NEW GOJ SPACE OFFICE CHIEF PROMOTES U.S.-JAPAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 002936 SIPDIS STATE FOR OES/SAT, ISN/MDSP, EAP/RSP AND EAP/J NASA FOR JOHN HALL NSC FOR PETER MARQUEZ E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/21/2018 TAGS: TSPA TSPL KSCA PGOV PREL MARR JA SUBJECT: NEW GOJ SPACE OFFICE CHIEF PROMOTES U.S.-JAPAN COMMERCIAL TIES IN NEW SPACE STRATEGY Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer for reasons 1.4 (b) and ( d). ¶1. (SBU) Summary: The newly appointed Secretary General of Japan's Strategic Headquarters for Space Policy, Masakazu Toyoda, told EMIN he intends to formulate and implement a national space strategy for Japan in less than two years. Going forward Japan will focus more on application of technology and enhancing the competitiveness of its space industry than in the past. Japan's new policy will also include the use of space for security. He said development of Japan's mid-sized GX rocket will move forward and he envisions close cooperation with U.S. industry on this and other projects. His staff said Toyoda would like to visit Washington in mid-November to begin discussion on joint use of the GX. End summary. 2, (SBU) Newly appointed Secretary General of the Cabinet Secretariat's Strategic Headquarters for Space Policy, and formerly METI Vice Minister, Masakazu Toyoda said over the next 6-7 months he aims to develop a comprehensive national space strategy by coordinating among the 11 GOJ stakeholder ministries and agencies. To date, Japan's space policy has not been sufficiently coordinated, Toyoda said. His goal is to implement the new coordinated policy within 20 months by seeking Diet approval of: 1) a structure for space policy including all GOJ stakeholders, 2) reorganization of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and 3) a plan to improve the aerospace business environment in areas such as launchers and satellites. ¶3. (SBU) Toyoda envisions the national space policy having four elements: 1) more focus on the use of technology than the development of technology; 2) the use of space for national security, especially in the Asia Pacific region, 3) enhancement of the space industry, and 4) the use of space for environmental protection and disaster mitigation. He said the potential use of space for security purposes was the most important element in the Basic Space Law passed in May ¶2008. However, Japan will have to consider how to do this while maintaining the spirit of Japan's pacifist Constitution. One way he continued, could be in the area of observation satellites. ¶4. (SBU) Toyoda spoke positively of the future of Japan's proposed mid-sized rocket, the Galaxy Express (GX),and of enhancing the competitiveness of Japan's space industry. He said Japan's space industry, which relies heavily on government funding, has been hurt by declining GOJ budgets over the last five years and needs to be commercially competitive. Toyoda said he would be seeking cooperation with the U.S. on the GX in the next one to two months and that combining Japanese and U.S. technology was the most cost effective approach to developing the rocket. (Note: Toyoda's staff told Embassy Political Officer and NASA Attach in an October 20 meeting that Toyoda would like to visit Washington in mid-November to have government-to-government discussions on strengthening space cooperation including the possibility of joint use of the GX rocket. End note.) ¶5. (C) Toyoda said his efforts are receiving bipartisan support despite the current domestic political difficulties. He said he is even confident that the opposition DPJ will support remote sensing for security purposes. SCHIEFFER