JAPANESE MORNING PRESS HIGHLIGHTS 04/14/06

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 11 TOKYO 002019

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SUBJECT: JAPANESE MORNING PRESS HIGHLIGHTS 04/14/06

Index:

1) Top headlines
2) Editorials
3) Prime Minister's daily schedule

Defense issues:
4) Okinawa governor takes flexible stand on Futenma relocation
but may attach conditions for accepting agreement
5) US accepts the V-shaped runway proposal for Futenma's
alternate facility at Camp Schwab
6) US, Japan reach general agreement on splitting up Futenma's
refueling planes to Kanoya base and Iwakuni base; 2-plus-2
meeting May 2nd
7) JDA chief Nukaga sounds out US on use of fiscal funding for
cost of relocating Okinawa Marines to Guam
8) Government to add $3 billion in direct financing of Guam
relocation
9) Nukaga seeking meeting with Secretary Rumsfeld
10) Subcontractor's software responsible for leak of information
from Misawa base into the Internet

11) Japanese security officials seek to summon two Chinese
diplomats allegedly responsible for illegal labor scheme

Beef issue:
12) In telephone call, USDA Secretary Johanns presses
Agriculture Minister Nakagawa for early resumption of US beef
imports
13) Johanns tells Nakagawa that Congress' patience has reached
its limit on the beef trade issue

Political agenda:
14) Clash between ruling, opposition camps in the Diet over the
administrative reform bill
15) Amended Basic Education Law could be passed if the current
Diet session is extended
16) Minshuto's Naoto Kan: party head Ozawa will handle the rural
districts and I'll do the cities in building support for the
party
17) Minshuto's Hatoyama may seek to link up with non-mainstream
forces in the ruling LDP
18) LDP's Tanigaki faction lays out policy platform that seeks
to correct Japan's strained relations with neighboring countries
19) LDP's Komura faction in policy platform gives priority to
relations with Asia

Articles:

1) TOP HEADLINES

Asahi:
Police to question former Huser President Ojima next week over
falsified quake resistance data on condominiums

Mainichi:
Tokyo unprecedentedly bans schools from having voting by teachers
as measure to secure school management based on principals'
decisions

Yomiuri:
Police to question officials at Chinese Embassy in Japan on

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suspicion of abetting illegal work in Japan

Nihon Keizai:
FSA to order all Aiful outlets to suspend business for improper
repayment methods

Sankei:
Number of freelance workers decrease to below 2 million owing to
improving job market

Tokyo Shimbun:
Livedoor ends last trading day at 94 yen

2) EDITORIALS

Asahi:
(1) Basic Education Law: Difficulty of teaching "patriotism"
(2) General election in Italy: Close race reveals deep schism

Mainichi:
(1) Revision to Basic Education Law: True intent of fostering
"patriotism" glimpsed
(2) Electronic money: Be careful about snags

Yomiuri:
(1) Six-party talks: Pressure on Pyongyang mounting for its
refusal to return to negotiating table
(2) Murder in Tochigi Prefecture: Court says police
investigation negligent

Nihon Keizai:
(1) NHK should reform itself before imposing penalties on those
who fail to pay mandatory fees
(2) Lessons on delisting of Livedoor stocks

Sankei:
(1) Revisions to Basic Education Law: More straightforward
expressions should be used in expressing "patriotism"
(2) Reckless bicycle riders: Good riding manners will reduce
accidents

Tokyo Shimbun:
(1) Basic Education Law: No need to rush revision
(2) Mural vandalism: There may be more covered-up damage

3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei)

Prime Minister's schedule, April 13

NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Full)
April 14, 2006

09:54
Arrived at Kantei.

10:58
Attended a meeting of the Lower House Special Committee on
Administrative Reform.

12:04
Returned to Kantei.


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14:20
Attended a meeting of the Lower House Special Committee on
Administrative Reform.

18:59
Met with State Minister in Charge of Science and Technology
Matsuda, Council for Science and Technology Policy member Abe and
others.

20:46
Returned to residence.

4) Inamine softens attitude toward Futenma relocation

ASAHI (Page 1) (Full)
April 14, 2006

Okinawa Governor Keiichi Inamine told a press conference
yesterday that Okinawa Prefecture will demand a new set of
preconditions from the Japanese government to replace a '15-year
time limit' and other previously set preconditions in return for
approval of a recently re-modified plan to relocate the US Marine
Corps' Futenma Air Station to a site across the Cape Henoko in
the island prefecture's northern coastal city of Nago. Inamine
said he would do so if the remodified plan, now agreed on between
Tokyo and Nago, is incorporated in a final report on the
realignment of US forces in Japan. The governor also said he
would "uphold" his stance of seeking as before to relocate
Futenma airfield elsewhere outside his prefecture in case the
airfield will not be relocated to a site in waters off the coast
of Henoko as initially planned. However, his press remarks
yesterday denote a flexible stance by calling on the government
to make concessions in the area of preconditions.

Inamine will meet with Prime Minister Koizumi after the final
report on the US military's realignment is released, according to
Okinawa prefectural government officials. Okinawa Prefecture
wants to have its standpoint reflected in a cabinet decision on
the remodified Futenma relocation plan, the officials said.

Okinawa Prefecture had previously set two preconditions for its
consent to the government's initial plan to relocate the heliport
functions of Futenma airfield to a site in waters off the coast
of Henoko in the city of Nago. In concrete terms, Okinawa called
for Tokyo to tag on a 15-year time limit to the U.S. military's
use of the planned replacement facility for Futenma airfield in
order to prevent it from becoming permanent. In addition, Okinawa
has also preconditioned its approval of Futenma relocation to
Nago on building a dual-purpose airport for joint military and
civilian use as a future asset of the island prefecture's people.
These two preconditions "were set for the initial plan," Inamine
recounted. "If there's another agreement," he added, "we'll have
to reconsider (new preconditions)."

In October last year, the Japanese and US governments released an
interim report on their still-ongoing talks over the US
military's realignment, incorporating their agreement to relocate
Futenma airfield to the cape of Henoko. At the time, Inamine
commented on that Henoko coastal relocation plan as "absolutely
unacceptable." In his remarks yesterday, however, Inamine only
said the Okinawa prefectural government would firmly maintain its
previous stance.

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"Nago City and the government have now concurred (on the
remodified Futenma relocation plan),so we cannot raise a
straightforward objection," a senior official of the Okinawa
prefectural government said. This local official went on: "I
don't mean to accept the Henoko coastal relocation plan. Well,
whatever, we will try to settle other realignment issues as
well."

Inamine also implied his intention to give his positive
evaluation to the final report if it incorporates an
intergovernmental agreement to move about 8,000 US Marines from
Okinawa to Guam or elsewhere and to return US military bases
located south of Kadena airbase. "Then I can take it as
considerable progress (in the government's efforts to alleviate
Okinawa's base-hosting burden)," he said.

In the meantime, Koizumi told reporters at his office yesterday
evening that the government would like to continue its sincere
efforts as ever.

5) US OK's V-airstrip plan

YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full)
April 14, 2006

Japan and the United States held an intergovernmental meeting of
consultations in Tokyo yesterday on the realignment of US forces,
with senior officials for foreign and defense affairs attending.
Japan explained that the Japanese government has basically agreed
with Okinawa Prefecture's Nago City on a remodified plan to lay
down a V-shaped pair of airstrips at the site of a new airfield
to be built in a coastal area of Camp Schwab in Nago to take over
the heliport functions of the US Marine Corps' Futenma Air
Station in the island prefecture's city of Ginowan. The United
States also consented to the remodified plan. But the two
governments were not on the same wavelength on sharing the cost
of moving US Marines from Okinawa to Guam, however.

6) General agreement reached on splitting the relocation of
Futenma's air refueling planes; 2-plus-2 likely on May 2nd

SANKEI (Page 2) (Excerpt)
April 14, 2006

It was learned yesterday that in connection with the realignment
of US forces in Japan, the Japanese and US governments have
reached a basic agreement on a proposal to split the fleet of KC-
130 air refueling planes now at Futenma Air Station (Ginowan City
in Okinawa Prefecture),sending some to the Maritime Self-Defense
Forces' Kanoya Base (Kagoshima Prefecture) and the rest to the US
Marines' Iwakuni Air Station (Yamaguchi Prefecture). Coordination
is going on now to convene a meeting of the Security Consultative
Committee (2-plus-2),consisting of the foreign and security
affairs cabinet ministers of the two countries, in order to seal
the final agreement.

7) Nukaga proposes fiscal disbursements for Guam relocation to
Lawless

MAINICHI (Page 1) (Full)
April 14, 2006

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Defense Agency Director General Fukushiro Nukaga held talks with
US Deputy Undersecretary of Defense Richard Lawless in Tokyo last
night. In the meeting, the defense chief expressed the
government's willingness to earmark funds from the general
account and extend loans to cover Japan's share of the cost of
relocating US Marines from Okinawa to Guam. Japan had previously
presented a plan to loan 2.5 billion dollars, or 300 billion yen,
for US military housing in response to the US call for bearing
75% of the 10 billion dollars, or 1.18 trillion yen. But the
government will now study the option of disbursing funds from
taxes to allow the country to bear up to 50% of the total cost,
including loans.

Prior to the Nukaga-Lawless meeting, senior foreign and defense
officials of the two countries held talks in Tokyo yesterday on
the realignment of US forces in Japan. But a gap remained wide
apart between Japan, which called for a smaller relocation cost,
and the US, which reiterated its demand. They will meet again
today.

8) Guam relocation cost: Tokyo undertaking coordination on direct
payment in addition to 3 billion dollars in loans

ASAHI (Page 2) (Excerpts)
April 14, 2006

The government has started considering bearing the cost of
relocating about 8,000 US Marines in Okinawa to Guam, the focus
of USFJ realignment, at national expense (real water spending -
the total amount of the spending minus the amount that will not
involve the actual spending from money from the state treasury)
in addition to the already-indicated loans worth 3 billion
dollars or approximately 350 billion yen. The Japanese side
during a Japan-US working-level talks of officials responsible
for foreign and defense affairs on April 13 called for a revision
to the base of the cost calculations by the US, which totaled 10
billion dollars, and a reduction in the amount to be covered by
Japan, which is now set at 75% (7.5 billion dollars or
approximately 880 billion yen). Tokyo and Washington have started
coordinating views on the shares of the relocation cost with a
view to possibly settling the issue at the cabinet minister
level.

9) Nukaga suggests talks with Rumsfeld to reach political
settlement on Guam relocation issue

NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Excerpts)
April 14, 2006

Defense Agency Director Fukushiro Nukaga held talks yesterday
with US Deputy Under Secretary of Defense Richard Lawless, who
was visiting Japan for a meeting of senior foreign and defense
officials of the two countries. Touching on the relocation of US
Marines from Okinawa to Guam, a focal point in the realignment of
US forces in Japan, Nukaga asked for a reduced total cost, which
is estimated by the US at 10 billion dollars. Lawless rejected
Nukaga's request. As a result, Nukaga sounded out Lawless about
the possibility of talks with US Secretary of Defense Ronald
Rumsfeld to settle the issue.

The defense chief also asked that Navy and Air Force facilities

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and other items unrelated to the Marine relocation be excluded
from the cost. Tokyo and Washington also clashed in the talks
between foreign and defense officials of the two countries ahead
of the Nukaga-Lawless meeting. They failed to find common ground.
Officials of the two countries will meet again today. A failure
today may result in another round of talks in Washington next
week.

Vice Defense Minister Takemasa Moriya said in a press conference
yesterday, "Although administrative-level talks are underway, the
matter will have to be settled at a higher level." Moriya thus
suggested that Nukaga would visit the US in the end to aim at a
cabinet-level agreement.

10) Data on Misawa base construction workers uploaded to Internet
via Winny

ASAHI (Page 39) (Full)
April 14, 2006

Lists of vehicles and construction workers allowed to enter US
Misawa Air Base in Misawa, Aomori Prefecture, have been uploaded
to the Internet from a personal computer running Winny file-
sharing software. Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co. revealed
yesterday that the data have leaked from its subcontractor.

Included in the lists were permits to go through the base's gate
and personal information, such as the genders of construction
workers and their dates of birth.

Data on 77 vehicles and 109 construction workers have been
uploaded to the Internet, according to the Mitsui Engineering
public affairs office.

According to the office, the company subcontracted the US
military's refurbishing project to a construction company in
Hachinohe in the prefecture last September. A female interpreter
hired by the construction company brought home a floppy disc
containing the data in question. The files are believed to have
been uploaded to the Internet from her computer that was running
Winny.

11) MPD to urge Chinese Embassy officials, including counselor,
to appear for questioning over illegal employment allegedly aided
and abetted by them, aims to shed light on unaccountable money
amounting to 200 million yen

YOMIURI (Top play) (Excerpts)
April 14, 2006

As part of investigations into the case of illegal Chinese
workers allegedly aided and abetted by Zhang Jian, 51, president
of the Chinese Business Consultancy, located in Chuo Ward, Tokyo,
a firm that is linked closely to the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo,
the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's (MPD) Public Safety
Bureau (PSB) began taking necessary proceedings to urge two
Chinese Embassy officials, including a counselor, 51, to appear
for questioning, according to information obtained by the Yomiuri
Shimbun. Zhang is alleged to have taken advantage of the
embassy's credibility and collected some 200 million yen in a
nontransparent way over the past seven or so years. The PSB has
determined it is necessary to question Zhang in its efforts to

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shed light on how the money has been used and what links he has
to the China-Taiwan reunification movement he has advanced.

The PSB plans to question a counselor at the embassy's consular
section and a senior official at its commerce section on a
voluntary basis. Reportedly, the PSB yesterday asked the Foreign
Ministry to take necessary proceedings to get the two to appear
for questioning.

This is the first case of Japanese police urging Chinese
diplomats to appear for questioning. But they may refuse to
appear or to respond to questioning, as diplomats are granted
diplomatic immunity from investigations by the host nation.

According to police investigations, it has been verified that
Zhang since around 1990 illegally renewed the resident statuses
of some 70 Chinese by making them appear as though they were
hired by the Chinese Business Consultancy, and he received 20
million yen or so from about 20 such Chinese. It has been also
confirmed that Zhang has received about 100 million yen, but who
sent the money remains unknown.

In addition, Zhang since 2002 has run interpretation courses for
Chinese living in Japan to become interpreters for the Japanese
police and has collected nearly 70 million yen from some 200 such
Chinese.

The counselor in question at the Chinese Embassy arrived in Japan
in March 2003. Later, he became a frequent visitor at the
consulting firm located at Ginza, Tokyo. Last August, he was seen
attending along with Zhang a meeting focused on such themes as
China-Taiwan reunification as advocated by the Chinese
government, held in Minato Ward.

12) Agriculture Minister Nakagawa counter call for resumption of
beef imports in telephone dialogue with his US counterpart

SANKEI (Page 2) (Full)
April 14, 2006

Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Nakagawa
yesterday evening discussed on the phone Japan's ban on US beef
imports with US Secretary of Agriculture Johanns. Johanns
strongly called for the reinstatement of the beef trade, noting,
"Lawmakers' patience will reach an absolute end once they return
from their Easter holiday." Referring to the fact that meat-and-
bone meal, which is believed to be the method of BSE
transmission, is being used in the US as feed for pigs and birds,
Nakagawa countered, "Refraining from using meat-and-bone meal as
much as possible will help Japanese consumers feel that US beef
is safe."

The two also agreed to meet this month on the sidelines of a
cabinet ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO)
in Geneva.

13) Congress' patience reaching absolute end, US secretary of
agriculture tells Agriculture Minister Nakagawa

YOMIURI (Page 9) (Full)
April 14, 2006


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Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MOFA) Nakagawa
yesterday evening held telephone conference with his US
counterpart Mike Johanns to discuss the issue of the second ban
on US beef imports by Japan. Johanns called for a resumption of
beef imports at an early date, saying, "The Congress' patience is
reaching an absolute end." However, Nakagawa stood firm in his
cautious stance, noting, "Let's press ahead with the process step
by step." He pointed out: "If the US restricts the use of meat-
and-bone meal as feed as Japan does, Japanese consumers will
gradually determine that US beef is safe." Johanns simply noted,
"I will convey your point to officials responsible for the
issue."

14) Clash between LDP, Minshuto over administrative reform bills
in Diet, with one reply after another coming from government side
indicating deferment

SANKEI (Page 5) (Excerpts)
April 14, 2006

The House of Representatives Administrative Reform Special
Committee conducted intensive deliberations yesterday, with Prime
Minister Junichiro Koizumi participating. The committee has spent
about 50 hours since the start of substantive deliberations on
five bills related to promoting administrative reform. On
specific measures, including a net reduction in the number of
public servants, however, one reply indicating postponement after
another came out from the government side. Although the
Democratic Party of Japan (Minshuto) presented a counterproposal
yesterday, time is running out. The Koizumi administration came
up with administrative reform legislation, defining it as "the
roundup of Koizumi reforms," but not much time has been left for
wrangling over the key bills between the ruling and opposition
parties in the Diet.

"Does Minshuto see the number of public servants to be reduced as
insufficient? The party should make its stance clearer," said the
prime minister regarding a bill designed to reduce the number of
national government employees by more than 5% over five years.
This measure is viewed as the most difficult challenge among the
five administrative reform bills in the face of resistance from
bureaucrats.

On top of that, the Hokkaido Development Bureau, a branch office
of the Land, Infrastructure, and Transport Ministry, is negative
about the plan. The prime minister instructed the Liberal
Democratic Party to achieve a net reduction of 20 to 30%, but
Transport Minister Kazuo Kitagawa made remarks cautious about the
plan during deliberations on April 10. Kitagawa said: "Hokkaido
has its own special characteristics," exposing a lack of unity in
the government.

15) Passage of bill amending Basic Education Law during current
Diet session uncertain without extension

YOMIURI (Page 4) (Excerpts)
April 14, 2006

Following the agreement reached on April 13 between the ruling
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partner New
Komeito over the amendments to the Basic Education Law, the
government and ruling parties appear to be aiming at passing a

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bill amending the law through the current Diet session. However,
only about two months are left until the end of the session, so
the view is that there is not enough time to deliberate such an
important bill. Therefore, whether the bill will clear the Diet
this session remains uncertain.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe yesterday told LDP Secretary
General Tsutomu Takebe that the government would hurriedly draft
its own bill based on the ruling coalition's proposal. "We aim at
passing the bill during the current Diet session," he said.

The government intends to submit the bill amending the education
law in late April before the Golden Week holiday period. The
dominant view in the ruling camp, however, is that the bill will
be submitted after the holidays in early May since there are
other bills still being deliberated. Some LDP lawmakers remain
opposed to the ruling camp's proposal, which was made because the
LDP accepted the New Komeito's request to alter the description
of "patriotism" and other points. The expectation is that it will
take time for the LDP to reach an internal consensus.

Given the situation, a senior New Komeito lawmaker commented:

"If the government aims to pass the bill through the Diet after
deliberations in the education committees of both Diet chambers,
an extension of the current Diet session will be absolutely
necessary. If the current session is not extended, special
committees will be needed to discuss the bill."

This view is gaining ground in the ruling coalition parties.

LDP General Council Chairman Fumio Kyuma indicated yesterday that
it would be difficult to pass the bill during the current Diet
session, saying, "Passing this important bill will be difficult
even if the term of the session is extended."

16) Minshuto's Kan says he will not run in September party
leadership race; "Mr. Ozawa will work to win support from rural
areas, I will work the urban areas" to win support for next Upper
House election

NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Full)
April 14, 2006

Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan) deputy head Naoto Kan in an
interview yesterday with the Nihon Keizai Shimbun revealed that
President Ichiro Ozawa would do his best to build party support
in rural areas and to strengthen party ties with industrial
organizations, while he would make efforts to expand support in
urban areas in order to win seats in the House of Councillors
election next summer.

Since Ozawa assumed the presidency, the largest opposition party
has cited as a top priority the party's strategy for the next
Upper House election. Kan stressed: "Mr. Ozawa will visit the
rural areas where there are many single-seat constituencies up
for reelection. I will work on the younger generation and on
retired people in the urban areas."

Kan said, "I have no intention" to run in the September party
presidential election. He added, "I am determined to work hard
under the leadership of Mr. Ozawa so that the party will win the

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Upper House and the next Lower House elections." He emphasized
the importance of dealing with such issues as administrative and
fiscal reform and the widening social gap. As to the party's
basic policy on foreign and security policy, he said, "No need to
hurry."

Kan stated: "Mr. Ozawa has greatly changed because he is now
talking to the public straight. I will do my best not to show my
temper in public." At a press conference prior to this interview,
Kan remarked, "Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi may be afraid of
Mr. Ozawa who was way above him when he belonged to the Liberal
Democratic Party."

17) Hatoyama indicates possible linkage with non-mainstream
forces in LDP in Diet vote on prime minister

SANKEI (Page 5) (Full)
April 14, 2006

Democratic Party of Japan (Minshuto) Secretary General Yukio
Hatoyama indicated last night that if Chief Cabinet Secretary
Shinzo Abe is elected in the Liberal Democratic Party
presidential election in September, Minshuto, led by Ichiro
Ozawa, might pursue a conservative-centrist administration by
joining hands with non-mainstream forces in the LDP in a Diet
vote to be held afterward to choose the prime minister. He made
the remarks on a Asahi TV satellite program.

Keeping in mind the possibility of Abe being elected prime
minister, Hatoyama said: "If the administration continues to take
a rightist diplomatic stance, conservatives and centrists (in the
LDP and Minshuto) could team up, and a mighty swell would
eventually result."

Touching on the Diet vote on the prime minister, Hatoyama said:
"(Those who support candidates other than Abe) should leave the
LDP and vote for Ozawa." He then indicated the possibility that
Minshuto could vote for a defeated LDP candidate, with the aim of
"toppling the LDP administration."

18) LDP's Tanigaki faction characterizes in policy proposals
Japan's relations with neighboring countries as abnormal, calls
for change in Koizumi's policy

YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full)
April 14, 2006

The Tanigaki faction in the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)
revealed yesterday the draft of its policy proposals. The
proposals will become the faction's platform if Finance Minister
Sadakazu Tanigaki runs in the September party presidential race.
The faction suggests a revamping of Prime Minister Junichiro
Koizumi's foreign and domestic policies, and it points out
drawbacks of the government's structural reform drive. The paper
also characterizes Japan's present relations with Asian countries
as "abnormal diplomacy."

The faction has titled the set of proposals, "In search of the
ties that bind human beings and society." The paper is composed
of the general views and 17 specific ones, and will serve as an
interim report, with the final set of proposals to be released in
May.

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Though praising the achievements of the Koizumi government, the
faction assesses the government's structural reform programs as
lacking compassion for the losers in society and consideration
for the socially weak -- attributes seen as virtues of the
Japanese people -- since the government excessively focuses on
economic rationality.

Regarding the tax hike issue, the draft underscores that it is
only natural for politicians to make thoroughgoing preparations
in order to obtain public understanding.

On foreign policy, the faction calls for reviewing foreign policy
toward Asia, including improvement in relations with China,
stressing that Japan should correct the abnormal situation that
exists in its relations with neighboring Asian countries in a bid
to win their understanding.

19) Komura faction prioritizes Asia policy in policy platform,
with eye on LDP presidential election

ASAHI (Page 4) (Full)
April 14, 2006

Komura faction chairman Masahiko Komura of the Liberal Democratic
Party (LDP) gave a press conference at a Tokyo hotel yesterday
and gave a briefing on his faction's policy platform for the LDP
presidential election in September. The platform, titled, "A
Japan with security and dreams," includes these slogans:
"Maintain and develop favorable relations with Asian countries";
"Achieve a 4 % -5 % nominal growth and 2 % -3 % real growth"; and
"Create a society in which child rearing is easy."

If Komura runs in the presidential race, the faction will use it
as his election platform, and otherwise, it will use it as
standards to determine whom the faction will support.

In the press conference, Komura praised Koizumi's reform drive to
some extent, noting "its basic direction, including the transfer
of authority from the central government to local governments,
and from the bureaucracy to the private sector." But he also
underscored his own policy identity, saying: "It is necessary to
promote ethics reforms that give consideration to security and
safety, instead of leaning toward efficiency."

Komura criticized Prime Minister Koizumi's Asia policy,
commenting: "The administration should pursue diplomacy making
use of the advantages of Japan as the industrialized country
closest to China and India, both of which have the highest
potential for growth."

On Prime Minister Koizumi's visits to Yasukuni Shrine, Komura
said: "Unless Yasukuni Shrine comes up with some sort of idea,
there will be no resolution of the issue," but he presented no
specific plan.

SCHIEFFER