JAPANESE MORNING PRESS HIGHLIGHTS 07/20/06

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E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO PGOV PINR ECON ELAB JA SUBJECT: JAPANESE MORNING PRESS HIGHLIGHTS 07/20/06 Index: 1) Top headlines 2) Editorials 3) Prime Minister's daily schedule Yasukuni Shrine issue: 4) Showa Emperor in 1988 memo expressed displeasure that Class-A war criminals enshrined at Yasukuni, vowed not to visit the shrine 5) High party official in meeting with LDP's Koga in China was encouraged by trend to separate war criminals from war dead at Yasukuni Shrine North Korea problem: 6) Gap between Chief Cabinet Secretary Abe, who wants sanctions soon against North Korea, and Prime Minister Koizumi, who takes wait-and-see stance 7) Yomiuri Internet poll: Over half the public see North Korea issue affecting LDP presidential race Defense and security affairs: 8) US, Japan sign MOI on handling of missile defense technology 9) US, Japan to sign agreement within year on MD information sharing 10) Minshuto President Ozawa argues against Japan having a capability to attack enemy bases Budget ceilings: 11) Government, ruling parties agree on 4.68 trillion yen general account budget containing 3% cut in foreign aid outlays 12) Defense budget ceiling has only a 1% cut, reflecting special consideration to USFJ realignment cost 13) Foreign Ministry establishes new international cooperation bureau as part of ODA reform Political merry-go-round: 14) Former Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda may not run in the LDP presidential race after all 15) The "new Ozawa" appears in public all smiles, exuding patience Articles: 1) TOP HEADLINES Asahi: Elpida Memory to establish new plant for DRAM in Taiwan Mainichi: Japan, US to sign accord to share information on missile defense in wake of North Korea's missile launches Yomiuri: Land ministry to finance repair of condos built based on old anti-quake standards Nihon Keizai: Emperor Hirohito thought Yasukuni Shrine should not honor war criminals, according to memo Sankei: TOKYO 00004020 002 OF 009 Nihon Keizai Shimbun employee suspected of earning 5 million yen in profits from insider trading only in four days Tokyo Shimbun: Heavy rains leave 12 dead, 11 missing 2) EDITORIALS Asahi: (1) Considering the GSDF experience in Iraq Mainichi: (1) CO poisoning involving Paloma water heater also caused by deteriorated safety mechanism (2) Calmly look into the details of Akita murders Yomiuri: (1) CO poisoning caused by Paloma water heater: Company, government forget safety (2) Whitepaper on Economic and Fiscal Policy lacks analysis of income gap Nihon Keizai: (1) China must accelerate reform of the yuan (2) Japan should aim for wide-ranging economic partnership with India Sankei: (1) Additional sanctions must be taken against North Korea (2) Paloma bears heavy responsibility Tokyo Shimbun: (1) Fatal CO poisoning: Information on danger must be thoroughly disclosed (2) Whitepaper on Economic and Fiscal Policy: Government urged to correct income gap among youth 3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) Prime Minister's schedule, July 19 NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Full) July 20, 2006 11:00 Met with Vice Finance Minister Hosokawa and Budget Bureau Director General Fujii at the Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei). 16:00 Met with Foreign Minister Aso, Agriculture Minister Nakagawa, State Minister responsible for Economic and Fiscal Policy Nikai and Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Futahashi, followed by Internal Affairs and Communications Minister (MIC) Takenaka and Local Administration Bureau Director General Takabe. Then attended a monthly economic report-related cabinet meeting. 17:48 Policy meeting between the government and the ruling camp. 18:58 Returned to the official residence. TOKYO 00004020 003 OF 009 4) Emperor Showa (Hirohito) thought Yasukuni Shrine should not enshrine Class-A war criminals, according to memorandum NIHON KEIZAI (Top Play) (Excerpts) July 20, 2006 Emperor Showa (Hirohito) expressed his strong displeasure in 1988 at the decision made by Yasukuni Shrine to include Class-A war criminals in the list of war dead honored there. He had told former Imperial Household Agency Grand Steward Tomohiko Tomita (now deceased): "That is why I stopped visiting the shrine," according to a memorandum by Tomita that was obtained by the Nihon Keizai Shimbun yesterday. The late emperor stopped visiting Yasukuni Shrine following the enshrinement of Class-A war criminals there in 1978, but he did not officially disclose the reason. The memorandum also includes descriptions about the emperor's fight against disease, and it is of great value as a historical document. A memorandum detailing the reason the emperor ceased visiting Yasukuni Shrine has been found for the first time. Many have speculated that the enshrinement of Class-A war criminals was the reason, and the memorandum confirms this. Tomita wrote down the contents of his conversations with the emperor in his diaries and notebooks in detail. He left 12 diaries (1975-1986) and some 20 notebooks (1986-1997). A memo about the emperor's statement on Yasukuni Shrine dated April 28, 1988, was attached to a notebook. According to the memo, the emperor said: "(Executed) Class-A war criminals were included in the list of war dead honored at the shrine, including Matsuoka and Shiratori, though I heard Tsukuba was cautious about it." "Matsuoka" is former Foreign Minister Yosuke Matsuoka, and "Shiratori" is former Ambassador to Italy Toshio Shiratori. Both have been enshrined at Yasukuni Shrine. "Tsukuba" refers to Fujimaro Tsukuba, the chief priest of Yasukuni Shrine. The Health and Welfare SIPDIS Ministry gave approval for the enshrinement of Class-A war criminals in 1966, but Tsukuba did not enshrine them. The memo further noted: "I wonder what the current chief priest, Matsudaira's son, was thinking. He did it so easily. I believe Matsudaira sought peace, but I think he does not know how his father was thinking. That is why I have refrained from visiting the shrine since then. That is my feeling." "Matsudaira" refers to the late Yoshitami Matsudaira, the last minister of the Imperial Household, and his eldest son the late Nagayoshi Matsudaira, who decided to enshrine the Class-A war criminals in 1978. 5) China expresses hopes for separate enshrinement at Yasukuni Shrine ASAHI (Page 2) (Full) July 20, 2006 Kengo Sakajiri, Beijing Former Liberal Democratic Party Secretary General (and chairman of the Japan War-Bereaved Association) Makoto Koga, now visiting China, yesterday met with Wang Jiarui, head of the International Department TOKYO 00004020 004 OF 009 of the Chinese Communist Party's Central Committee in Beijing. Wang referred to Koga's proposal for separating Class-A war criminals from the war dead enshrined at Yasukuni Shrine and indicated his hopes: "We have paid attention to the idea of separate enshrinement. If that idea were acceptable in Japan, it would be a good idea." Wang added: "The Yasukuni issue has stood in the way of Japan-China relations. We can understand the act of consoling the souls of the war dead, but mixing up those who caused the war and the general public must not be allowed." Afterwards, Koga met with Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei in the city and asked for China's cooperation on the North Korean nuclear and missile issues, as well as the abduction issue. Wu told Koga: "We'd like to continue efforts under the six-party framework. The situation will not make (progress) so easily for a while, but we think it is necessary to continue behind-the-scenes efforts." 6) Gap between Abe, who is eager for Japan to prepare with US additional sanctions against North Korea, and Prime Minister, who takes "wait-and-see" stance MAINICHI (Page 5) (Excerpts) July 20, 2006 Chief Cabinet Secretary SHINZO ABE held a telephone discussion yesterday with US Ambassador to Japan Schieffer to discuss the imposition of additional sanction measures on North Korea. ABE stated, "It is important for Japan and the United States to cooperate closely and move ahead with preparations." Ambassador Schieffer came out with the same thinking. In contrast, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi told the press corps yesterday, "I think it is better to wait for awhile to see whether North Korea will sincerely respond to the UNSC resolution." A perception gap was revealed between him and Abe, who takes a hard-line stance. After the North Korea missile launches, Prime Minister Koizumi strongly avoided being out front, entrusting the handling of the issue to ABE and Foreign Minister Taro Aso. In that context, the two cabinet officials met frequently with Ambassador Schieffer and often exchanged information. In the discussion yesterday, the Ambassador noted: "It was a great achievement for Japan to have the UNSC adopt the resolution by a unanimous decision. This is proof of the firm alliance relationship between the US and Japan. I thank Japan for its efforts." ABE also expressed his appreciation for the US' coordinating and cooperative stance, saying, "I would like to continue efforts at the working level." 7) Over 50% of public surveyed by Internet monitor poll think North Korea will be a campaign issue in the LDP presidential race YOMIURI (Page 2) (Excerpt) July 20, 2006 In a second Internet-monitor survey carried out by the Yomiuri Shimbun (July 7-11) on the next prime minister after Koizumi, 55% of participants in the poll thought (answering a multiple choice question) that the North Korea problem would be a campaign issue in the September election to pick the president of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). This was a 10% jump from the first poll in TOKYO 00004020 005 OF 009 June. In the first poll, North Korea ranked seventh in importance. This time, the issue had risen to third place, following "reform of the social welfare system, including pensions and medical care" with 77% , and "making the fiscal system sound" with 57% . It seems that the launching of seven missiles by North Korea, as well as the press interview by a South Korean abductee who was married to Japanese abductee Megumi Yokota had an influence on public thinking. 8) Japan, US sign MOI on provision of MD technology TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Full) July 20, 2006 The government formally decided yesterday to provide the United States with Japan's weaponry and arms technology regarding the joint development of the sea-based SM-3 interceptor missile system as part of missile defense (MD). The government also signed a memorandum of implementation with the US government prohibiting the use of such for purposes other than the original intent and shifting them to a third country. The MOI stipulates specific conditions for the provision of weaponry and arms technology based on the notes exchanged between the two countries in June on joint development. This allows Japan to export second-stage rocket motors and warhead covers. 9) Japan, US to conclude agreement on intelligence sharing on missile defense before year's end MAINICHI (Top play) (Full) July 20, 2006 The Japanese and US governments decided yesterday to conclude an agreement that will serve as guidelines on intelligence sharing in jointly operating missile defense (MD). When North Korea recently launched several ballistic missiles, the two countries failed to share intelligence swiftly in some areas. This led to the decision to make clear rules speedily. The two governments plan to map out rules by December when US Forces Japan (USFJ) starts operating PAC-3 ground-based interceptor missiles at its Kadena Air Base in Okinawa Prefecture. The planned agreement will stipulate situations requiring intelligence sharing and their areas and scopes. Tokyo and Washington will coordinate their views on whether to exchange intergovernmental notes or an agreement between Japan's Defense Agency and the US Defense Department. When North Korea launched ballistic missiles on July 5, US military early warning satellites detected them. The Maritime Self-Defense Force and the US military also deployed Aegis vessels capable of tracking ballistic missiles. Japan and the US also jointly tracked them using all sorts of radars, including the USFJ's X-band radar in Aomori and the ASDF's FPS-XX radar in Chiba. "We share intelligence at all levels," US Ambassador Thomas Schieffer said in describing close cooperation between Japan and the United States. But a senior SDF official voiced a different view: "The US hardly conveyed early warning satellite intelligence to the TOKYO 00004020 006 OF 009 SDF swiftly. It exposed the fact that hardware has been improved tremendously but Japan and the US have yet to create rules on intelligence sharing." The US is scheduled to begin operating the PAC-3 before year's end and to deploy the USS Shiloh carrying sea-based SM-3 missiles to the USFJ in August. Japan will also deploy the PAC-3 at the ASDF Iruma base in Saitama by next March and upgrade the Kongo Aegis vessel to carry SM-3 by the end of fiscal 2007. 10) Ozawa describes the enemy base strike argument as "absurd," calls for solid Japan-US-China relationship SANKEI (Page 5) (Excerpts) July 20, 2006 Following North Korea's recent launching of missiles, President Ichiro Ozawa of Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan) has criticized the government's North Korea policy, describing the growing enemy base strike argument as "absurd." Ozawa basically perceives that Japan's UN-centered policy is not working and that a trilateral relationship among Japan, the United States, and China has yet to take shape. Delivering a speech in Tokyo on July 17, Ozawa said regarding the UN Security Council's adoption of a resolution condemning North Korea: "Japan was forced to play a hard-line role, while the US, China, and Russia colluded in their views behind the scenes. Japan was forced to agree to drop (the UN Charter's) Chapter 7 allowing imposing sanctions from the resolution. (Japan) was probably not aware of what the US had discussed with China and Russia or of Washington's true intention." Ozawa thus indicated that Japan and the US were not necessarily monolithic. He also criticized the government's plan to impose sanctions on the North under the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Control Law: "Results cannot be achieved unless major countries take part. Policymakers must make a decision after taking such a factor into account." Ozawa also explained his view this way: "There is no solid trilateral relationship among Japan, the US, and China. Japan must serve as a coordinator between the US and China in order to achieve political and economic stability." 11) Ceiling of budget estimates for fiscal 2007: Government, ruling parties agree to cap general-account expenditures at 46.8 trillion yen; ODA to suffer 3% cut TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 1) (Abridged) July 20, 2006 The government and the ruling camp yesterday held a meeting and discussed budget request guidelines for the fiscal 2007 budget. Participants in the meeting agreed that policy-related TOKYO 00004020 007 OF 009 general-account expenditures be capped at approximately 46.8 trillion. While public-works-related spending and official development assistance (ODA) will suffer a 3% cut from the original fiscal 2006 budget, social security expenses will increase due to the graying society. As a result, the fiscal 2007 budget will exceed the previous year's initial budget by 400 billion yen. The government will adopt the guidelines at a cabinet meeting to be held tomorrow. The government set the budgetary cap in line with the basic policy guidelines on economic and fiscal management and structural reforms for the fiscal 2006 national budget, which incorporated spending cuts up to 14.3 trillion yen over five years starting in fiscal ¶2007. Some 220 billion yen will be cut from the expected natural increase in social expenditures due to the aging society, such as by lowering the state's share of employment insurance. Natural increases in fiscal 2007 were expected to reach 770 billion yen, so spending on social security will increase by 550 billion yen after the cuts. The budgetary cap on the general-account expenditures topped the 46.4 trillion yen of the initial budget for the fiscal 2006 because of extra expenditures for the Upper House election next summer. 12) Budget request guidelines: Defense spending cut 1% ; Government, ruling camp to treat expenses for USFJ realignment as exception MAINICHI (Page 2) (Almost Full) July 20, 2006 The government and the ruling parties yesterday agreed to cap the fiscal 2007 general account budget at 46.8 trillion yen. According to the guidelines, growth in social security expenditures will be held to 550 billion yen. Defense-related spending and subsidies to private schools will also suffer a 1% cut from the previous year. Other spending items, such as discretionary expenditures and public-works-related spending, will be slashed 3% from the previous year. As a result, the overall increase over the previous year's budget will be held to 440 billion yen. As part of a plan to jointly reform revenue and expenditures, certain budgetary items have been slated for cuts over the next five years, meaning that the budget request guidelines for fiscal 2007 have been set in a more detailed manner than in the past. The guidelines set a 22 billion yen cut in public works expenditures from the preceding year and a 140 billion yen reduction in other expenditures, though 200 billion yen was allocated to cover the cost of the Upper House election next summer and 50 billion yen for priority spending items. As a result, general account expenditures will expand by 440 billion yen from the previous year, but the Finance Ministry intends to further cut expenditures in the budget compilation process at the end of the year. For the promotion of efficiency and prioritization of spending items, the guidelines incorporated a 1% cut in subsidies to public utility corporations, standardizing discretionary contracts with public utility corporations, and reducing subsidies to local governments. As exceptions to the budgetary cap, the government and the ruling camp will discuss expenses for the USFJ realignment and a revision of child allowances as part of measures to deal with the declining TOKYO 00004020 008 OF 009 birthrate in a separate framework in the run-up to the year-end budget compilation. The government will present the budget request guidelines to the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy, which is to meet on the 20th, and adopt it at a cabinet meeting on the 21st. Each government agency will submit budgetary requests by the end of August. 13) Foreign Ministry to establish an international cooperation bureau as part of ODA reform, bolster policy planning capability SANKEI (Page 3) (Full) July 20, 2006 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) will dismantle the existing Economic Cooperation Bureau and establish in its place an International Cooperation Bureau in order to strengthen the ministry's policy planning functions. Working directly under the chief of this new bureau will be a deputy director-general in charge of global scale issues. The deputy director-general will deal with, for instance, environmental issues and avian flu. MOFA will also establish a Southern Asia Department in charge of Southwest Asia and ASEAN. This reorganization plan will be given approval at a cabinet meeting tomorrow. As part of the reform of Japan's official development assistance (ODA),the government will establish an Overseas Economic Cooperation Council, which will map out ODA strategy under the leadership of the prime minister. The ODA implementation agencies will be consolidated into the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Following this reform plan, MOFA will review the current ODA system -- under which the Economic Cooperation Bureau is in charge of ODA on a bilateral basis and the Global Issues Department is in charge of ODA on a multilateral basis -- in order to bolster the functions of ODA planning and consolidate these two offices into the International Cooperation Bureau. A Multilateral Cooperation Division, a Specialized Agencies Division, and a Global Environment Division, all to be newly created, will come under the supervision of a deputy director-general, who will work under the direct control of the director general of the International Cooperation Bureau. The United Nations Administration Division under the Global Issues Department will be reorganized into a United Nations Coordination Division, which will come under the control of the Foreign Policy Bureau responsible for reform of the UN Security Council and other reforms. Under this new system, "We will pursue strategic UN-centered diplomacy," a senior MOFA official said. With the establishment of a Southern Asia Department under the Asian and Oceanian Bureau, the principal aim will be to make clear Japan's diplomatic position of attaching importance to India, which is increasing its presence on both the political and economic fronts, as well as "to prepare a system for us to pay due attention to Asian countries surrounding China," the same official added. The implication is to counter a rising China. 14) Fukuda may not run in LDP presidential race ASAHI (Page 1) (Full) July 20, 2006 TOKYO 00004020 009 OF 009 Former Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda informed the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Tokyo chapter that he would not attend its general assembly slated for July 28, sources revealed yesterday. This general meeting is viewed as a forum for contenders for the post of the prime minister to speak about their policies ahead of the LDP presidential race in September. Whether Fukuda would attend the forum and express his willingness to run drew much attention, but now that it has become certain that he will not attend the forum, many in the party are beginning to speculate that he will not run in the presidential race. Chief Cabinet Secretary Abe, Foreign Minister Aso, Finance Minister Tanigaki, State Minister for Financial, Economic, and Fiscal Policy Yosano, and Fukuda had been all invited to the general meeting. Except for Fukuda, all the others will attend, with Aso taking part via a video feed. According to various polls, Fukuda has enjoyed the second highest support rate after Abe. But he has not made clear whether he will declare his candidacy, thereby fueling the view in the LDP that ABE is likely to enjoy an easy run. 15) Smiling "new Ozawa" meets foreign correspondents in public relations event TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Full) July 20, 2006 Ichiro Ozawa, head of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ = Minshuto),yesterday gave an interview to foreign news companies at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan in Tokyo, to present to them the image of a "new Ozawa." In a speech given at the outset of the interview, he unusually cracked up the audience with a joke, "Since I am not as smart as Ichiro of the Seattle Mariners, I am frequently criticized by the media." Presumably out of a desire to change his image of being strong-arm and opinionated, he referred to his effort to transform himself: "I used to offered rebuttals before by firmly stating my policy. However, I am now trying to be patient and respond with a smile as much as possible. That is where I have changed a little, if you say I have changed." He politely replied to questions during the one-hour interview, wrapping it up by playing up his determination to take over the reins of power: "Human beings cannot do anything that is beyond their capacity. I am a country bumpkin, but I am now doing my utmost in my own way to capture the reins of government." SCHIEFFER