JAPANESE MORNING PRESS HIGHLIGHTS 08/15/06

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 07 TOKYO 004598 SIPDIS 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 08/15/06 Index: 1) Top headlines 2) Editorials Prime Minister's daily schedule: Took Monday off August 15: Kyodo: Prime Minister Koizumi visited Yasukuni Shrine, leaving his residence in a limousine around 7:30. He was dressed in a formal tailcoat. 3) Prime Minister Koizumi visits Yasukuni Shrine 4) Prime Minister to visit Yasukuni Shrine today on 61st anniversary of the end of the war 5) Ruling and opposition camps issue statements on August 15 anniversary of end of war 6) ROK President Roh ready to "strongly protest" if Koizumi visits Yasukuni today 7) LDP's Koichi Kato again urges Koizumi to stay away from Yasukuni LDP presidential race: 8) Chief Cabinet Secretary Abe standing before his father's grave expresses his desire to run for LDP president 9) Abe to make constitutional reform a key campaign pledge 10) LDP's Taku Yamasaki, now out of the race, to back Finance Minister Tanigaki for party president 11) LDP faction leader Mori already speculating about who will be in Abe's cabinet and party lineup 12) Ruling parties' secretaries general leave for Australia and other stops in international junket 13) METI learns from Chinese government that production has not started yet in controversial gas field in EEZ Articles: 1) TOP HEADLINES Asahi: Labor shortage at legal rescue center to be launched in October; Twenty attorneys secured, but plan is to assign 300 lawyers Mainichi: Ten consumer credit companies found to have taken out life insurance policies on all borrowers Yomiuri: Internet distribution of TV programs: Communications Ministry looking into possibility of adopting copyright registration system Nihon Keizai: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. to cut overseas production bases 50%; Selective guidelines to be introduced to strengthen earning power Sankei: Tokyo area blackout: Accident near upstream part of power supply grid escalates damage -- TEPCO reprimanded for delay in service restoration TOKYO 00004598 002 OF 007 Tokyo Shimbun: Prime Minister Koizumi determined to visit Yasukuni Shrine today, 61st anniversary of end of World War II Akahata: Revision of Basic Education Law for the worse: Education ministry sending senior officials to teachers' training sessions and PTA conferences for campaign 2) EDITORIALS Asahi: (1) Thoughts on nationalism: What should be done to calm things down? Mainichi: (1) Control nationalism: Break Koizumi's spell Yomiuri: (1) Anniversary of end of World War II: Questioning responsibility for "Showa War" Nihon Keizai: (1) We want to console the souls of the war dead quietly and thing about war and the postwar era (2) Major power outage raises questions about protecting infrastructure Sankei: (1) August 15 should be a quiet day for the deep repose of the souls of the war dead Tokyo Shimbun: (1) Thoughts on the anniversary of the end of World War II: Pacifism is Japan's pledge Akahata: (1) Anniversary of end of World War II: We should make best use of determination for peace 3) Prime Minister Koizumi visits Yasukuni Shrine YOMIURI (Website, 8:18 am, top story) (Full) August 15, 2006 On August 15, the anniversary of the end of World War II, Prime Minister Koizumi visited Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo. Koizumi had pledged during the race for the LDP presidency in 2001 that he would visit Yasukuni on August 15, but in the face of strong criticism from China and other countries, he had previously avoided this date while making his annual visit. With Koizumi due to step down in September, he showed a strong determination to fulfill his pledge to visit on this date. This is the first time for a sitting prime minister to go to Yasukuni on August 15 since then PM Nakasone did so in 1985. This is Koizumi's sixth visit to Yasukuni, the first since October ¶2005. Clad in a formal morning coat, Koizumi made his way into the TOKYO 00004598 003 OF 007 shrine's main hall and signed his name in the guestbook as "Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi." He paid the 30,000 yen for flowers out of his own pocket. Speaking on August 9 about his pledge to visit on the 15th, Koizumi stated: "The pledge is still valid, and I think it should be kept." On the 10th, he refuted criticism of his Yasukuni visits, saying: "There is no reason for Japan's prime minister to be criticized no matter what facility he decides to visit. After reflecting on the war, Japan has developed as a peaceful nation that has not gone to war even once in the ensuing 61 years." In July, it came to light that a former high-ranking official in the Imperial Household Agency had written a memo documenting the late Emperor Showa's (Hirohito) displeasure with Yasukuni's enshrinement of Class-A war criminals (in 1978). Soon afterward, public opinion turned more cautious about the prime minister visiting Yasukuni. As this will be Koizumi's last visit to the shrine during his term in office, doing so on August 15 indicates his strong opposition to any compromise on the matter. When he visited the shrine in April 2002, Koizumi released the following comment: "Insisting on visiting on or around August 15, raising concerns and tensions both within and outside Japan, is not my intention." It also became known recently that Chief Cabinet Secretary Abe, considered the most likely candidate to replace Koizumi, visited Yasukuni this April. Some observers are of the opinion that Koizumi's homage on August 15 was intended in part to lay the groundwork for the next prime minister to continue visiting Yasukuni. Both China and South Korea are opposed to the prime minister visiting Yasukuni, with Beijing and Seoul refusing to hold summits with Tokyo since April 2005 and November 2005, respectively. Koizumi argued in response: "It's strange to refuse to hold a summit just because opinions are different on one issue." A summit in the days before Koizumi steps down appears unlikely. It also appears that Yasukuni will become an issue in the LDP presidential race, with the debate extending not just to whether or not the prime minister should visit but also the enshrinement of Class-A war criminals and the idea of turning Yasukuni Shrine into a nonreligious corporation. When he visited Yasukuni on August 13, 2001, Koizumi stated: "I carefully took into account the domestic and international situations and decided on my own to avoid August 15 in making my visit." Koizumi later visited the shrine on April 21, 2002; January 14, 2003; January 1, 2004; and October 17, 2005. 4) Prime Minister Koizumi determined to visit Yasukuni Shrine today, 61st anniversary of end of World War II TOKYO SHIMBUN (Top Play) (Excerpts) August 15, 2006 Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi yesterday decided to visit Yasukuni Shrine on August 15, the 61st anniversary of the end of World War II. Koizumi has visited the shrine five times -- once a year -- since becoming prime minister in April 2001. However, this will be TOKYO 00004598 004 OF 007 the first time for him to visit Yasukuni on August 15. China and South Korea are bound to oppose his visit, if he carries it out. Campaign pledge for LDP presidential election to be implemented After attending a cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister's Official Residence starting 10:00 a.m., the prime minister will offer flowers at the Chidorigafuchi National Cemetery. He will then attend a national memorial service for the war dead at the nearby Budokan Hall. He is expected to visit Yasukuni either before or after these official events. Koizumi pledged to visit Yasukuni Shrine on August 15 during a campaign for the LDP presidential race on April 2001. However, meeting opposition from China and South Korea, which make an issue of the enshrinement of Class-A war criminals there, he visited the shrine on August 13 that year. Since then he has visited it during the spring or autumn festivals, avoiding the anniversary of the end of World War II. 5) Ruling, opposition parties issue statements in commemoration of day marking end of WWII NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Full) August 15, 2006 Ruling and opposition parties issued statements in commemoration of the day marking the end of World War II. Liberal Democratic Party: Japan must positively develop peace-oriented diplomacy through international cooperation based on the Japan-US alliance. It is also necessary to deepen friendly relations with neighboring countries and play a role as a responsible member of the international community. New Komeito: It is important to create a facility where all the people can pay homage to the war dead without any hesitation and pray for peace, in order to demonstrate to the world that Japan is a peaceful country, Minshuto: Blindly following the United States, the Koizumi administration has taken a stance that has led to undermining the achievements and confidence in East Asia and the rest of the world. We would like to renew our resolve to do our best to create peace under global cooperation and make utmost efforts to that end. Japanese Communist Party: Japan will inevitably find itself isolated in Asia and in the world as long as (the prime minister) continues to visit Yasukuni Shrine. We are determined to defend the Constitution drawn up on the basis of reflection on Japan's past military aggression. Social Democratic Party: A person in a position of leadership must pay attention so as not to fan parochial nationalism. 6) South Korean premier: "Government will lodge strong protest" if Prime Minister Koizumi visits Yasukuni NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Excerpts) August 15, 2006 Hiroshi Minegishi, Seoul TOKYO 00004598 005 OF 007 Amid speculation that Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will visit Yasukuni Shrine on Aug. 15, the day marking the end of World War II, South Korean Prime Minister Han Myeong Sook said yesterday: "The prime minister's Yasukuni visits have undermined future-oriented relations between South Korea and Japan." He thus tried to discourage Koizumi from visiting the shrine on that day. He added that if Koizumi visits the shrine, "The South Korean government will lodge a strong protest," according to the Yonhap News Agency. 7) LDP's Kato calls on Prime Minister Koizumi to refrain from visiting Yasukuni Shrine SANKEI (Page 5) (Full) August 15, 2006 Former Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Vice President Taku Yamasaki said yesterday on a TBS program: "I think (the prime minister) will pay homage at Yasukuni Shrine (on Aug. 15) in order to keep his campaign pledge." Former LDP Secretary General Koichi Kato, appearing on a Fuji TV program, called on Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to cancel his planned visit to Yasukuni (on Aug. 15), stating, "Although the prime minister says his visit is a matter of the heart, he should consider it from diplomatic, domestic and historical viewpoints." 8) Abe announces candidacy for LDP presidency to father at family grave YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) August 15, 2006 Chief Cabinet Secretary Abe yesterday announced his candidacy for the Liberal Democratic Party presidential election in September to his father, former Foreign Minister Shintaro Abe, at the family grave in Nagato City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. Abe, accompanied by his wife Akie, placed his hands together in prayer before his father's tomb. Later, he told reporters: "I am now in a position of being expected by many people as a prime ministerial contender. I am determined to brace myself and make efforts to tidily perform duties for the sake of the nation." Speaking before about 100 residents, Abe said: "In the memorial service held by the community for my father 15 years ago, children sang the school song Furusato or hometown. In this song, there are these lyrics: "I will return to my hometown sometime after accomplishing my aim." With this feeling, I would like to do my best." 9) Chief Cabinet Secretary Abe intends to include constitutional revision in manifesto for LDP presidential race TOKYO SHIMBUN (Top Play) (Excerpts) August 15, 2006 Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe will release a manifesto for the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) presidential election on Sep. 1. It was learned yesterday that his manifesto will include revising the Constitution. The specific wording has yet to be determined. However, Abe intends to have his manifesto mention the LDP's stance and the need for legal consolidation for constitutional revision, based on the fact that enacting an independent constitution has been TOKYO 00004598 006 OF 007 the LDP's policy since its formation. With Abe, the front-runner in the race to replace Koizumi, coming up with a stance favoring constitutional revision, it will likely become a campaign issue. Since he was elected in 1993 for the first time, Abe's political conviction has been to establish an independent constitution. When the LDP drafted a new constitution, he spearheaded the work as acting chairman of the preamble sub-committee of the drafting committee. 10) LDP's Yamasaki, Kato to support Tanigaki for LDP presidency NIHION KEIZAI (Page 2) (Full) August 15, 2006 The expectation is that Taku Yamasaki, head of a Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) faction, and Koichi Kato, who belongs to no faction, will back Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki in the LDP presidential election. Yamasaki and Kato failed to field a candidate from the anti-Koizumi forces after Yasuo Fukuda announced he would not run in the race. The two veteran lawmakers have determined that Tanigaki, who has pledged that he will refrain from visiting Yasukuni Shrine, is their best choice for the next LDP president. In the form of responding to questions from reporters in his home constituency of Fukuoka Prefecture, Yamasaki formally announced that he would not run for the presidency. He said of Tanigaki: "I have a good feeling toward him." Kato, who headed the predecessor of the Tanigaki faction, has said, "Mr. Tanigaki is a former associate, and his views are similar to mine." 11) Former Prime Minister Mori: Nakagawa, Koga, Kyuma, Nukaga would be suitable persons to become next cabinet secretary SANKEI (Page 5) (Full) August 15, 2006 Appearing on a TV Asahi program on Aug. 13, former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, a Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) member, revealed his prediction about the lineup of the next cabinet on the premise of Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe becoming the next prime minister. As suitable persons to serve as the next secretary general, who will take charge of the next summer's House of Councillors election, Mori mentioned the names of LDP policy chief Hidenao Nakagawa, former Secretary General Makoto Koga, General Council Chairman Fumio Kyuma, SIPDIS and Defense Agency chief Fukushiro Nukaga. Mori said, "A person who can talk frankly with Upper House LDP Chairman Mikio Aoki and Secretary General Toranosuke Katayama is appropriate." SIPDIS 12) Takebe, Fuyushiba off for Australia, Cambodia and Vietnam SANKEI (Page 5) (Full) August 15, 2006 Ruling Liberal Democratic Party Secretary General Tsutomu Takebe and Tetsuzo Fuyushiba, secretary general of the LDP's coalition partner New Komeito, left last night for a trip to Australia, Cambodia and Vietnam. In Australia, the two ruling party secretaries general are TOKYO 00004598 007 OF 007 expected to meet with Prime Minister John Howard and Foreign Minister Alexander Downer. They will exchange views with the Australian leaders in an attempt to have Pyongyang return to the six-party talks at an early time. 13) METI quoting reply from Chinese government: China has yet to start production in Chunxiao gas field ASAHI (Page 3) (Excerpts) August 15, 2006 Takuya Sumikawa from an Asahi Shimbun helicopter China is preparing to develop the Chunxiao gas field near the Japan-China median line in the East China Sea. China National Offshore Oil Corp. indicated the other day that China has already started production, but seen from the above, there are no signs of production as of now. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) said yesterday it has obtained through diplomatic channels a reply from the Chinese government saying that China has yet to start production. In the Chunxiao gas field, situated about 400 kilometers northwest of the mainland of Okinawa, the construction of an offshore rig is considered to have already been completed, but no flame atop the rig was visible. But exploitation work has already started on the Duanqiao gas field, located about 18 kilometers north-northeast of Chunxiao, with a Chinese flag fluttering atop a rig and an orange flame visible. SCHIEFFER