Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07TOKYO4121
2007-09-06 01:29:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Tokyo
Cable title:  

JAPANESE MORNING PRESS HIGHLIGHTS 09/06/07

Tags:  OIIP KMDR KPAO PGOV PINR ECON ELAB JA 
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 11 TOKYO 004121 

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 09/06/07


Index:
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 11 TOKYO 004121 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 09/06/07 Index: 1) Top headlines 2) Editorials 3) Prime Minister's daily schedule 4) Six-party framework: First day of Japan-North Korea talks on "settling the past" end along divergent lines War on terror: 5) Defense Minister Komura to observe drill in Tokyo Bay as part of promotion of MSDF efforts under Anti-Terrorism Special Measures Law 6) MSDF on Afghan anti-terror mission in Indian Ocean may have refueled US warships that were engaged in strikes on Somalia Political agenda: 7) Prime Minister ABE in Diet policy speech to call for cooperation from opposition parties 8) Opposition camp set to battle the ruling camp on pension issue, anti-terror bill in "reversal of power" Diet session that opens Sept. 10 9) LDP Secretary General Aso and other party leaders building environment to let former postal-rebel lawmaker Hiranuma back into the LDP 10) Head of farm minister Wakabayashi's political association also represents body receiving subsidies from his ministry 11) State Minister for Declining Birthrate Kamikawa also corrects "mistakes" in her political assets report 12) DPJ may file censure motion against environmental minister for "missing" eight million yen in political funds report DPJ in action: 13) DPJ head Ozawa, New Japan Party head Tanaka agree on Diet alliance 14) DPJ announces its shadow cabinet, picked not for policy expertise but ability to clash with ruling camp in the Diet Articles: 1) TOP HEADLINES Asahi, Mainichi, Nikkei & Tokyo Shimbun: 154.4 billion yen in corporate pensions unpaid to 1.24 million eligible beneficiaries Yomiuri: Japan Securities Finance Co. suspected of unduly raising fees Sankei: Social Security Agency failed to file criminal complaints against nearly half of pension administrators who embezzled pension funds Akahata: More than 1,000 retrials on compensation for industrial accidents remain u
nresolved 2) EDITORIALS Asahi: (1) Should martial arts and dance be compulsory subjects? TOKYO 00004121 002 OF 011 (2) Safety check necessary for nanotechnology Mainichi: (1) Environment Minister Kamoshita must give full explanations on mistakes in political fund reports (2) Improve workplaces of nursing-care service business Yomiuri: (1) Need for caregivers (2) Policies against inequality must cover young people Nikkei: (1) FRB Chairman Bernanke's challenge (2) Cooperative banks' efforts to boost credit Sankei: (1) Comsn's nursing-care operations must fulfill responsibility (2) Making martial arts compulsory subject will contribute to improving national character Tokyo Shimbun: (1) New DPJ leadership must show power (2) Improving labor conditions in Comsn's nursing-care operations urgent Akahata: (1) Stop compiling budgets for next fiscal year as business circles say 3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) Prime Minister's schedule, September 5 NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) September 6, 2007 09:34 Arrived at the Kantei. 10:00 Reported to the Emperor in private. 11:19 Met with State Minister for Administrative Reform Watanabe at the Kantei, followed by Ambassador to the US Kato. 13:40 Met with Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Yamaguchi, followed by Internal Affairs Minister Masuda and Postal Administration Bureau Director General Hashiguchi. 14:35 Met with Deputy Foreign Minister Yabunaka and European Affairs Bureau Director General Harada. 16:53 Met with Public Security Intelligence Agency Director General Yanagi, followed by Lower House member Taro Nakayama. 17:37 Met with Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Matoba. TOKYO 00004121 003 OF 011 18:45 ined with advisor to Matsushita Electric Co. Morishita and TEPCO President Katsumata at Hotel Okura. 20:24 Arrived at the official residence. 4) Japan, DPRK fail to reach agreement on "settlement of past" at working group talks MAINICHI (Page 3) (Full) September 6, 2007 Yudai Nakazawa, Seiji Nishioka, Ulan Bator Japan and North Korea yesterday began the first day of talks at their working group under the six-party talks in Ulan Bator, Mongolia, to discuss the North Korean nuclear issue. The session dealt with the abduction issue as well as how to "settle the past" related to Japan's past colonial of Korea. On the "settlement of the past," Japan contended that this issue should be resolved by a package formula of economic cooperation in accordance with the 2002 Japan-North Korea Pyongyang Declaration. In response, North Korea demanded for compensation for Koreans who had been forced into labor or prostitution during the war. Both sides failed to reach an agreement. The governments of Japan and North Korea confirmed that the first day of talks would focus on how to "settle the past" and that the second day would have a full discussion of the abduction issue. Japanese Ambassador Yoshiki Mine in charge of diplomatic normalization talks between the two countries said, "Resolving the abduction issue is essential even in dealing with the issue of the 'settlement of the past'." Mine thus indicated his intention to aim to resolve the abduction issue as well as the issue of the settlement of the past. North Korean Ambassador Song Il Ho in charge of diplomatic normalization talks between the two countries cited the five former abductees and their families who have already returned to Japan and contended: "We've taken some measures in this regard." Song emphasized his country's efforts made toward resolving the abduction issue. But Song reportedly did not use the expression "the abduction issue has been already settled" as his country's officials used in the past. Referring to the "settlement of the past," Mine said, "There is an agreement that the leaders of the two countries will resolve that issue in the form of an economic cooperation formula. I think it is important to resolve the issue in line with this principle." Mine insisted that based on the 2002 Japan-North Korea Pyongyang Declaration, the issue should be resolved through a "package formula of economic cooperation," under which Japan would offer economic assistance to North Korea in return for the renouncement of its claim for compensation. On the other hand, Song mentioned "human damage, property damage, and psychological damage," and he again demanded for compensation for those who had been forced into labor during the war, as well as for the so-called wartime comfort women. After the session, Mine emphasized an emergence of a change in North TOKYO 00004121 004 OF 011 Korea's attitude, telling reporters, "We had a good discussion." 5) Defense Minister Komura observes refueling drill to publicize importance of extending Antiterrorism Law MAINICHI (Page 5) (Full) September 6, 2007 In order to publicize the significance of extending the Antiterrorism Special Measures Law, Defense Minister Masahiko Komura observed yesterday a refueling drill on a Maritime Self-Defense Force vessel in Tokyo Bay. The MSDF vessel, the Mashu, returned to Japan last December after completing its mission in the Indian Ocean. Running at 20 kph, the vessel provided 10 kl of light oil per minute to a destroyer. The Defense Ministry is desperate to generate public support for extending the Antiterrorism Law, by producing brochures and videos. 6) Anti-Terrorism Special Measures Law: MSDF (in Indian Ocean) may have become involved in US warship attack on Somalia by providing fuel to those ships AKAHATA (Page 1) (Full) September 6, 2007 Suspicions have arisen that a Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) unit dispatched to the Indian Ocean to provide assistance to warships of the US and other countries based on the Anti-Terrorism Special Measures Law may have become involved in attacks on Somalia, Africa, by US forces. The reason is that those US warships providing with refueling and other assistance by the MSDF participated in such an attack. This underscores that the anti-terror law is a law to support retaliatory wars, making it possible to assist US forces on a global scale. The US forces on Jan. 7 carried out air strikes on southern Somalia as part of the "war on terror." Many civilian casualties resulted from the strikes. The US Naval Forces Central Command, which is responsible for tactical operations in the Middle East, deployed ships from the CTF 150 (Combined Task Force 150) off the coast of Somalia, according to the US Navy News, Jan. 5. "in order to prevent (international terrorist organization) al-Qaida and other terrorist organizations from using the sea as a potential escape route." The CTF 150 is composed of warships from such countries as the US, Britain, Pakistan, Germany, France, Canada. The MSDF provides such supplies as fuel and water to them. Their duty is conducting "maritime security operations" in such waters as the Bay of Oman, North Arabian Sea, and the Red Sea. In addition, the CTF 150 after Jan. monitored the waters off Somalia, citing as a reason "anti-piracy measures." In a document produced by the MSDF in August, the sea area off the coast of Somalia is clearly marked as a "main refueling point." There is a possibility that in response to the situation in Somalia, the activities of the MSDF were moved to that same sea location. The government will not reveal the contents of the MSDF activities, citing "operational reasons." The US' unilateral strikes on Somalia in the name of being "anti-terrorist" have been denounced strongly TOKYO 00004121 005 OF 011 by the international community, and even in the US Congress, debate has been waged about the basis for such strikes. 7) Prime Minister ABE in his policy speech to ask for DPJ's cooperation NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) September 6, 2007 Prime Minister Abe's policy speech to be delivered on the first day of an upcoming extraordinary session of the Diet on Sept. 10 was sketched out yesterday. One feature of the speech is that the prime minister will frankly ask for cooperation from the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) in the process of drafting policy measures and bills as well as in steering the Diet. The speech seems to be reflecting the prime minister's strong desire to keep his administration going in spite of the reality that it is difficult to pass bills in the Upper House without cooperation from the opposition parties, which hold a majority there. This unusual call by the prime minister on the DPJ to work together stems from his judgment that a failure to extend the Antiterrorism Special Measures Law would have a serious impact on the Japan-US alliance. On economic policy, the prime minister will assert he will firmly uphold his economic growth strategy and reform initiative, and he will state he will do his utmost to revitalize local economies. As evidence, he will touch on his choice of Hiroya Masuda, who was known as a "reformist governor," as minister of internal affairs and communications and minister in charge of reduction of gaps between rural and urban areas. The prime minister is aware that the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) document that examined the results of the Upper House pointed out that the LDP's defeat in the election had been in part attributable to the lack of consideration for the gaps. The prime minister will also emphasize the importance of resolving environmental and educational issues as his policy imprint. The term "beautiful country" was the buzzword in his first policy speech delivered immediately after his cabinet came into being, but he will not use that term as often as he did before. The speech is not as long as it was before in order to dodge possible criticism that the speech is intended to please everybody. The prime minister will also state that the reshuffled cabinet will seriously address the missing pension premium records and the politics-and-money problem and endeavor to restore the public's trust. The DPJ plans to have its Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama and its Deputy Policy Research Council Chairman Akira Nagatsuma take the floor to question the prime minister after his policy speech. 8) Extraordinary Diet session set to convene on September 10; LDP, DPJ ready to lock horns over pension, antiterrorism law ASAHI (Page 1) (Excerpts) September 6, 2007 With endorsement yesterday by the Lower House Rules and Administration Committee, the next Diet session is now officially set to convene on September 10. The Democratic Party of Japan, which has now become the largest party in the Upper House, determined TOKYO 00004121 006 OF 011 yesterday the lineup of its "next cabinet (NC)" The party has appointed Akira Nagatsuma, who has dug up the pension problem, as minister in charge of pension affairs to counter Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Yoichi Masuzoe in the ABE cabinet. The Liberal Democratic Party and the DPJ are now armed with their executive lineups to face off with each other in the upcoming Diet session. "Embezzlements of pension premiums have come to light. The matter greatly concerns the general public." In announcing the lineup of the NC, DPJ President Ozawa played up work by Nagatsuma, who has become the man in the news, having led the party's pension strategy in the latest election campaign. Nagatsuma is also scheduled to take the Lower House floor during Diet questioning. Asked by the press corps about Masuzoe, Nagatsuma said: "I'm looking forward to asking him questions. I want to discuss how to implement policies." After the press conference, Ozawa met with New Party Nippon representative Yasuo Tanaka and agreed that Tanaka would join the Upper House DPJ group. Ozawa voiced his high hopes for Tanaka, saying, "It means a lot more than gaining an additional seat." Meanwhile, the government and ruling coalition are highly alarmed at the Upper House, which is now controlled by the opposition. Chief Cabinet Secretary Kaoru Yosano and the secretaries general and Diet affairs chiefs of the LDP and its coalition partner New Komeito held a meeting in Tokyo yesterday morning. Their discussion focused on an extension of the Antiterrorism Special Measures Law, which is to expire on November 1. They reached an agreement to come up with measures to allow the Maritime Self-Defense Force to continue its refueling operation. 9) Aso, Yosano laying groundwork for reinstating Hiranuma in LDP MAINICHI (Page 5) (Full) September 6, 2007 It became even more likely yesterday that former trade minister Takeo Hiranuma, who last year left the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in opposition to the government's postal-privatization program, will be reinstated in the party. The reasons are that Hidenao Nakagawa, who had refused to let Hiranuma rejoin the party unless he presented a written pledge expressing his approval of the postal-privatization drive, has now left the secretary general's post; and the new secretary general, Taro Aso, who has close personal ties with Hiranuma, and Chief Cabinet Secretary Kaoru Yosano, have lined up in favor of reinstating Hiranuma. The move can be taken as a clear sign of the new ABE cabinet's opposition to the policy taken by former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. Concerned that giving a helping hand to Hiranuma would invite an outcry from the public, Prime Minister SHINZO ABE is now waiting for a right timing to reinstate Hiranuma into the party. Aso conveyed to Hiranuma his intention to allow him to return to the party on Sept. 4 by phone. Hiranuma reportedly told him that he would like to attach top priority to the sentiments of his supporters in his home constituency. Yosano, who was Aso's classmate at Azabu High School, has indirectly backed such efforts. As state minister in charge of North Korean abductions of Japanese nationals, Yosano called yesterday on TOKYO 00004121 007 OF 011 Hiranuma at his office to urge him to rejoin the party. Hiranuma heads a group of Japanese lawmakers addressing North Korea's abductions of Japanese nationals. Last year, ABE also tried to reinstate Hiranuma, with whom he has close ties, but his efforts ended in failure, blocked by Hidenao Nakagawa. With Nakagawa's resignation as secretary general, the LDP leadership has laid the groundwork for letting Hiranuma back into the party. Hiranuma wishes to support Abe, who has been in a fix due to the LDP's crushing defeat in the July House of Councillors election, as well as a series of resignations of his cabinet ministers. He was hospitalized last December after suffering a stroke, but he is now well again. In a meeting on Sept. 1 of his supporters in Tsuyama City, Okayama Prefecture, he expressed his enthusiasm for returning to the LDP, saying, "Matters are moving in the direction of not requiring me to write a pledge. I would like to make a decision after hearing your views." Since Hiranuma is sticking to procedure in planning his return, he intends to strongly seek the reinstatements of former Lower House member Minoru Kiuchi and other postal rebels. He commented: "I acted according to my principles (by refusing to submit a written vow). I'm waiting for the LDP's response (toward those who lost their Lower House seats)." 10) Head of farm minister Wakabayashi's political association also represents body receiving subsidies from his ministry ASAHI (Page 37) (Abridged) September 6, 2007 A top executive of a body receiving subsidies from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries also heads a political support association for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Masatoshi Wakabayashi, a House of Councillors member elected from Nagano Prefecture, sources revealed yesterday. This representative has been found to have personally contributed money to Wakabayashi's political body. In addition, this representative was an executive of a body that had bought tickets for the political body's fund-raising parties. Wakabayashi is a minister of state on the side of a government ministry that subsidizes organizations, and he has received money from the side of an organization receiving subsidies from his ministry. Wakabayashi's office says, "If we're told that this is not appropriate, we'd like to consider declining contributions during his term of office as minister." A number of scandals have now been brought to light over subsidization relating to the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry. A political body for Wakabayashi's predecessor, Takehiko Endo, received a contribution of 50,000 yen from a body that had been subsidized by an independent administrative agency under the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry's jurisdiction. Endo's office returned the money, saying it was "inappropriate." His office has corrected his political fund report. The political body for Wakabayashi is "Tokyo Seifukai." According to his office and other sources, its representative is Goroku Satake, who once headed the Fisheries Agency as its director general. According to Satake and others, around 2002-2004 when Satake was TOKYO 00004121 008 OF 011 chief director at the Fish Price Stabilization Fund, an incorporated foundation under the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry's jurisdiction, he bought a 20,000-yen party ticket or so a year for Tokyo Seifukai at the fund's expense. The fund received more than 1.6 billion yen in fiscal 2006 as a subsidy under the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry's fishery product price stabilization system. In fiscal 2007, the fund receives 1.4 billion yen. In addition, Satake contributed money to "Seifu Sangyo Seisaku Kondankai," another political body for Wakabayashi, amounting to 50,000 yen in 2004, 20,000 yen in 2005, and 50,000 yen in 2006. Satake also chairs the National Recreational Fishing Guides Association, Inc., an incorporated body under the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry's jurisdiction. This association has received subsidies from the ministry for PR on fishing safety and for other purposes, amounting to 17 million yen in fiscal 2005 and more than 19 million yen in fiscal 2007. The Political Funds Control Law prohibits state-subsidized organizations from making political contributions. However, the law has no stipulations about contributions from their executives and other individuals. The Political Funds Regulation Division of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications explains: "They pay money to participate in a party, and the payment of money in this case is different from a donation. The law does not prohibit government-subsidized organizations from buying party tickets." 11) Kamikawa corrects assets reports MAINICH (Page 1) (Abridged slightly) September 6, 2007 Yoko Kamikawa, state minister in charge of declining birthrate, filed corrections yesterday for her asset disclosure reports, saying that the reports did not include loans to her fund management organization and her support association. The corrections amounted to 11.18 million yen for the year 2003. A Kamikawa office source explained the discrepancies this way: "There were miscommunications between the Kamikawa family that prepared the asset reports and the borrowers, including the fund management organization." Corrections were made to loans to the Asia Pacific Council, Kamikawa's fund management organization, and the Yoko Kamikawa supporters association. Kamikawa specifically failed to report 9,681,238 yen in loans to those bodies in the 2000 asset disclosure report; 11,181,238 yen in 2003; and 7,981,238 yen in 2005. Meanwhile, the loans from Kamikawa were included in political funds reports prepared by the fund management organization and the supporters association. Kamikawa's failure to declare loans in her asset reports came to light as a result of inquiries from news agencies to her office. Kamikawa has yet to offer any explanation. 12) DPJ eyes a censure motion against Kamoshita; "Matter is more serious than simple clerical mistakes" MAINICHI (Page 1) (Full) September 6, 2007 In the wake of revelation that there was discrepancy in the amount TOKYO 00004121 009 OF 011 of loans from Environment Minister Ichiro Kamoshita, listed in a political funding report prepared by Kamoshita's political funds management organization, a senior Democratic Party of Japan lawmaker told the Mainichi Shimbun last night: "The matter is much more serious than simple clerical errors. If he remains unable to offer a sufficient explanation, we might have to consider submitting a censure motion against the environment minister to the House of Councillors." Meanwhile, Prime Minister SHINZO ABE defended Kamoshita by saying to the press corps: "The environment minister told me that it was a mistake, and I believe that was what it is." The opposition camp is certain to lock horns with the ruling bloc over this matter in the upcoming extraordinary Diet session. The senior DPJ lawmaker said: "Under normal circumstance, no one mistakes 2 million yen for 10 million yen. It's also absurd that the organization has left the figure uncorrected for so many years." The shuffled ABE cabinet has been hit by a series of politics-and-money scandals following Takehiko Endo, who resigned as agriculture, forestry and fisheries minister over a subsidy scandal. Taking this seriously, the DPJ intends to demand question-and-answer sessions and fresh explanations at the Budget Committee once the next Diet session opens. In the event Kamoshita continues to cite clerical errors, the DPJ intends to consider submitting a censure motion against him. 13) NPN head Tanaka agrees in talks with DPJ head Ozawa to form joint parliamentary group MAINICHI (Page 2) (Full) September 6, 2007 Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) Chairman Ichiro Ozawa and New Party Nippon (NPN) Chairman Yasuo Tanaka yesterday met at the DPJ's headquarters. They agreed to form a joint parliamentary group in the extraordinary Diet session to be convened on Sept. 10. The planned group is expected to be named "DPJ-New Ryokuhukai-Japan," which will be reported to the Upper House on Sept. 10. Ozawa's motive to bring the number of lawmakers belonging to the group close to a majority of 122, coincided with the interests of Tanaka, who wanted to increase opportunities to raise questions in the Diet by joining a bigger group. The DPJ-New Ryokuhukai group, a group in the Upper House, yesterday submitted a notification of the joining of Yoetsu Suzuki (elected from the Akita constituency),an independent, in it. The new power relationship in the Upper House is as follows: DPJ-New Ryokufukai group - 114; Group of LDP members and independents - 84; New Komeito 20; Japanese Communist Party - 7; Social Democratic Party and Pro-Constitution Federation - 5; PNP - 4; Independents - 7; and seat unfilled - 1. 14) DPJ releases "next cabinet" lineup: Emphasis attached to Diet confrontation instead of policy MAINICHI (Page 2) (Full) September 6, 2007 With the fall extraordinary Diet session to be convened shortly, the TOKYO 00004121 010 OF 011 Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) yesterday appointed the lineup of its "next cabinet," its policy-setting organ. It has selected people with importance attached to Diet confrontation instead of policy as can be seen in the appointment of former Diet Affairs Committee Chair Yoshio Hachiro as shadow foreign minister to be in charge of the Antiterrorism Special Measures Law, an issue that will come into focus in the next Diet session. The DPJ has thus brought to the forefront its determination to oust the ABE cabinet, which is rapidly losing its power base, at an early date. Aside from the post responsible for welfare and labor affairs, a post in charge of pensions has been created. Lower House member Akira Nagatsuma, who has high name recognition because of his pursuit of pension record-keeping errors, has been named to the shadow post. The number of shadow cabinet ministers picked from among Upper House members has increased from three to eight, including the appointment of Masayuki Naoshima, former secretary general of DPJ members in the Upper House who has recently been appointed Policy Research Committee chair, as shadow chief cabinet secretary. The DPJ has thus attached importance to the Upper House in selecting "next cabinet" members, following the trading of places between the ruling and opposition camps there. Chairman Ichiro Ozawa during a press conference held at the party headquarters stressed, "If we will clarify our points and confront the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the New Komeito, the public will be able to clearly perceive differences in the views of the ruling and opposition camps." The government and the ruling parties are pressing the DPJ to hold policy talks on an extension of the antiterror legislation. They are indicating a cooperative stance, but it has become clear through the lineup of the "next cabinet" that Ozawa intends to bring areas of contention into bold relief instead of undertaking policy coordination with the government and the ruling bloc. Previously "next cabinet" members had been selected from among two- to three-term junior lawmakers versed in policy, as they were expected to work as working-level members in policy talks. However, the DPJ this time has appointed lawmakers who have been elected more than four times. It has also picked lawmakers for posts that are not their fields. New lineup of DPJ's next cabinet Prime minister Ichiro Ozawa, Lower House member (13) Deputy prime minister Naoto Kan, Lower House member (9) Deputy prime minister Azuma Koshiishi, Upper House member (2) (2 in Lower House) Affairs of state Yukio Hatoyama, Lower House member (7) Chief cabinet secretary Masayuki Naoshima, Upper House members (3) Internal affairs Kazuhiro Haraguchi, Lower House member (4) Foreign affairs Yoshio Hachiro, Lower House member (6) Defense affairs Keiichiro Asao, Upper House member (2) Cabinet office Koji Matsui, Upper House member (2) Fiscal affairs Masaharu Nakagawa, Lower House member (4) Financial affairs Akihiro Ohata, Lower House member (6) Welfare and labor Masahiko Yamada, Lower House member (4) Pensions Akira Nagatsuma, Lower House member (3) Economy and industry Teruhiko Mashiko, Upper House member (1) (3 in Lower House) Legal affairs Ritsuo Hosokawa, Lower House member (6) TOKYO 00004121 011 OF 011 Education and science Yoko Komiyaya, Lower House member (3) (1 in Upper House) Children and gender equality, Mieko Kamimoto, Upper House member (2) Agriculture, forestry and fisheries Nobutaka Tsutsui, Lower House member (4) Land and transport Hiroyuki Nagahama, Upper House member (1) (4 in Lower House) Environment Tomiko Okazaki, Upper House member (3) Figures in ( ) and ( ) indicate number of times elected DONOVAN

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