident's consent  (Akahata) 
 
Defense & security: 
7) Prototype of next ASDF transport plane makes maiden flight 
(Mainichi) 
8) MSDF interdictions of pirates in Somalia offing top 100  (Nikkei) 
 
 
Foreign relations: 
9) Okada nixes idea of joint Japan-Russian economic activity in 
Northern Territories  (Nikkei) 
10) State Minister for National Strategy Sengoku to attend Davos 
Forum  (Nikkei) 
 
Economy: 
11) Research group exploring Japan-China-Korea FTA to hold first 
meeting in May  (Nikkei) 
 
Politics: 
12) Prime Minister's answers during Upper House Budget Committee 
meeting  (Yomiuri) 
13) Prime Minister's answers during Upper House Budget Committee 
meeting  (Sankei) 
14) DPJ to coordinate with PNP on bill to enfranchise foreign 
residents  (Sankei) 
15) Research group exploring Japan-China-ROK FTA to hold first 
meeting in May (Sankei) 
 
Environment: 
16) Gov't officially decides to slash greenhouse gas emissions by 25 
PERCENT   (Asahi) 
 
Articles: 
 
1) TOP HEADLINES 
 
Asahi: 
Supreme Court rules that charging absentee owners higher condo 
administrative maintenance fees is legal 
 
Mainichi: 
Seven & I Holdings to close Seibu Yurakucho department store this 
year 
 
Yomiuri: 
Mega China; (Part 1): Project to create city with population of 
200,000 underway in Angola with eye on crude oil 
 
Nikkei: 
Willcom seeking turnaround under Corporate Rehabilitation Law 
 
TOKYO 00000167  002 OF 007 
 
 
 
Sankei: 
Tax problems emerge regarding Ozawa's land purchases 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
Seibu Yurakucho department store to be closed this year due to poor 
sales 
 
Akahata: 
Hirano's remarks ignoring local opposition to new base draw strong 
backlash from Okinawa and elsewhere 
 
2) EDITORIALS 
 
Asahi: 
(1) PKO in Haiti: Long-term assistance begins 
(2) Spring labor offensive kicks off: All workers are concerned 
 
Mainichi: 
(1) PKO in Haiti: Use Japan's experience for nation's reconstruction 
 
(2) Spring labor offensive: Present roadmap for job security 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1) Easing of three principles banning exports of arms is compatible 
with being a peaceful nation 
(2) Spring labor offensive starts: Labor and management must jointly 
chart roadmap toward growth 
 
Nikkei: 
(1) Explore ways to establish wage system that can promote greater 
workforce liquidity 
(2) Bank of Japan and government must work together closely and 
wisely 
 
Sankei: 
(1) Make pragmatic changes to Futenma relocation plan 
(2) Dispatch of GSDF to Haiti: Consider steps to be taken after 
cooperation in PKO 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1) Spring labor offensive gets underway: A freeze on annual wage 
hike will stall the economy 
(2) PKO in Haiti: Ensure safety and make international 
contributions 
 
Akahata: 
(1) Political responsibility of DPJ Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa 
is clear 
 
3) Hirano: Gov't may seek legal resolution of Futenma issue 
 
YOMIURI (Page 1) (Full) 
January 27, 2010 
 
The government may seek a legal resolution of the pending issue of 
relocating Futenma airfield, a U.S. military facility located in 
Okinawa Prefecture, to the island prefecture's northern coastal city 
of Nago, should the government fail to reach an agreement with the 
city, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirano said in a press conference 
yesterday evening. Hirano had indicated that the government would 
not necessarily have to obtain local consent in the process of 
 
TOKYO 00000167  003 OF 007 
 
 
deciding on where to relocate Futenma airfield. "I wonder if the 
government is not allowed to proceed with this matter if we cannot 
obtain their consent," Hirano said in an earlier press conference. 
This remark is likely to incur strong reactions from Okinawa. 
 
In yesterday evening's press conference, Hirano took the position 
that the government will make a decision while seeking to obtain 
local understanding to the extent possible. However, he went on: "I 
wonder if things will not move forward in the absence of (local) 
consent. We'd like to carefully consider this matter, but there are 
also cases in which it could be done legally." 
 
Hirano also explained: "I think there are various scenarios for 
obtaining local consent. There are even cases in which the 
government is not bound to local consent." He added: "I wonder if 
would be acceptable to have 50 PERCENT  understanding or if 70 
PERCENT  would be acceptable. That's a very difficult question. 
There are cases for which we're legally required to obtain local 
consent and those for which we're not." 
 
The government is expected to face difficulties in its coordination 
with local authorities over a new facility site for the Futenma 
base's relocation. Hirano is already anticipating such difficult 
coordination, so he is apparently giving consideration to land 
expropriation or such options as using a special measures law. 
 
The existing relocation plan involves constructing a new facility in 
the Henoko area of Nago, as an alternative for Futenma airfield. The 
planned facility requires land to be reclaimed from the sea. For 
this landfill, however, the government is legally required to ask 
for the Okinawa governor's permission. If the current plan is 
floated again, the government may prioritize the Okinawa governor's 
judgment over the Nago mayor, who is opposed to the Futenma 
relocation to Henoko, sources said. 
 
4) Okinawa lawmakers to protest Futenma relocation 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) 
January 27, 2010 
 
Shokichi Kina, a ruling Democratic Party of Japan lawmaker seated in 
the House of Representatives, and his "Uru no kai" group of Diet 
members elected from Okinawa Prefecture met yesterday in the Diet 
and decided to file a protest with the government over the issue of 
relocating the U.S. military's Futenma airfield facility in their 
island prefecture. In this regard, Prime Minister Hatoyama and Chief 
Cabinet Secretary Hirano have indicated that the government will 
retain the current plan to move Futenma airfield from its current 
location to the prefecture's northern coastal city of Nago as an 
option for consideration. Hirano has said there is no need to take 
into consideration the outcome of the city's recent mayoral election 
that ended in the victory of a candidate opposing the planned 
relocation of Futenma airfield to the city's Henoko area. The group 
will file a protest with Hirano shortly. 
 
5) Campbell: U.S. will keep eye on Japan's policy 
 
AKAHATA (Page 2) (Full) 
January 27, 2010 
 
Washington, Jiji 
 
 
TOKYO 00000167  004 OF 007 
 
 
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State (for East Asian and Pacific 
Affairs) Kurt Campbell, speaking to reporters in Washington on Jan. 
25, indicated that the victory of Susumu Inamine, who opposes the 
existing plan to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station 
to the Henoko district in Nago, in the mayoral election in Nago, 
Okinawa Prefecture, will have an impact on the relocation. He said: 
"It is certain that a new factor has been added (to the Futenma 
issue)." 
 
"I want to ask about what impact the results of this mayoral 
election may have on the thinking of senior Japanese officials," 
Campbell also said in connection with his visit to Japan scheduled 
for next week to attend talks on deepening the bilateral alliance, 
indicating his plan to ask about Japan's policy. At the same time, 
he expressed a negative view about holding talks with Inamine, 
saying, "I am going to exchange views with the central government." 
 
6) Hirano: Government might implement Futenma relocation plan 
without local residents' consent 
 
AKAHATA (Page 2) (Full) 
January 27, 2010 
 
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano, referring during a press 
conference yesterday to the Nago mayoral election in which a 
candidate opposed to accepting the relocation of the U.S. Marine 
Corps' Futenma Air Station (in Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture) achieved 
a victory, reiterated his view that the government might determine a 
relocation site without the consent of local residents. He said, "Do 
things not move forward if we cannot obtain consent (from the 
relocation site)?" 
 
"Do things not move forward if (the local government) refuses to 
accept the plan?" Hirano again said in an afternoon press 
conference. "We want to fully examine that point. There could be 
cases in which we can take legal steps to implement the plan." 
Hirano thus pointed to the possibility of a legal settlement of the 
matter if the local government rejects the plan. 
 
7) First test flight of ASDF's domestically-produced next generation 
transport aircraft XC-2 conducted 
 
MAINICHI (Page 9) (Full) 
Evening, January 26, 2010 
 
Tetsuya Hioka 
 
The first test flight of a prototype XC-2, the next generation 
transport aircraft (CX) of the Air Self-Defense Force (ASDF) that 
the Ministry of Defense (MOD) is developing, took place at the 
ASDF's Gifu Air Base in Kagamihara City on Jan. 26. The test had 
originally been scheduled for September 2007, but the development 
project was delayed considerably due to various problems, such as 
inadequate strength of certain components. If the safety of the XC-2 
is verified, shipment of the aircraft will begin within this fiscal 
year. 
 
The MOD started the development of the CX as the successor to the 
C-1 transport aircraft, which has reached the end of its service 
life, in FY01. The body of the aircraft is 43.9 meters long, 44.4 
meters wide, and 14.2 meters high. Since the new transport aircraft 
is also expected to be used on overseas missions, such as for 
 
TOKYO 00000167  005 OF 007 
 
 
disaster relief, its flight range and load capacity have been 
upgraded considerably compared to the C-1. 
 
This transport aircraft was manufactured by Kawasaki Heavy 
Industries, Ltd. and a number of related companies. The total 
development cost, including spending on the XP-1, the successor to 
the Maritime Self-Defense Force's P-3C patrol plane, is 
approximately 340 billion yen. 
 
8) MSDF has engaged in more than 100 antipiracy interdictions off 
Somalia 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
January 27, 2010 
 
As of Jan. 26 the Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) has carried out 
more than 100 interdictions off Somalia since it began the 
antipiracy mission there last March. The MSDF has so far provided 
escort services to 562 commercial ships of Japan, China, and other 
countries. The government ended the MSDF's refueling mission in the 
Indian Ocean. However, it intends to continue the MSDF's antipiracy 
mission off Somalia as a pillar of its international contribution, 
along with aid to quake-hit Haiti, to which the government has 
decided to dispatch a Ground Self-Defense Force unit to join the UN 
peacekeeping operations (PKO). 
 
9) Foreign Minister Okada negative about Japan-Russia joint economic 
activities 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full0 
January 27, 2010 
 
At a press conference yesterday, Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada took 
a negative view on joint economic activities between Japan and 
Russia, saying, "Unless the fundamental issue is resolved, there 
will be difficult legal problems. I don't take a positive view of 
this approach." Russian First Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Denisov 
yesterday told the Nihon Keizai Shimbun that he "supports" joint 
Japan-Russia economic activities. However, Okada underscored Japan's 
position that the settlement of the issue of ownership of four 
Russia-held islands is a prior condition for joint economic 
activities of the two countries. 
 
10) Sengoku to attend Davos conference 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
January 27, 2010 
 
Yoshito Sengoku, state minister for national strategy and 
administrative reform, revealed yesterday after a cabinet meeting 
that he intends to attend the annual meeting of the World Economic 
Forum (Davos conference). If the Diet approves of his participation 
in the Davos conference, he will leave for Geneva aboard a 
government plane along with Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries 
Minister Hirotaka Akamatsu and Economy, Trade and Industry Minister 
Masayuki Naoshima. Akamatsu and Naoshima are expected to attend 
informal ministerial talks of the World Trade Organization. 
 
11) Japan-China-ROK joint industry-government-academic research 
group on trilateral FTA to hold first meeting in May 
 
NIKKEI (Page 5) (Full) 
 
TOKYO 00000167  006 OF 007 
 
 
January 27, 2010 
 
Masanori Yamaguchi in Seoul 
 
Japan, China, and the Republic of Korea (ROK) held a preparatory 
meeting of bureau chief level officials of their ministries of 
foreign affairs in Seoul on Jan. 26 and agreed to hold the first 
meeting of a joint industry-government-academic research project on 
a trilateral free trade agreement (FTA) in Seoul as soon as May. 
According to an official involved with the meeting, officials of the 
three countries agreed at the preparatory meeting that "the joint 
research project will be significant for strengthening economic ties 
among the three countries." The research group is expected to meet 
at least once every six months. 
 
12) Diet debate in Upper House Budget Committee meeting on Jan. 26 
 
YOMIURI (Page 15) (Excerpts) 
January 27, 2010 
 
Japan-U.S. alliance 
 
Yoichi Masuzoe of Liberal Democratic Party (LDP): Do you think that 
military relations between Japan and the U.S. are on an equal 
footing? 
 
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama: As seen from the fact that Japan 
dispatched Ground Self-Defense Force troops to Iraq and Maritime 
Self-Defense Force vessels to the Indian Ocean at the request of the 
U.S., Japan's security policy was overly dependent on the U.S. In an 
equal relationship, Japan should make proposals and conduct thorough 
talks with the U.S. on military affairs. 
 
Yoshimasa Hayashi of the LDP: The prime minister said "trust me" 
during the latest Japan-U.S. summit meeting. Does it mean that the 
government will thoroughly discuss the relocation of the U.S. Marine 
Corps' Futenma Air Station? 
 
Hatoyama: I wanted to convey that it was important for the two 
countries to deepen the bilateral relationship of trust and for the 
other side to trust me. This is exactly what I meant. I expressed my 
desire that the president will trust me overall. I did not mean to 
promise this or that, setting time limits. 
 
13) Remark by Hatoyama on Futenma issue in Upper House Budget 
Committee meeting 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (Excerpt) 
January 27, 2010 
 
We must prepare a reply that can convince both the U.S. and the 
people in Okinawa. The study committee on Okinawa base issues is 
making utmost efforts. We will push ahead with discussion from 
scratch, and I will come up with a conclusion by the end of May 
without fail. 
 
14) Government to coordinate with PNP on foreigner suffrage bill 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (Full) 
January 27, 2010 
 
The government intends to submit to the current Diet session a bill 
 
TOKYO 00000167  007 OF 007 
 
 
to give permanent foreign residents in Japan the right to vote in 
local elections. In this connection, Chief Cabinet Secretary 
Hirofumi Hirano indicated in a press conference yesterday that the 
government should carry out coordination with the People's New Party 
(PNP) first. Hirano said: "State Minister for Financial Affairs and 
Postal Reform Shizuka Kamei has made replies (opposing the bill) in 
the Diet, so it is necessary that an agreement will be reached in 
the cabinet before the government proceeds with the issue." 
 
15) Foreign Ministry panel to delay submission of report on secret 
nuclear pacts to February or after 
 
An expert panel of the Foreign Ministry tasked with examining 
documents related to alleged secret accords between Japan and the 
U.S. plans to compile a report on its findings. Tokyo University 
Professor Shinichi Kitaoka, who chairs the panel, met Foreign 
Minister Katsuya Okada at the Foreign Ministry yesterday and said: 
"In order for the panel to present a responsible report, another one 
month or so (from January) will be needed because there are a 
massive amount of related documents to examine." Okada accepted his 
request and decided to put off the compilation of a report to 
sometime after February. 
 
16) Japan notifies UN of its formal decision on greenhouse gas 
emission reduction target of 25 PERCENT 
 
ASAHI (Page 7) (Abridged) 
January 27, 2010 
 
The government made a formal decision on Jan. 26 on Japan's goal to 
reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent compared to 1990 
levels by 2020 as its reduction target to be submitted to the United 
Nations under the Copenhagen Accord that was agreed upon at the 15th 
Conference of Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate 
Change (COP15) in late 2009 and notified the Convention's 
secretariat of this decision. 
 
A ministerial committee consisting of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, 
Deputy Prime Minister Naoto Kan, and other cabinet members approved 
this target. The committee set as the condition for meeting this 
target "the building of a fair and effective international framework 
by all major countries" - not just numerical targets - and "an 
agreement on an ambitious goal." 
 
ROOS