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RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 8902

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 09 TOKYO 000178 
 
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 01/28/10 
 
INDEX: 
 
1) Top headlines 
2) Editorials 
 
Futenma relocation: 
3) Hirano: Cabinet decision on Futenma by May  (Asahi) 
4) Ozawa says he understands the will of the people  (Nikkei) 
5) DPJ's Makino inspects Tokunoshima  (Tokyo Shimbun) 
 
Foreign relations: 
6) Okada to visit South Korea next month  (Yomiuri) 
7) Okada: No armed conflict in Haiti  (Asahi) 
 
Defense & security: 
8) U.S. service member involved in hit-and-run incident indicted on 
additional charge  (Tokyo Shimbun) 
9) Defense Ministry to send PKO fact-finding team to Haiti  (Asahi) 
 
 
Politics: 
10) Ozawa: The U.S. went so far as to elect a black to change the 
country  (Nikkei) 
11) Hatoyama administration to first submit 12 bills to Upper House 
(Asahi) 
12) Hatoyama says postponement of bill enfranchising foreign 
residents possible  (Asahi) 
13) Summary of debate in Upper House Budget Committee  (Nikkei) 
 
Ozawa scandal: 
14) Prosecutors put off second grilling of Ozawa  (Nikkei) 
 
Economy & trade: 
15) China eclipses U.S. as Japan's biggest export market  (Sankei) 
16) JAL to conclude tie-up with Delta  (Mainichi) 
17) Rare metal funds to be listed  (Nikkei) 
 
Opinion: 
18) Nikkei-Tokyo TV poll: Cabinet disapproval rating tops approval 
rating  (Nikkei) 
19) Nikkei-Tokyo TV poll: 67 PERCENT  worried about Japan-U.S. 
relations  (Nikkei) 
 
Articles: 
 
1) TOP HEADLINES 
 
Asahi, Yomiuri: 
Former deputy police chief to be charged over fatal stampede in 
Akashi in line with inquest panel's decision 
 
Mainichi, Tokyo Shimbun: 
Saitama Prefectural Police to re-arrest woman on suspicion of 
murdering several men who died mysterious deaths 
 
Nikkei: 
Japan's major manufacturers see sharp profit recoveries on demand 
from abroad 
 
Sankei: 
Okinawa in turmoil: Hirano mentions legal steps about Futenma issue 
again 
 
TOKYO 00000178  002 OF 009 
 
 
 
Akahata: 
JCP's Mikishi Daimon grills Prime Minister and others over Worker 
Dispatch Law 
 
2) EDITORIALS 
 
Asahi: 
(1) Yonekura-led Keidanren: Donations must be abolished to revamp 
the business lobby 
(2) Global warming law must serve as driving force toward low carbon 
era 
 
Mainichi: 
(1) Inquest panel decides to indict a former deputy police chief 
(2) Strong expectations on Yonekura to reform Keidanren 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1) Yurakucho Seibu Department Store to be closed: Department stores 
need new strategies for survival 
(2) Decision on condo administrative management fees fair and 
appropriate 
 
Nikkei: 
(1) Low carbon society requires solid domestic greenhouse gas 
reduction targets before international talks 
(2) Keidanren must reform itself into a body that can take overall 
economy into consideration 
 
Sankei: 
(1) 25 PERCENT  emissions reduction target: Explanation to the 
people insufficient 
(2) New Keidanren chief must make strong requests to Hatoyama 
administration 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1) Hirano's remarks seem to trample on popular will 
(2) Bank of Japan's government bonds likely to be lowered; present 
fiscal reconstruction roadmap soon 
 
Akahata: 
(1) Hirano's outrageous remarks denying popular will opposing bases 
intolerable 
 
3) Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirano says cabinet resolution on Futenma 
relocation site to be passed before end of May 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
January 28, 2010 
 
At a news conference on Jan. 27, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi 
Hirano indicated that a cabinet resolution will be passed on the 
relocation site of the U.S. forces' Futenma Air Station (in Ginowan 
City, Okinawa) before the end of May. He said: "While it will be 
significant if the Prime Minister identifies a relocation site, 
officially, a cabinet resolution represents the government's 
decision." 
 
Hirano also indicated that the approval of the local government 
hosting the relocation site and of the U.S. side will be sought by 
the end of May. 
 
 
TOKYO 00000178  003 OF 009 
 
 
4) Ozawa tells Nago mayor-elect that he understands the people's 
will 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
January 28, 2010 
 
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa met 
yesterday Nago Mayor-elect Susumu Inamine at a hotel in Nago City. 
Inamine, who has opposed the plan to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps' 
Futenma Air Station (in Ginowan City, Okinawa) to the coast area of 
U.S. Camp Schwab in the Henoko district, his city, demand that the 
existing plan be scrapped. Ozawa responded, saying: "I understand 
the will of Nago residents and the will of Okinawa residents. I will 
deal with the matter as DPJ secretary general." 
 
5) DPJ Lower House member Seishu Makino investigating Tokunoshima as 
possible Futenma relocation site 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Full) 
January 28, 2010 
 
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) House of Representatives member 
Seishu Makino, who is close to Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, 
disclosed on Jan. 27 that he is investigating Tokunoshima in the 
Amami islands in Kagoshima Prefecture as a possible relocation site 
for the U.S. forces' Futenma Air Station. 
 
Makino has been visiting Tokunoshima since last November and have 
met with the mayors of the towns of Tokunoshima, Amagi, and Isen 
several times to sound them out about accepting Futenma's 
relocation. He reported to the Prime Minister about these activities 
in November. 
 
However, Isen Mayor Akira Okubo contacted him by phone on behalf of 
all three mayors on Jan. 27 to inform him that, "The answer is 'no' 
this time." 
 
6) FM Okada to visit South Korea in February 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) 
January 28, 2010 
 
Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada has begun coordination to visit South 
Korea on Feb. 10-11 to hold talks with South Korean Foreign Affairs 
and Trade Minister Yu Myung-hwan, multiple sources connected with 
the government said yesterday. This will be Okada's first trip to 
South Korea since assuming office last September. He is expected to 
exchange views with his South Korean counterpart on such matters as 
North Korea's return to the Six-Party Talks and the resumption of 
talks on a Japan-ROK free trade agreement (FTA). 
 
7) Okada: There is no armed conflict in Haiti 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
January 28, 2010 
 
The government is planning to send Self-Defense Force (SDF) 
personnel to Haiti to join the UN peacekeeping operations (PKO). 
Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada said in a meeting of the House of 
Councillors Budget Committee yesterday that the SDF dispatch to 
Haiti meets the conditions for Japan's participation in PKO set in 
the UN Peacekeeping Operations Cooperation Law of no armed conflict 
 
TOKYO 00000178  004 OF 009 
 
 
and acceptance by both parties to the conflict of Japan's 
participation. Although several armed groups have been conducting 
activities from before the earthquake, no armed conflicts have 
broken out. Given this, Okada indicated that it is not necessary to 
obtain a cease-fire agreement and acceptance by both parties to the 
conflict - requirements stipulated in the five principles of PKO 
participation. 
 
8) U.S. service member in Okinawa indicted again over hit-and-run 
incident 
 
TOKYO SHIMUN (Page 26) (Full) 
January 28, 2010 
 
The Naha District Public Prosecutors Office yesterday indicted Clyde 
Gunn, 27, a staff sergeant based at the U.S. Army Torii 
Communications Station in the village of Yomitan, Okinawa 
Prefecture, on an additional charge of a violation of the Road 
Traffic Law (hit-and-run) in connection with a case in which a man 
died after being hit by a car in the village last November. 
 
According to the indictment, Gunn hit Masakazu Hokama, 66, who was 
walking, while driving a car at around 5:50 a.m. on November 7, 
2009, but Gunn neither tried to help Hokama nor reported the 
accident to the police. 
 
The cause of Hokama's death was a cervical spine fracture and other 
injuries. 
 
9) Defense Ministry to send PKO fact-finding team to Haiti 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
January 28, 2010 
 
The Defense Ministry yesterday dispatched a fact-finding team of 
three members, including Ground Self-Defense Force officials, to 
earthquake-devastated Haiti in preparation for dispatching 
Self-Defense Force personnel to join the UN peacekeeping operations 
(PKO) mission. The members are expected to arrive in Haiti early in 
the morning on Jan. 29, Japan time.  They will investigate such 
details as what equipment needs to be sent for the engineering unit 
to conduct its activities and the conditions for setting up a camp 
for its members. 
 
10) Ozawa: The U.S. went so far as to elect a black to change the 
country 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
January 28, 2010 
 
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa gave 
a speech at a party hosted by DPJ House of Councillors members 
yesterday in Naha City. Referring in his speech to the change of 
government in the United States, he said, "In the United States as 
well, they chose to change the world and their country even by 
electing a black man, Mr. Obama." 
 
11) Hatoyama administration plans to allow Upper House to deliberate 
on 12 bills ahead of Lower House 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
February 28, 2010 
 
TOKYO 00000178  005 OF 009 
 
 
 
The Hatoyama administration decided yesterday that of the 61 bills 
presented to the Diet in the current session, it will allow the 
House of Councillors to deliberate first on 12 bills, including 
regional autonomy reform promotion legislation and a bill amending 
the Worker Dispatch Law to ban dispatching temporary workers to the 
manufacturing industry in principle. 
 
With the Upper House election scheduled to take place this summer, 
it will not be possible to extend the Diet session substantially. 
Allowing the Upper House to begin deliberating first on the bills in 
early February while the House of Representatives is discussing the 
fiscal 2010 budget in earnest is intended to make effective use of 
the current Diet session that will end on June 16. 
 
12) Hatoyama hints at possible delay in submission of foreigner 
suffrage bill to Diet, reflecting PNP's opposition 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Excerpt) 
 
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama indicated yesterday that the 
government would give up on its plan to submit to the current Diet 
session a bill to give permanent foreign residents in Japan the 
right to vote in local elections. He said: "Since the government is 
composed of three political parties, an agreement among the ruling 
parties is necessary at the very least. Now that the People's New 
Party (PNP) is opposed to the bill, however, it will not be easy to 
build consensus." Hatoyama made this remark in response to questions 
by reporters at the Prime Minister's Official Residence. 
 
13) Gist of deliberations at Upper House Budget Committee on January 
27 on Futenma, arms exports, SDF Haiti mission 
 
NIKKEI (Page 4) (Excerpts) 
January 28, 2010 
 
Futenma base issue 
 
New Komeito leader Natsuo Yamaguchi: Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada 
stated at a meeting with citizens of Nago City, Okinawa Prefecture 
on Dec. 5 that, "In the first place, whether to build a military 
base and the Japan-U.S. security alliance are issues at the national 
level." 
 
Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada: It goes without saying that we need 
to make efforts to seek the understanding of the people of Okinawa. 
However, ultimately, the national government should take the 
responsibility, since this is an issue affecting national security. 
In the end, the government will make the decision. 
 
Yamaguchi: The chief cabinet secretary's statement on the popular 
will as expressed in the Nago mayoral election is creating a stir. 
 
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano: The most important thing in 
the Futenma base issue is to reduce the burden on the Okinawan 
people, and the question of safety or the removal of danger. The 
government and the ruling parties have set up an examination 
committee. While local leaders and legislators have been expressing 
their views, the committee will examine this issue from scratch. I 
have said that the result of the mayoral election is indeed a 
manifestation of popular will, and we will have to seek the 
understanding of the affected local governments and officials. 
 
TOKYO 00000178  006 OF 009 
 
 
 
Yamaguchi: It will not do if the relocation site of the Futenma base 
remains uncertain and a decision is put off. How do you propose to 
make a decision by May? 
 
Hirano: The instruction from the Prime Minister is for us to decide 
on a relocation site, including consultations between Japan and the 
U.S., by May. Needless to say, this process will involve the 
Ministerial Committee on Basic Policies and a cabinet resolution, 
through which a government decision will be made. 
 
Yamaguchi: Do you mean that you will arrive at a solution that Japan 
and the U.S. can agree to by the end of May? 
 
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama: That's right. 
 
Yamaguchi: If you fail to do so, this will affect the fate of the 
cabinet. Are you determined to stake the fate of the administration 
on achieving this? 
 
Hatoyama: Please understand that we will definitely arrive at a 
conclusion by the end of May. 
 
Three non-nuclear principles 
 
Yamaguchi: The three non-nuclear principles should be upheld. 
 
Hatoyama: We have upheld the three non-nuclear principles because 
Japan is the only atomic-bombed country. We will continue to make 
these principles, including the non-introduction of nuclear arms, 
universally known. We will continue to uphold the three non-nuclear 
principles. 
 
Three principles on arms exports 
 
Yamaguchi: Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa mentioned a review of 
the three principles on arms exports during an exchange of views 
with the executives of defense-related companies on Jan. 12. 
 
Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa: These are important basic 
principles for the prevention of international conflicts. At the 
extraordinary Diet session last year, the government expressed its 
intent to continue to follow them. I had a meaningful discussion on 
how to maintain the production and technology base while adhering to 
these principles. I mentioned the review as a topic for discussion. 
The statement did not mean that we will no longer follow these 
principles or that we will revise them. 
 
Yamaguchi: (Japan) needs to continue to adhere to these principles. 
 
Hatoyama: Japan pledged in its constitution never to wage a war 
again. We have adhered to the three principles on arms exports so 
far because we believe that we need to be very strict about the 
export of weapons. We will continue to follow these principles 
because the export of arms needs to be handled with extreme 
caution. 
 
Haiti earthquake 
 
Yamaguchi: It is necessary to ensure the safety of the Self-Defense 
Forces (SDF) to be dispatched for peacekeeping operations (PKO) in 
Haiti. 
 
TOKYO 00000178  007 OF 009 
 
 
 
Okada: It is true that there are problems with the security 
situation in Haiti, but the government there is functioning 
properly. We do not think that any conflict has occurred. 
 
Hatoyama: While there is social disturbance (in Haiti), there is no 
armed conflict. We need to take every possible measure to ensure 
safety. If the five principles (which are the conditions for 
dispatching the SDF) are no longer met, the SDF will return home. 
They will operate while closely watching the safety situation. 
 
14) Prosecutors forgo re-questioning of Ozawa 
 
NIKKEI (Page 1) (Excerpts) 
January 28, 2010 
 
In connection with the political fund scandal involving Democratic 
Party of Japan (DPJ) Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa's fund 
management body, Rikuzankai, over a shady land purchase, the special 
investigation squad of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office 
decided yesterday to forgo questioning Ozawa again, according to 
informed sources. Prosecutors have apparently judged that they have 
accomplished their objective of questioning him on a voluntary basis 
with the formulation of a written statement on the hearing conducted 
on Jan. 23, although there were several questionable points in his 
deposition. Prosecutors will apparently continue questioning those 
involved and then make a final judgment on whether to file charges 
against Ozawa. 
 
15) Japan's exports to China top those to U.S. in 2009 
 
SANKEI (Page 11) (Excerpts) 
January 28, 2010 
 
Japan's exports to China, excluding Hong Kong, came to 10.2301 
trillion yen, topping those to the U.S. (8.7446 trillion yen) for 
the first time in the post-war period, the preliminary trade 
statistics (customs-cleared basis) for 2009 released on Jan. 27 by 
the Finance Ministry showed. China is now Japan's top import 
partner. The report underscored the brisk purchasing power of China, 
which is already on a V-shaped recovery track in contrast to the 
U.S., which is markedly slow to recover from the financial crisis. 
 
Total exports in December 2009 reached 5.4128 trillion yen, up 12.1 
percent from the same month a year earlier, moving into the plus 
column after a hiatus of 15 months since the Lehman shock in 
September 2008. Exports to China, which showed a 42.8 percent 
increase, served as the driving force for the upturn. The trend 
underscored the tendency of Japan's trade becoming increasingly 
dependent on China. 
 
Trade surplus determined by deducting total imports from total 
exports stood at 545.3 billion yen in December, marking the eleventh 
surplus in a row. 
 
16) JAL to ink deal with Delta 
 
MAINICHI (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
January 28, 2010 
 
Japan Airlines on Jan. 27 decided to tie up with Delta Air Lines, 
the world's largest carrier, and switch international airline groups 
 
TOKYO 00000178  008 OF 009 
 
 
from OneWorld to SkyTeam. American Airlines, a key member of 
OneWorld, had also proposed strengthening its ties with JAL. 
However, JAL has determined that a business alliance with Delta 
would produce greater benefits. Kazuo Inamori, who is set to become 
JAL's chairman, will announce the decision as early as Feb. 1. 
 
JAL plans to apply for antitrust immunity status (ATI) under the 
antimonopoly law with the Japanese and U.S. government by the end of 
February. It will also look into establishing flight routes between 
Narita and Detroit and between Haneda and Amsterdam with an eye on 
strengthening its operation network. 
 
17) Rare metal exchange-traded funds 
 
NIKKEI (Page 1) (Excerpts) 
January 28, 2010 
 
The Tokyo Stock Exchange plans to approve trading by exchange-traded 
funds that invest in rare metals, materials that are essential to 
the production of next-generation vehicles or electronic equipment. 
It has determined that there are needs among individual and 
institutional investors for investment in rare metals, whose prices 
are showing an upward trend, reflecting a global increase in demand. 
It will aim at listing the first such fund before year's end, after 
revising the listing regulation. 
 
Rare metal exchange-traded funds are designed to produce the same 
effect as that investors achieve when actually investing in rare 
metals. Securities houses will collect investment money from 
investors and invest in rare metals owned by trading houses. 
 
18) Poll: Cabinet support at 45 PERCENT , nonsupport at 47 PERCENT 
 
NIKKEI (Page 1) (Abridged) 
January 28, 2010 
 
The Nihon Keizai Shimbun and TV Tokyo jointly conducted a spot 
opinion poll on Jan. 26-27, in which the public approval rating for 
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's cabinet was 45 PERCENT , down 5 
percentage points from the previous poll conducted last December. 
Meanwhile, the disapproval rating for the Hatoyama cabinet rose 5 
points to 47 PERCENT . The Hatoyama cabinet's nonsupport rate topped 
its support rate for the first time since it came into office. In 
the spot poll, 65 PERCENT  of respondents said ruling Democratic 
Party of Japan Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa, whose former 
secretaries have been arrested on the charge of violating the 
Political Funds Control Law, should resign from his party post, with 
only 22 PERCENT  saying he should stay in his post. 
 
The Hatoyama cabinet's inaugural rating in the survey conducted last 
September right after its debut was 75 PERCENT , marking the second 
highest level among cabinets. Four months later, however, the figure 
dropped 30 points. This seems to reflect the "politics-and-money 
problems" of DPJ leaders, such as Hatoyama's falsified reports on 
political funds and Ozawa's land purchase with political funds, and 
mirror the Hatoyama cabinet's flip-flopping over the issue of 
relocating the U.S. military's Futenma airfield facility in Okinawa 
Prefecture. 
 
19) Poll: 67 PERCENT  concerned about Japan-U.S. ties, up 12 points 
 
NIKKEI (Page 1) (Full) 
 
TOKYO 00000178  009 OF 009 
 
 
January 28, 2010 
 
In the latest joint poll conducted by the Nihon Keizai Shimbun and 
TV Tokyo, 67 PERCENT  of respondents said they were concerned about 
the current state of Japan-U.S. relations, markedly up from 55 
PERCENT  in the last poll conducted last November. Meanwhile, 21 
PERCENT  said the bilateral relationship remains unchanged, with 
only 2 PERCENT  saying the two countries are getting along well. The 
Hatoyama administration, since coming into office, has been 
flip-flopping over the issue of relocating the Futenma base in 
Okinawa Prefecture, and this is apparently reflected in the poll. 
 
Among those concerned about Japan-U.S. relations, "somewhat" 
accounted for 47 PERCENT  and "very" for 20 PERCENT . Among those 
who support the Hatoyama cabinet, 56 PERCENT  were concerned about 
Japan-U.S. relations, with 32 PERCENT  saying Japan-U.S. relations 
remain unchanged and only 4 PERCENT  saying the two countries are 
getting along well. 
 
In the breakdown of those concerned about Japan-U.S. relations, the 
proportion of those in their 20s to 30s was around 60 PERCENT , but 
the proportion of those in their 40s and that of those in their 60s 
were around 70 PERCENT  and those in their 50s accounted for 78 
PERCENT . 
 
ROOS