DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 03/19/08

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 11 TOKYO 000748 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: DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 03/19/08 INDEX: (1) Interview with U.S. Ambassador to Japan J. Thomas Schieffer: Simple possession of child pornography contributes to victimizing more children; Current law tantamount to allowing child abuse (Yomiuri) (2) Interview with Under Secretary Dobriansky: U.S. ready to fulfill binding obligation (Hokkaido Shimbun) (3) Poll on Fukuda cabinet, political parties, gas tax, Aegis accident, BOJ nomination (Yomiuri) (4) Prime minister suffering setback in steering his administration, finding both hands tied on appointing BOJ governor, setting road funds: Criticism also coming from ruling camp (Nikkei) (5) CEFP affirms acceleration of EPA talks; Negotiations with EU also called for (Nikkei) (6) U.S. has failed to pay noise compensation for four years; Government's weak-kneed response clear (Ryukyu Shimpo) (7) Okinawa police arrest two American minors on suspicion of stealing 5,400 yen from taxi (Okinawa Times) (8) Japan decides basic plan on marine surveys within EEZ (Asahi) (9) Where is nonpartisan league Sentaku going? (Mainichi) ARTICLES: (1) Interview with U.S. Ambassador to Japan J. Thomas Schieffer: Simple possession of child pornography contributes to victimizing more children; Current law tantamount to allowing child abuse YOMIURI (Page 16) (Full) March 19, 2008 United States Ambassador to Japan J. Thomas Schieffer, who met with Justice Minister Hatoyama on March 11 in order to urge Japan to ban the simple possession of child pornography, has given an interview to the Yomiuri. In it, Schieffer stressed: "I'd like you to face up to the tragedies that are happening to children." Q: What is your view about child pornography? A: "Child pornography is a serious problem common to the entire world. Japan has no statute banning the simple possession of child pornography. This is tantamount to allowing the people who sexually abuse children a license to abuse." 
Q: What effect do you think it has on children? A: "Unlike adults, children are not able to give their consent to sexual activities. Children who were photographed for child pornography not only suffer the physical damage of sexual abuse but they also suffer psychological damage stemming from their self-respect being hurt, something that will continue with them into the future. Fears that their images may be repeatedly watched by someone could change children's lives." TOKYO 00000748 002 OF 011 Q: Do you think there are any connections with the broad use of the Internet? A: "What is obvious is the fact that child pornography is circulating like an epidemic disease. It is an international issue. Speaking about paranoid ideas like sexually abusing children to others may be a shameful act, but doing so on the Internet without showing one's appearance and doing so in anonymity is a different story. The problem is that when abusers communicate with each other, they may start to feel they are part of a community, and that what they do is normal." Q: What is your message to the Japanese public? A: "Once images related to the sexual exploitation of children are released, there is no end to it. This leads to further crimes and has an incalculable effect on the next generation of children. I'd like the people of Japan to think about what can be done to save the children." Nara Prefecture establishes prefectural rules on child porno, with two cases subject to them so far Of the cases of alleged violations of the Law for Punishing Acts Related to Child Prostitution and Child Pornography, the number of arrests related to child porno has been on the rise from 177 in 2004 to 470 in 2005 and 616 in 2006, the National Police Agency say. Nara Prefecture established prefectural regulations on protection of children from criminal damage in response to the case of kidnapping and murder of a young girl in November 2004 and put them into force in 2005. The regulations have the provisions on prohibiting and punishing the simple possession of child pornography involving children aged below 13 for the first time across the country. Two cases so far have been made subject to the regulations. According to the Nara Prefectural Police, the first of the two cases came up in the process of investigating a charge of violation of the law. The second case was uncovered when the police were investigating a man who had been following a young girl around. The police found the man in question possessed child pornography. The prefectural police's Livelihood and Safety Department's investigator Ryoji Nitaki said: "If we are informed or get information that there is someone who possesses child pornography, it is the prefectural police's responsibility to prove that that person's possession of such is in violation of the regulations. The police can't blindly search for the material or arrest that person." When asked about what effects there would be by a provision banning and punishing the simple possession of child pornography once the law is amended, the investigator emphasized: "The provision would force someone who already possesses child porno to discard it." (2) Interview with Under Secretary Dobriansky: U.S. ready to fulfill binding obligation Hokkaido Shimbun (Page 3) (Full) March 17, 2008 A key point in coping with climate change is how to reduce TOKYO 00000748 003 OF 011 greenhouse gas emissions. The Hokkaido Shimbun interviewed U.S. Under Secretary Paula J. Dobriansky, who represented the U.S. government in the latest G-20 ministerial dialogue held in Chiba. The U.S. is ready to fulfill a binding international obligation set under a global agreement signed by major economies. Requirements will naturally be different according to country, depending on each nation's circumstance and capability, but the pledges made by major economic powers should be common in principle. In the Heiligendamm Summit last year, Japan, the European Union (EU),and Canada promised to halve global greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Keeping this commitment in mind, President Bush stated: "I am interested in what kind of long-term targets will be worked out." The idea of setting mid-term targets was taken up in the latest Major Emitter Meeting (MEM) and has also been eagerly discussed in the U.S. Targets for countries will be set probably with consideration given to such factors as each nation's energy security, economic development, and environment management. Over Japan's proposal for a sector-specific approach, different countries have different views. We welcome that proactive discussions have been conducted on the issue. In the next round of MEM in April, the full session on the first day will be devoted to discussing this issue. We would like to hold a MEM summit meeting around when the Lake Toya is held in Hokkaido and produce a summit declaration. (3) Poll on Fukuda cabinet, political parties, gas tax, Aegis accident, BOJ nomination YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) March 18, 2008 Questions & Answers (Figures shown in percentage. Parentheses denote the results of a survey taken in February.) Q: Do you support the Fukuda cabinet? Yes 33.9 (38.7) No 54.0 (50.8) Other answers (O/A) 2.6 (2.8) No answer (N/A) 9.5 (7.7) Q: (Only for those who answered "no" to the foregoing question) Pick up to two reasons for your disapproval of the Fukuda cabinet. I can't appreciate its political stance 47.8 (47.9) It's unstable 26.8 (27.6) The prime minister is untrustworthy 23.4 (27.8) Nothing can be expected of its economic policy 37.9 (37.0) Nothing can be expected of its foreign policy 8.6 (7.8) Because it's a coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito 8.8 (10.6) Because the prime minister is from the LDP 4.9 (5.4) It's worse than its predecessors 8.1 (6.6) O/A+N/A 3.0 (2.4) TOKYO 00000748 004 OF 011 Q: Which political party do you support now? Pick only one. Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) 33.1 (32.6) Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) 17.6 (20.0) New Komeito (NK) 2.7 (3.2) Japanese Communist Party (JCP) 2.5 (2.1) Social Democratic Party (SDP or Shaminto) 1.1 (0.9) People's New Party (PNP or Kokumin Shinto) 0.3 (0.1) New Party Nippon (NPN or Shinto Nippon) 0.1 (0.1) Other political parties --- (---) None 41.9 (40.4) N/A 0.7 (0.8) Q: Do you think it would be better to continue the current provisional rate of taxation on gasoline for roads after the Special Taxation Measures Law expires at the end of March? Yes 27.0 No 64.2 N/A 8.8 Q: The ruling coalition is going to pass a bill to continue the current rate of provisional taxation on gasoline while the opposition camp is opposed to that. Do you think the ruling and opposition parties should compromise and agree to revise the bill? Yes 63.3 No 28.5 N/A 8.2 Q: Do you think the government dealt appropriately with the recent collision of a Maritime Self-Defense Force Aegis destroyer with a fishing boat that has left the fishing boat's two crewmen missing? Yes 18.9 No 74.1 N/A 7.0 Q: Do you appreciate the DPJ's response over a nominee for the post of Bank of Japan governor? Appreciate very much 4.4 Appreciate somewhat 21.0 Don't appreciate very much 37.7 Don't appreciate at all 21.7 N/A 15.2 Q: What kind of government would you like to see now? Pick only one. The current LDP-Komeito coalition government 22.1 A DPJ-led coalition government of opposition parties 16.1 The LDP's single-party government 7.2 The DPJ's single-party government 4.9 A coalition government centering on the LDP and the DPJ 20.7 A government under a new framework of political parties after realigning the ruling and opposition parties 15.3 O/A 0.4 N/A 13.2 Polling methodology Date of survey: Mar. 15-16. TOKYO 00000748 005 OF 011 Subjects of survey: 3,000 persons chosen from among all eligible voters throughout the country (at 250 locations on a stratified two-stage random sampling basis). Method of implementation: Door-to-door visits for face-to-face interviews. Number of valid respondents: 1,786 persons (59.5 PERCENT ). (4) Prime minister suffering setback in steering his administration, finding both hands tied on appointing BOJ governor, setting road funds: Criticism also coming from ruling camp NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) March 19, 2008 The vacancy in the post of Bank of Japan (BOJ) governor following tortuous debate that went down to the wire is a major defeat for Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda. He nominated a person who had served as vice finance minister, while being fully aware of the deep-seated opposition coming from the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto). His proposal once again failed to secure Diet approval, as expected. With his efforts to revise the bill related to the provisional rate on the gasoline tax also going nowhere, voices of concern about his weakening political base are growing stronger. Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Secretary General Bunmei Ibuki at the party's Executive Council meeting held on March 18 right after the government resubmitted its selection of a candidate for governor of the central bank indicated his determination to do his utmost to avoid the post from becoming vacant. He noted, "I would like you to deal with the situation properly in order to prevent a vacuum from occurring." However, one member of the LDP leadership after the meeting expressed his disgruntlement with Ibuki, saying, "Many participants complained about Ibuki, wondering what the secretary general is doing about the problem." There are indications that the prime minister once considered a business leader instead of a former bureaucrat as a candidate for BOJ governor to replace the candidacy of former Deputy Governor Toshiro Muto. But in the end, Fukuda selected a former vice finance minister. Since he reached that decision by extending the March 17 deadline that the ruling camp had set in order to avoid the post from becoming vacant, his disappointment is obvious. One senior Upper House member even said, "If the post becomes vacant with the Upper House voting down the prime minister's (second) proposal, it will be the end of the Fukuda cabinet." There are many pressing issues for the administration to deal with by the end of March. In particular, there is the need to pass bills related to special-purpose road construction revenues, including the maintaining of the provisional gas tax. The prime minister once again called on the DPJ to respond to talks to revise the road construction revenue bills at an Upper House Budget Committee meeting, saying: "I would like to revise the bills wherever necessary. I want the opposition camp to consider our intention, even if only slightly." DPJ member Tatsuo Hirano responded in a cool-headed manner: "The matter cannot be settled in exchange for shortening the period of the application of the provisional rate from the 10 years as originally proposed. What is at issue is not that." Road policy-related LDP members remain cautious about a drastic TOKYO 00000748 006 OF 011 revision of the bills. General Council Chairman Toshihiro Nikai checked the move: "Just obtaining understanding from the opposition camp will not settle the issue. The decision must not be made lightly." The opposition camp is determined to confront the government in the Diet. They have pursued the responsibility of Welfare Minister Yoichi Masuzoe, following the revelation that it is now impossible to identify approximately 20.25 million pension premium contribution records. They are also strengthening criticism of the administration over the Aegis destroyer's collision with a trawler. Ruling party members are increasingly alarmed about the move with former Secretary General Hidenao Nakagawa noting, "The DPJ is trying to SIPDIS bring about a dissolution of the Lower House and a snap election, by causing a panic." With the prime minister's lack of leadership in mind, some ruling party members said, "There are no special measures we can take." One official who has served in one of the three executive posts yesterday evening openly said, "Those who do not want to be part of this administration will presumably increase." (5) CEFP affirms acceleration of EPA talks; Negotiations with EU also called for NIKKEI (Page 5) (Full) March 19, 2008 The government's Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy (CEFP) in a meeting yesterday affirmed a policy course to accelerate economic partnership agreement (EPA) talks with other countries. To be prepared for such negotiations, the panel underlined the need to improve the structure of the agricultural sector that would be exposed to products from other countries. In the session, private-sector members also called for negotiations with the European Union (EU),while the foreign minister and agriculture minister voiced cautious views. A roadmap for talks will be discussed in future talks. The EPA is intended to forge comprehensive cooperative relations regarding investment rules and intellectual property protection after eliminating tariffs in principle. With the deadlock in the Doha Round of multilateral trade talks under the World Trade Organization (WTO) aiming at multilateral trade liberalization, Japan has decided to push ahead with bilateral EPA negotiations. Japan has signed agreements with eight countries already, including Thailand and the Philippines, where Japanese automakers have invested. In yesterday's meeting, private-sector members proposed promoting talks with Australia and aiming to enter into negotiations with the EU. They also highlighted the need to enhance competitiveness in exports of automobiles and other products where Japanese makers excel in. In response, Agriculture Minister Masatoshi Wakabayashi said: "In the ongoing talks, we are urging Australia to keep tariffs on wheat, beef and other products in place. The talks are at a difficult stage." In response to a private-sector member's proposal for crafting an EPA roadmap up to the year 2010, Foreign Minister Koumura said, "It might affect the talks with Australia." Given TOKYO 00000748 007 OF 011 Japan's defensive stand in agriculture, the foreign minister indicated that the government should proceed with negotiations cautiously. Japan's progress on EPAs Countries whose EPAs with Japan have gone into effect Singapore, Mexico, Malaysia, Chile, Thailand Countries that have signed EPAs with Japan Philippines, Brunei, Indonesia Countries that have reached broad agreements with Japan Association of Southeast Asian Nations Countries negotiating with Japan Vietnam, Gulf Cooperation Council (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and other countries),South Korea, India, Australia, Switzerland (6) U.S. has failed to pay noise compensation for four years; Government's weak-kneed response clear RYUKYU SHIMPO (Page 3) (Full) March 19, 2008 Tokyo Foreign Minister Masahiko Koumura indicated in a House of Representatives plenary session yesterday that the United States has yet to pay its share of compensation determined in noise lawsuits filed against U.S. bases across Japan, including Kadena Air Base. Koumura said: "The governments of Japan and the United States hold different positions, and the matter has yet to reach a settlement." The compensation totals 22.2 billion yen. Koumura was responding to a question from Kantoku Teruya of the Social Democratic Party. It came to light in May 2004 that the United States had not paid the compensation. Since then, the government has been grilled many times at the Diet. The United States' failure to pay the compensation over the last four years has again exposed the weak-kneed response of the Japanese government. To a question asking how much the United States should pay, Koumura said, "Answering that question at this point in time is difficult," indicating that the two countries have yet to reach an agreement. The United States' share is set at 75 PERCENT of the total under the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement. Based on this figure, the United States is required to pay 16.65 billion yen. Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba also revealed that 545.9 billion yen in Japan's host nation support for stationing U.S. forces in Japan (sympathy budget) was spent on building 11,295 housing units (including those under construction) on U.S. bases across Japan between fiscal 1979 and 2007. This comes to 42.79 million yen per unit. (7) Okinawa police arrest two American minors on suspicion of stealing 5,400 yen from taxi OKINAWA TIMES (Page 25) (Full) March 19, 2008 Okinawa police arrested by March 18 two American minors on suspicion of robbing a box containing cash of the taxi they were in. TOKYO 00000748 008 OF 011 The arrested are a 16-year-old male high school student of Yaeshima, Okinawa City, and a 15-year-old unemployed boy with no fixed address. According to investigators, the two boys brought the taxi they were in to a halt on a road at Tobaru in the city at around 10:45 p.m. March 16 and stole a box (worth approximately 1,000 yen) containing 5,400 yen from the vehicle. Upon receiving a report from the taxi driver, police officers rushed to the scene and questioned the high school student near the spot and arrested him an hour later. Although the other boy was on the run, police determined his whereabouts based on information obtained from his friends and arrested him at around 10:40 p.m. March 18. (8) Japan decides basic plan on marine surveys within EEZ ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) March 4, 2008 At a cabinet meeting yesterday, the government adopted a basic plan on ocean surveys, the purpose of which is for all relevant government ministries and agencies to work on measures in a cross-sectional manner. The plan includes a suggestion to place restrictions on scientific surveys by foreign countries within Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ). This plan was created in accordance with the Basic Act on Ocean Policy, which took effect in last April. The plan will be reviewed in five years. In connection with oceanographic activities within the EEZ, the plan points out: "Japan has a problem with other countries because both sides insist certain sea areas are within their territories." The plan notes: "In order to secure our country's interests, Japan needs to strengthen the monitoring and controlling systems in order to exercise its jurisdiction over exploration and development in an appropriate manner." In addition, the plan includes (1) bringing into commercial use within 10 years methane hydrate, from which natural gas is produced,; (2) doubling the number of vessels carrying the Japanese flag in five years; and (3) centralizing marine information collected from independent administrative agencies at one place. (9) Where is nonpartisan league Sentaku going? MAINICHI (Page 2) (Full) Evening, March 17, 2008 Former Mie prefectural governor Masayasu Kitagawa and other like-minded knowledgeable persons established the National League to Clean up (or Set Choices for) Japan in View of Local Communities and Consumers," which calls itself "Sentaku." It is said that the group aims to evolve and develop politics based on policy manifestos in cooperation with another suprapartisan group called "Parliamentary League Sentaku, but ... Interview with Kenji Eda, Lower House member: Change policy course toward new party movement When I heard about the plan of creating a new nonpartisan league called "Sentaku" late last year, I placed my hopes on the new group. I share the group's policy goal of decentralizing the government's TOKYO 00000748 009 OF 011 authority and its stance of giving consideration to ordinary citizens. If like-minded local government heads and lawmakers jointly make efforts to implement specific measures, it would grow into a significantly large movement. But looking at the group's lineup, I felt disappointed. The group has too many members, including both proponents of decentralization and forces resisting it. The group is indisputably a mixture of all kinds of people, as if reflecting the current state of political parties. I guess it will be difficult to unify views, and I wonder if satisfactory results will ever be produced there. Some of the lawmakers who have joined the group also say what I have just said. For instance, public opinion is divided over the highway-construction taxes. I wonder why the group, which has put forth the policy of giving priority to the interests of regions and ordinary citizens, does not issue an emergency statement stressing something like this: "The government should decide to open tax revenues for general use, reallocate the revenues to local governments, and then enable the local governments to construct highways on their own judgment." Mr. Kitagawa suggests ending "democracy that entrusts everything (to the central government)." He stresses the need to "hand the government's authority over to local governments" and to "eliminate the centralized administrative system." But he remains unable to do so, because he has gathered too many people with quite different views. For instance, the group includes as an executive Miyazaki Governor Hideo Higashikokubaru, who insists that the provisional highway-related tax rates should be maintained. The current political turmoil has been caused not by the state of the reversal of strengths between the ruling and opposition camps in the Diet but by a lack of unity in political parties. In the Liberal Democratic Party and the Democratic Party of Japan, there are too many members who have diverging views about security, decentralization, and other issues. That's why I am calling for a reorganization of the political world. If the Sentaku group served to touch off such a reorganization, I would join it. But the group has fallen into a trap set by itself, saying that "the group does not intend to carry out a new party movement or to reorganize the political world," indicating that it premises its activities to the end on the existing framework of political parties. I understand why the group drew in Higashikokubaru, who has been attracting great media attention. That is because his membership will make people interested in the group. But I think Mr. Kitagawa may be now bewildered because the public is now looking in an unexpected direction. The public harbors great dissatisfaction with the situation in the Diet, where deliberations remain stalled as the ruling and opposition camps struggle for power. At such a time, if a group like Sentaku were to work out policies divorced from the political center in Nagata-cho and then spring into action with the support of a lawmakers from all parties who agree with them, the impact would be enormous. Pro-reform local government heads and intellectuals also should support their moves. I hear, though, that the parliamentary group will first address the task of reforming the Diet and the bureaucracy, probably stemming from the judgment that such would be most acceptable. But the panel would be digressing from its main TOKYO 00000748 010 OF 011 raison d'etre. Although forming a sumo ring is necessary, what the political community needs now are wrestlers. Mr. Kitagawa, with his knowledge and experience, should take the risk and become a wrestler, since he was the one who established Sentaku. It would be difficult to reform the current two-party system and party politics using only such means as campaigning with manifestos. That is because existing political parties are hodge-podges of different views. I hope the group will make a policy switch to reorganize the political world under the slogan of giving priority to the interests of local communities and consumers Interview with Yasushi Kudo, president of Genron NPO: Send a clearer message Many people seem to be feeling that the Sentaku group's policy stance is not easy to understand, probably because the group has yet to reveal its clear stance. Mr. Kitagawa proposes reorganizing the political world from the viewpoint of ordinary citizens or consumers, as well as promoting an election campaign based on policy manifestos. Mr. Kitagawa is a leader whom I respect. But he has shifted his standing location to the government and has formed the Sentaku, keeping in mind the possibility that it will serve as an absorber after political reorganization, but Mr. Kitagawa has yet to present to the people the principles of his group as a political one and its goals to attain. He has said that the group, without aiming to become a new party or pursing political reorganization, will become a pressure group for manifestos. I agree to his aim of having Japanese political parties draw up proper manifestos. Since we have evaluated each party's manifesto and have announced our evaluations over the past five years, we welcome his move. But all participants from political circles in the Parliamentary League Sentaku belong to any of the existing political parties. I wonder why they need to join the group. They should improve their parties' manifestos through intraparty reform. Since the existing political parties are not very good, it is understandable for them to want to form a third political trend, that is, a new political party, in the near future. But they remain unable to reveal this true intention and so move to just collect other politicians who belong to any of the existing political parties. Seeing this, I feel there is a limit to the group that draws in only politicians. Many lawmakers have sensed that the political world might soon be reorganized, so some joined the group that includes a famous governor, but they are not serious about the tasks on the agenda. Since the people can see through such a smokescreen, the group is finding it difficult to send a clear message to the voters. I fully understand why such a move has started on the political stage. In a questionnaire conducted by the Genron NPO to gauge public views of the first 100 days of the Fukuda administration, 45.4 PERCENT replied that they did not have high hopes for the existing political parties, more than 10 points higher than those with positive replies. The British magazine Economist reported that the responsibility of the current stagnation in Japan rests with politicians. But a number of people have already begun to realize, too, that the ongoing political paralysis is harming the future of TOKYO 00000748 011 OF 011 Japan. People are concerned about their future, but the ruling and opposition blocs are merely engaged in a struggle for power in the Diet, including the current dispute over naming new candidates for the top seats at the Bank of Japan. They cannot sense how the public are feeling. The reason why an environment for a change of government has not been created is probably because both camps have devoted themselves to a self-righteous struggle, instead of competing with each other for the sake of the nation's future. In past political reform, a change of government under the two-party system was ideal. Although the stage for that ideal drama has already been set, why is there no obvious point of contention and why is the Diet left in a state of disorder? The answer might be that politicians do not move toward the voters and that the voters are also hardly aware of the system of democratic governing. We should not easily pin our hopes on political moves or criticize them. Unless voters are aware that they have created such politics and are therefore responsible for the way politicians and the government function, Japan's politics will never change, and political innovation will never occur. SCHIEFFER