JAPANESE MORNING PRESS HIGHLIGHTS 03/29/06

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E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO PGOV PINR ECON ELAB JA SUBJECT: JAPANESE MORNING PRESS HIGHLIGHTS 03/29/06 Index: 1) Top headlines 2) Editorials 3) If Tokyo is hit with a major M 7.3 earthquake, officials predict 5,600 deaths, 54,000 injured Defense issues: 4) Bog downed coordination between Tokyo, local government on USFJ realignment process creates deep US distrust, postpones final report 5) Prime Minister Koizumi meets JDA chief, others, orders "minor revisions" of Futenma relocation plan, consideration of economic package for Okinawa 6) Koizumi hangs tough on refusing large revisions in Futenma relocation plan; US-Japan realignment talks may resume April 4 7) Five cabinet ministers meet and agree that 50% would be the limit for Japan's share of relocating Marines to Guam 8) LDP rewriting law to allow strategic use of space by SDF 9) Despite ODA pledge, Japan's plan to shift priority in Iraq to economic assistance complicated by delay in GSDF troop withdrawal from Samawah 10) New Cabinet Intelligence Director Mitani chosen for expertise: Chief Cabinet Secretary Abe 11) Taiwan's Lee Teng Hui postpones trip to Japan Beef issue: 12) US, Japanese experts meet on ending ban on US beef imports 13) Farm minister Nakagawa: Need to listen to US explanation first before can decide on resumption of US beef imports 14) Former prime minister Mori tells press that Prime Minister Koizumi's views must be taken into account in electing the next party president Articles: 1) TOP HEADLINES Asahi: Supervisor of NTT Data's computer systems stole bank customer's loan card information Mainichi & Sankei: Tokyo District Court clears doctor of professional negligence for failing to remove part of cotton-candy stick from brain of boy who died later Yomiuri: Government mulls designating Japanese breed of cow as intellectual property Nihon Keizai: Government considers allowing private broadcasting firms to set up holding companies Tokyo Shimbun: Tokyo Metropolitan panel's simulation: 5,600 people would die in TOKYO 00001620 002 OF 011 M7.3 earthquake, 54,000 would be injured 2) EDITORIALS Asahi: (1) We want to know whether Aum Shinrikyo founder is critically ill or faking illness (2) Tougher anti-monopoly law making progress toward elimination of bid-rigging Mainichi: (1) It is regrettable the trial of Aum cult's Matsumoto will end without his attendance in court (2) Integrated command of SDF: Need to dispel sense of sectionalism Yomiuri: (1) Primary school English: Teach English at the expense of Japanese? (2) Dismissal of trial of Aum founder Matsumoto: Defense team's attitude questionable Nihon Keizai: (1) Diet should put end to e-mail issue and deal with bills to full extent (2) Need for guidelines for Hospice care and specialists Sankei: (1) Primary school English: Teaching Japanese is fundamental (2) Fiscal reconstruction: Cuts in expenditures alone do not work Tokyo Shimbun: (1) Asahara trial: We want to hear his voice (2) Unemployment strike in France: Young people's concern should be removed 3) Tokyo Metropolitan Government Disaster Prevention Council releases report estimating that magnitude 7.3 quake in Tokyo would leave 5,600 dead, 54,000 injured from falling furniture Tokyo Shimbun (Top Play) (Slightly abridged) March 29, 2006 The earthquake taskforce (chaired by Tokyo University Professor Emeritus Megumi Jizoue) of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Disaster Prevention Council yesterday finalized and released a report on the estimated damage in the event of an earthquake in Tokyo. The report estimated that the death toll from a magnitude 7.3 quake in Tokyo would reach approximately 5,600 and approximately 159,000 would be injured. The report calculated that of the 159,000 injured, about 54,000 of would be trapped under fallen furniture, the first time such an estimate had been made. The report also noted that approximately 4.48 million workers would be unable to return home from work. By station, the largest number, approximately 140,000 commuters, would be left stranded at Tokyo Station. The panel last month released an interim report. The final report released yesterday included damage caused by fallen furniture, with the number of casualties added. TOKYO 00001620 003 OF 011 The report is based on the assumption of an earthquake occurring at 6:00 p.m. in the winter, a time when fires are more likely to occur, causing greater damage than would be the case at different times or seasons. Wind speed of 6 meters per second, the average during in this season, was hypothesized. Provided that such an earthquake occurs in the northern part of Tokyo Bay, a total of approximately 4.48 million people, including approximately 550,000 commuters and tourists from outside the metropolitan area and about 8,000 foreigners, would be stranded. About 600,000 people would be stranded at major stations, including about 100,000 at Shibuya Station and about 90,000 at Shinjuku Station. Looking at the number of stranded people according to area of resident, there would be about 730,000 people unable to return home in Tokyo's 23 wards, 660,000 unable to return to Tama, 850,000 for Kanagawa Prefecture, 890,000 for Saitama Prefecture, and a total of 790,000 people for Chiba Prefecture and southern Ibaraki Prefecture. The report also estimated that the number of evacuees would be greatest the day after the quake, as 3.85 million people would have to flee due to fires. Approximately 2.5 million people would stay in shelters, while another 1.35 million people would evacuate to areas unaffected by the disaster. 4) Realignment talks postponed; US distrustful of Japan MAINICHI (Page 2) (Full) March 29, 2006 Japan and the United States were scheduled to hold another round of intergovernmental consultations in Washington on March 30-31 on the realignment of US forces in Japan with senior foreign affairs and defense officials attending. However, the scheduled talks will now be postponed at the US government's request. The proposal to defer the talks has bewildered Tokyo. In the meantime, Tokyo has been in coordination with the city of Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, over the planned relocation of the US Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station to a coastal area of Camp Schwab in the city. However, their coordination will also be delayed into April. Behind the scenes of the US government's postponement, Washington is apparently distrustful of the Defense Agency, which has promised to carry out the Futenma relocation. The Japanese and US governments have been also facing rough going in their talks about their respective shares of the cost of relocating US Marines from Okinawa to Guam. The two governments had originally planned to wind up the talks and release a final report in late March. Last October, the Japanese and US governments released an interim report on their talks over the US military's realignment in Japan, incorporating an agreement to work out specific plans by March 2006. The United States, however, has now called off this deadline. One senior official of the Defense Agency was apparently upset at the US government's notification, saying, "It's unilateral and discourteous." The US side cited the schedule in Congress schedule for its move to put off the scheduled talks. This also is "too unnatural to suddenly postpone the talks," according to another senior official of the Defense Agency. TOKYO 00001620 004 OF 011 Meanwhile, Defense Agency Director General Fukushiro Nukaga and Nago Mayor Yoshikazu Shimabukuro were scheduled to meet in Tokyo to talk about the Futenma relocation issue. However, their meeting will be carried over to next week or afterward due to the death of former Nago Mayor Tateo Kishimoto. In their March 25-26 meetings, Nukaga presented minor changes that would alter the runway's location and direction. However, Shimabukuro called for substantial changes to the government's plan to place a Futenma alternative in a coastal area, insisting on reclaiming land from the sea to build a sea-based heliport. Nago is not expected to concur on the coastal plan. With its postponement of the realignment talks, Washington will presumably keep tabs on the future course of local coordination in Japan. At the same time, the US government is also believed to have shown its distrust of the Defense Agency for taking so long to obtain local consent to the relocation plan. The Japanese government would like to hold a two-plus-two foreign and defense ministerial meeting of the Japan-US Security Consultative Committee by mid-April to work out a final report. If that is delayed into April or afterward, it will be difficult to get relevant legislative measures through the Diet in the current session, including a cost-sharing agreement on the Guam relocation and an economic stimulus package intended to expedite US military base relocation. 5) USFJ realignment: Koizumi orders settlement with minor changes to gov't plan YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) March 29, 2006 Japan and the United States have now decided to postpone their talks over the realignment of US forces in Japan. The Japanese and US governments will accordingly delay their release of a final report into April. The two governments were scheduled to hold another round of consultations from tomorrow with senior officials for foreign and defense affairs attending. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Koizumi met with Defense Agency Director General Nukaga and former ruling Liberal Democratic Party Vice President Taku Yamasaki in Tokyo yesterday evening. In the meeting, Koizumi told Nukaga and Yamasaki to retouch the government's plan to relocate the US Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station in Okinawa Prefecture to the island prefecture's northern coastal city of Nago. Koizumi also told them expedite local consent to the relocation plan with minor changes. In addition, the premier asked them to study specific measures with due consideration for economic packages including remedies for local unemployment after the US Marines move Okinawa-based troops to Guam. Nago City will hold a funeral service on April 2 for the late Tateo Kishimoto, the predecessor of the city's newly elected mayor, Yoshikazu Shimabukuro. Nukaga will meet again with Shimabukuro next week for an early settlement of the relocation issue. According to government officials, the Japanese and US governments concurred on putting off the talks scheduled for March 30-31 because US Deputy Under Secretary of Defense Lawless on the US side has been asked by the US Congress to account for the US military's global transformation around that time and the TOKYO 00001620 005 OF 011 US government therefore proposed rescheduling the talks for later dates. Tokyo and Washington are coordinating to reset the talks for April 4-5. It was only yesterday that the Japanese government announced the schedule for another round of talks. But the government had to reschedule the talks in only one day. In the meantime, Tokyo is now in coordination with Nago over the planned relocation of Futenma airfield to a coastal area on the premises of Camp Schwab in Nago. However, their coordination has been protracted. As it stands, some government officials are voicing their doubts about the US proposal. "It might be a tactic of the US government having lost its patience," a Defense Agency source said. 6) Prime minister will not respond to large revisions in Futenma relocation plan, orders minor revisions, with resolution next month; Resumption of Japan-US senior working level talks on USFJ realignment proposed for April 4 NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Excerpts) March 29, 2006 Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi last evening met in Tokyo with Defense Agency Director General Fukushiro Nukaga, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Security Research Council Chairman Taku Yamasaki and others to discuss issues regarding the realignment of US forces in Japan. On the pending issue of an alternate facility for Futenma Air Station (Ginowan City, Okinawa Prefecture),he affirmed a stance of not responding to major revisions in the original plan. The Prime Minister ordered a settlement to be reached with Nago City during April with such minor revisions in the plan as changing the angle of the runway to be built on the coastal portion of Camp Schwab by 10 degrees counterclockwise. Yamasaki said: "Although I am not saying that it would be better to move the spot 200 meters toward the ocean, can't we say in consideration of the local government that if it's a meter, we'll move it." Prime Minister Koizumi: "No, that's wrong. Though it would be OK to say I am not against budging it even a centimeter. There's not much time left. I want things speeded up." At the start, the Prime Minister expressed a negative view about Yamasaki's advice, stressing the need for a rapid conclusion to the local coordination. Vice Defense Minister Moriya also attended the meeting. At the meeting yesterday, it was learned that the two days of senior working-level talks between Japan and US foreign and security affairs officers starting on the 24th had broken down. The Prime Minister that day contacted Nukaga and Yamasaki through Moriya. He apparently wanted to unify views because various statements were coming out one by one from within the ruling camp on the USFJ realignment problem. The Prime Minister, taking into consideration that coordination between JDA chief Nukaga and Nago City were not making any progress, stressed repeatedly, "Do something within the scope of the government's plan." Nukuga agreed to comply and they agreed that in the next meeting with Mayor Yoshikazu Shimabukuro, if he would not accept the plan with a change in the angle of the runway and other minor revisions, talks would be broken off. TOKYO 00001620 006 OF 011 Although senior working level talks of foreign and security affairs officials from Japan and the US had been scheduled for Washington on March 30-31, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense Lawless, the responsible US official, informed the Japanese side on March 28 that he would not be able to attend the consultations. Although Lawless explained that the reason was due to Congress' schedule, the Japanese government took it that "the US is angry," and decided to postpone the talks, It proposed resumption on April 4-5. 7) Five cabinet ministers reach agreement on bearing up to 50% of Guam relocation cost ASAHI (Page 4) (Excerpts) March 29, 2006 Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe, Foreign Minister Taro Aso, Defense Agency Director General Fukushiro Nukaga, Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki, and Okinawa Affairs Minister Yuriko Koike held talks at a Tokyo hotel yesterday to discuss Japan's share in the cost of relocating US Marines from Okinawa to Guam as part of the realignment of US forces in Japan. As a result, they reached an agreement that Japan can bear only up to 50% of Washington's request for a total of 10 billion dollars for the planned relocation. The US has asked Japan to bear about 7.5 billion dollars for the relocation. Japan has indicated that it would be able to shoulder 3 billion dollars, including 2.5 billion dollars in loan for building housing. The five ministers seem to have approved the possibility of additional funding. 8) Space strategy: LDP panel calls for reviewing "limitation on non-military use" of space to allow SDF use, plans to draft new law MAINICHI (Page 1) (Excerpts) Evening, March 28, 2006 A subcommittee chaired by Takeo Kawamura under the Liberal Democratic Party's Special Committee on Space Development decided earlier today to draft lawmaker-initiated legislation, a "basic space law", which would clarify the use of space from the viewpoint of national security. The bill would reverse the country's previous policy of limiting the use of space to peaceful, nonmilitary purposes. The panel plans to draft the legislation to allow the country to use space under the purview of the right of self-defense. Based on that policy line, the legislation would enable the Self- Defense Forces to actively use space in accordance with international standards allowing space use for non-aggression purposes. Specifically, the SDF will aim at collecting intelligence on the unstable post-9/11 world and dealing flexibly with extensive disasters by using state-of-the-art satellites in the areas of national defense and disaster prevention. The committee also would like to have a minister for space and a strategic council for space installed in order to eliminate the harmful effects of bureaucratic sectionalism by adding the viewpoints of security and industrialization to Japan's space development, which has been centered until now on research and development. TOKYO 00001620 007 OF 011 Based on the United Nations Space Treaty prohibiting the establishment of weapons of mass destruction in space, the Diet adopted in 1969 a resolution on Japan's space development and its basic use of space, limiting the country's use of space to non- military purposes. In 1985, Japan also unveiled a unified government view confining the SDF's use of space to commercial-off-the-shelf technologies only. For this reason, the use of cutting-edge satellites has not been allowed. Following North Korea's firing of a Taepodong missile in 1998, Japan launched in 2003 a spy satellite capable of identifying objects measuring 4 meters across, which is inferior to spy satellites of other countries. 9) Government releases 76.5 billion yen in yen loans for Iraq reconstruction: Remains unable to shift its assistance policy to economic cooperation; Timeline for pulling out GSDF personnel unclear SANKEI (Page 5) (Slightly abridged) March 29, 2006 The Foreign Ministry yesterday released a plan to extend yen loans totaling 76.5 billion yen in support of the reconstruction of Iraq. The government plans to continue to support the reconstruction of Iraq even after the pullout of Ground Self- Defense Force (GSDF),by shifting emphasis to economic cooperation through official development assistance (ODA). However, with conflicts rooted in ethnic and religious causes intensifying in the nation, there are no prospects at all for the launching of a new government even though about three and a half months have passed since the National Assembly election last December. There seems to be no timetable in sight for pulling out GSDF troops. The planned yen loans, the first of its kind to be extended to Iraq in over 20 years, will finance the building of port facilities at Umm Qasr, southern Iraq, the construction of irrigation facilities aimed to improve agricultural productivity at various locations across the country, and the refurbishment of a thermal electric power plant in a suburb of Baghdad. The government has focused on the dispatch of GSDF troops and ODA in Iraq reconstruction assistance. With the decision to extend yen loans to the nation, it wants to clearly indicate to the international community its stance of continuing Iraq assistance despite studying a possible withdrawal of GSDF personnel. At present, approximately 160,000 military personnel from 28 countries, including Japan, the US and Britain remain deployed in Iraq. About 600 GSDF personnel have been engaging in assistance activities in Samawah in southern Iraq since January 2004. The number of GSDF members dispatched to Samawah has totaled approximately 5,000. Japan had envisaged starting to withdraw GSDF personnel from late March and completing the operation by the end of May, on the assumption of the launching of the new Iraqi government. However, due to the chaotic situation in Iraq, it had to drastically alter this scenario. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi also had to state, "The situation in Iraq is not yet conductive to allow me TOKYO 00001620 008 OF 011 to indicate a timeline for the withdrawal of GSDF troops." 10) Hideshi Mitani named cabinet intelligence director; Abe thinks great deal of his intelligence-gathering capability SANKEI (Page 5) (Excerpts) March 29, 2006 The government decided yesterday to appoint Hideshi Mitani of the National Police Agency to serve as the successor to Cabinet Intelligence Director Toshinori Kanemoto, effective as of April ¶1. Mitani joined the NPA in 1974. His appointment to a vice minister- level post is a triple-jump appointment, according to a high government official. Lurking in the background is Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe's intention to strengthen the intelligence- SIPDIS gathering capability of the Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) with an eye on the forthcoming prime ministerial race. Abe stated in a press conference yesterday: "Strengthening intelligence-gathering capability is extremely important to effectively implement Japan's security and foreign policies. To reach that end, I thought a certain length of period would be necessary." He indicated in his remarks that the government would move ahead with a review of its intelligence-collection system from a long- term standpoint by taking advantage of the appointment of Mitani. The selection of Kanemoto's replacement has been a pending issue for the government since last year. Kanemoto assumed the post in July 2001. It is now time for him to step down from his job. Some Kantei officials have been unhappy with Kanemoto, claiming, "He has not reported to Kantei important information on North Korea and China." However, the selection hit rocky ground since there were mixed motives among officials of not only the NPA but also the Foreign Ministry and the Defense Agency. The government looked into the possibility of appointing an official of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry for the reason that it was not good to give the NPA both the deputy chief cabinet secretary for crisis management post and the intelligence director post. The NPA, however, strongly reacted against that plan. Mitani was detailed to the Foreign Ministry and then to the Defense Agency. He served as a secretary to former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori. He has many connections in political and bureaucratic circles. 11) Taiwan Central News Agency: Lee Teng-hui postpones Japan trip ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) March 29, 2006 Former Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui has decided to postpone his visit to Japan, scheduled to start May 10, until after the fall or later for health reasons, Taiwan's Central News Agency reported March 28. Citing a source familiar with Japan-Taiwan relations, the agency reported that Lee had changed his schedule TOKYO 00001620 009 OF 011 in accordance with a doctor's advice to rest for the next three months. The former president was hospitalized for six days from March 19 due to a cold. Also suffering from fatigue, he reportedly even showed signs of light pneumonia. 12) Japan, US start experts' talks on beef trade SANKEI (Page 2) (Full) March 29, 2006 Japan and the United States started two days of expert-level talks on beef trade in Tokyo yesterday. The two governments until now had exchanged views mainly in writing over the cause for vertebral columns - a specified risk material that could transmit BSE - found in a US veal shipment to Japan, as well as US measures to prevent a similar incident. In the experts' talks, both sides will try to find common ground, but with wide discrepancies remaining in their views about the safety of beef, difficult negotiations are expected. Foreign Ministry Deputy Director General Masato Kitera said in the meeting yesterday: "The Japanese people now have questions not only about the problem of the meat-processing plant in question but also about the US government's checking function at such plants. I hope these talks will become an arena for the US to reply to Japanese consumers' questions." Meanwhile, Charles Lambert, acting undersecretary for marketing at the US Agriculture Department, expressed hopes for Japan's early resumption of US beef imports, saying: "We are ready to reply to any questions. We have implemented safety measures in hopes of resuming beef trade with Japan." Participating in the talks from the Japanese side are responsible officials from the Foreign Ministry, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry, and Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry. The US side explained in detail why banned vertebral columns were included in a shipment and what preventive measures the US has taken. Japan suspended US beef imports this January, just one month after it partially lifted a ban on US beef, when banned vertebral columns were discovered in a shipment to Japan. Within the US, pressure is intensifying for an early resumption of beef trade, given calls from the cattle industry and other parties concerned. In its report submitted in February, the US concluded that the ineligible shipment was "a unique case." Japan, though, seeing the meat-processing system in the US as a problem, presented a list of questions, including one asking if the US government properly authorized plants for exporting beef to Japan. On these questions, the US has agreed to give replies directly to Japan in the ongoing meeting. 13) Agriculture Minister Nakagawa: US explanations necessary for Japan to decide to resume US beef imports TOKYO 00001620 010 OF 011 YOMIURI (Page 9) (Full) March 29, 2006 Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Minister Nakagawa said yesterday that in the ongoing expert-level talks on the beef trade issue, "If the US gives proper replies to our questions, we will be able to move on to the next stage." He indicated that in order to move ahead with discussion on Japan's resumption of US beef imports, convincing explanations on the part of the United States are imperative. In the expert meeting yesterday, Japan asked if the US government properly certified plants for exporting beef to Japan, but the US side reportedly repeated the explanations it has made so far. Japan is poised to ask the US in the meeting today to clarify various questionable points, including why bones were included in a shipment to Hong Kong. 14) Mori: "All-party approach is necessary" in selecting Koizumi successor; Indicates need to take prime minister's view into account NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Full) March 29, 2006 Shunsuke Oba, Moscow Former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, currently visiting Russia, met Japanese reporters on March 28 and emphasized the need for the party to be united in selecting the next Liberal Democratic Party president in the election in September. He said: "It is important to create an atmosphere for all members to support one candidate. An all-party approach is essential." On the final judgment, though, Mori said: "It is necessary to listen to Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's views." Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe and former Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda have been viewed as major candidates in SIPDIS the presidential race. Both belong to the Mori faction. Asked for his view on this point, Mori indicated that his faction would make a judgment in a cautious manner while taking their intentions into consideration, saying: "Both have yet to declare their candidacy. Once they decide to run in the election, we will need to start coordination. We have yet to reach that stage." Mori further commented: "The blows and wounds suffered from the Koizumi reforms are serious. We must try to heal the wounds, otherwise we will not be able to put up a good fight in elections." Touching on the fact that Mori himself and Koizumi, both of who belong to the Mori faction, assumed the post of prime minister, Mori said: "I wonder if it would be acceptable for the next prime minister to be picked from the Mori faction again." He stressed the importance of building a unified party. In reference to the Koizumi administration's reform line, Mori said: "Persons who are not interested in politics might be finding the current situation interesting, but those who know much about TOKYO 00001620 011 OF 011 politics might be harboring doubts about the current state." SCHIEFFER