JAPANESE MORNING PRESS HIGHLIGHTS 04/02/07-1

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 08 TOKYO 001420 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 04/02/07-1 1) Top headlines 2) Editorials 3) Prime Minister's daily schedule Historical issues: 4) Interview with Rep. Mike Honda on comfort-women resolution before the House: Japan "not sincere" on comfort-women issue; vote to come after ABE visit 5) In unusual move, Senator Inoue sends letter to House sponsors of comfort women resolution warning it would have bad effect on US-Japan relations 6) Scholars, researchers, activists meet in Washington for symposium on comfort-women 7) Screeners excise all mention from school textbooks of military coercion, involvement in Okinawa mass suicide prior to US invasion at end of war Diplomatic issues: 8) Prime Minister Abe: Japan's support of launching of Iraq war was unavoidable 9) ABE meets visiting former Secretary of State Kissinger 10) Officials deny alleged existence of secret pact between Japan, ROK at time of normalization on disposition of disputed Takeshima (Dokto) isles Articles: 1) TOP HEADLINES Asahi: Health Ministry research team sets metabolic syndrome standards for children Mainichi: Tokyo Shimbun: Ishihara ahead of Asano in Tokyo; Matsuzawa ahead in Kanagawa Yomiuri: MLIT to use manual to nurture career-track bureaucrats into full-fledged officials in three to four years after entry Nihon Keizai: Low-cost 29-year housing loan to be put on market, possibly in summer: Japan Housing Finance Agency to expand tie-up loan products Sankei: University of the Sacred Heart, Waseda University professors found to have gotten PhDs from diploma mills; Research committee to be established Akahata: First half of unified local elections: Fierce campaign battle seen across nation 2) EDITORIALS Asahi: (1) New human resources bank just a way to keep amakurari in place (2) Olympic bid: Decision time approaching Mainichi: (1) Equal Employment Opportunity Law: Eliminate sex discrimination from workplace (2) Rise in land prices: Revitalizing local economies urgent TOKYO 00001420 002 OF 008 Yomiuri: (1) Anonymous posting online: Lawless slander unacceptable (2) US-ROK alliance: Will measures against North Korea remain firm? Nihon Keizai: (1) Market testing not going smoothly: Is the government to blame? (2) New employees, sharpen yourselves Sankei: (1) Bullying subcontractors: Rampancy will undermine competitiveness (2) Law to prevent secret recording of movies: Harsh punishment appropriate to prevent piracy Tokyo Shimbun: (1) High school history textbook screening will distort historical facts (2) Leather handcuffs: Make what is going on in prisons transparent Akahata: (1) School textbook screening: Denying coercion by military government glorifies war 3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) Prime Minister's schedule, March 30 NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Full) March 31, 2007 09:02 Attended a cabinet meeting at Kantei. Later, met Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Yanagisawa, Health Bureau Director General Sotoguchi, and Pharmaceutical and Food Affairs Bureau Director General Takahashi. 10:14 Met incoming UN Deputy Secretary General Kiyotaka Akasaka. Then, posed for photos with members of the International Traditional Artists Association. 11:00 Met Defense Vice Minister Moriya and Defense Intelligence Headquarters Chief Mukunoki. Moriya stayed behind. 12:27 Met Chief Cabinet Secretary Shiozaki and Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Matoba. SIPDIS 12:43 Attended a special social gathering for discussion of the Fuji Sankei Group at the Hotel Okura. 14:43 Met Matoba at the Kantei. 15:05 Met Comprehensive Science and Technology Conference member Ichiro Kanazawa. Later attended its meeting. 16:19 TOKYO 00001420 003 OF 008 Met with former Secretary of State Kissinger. 17:28 Met Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Shimomura. Followed by Cabinet Intelligence Director Mitani. 18:50 Attended a reception for upgraded Defense Ministry at the Hotel Grand Hill Ichigaya. 19:15 Dined with the political department heads of press companies at a Chinese restaurant at Kudan-kita. 22:06 Returned to his official residence. Prime Minister's schedule, March 31 NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Full) April 1, 2007 Morning Stayed at his official residence. 16:27 Attended wedding of eldest daughter of Financial Services Minister Yamamoto at a hotel. 20:45 Arrived at his private residence in Tomigaya. Prime Minister's schedule, April 1 NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Full) April 2, 2007 Morning Stayed at his private residence in Tomigaya. 14:00 Went to fitness club in the Grand Hyatt Tokyo in Roppongi. 17:25 Arrived at his private residence. 4) Interview with US House of Representatives Congressman Honda: Japan has not been sincere about comfort-women issue; We aim to adopt House resolution after Prime Minister Abe's US visit ASAHI (Page 2) (Full) March 31, 2007 By Yoichi Kato in Washington Rep. Mike Honda of the US House of Representatives (Democratic Party, California's 15 district),who has presented a resolution before the House calling on the Japanese government to "officially apologize" for the wartime comfort-women issue, responded on March 29 to a telephone interview with this newspaper. Although there is TOKYO 00001420 004 OF 008 no change in his thinking of seeking an official apology, the voting on the resolution by the full House will not be held until after Shinzo ABE visits the US in late April, as a courtesy to the visiting prime minister. The following are the main exchanges in the interview. -- Why have you presented the resolution? "I believe this is the third time for a resolution of this sort for the same purpose has been presented to the House. This time, as a result of the midterm election last fall, the leadership of the committee switched to the Democratic Party, and it has become a lot easier to bring the resolution to the floor." -- Why is the resolution important for the US? "Rather than for the US, it is more important for the victims who were forced to serve as comfort women. The 20th Century saw a series of wars; the 21st Century, in my view, should be a time of reconciliation. Although many peace treaties have been signed, there are still unresolved issues. This is one of them." -- The Japanese government has pointed out that your resolution is based on erroneous facts. "I know that the Japanese embassy has been saying that there are factual mistakes and that Japan has already apologized. But if I am mistaken, then many other countries are mistaken, as well. I am prepared at any time to go to Japan and debate the prime minister." -- Is there any change in your thinking of seeking an apology from Japan? "I'm only thinking about the treatment that the comfort women should have received. I know that a number of prime ministers have issued their personal apologies and expressed their sentiments, but such were neither recognized by the government nor the Diet." -- Do you think the so-called Kono Statement is insufficient, even though it recognized the government's and the military's involvement and apologized for it? "I would like to ask you whether it was ever adopted by the cabinet or by the Diet. At the time of its apology, Japan was very selective. It would be issued by the prime minister and approved by the Diet." -- Will the House vote on the resolution after Prime Minister ABE visits the US? "We will constrain all our moves until after the prime minister visits the US, out of courtesy for his position. Otherwise, I fear it would have an impact on his influence. I would like the prime minister to try to gain an understanding of the American people. By delaying the adoption of the resolution, we are giving him a chance to the do so. The voting on it will be in May." -- What is the outlook? "There are already 75 co-sponsors of the resolution. These are not just Democrats but Republicans, as well. There are not just liberals TOKYO 00001420 005 OF 008 supporting it; there are conservatives lined up, as well. House Speaker Pelosi also backs it. Out target is 120. (The total count in House is 435). 5) US Senator sends letter to House of Representatives stating opposition to comfort-women resolution: "It will have an ill effect on US relations with Japan" SANKEI (Page 2) (Excerpt) April 1, 2007 By Takashi Arimoto in Washington This newspaper learned on March 30 that Senator Daniel Inouye (elected from Hawaii),a member of the Democratic Party with Japanese ancestry, has sent letters to Democratic Rep. Tom Lantos, who heads the House Foreign Relations Committee, and other members of the House urging them not to adopt a resolution submitted to the House that denounces Japan on the comfort-women issue. He stated: "It is not only unnecessary, it also would have an ill-effect on US relations with Japan." It is rare for a Senator to come out with a objection to a resolution before the House of Representatives. The resolution was presented to the House by another member of Congress of Japanese ancestry, Mike Honda (Democrat),but the opposition statement by Inoue, who is a senior member of the Democratic Party, is likely to have an effect on the course of the resolution as it makes its way through the House. 6) Japanese, US researchers participate in symposium on Japan's war of aggression, including "wartime comfort women" issue, held in Washington AKAHATA (Page 6) (Full) April 2, 2007 Yumi Kamazuka, Washington A symposium to discuss Japan's past colonial rule and war of aggression and relations with Asian countries today was held in Washington on March 30. The conference was hosted by the Washington-based US Institute of Peace (USIP). Japanese researchers and civic activists were invited to the meeting, and joining the meeting were some 50 American researchers. In the session, lawyer Hiroshi Oyama introduced the so-called "Ienaga" textbook suit and suits filed by Chinese victims of the war and pointed out that in this series of lawsuits, "facts of Japan's aggression were acknowledged in detail." Shinichi Arai, professor emeritus at Ibaraki University and Surugadai University, based on his experience as an army soldier at the time of the end of WWII, told about how the military of the time destroyed evidence, saying, "I was ordered to burn all documents." He asserted that the lack of "definite documentation" has allowed "assumptions and irresponsible arguments" denying historical facts to "spread." Tokushi Kasahara, professor at Tsuru University, based on his survey of Japanese and Chinese students, explained about the gap in historical perceptions between the two countries. Touching on TOKYO 00001420 006 OF 008 Japan's political situation, Kasahara said politicians have obstructed inclusions of descriptions of such matters as the Nanjing Massacre in school textbooks and mentioned their series of "attacks against textbooks." USIP's Deputy Director of Education Program Helsing, who presided over the meeting, lauded reports from Japanese participants as "one move of Japan that is not reported by mass media." Rumiko Nishino, director of the Women's Active Museum on War and Peace (WAM), referred to the role played by a civilian court, the "Women's International War Crimes Trial," which tried the case of the former Imperial Japanese Army's sexual slavery in 2000 and explained that the WAM is trying to make clear the responsibilities of the assailant country. Hidemaru Kin, who served as chief of the secretariat at the "Kusa no Ne" (Grassroots) Peace Memorial Hall in Kochi City, reported that a Japan-South Korea joint civic group investigated the remains of Korean victims of forced labor in Hokkaido during WWII. Summing up the conference, Prof. Mike Mochizuki at George Washington University, stated that when it came to America's involvement in the process of Japan and East Asian countries resolving the historical issues as "judge and mediator," "The US was not clean either, so I can't assure what the US did was good." Mochizuki suggested "supporting an effort to build a institutional foundation for holding discussions at each society level." The Japanese participants plan to hold a series of symposiums to pursue war responsibility in Asia and Europe this year marking the 70th anniversary of the Nanjing Massacre. They regard the conference in Washington this time as the first round of that series. 7) Screeners of high-school textbooks revise passages on Battle of Okinawa to remove "military coercion" of civilians to commit mass suicide ASAHI (Top play) (Excerpts) March 31, 2007 In the process of screening geography, history, and civics textbooks, the Education Ministry asked textbook publishers for the first time ever to remove the description "the former Imperial Japanese Army forced civilians" to commit mass suicide in passages describing the Battle of Okinawa, the Asahi Shimbun has learned. This change reflects a shift in the ministry previous judgment on the grounds of documents and testimonies denying military coercion. Regarding issues relating to foreign and political affairs, such as the Iraq war and the prime minister's visits to Yasukuni Shrine, textbook publishers have continued to be asked over the past several years to follow the government's views in textbook descriptions. The textbooks subject to the screening this time were the ones for high school students (mainly sophomores and juniors). A total of 222 out of 224 textbooks were approved. The two not approved were both biology textbooks. Among the category of geography, history, and civics textbooks, seven history textbooks that stated that in the Battle of Okinawa, "the former Imperial Japanese Army forced civilians to commit suicide," were told by the ministry: "It is not possible to conclude that the military ordered civilians to commit mass suicide. The description may cause a misunderstanding." As a result, the publishers of these seven textbooks revised the TOKYO 00001420 007 OF 008 description in question to read: "Civilians were driven to commit suicide." This sort of suggestion was not given in the process of screening history textbooks last year. The ministry explained the reasons for the shift from its previous judgment: (1) there are two kinds of documents, those asserting there were "military orders" and others denying there were orders; (2) the former military personnel who were alleged to have ordered civilians to commit mass suicide on Kerama islands and the bereaved families (of those who had died) filed libel suits; (3) recent studies have placed more importance on civilians' mental condition than whether there were orders or not. The ministry will inform publishers whose textbooks were approved in the screening last year of its current judgment, but it will not ask them to revise their textbooks immediately. 8) Prime Minister Abe: Japan had no choice but to support start of Iraq war MAINICHI (Page 5) (Full) March 31, 2007 Asked by reporters about Japan having supported the US decision to launch the Iraq war, Prime Minister SHINZO ABE on March 30 responded: "At that time there was a rational reason for Japan to back the US armed attacks. Although the United Nations Security Council repeatedly warned Iraq, that country ignored UNSC resolutions. Japan had no choice but to support the war, even though there was no proof that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction." 9) Prime minister meets with Kissinger SANKEI (Page 5) (Full) March 31, 2007 Prime Minister SHINZO ABE met on March 30 with former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who is now visiting Japan, at the Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei). Kissinger expressed understanding for Japan's position regarding the issue of North Korea's abductions of Japanese nationals. ABE and Kissinger shared the perception that it is important for Japan and the United States to strengthen cooperation in order to resolve the abduction issue, as well as to have North Korea abandon all its nuclear weapons programs. Kissinger also met later with Foreign Minister Taro Aso. 10) Japan, South Korea have no secret agreement on Takeshima/Dokdo islets SANKEI (Page 5) (Full) March 31, 2007 The government adopted in a cabinet meeting on March 30 a response letter denying media reports that there was a secret agreement that Japan and South Korea would not raise objections to the other's territorial claims over the Takeshima/Dokdo islets. The letter says that Japan cannot accept South Korea's illegal occupation of the islets and that an agreement between the two countries made in secret cannot be permitted. The cabinet decision was made to respond SIPDIS to a question by House of Representatives member Mineo Suzuki of the New Party Taichi. TOKYO 00001420 008 OF 008 SCHIEFFER