Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09TOKYO1005
2009-04-30 07:42:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Tokyo
Cable title:  

DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 04/30/09

Tags:  OIIP KMDR KPAO PGOV PINR ECON ELAB JA 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO2940
PP RUEHFK RUEHKSO RUEHNAG RUEHNH
DE RUEHKO #1005/01 1200742
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 300742Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2678
INFO RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEAWJA/USDOJ WASHDC PRIORITY
RULSDMK/USDOT WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J5//
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RHHMHBA/COMPACFLT PEARL HARBOR HI
RHMFIUU/HQ PACAF HICKAM AFB HI//CC/PA//
RHMFIUU/USFJ //J5/JO21//
RUYNAAC/COMNAVFORJAPAN YOKOSUKA JA
RUAYJAA/CTF 72
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 6134
RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 3796
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 7598
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 1450
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 4333
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 9077
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 5096
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 4883
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 06 TOKYO 001005

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 04/30/09

INDEX:

(1) Sankei-FNN poll on Aso cabinet, political parties (Sankei)

(2) Think of statesmen making laws: Seiji Maehara and Guam
relocation agreement (Nikkei)

ARTICLES:

(1) Sankei-FNN poll on Aso cabinet, political parties

SANKEI (Page 4) (Abridged)
April 28, 2009

Questions & Answers

(Note) Figures shown in percentage. Figures in parentheses denote
findings from a previous Sankei-FNN survey conducted March 28-29.

Q: Do you support the Aso cabinet?

Yes 28.2 (20.8)
No 59.2 (66.3)
Don't know (D/K) 12.6 (12.9)

Q: Which political party do you support?

Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) 29.2 (27.5)
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) 21.5 (22.2)
New Komeito (NK) 3.0 (4.1)
Japanese Communist Party (JCP) 2.9 (4.0)
Social Democratic Party (SDP or Shaminto) 1.3 (1.3)
People's New Party (PNP or Kokumin Shinto) 0.5 (0.2)
Reform Club (RC or Kaikaku Kurabu) 0.1 (0.0)
New Party Nippon (NPN or Shinto Nippon) 0.1 (0.4)
Other political parties 1.2 (1.3)
None 39.6 (37.8)
D/K 0.6 (1.2)

Q: Do you appreciate Prime Minister Aso and his cabinet on the
following points?

Prime Minister Aso's personal character
Yes 37.7 (32.4)
No 55.5 (60.1)
D/K 6.8 (7.5)

Prime Minister Aso's leadership
Yes 16.6 (11.8)
No 78.4 (62.5)
D/K 5.0 (5.7)

Economic policy
Yes 27.6 (24.3)
No 65.8 (66.6)
D/K 6.6 (9.1)

Foreign policy
Yes 33.4 (25.8)
No 52.7 (57.5)
D/K 13.9 (16.7)


TOKYO 00001005 002 OF 006


Cash benefit payout
Yes 39.2 (37.3)
No 55.7 (58.1)
D/K 5.1 (4.6)

Expressway toll reduction
Yes 58.0 (58.9)
No 37.7 (34.8)
D/K 4.3 (6.3)


Public relations on North Korea's missile launch
Yes 33.0 (---)
No 53.7 (---)
D/K 13.3 (---)

Sanctions against North Korea, policy toward the United Nations
after North Korea's missile launch
Yes 36.5 (---)
No 49.0 (---)
D/K 14.5 (---)

Q: What do you want the Aso cabinet to pursue first?

Global warming 3.2
Social security, including healthcare and pension systems 32.4
North Korea problem 2.8
Northern territories 1.0
Tax reform, including consumption tax 4.7
Government waste 26.6
Economic stimulus 22.2
Political reform 2.0
D/K 3.4

Q: When comparing Prime Minister Aso and DPJ President Ozawa, who do
you think is trustworthier?

Prime Minister Aso 47.3 (41.0)
DPJ President Ozawa 28.1 (28.5)
D/K 24.6 (30.5)

Q: When comparing Prime Minister Aso and DPJ President Ozawa, who do
you think is better in terms of policies?

Prime Minister Aso 38.3 (30.5)
DPJ President Ozawa 37.8 (39.8)
D/K 23.9 (29.7)

Q: When comparing Prime Minister Aso and DPJ President Ozawa, who do
you think is more appealing in election campaigning?

Prime Minister Aso 40.7 (35.8)
DPJ President Ozawa 29.3 (31.6)
D/K 30.0 (32.6)

Q: When comparing Prime Minister Aso and DPJ President Ozawa, who do
you think is more appropriate for prime minister?

Prime Minister Aso 39.7 (29.5)
DPJ President Ozawa 26.2 (30.2)
D/K 34.1 (40.3)

Q: Do you think it is necessary to carry out the political reforms

TOKYO 00001005 003 OF 006


listed below and now being discussed between the ruling and
opposition parties?

Reduce Dietmembers
Yes 85.8
No 11.0
D/K 3.2

Set age limit for public office
Yes 78.5
No 16.7
D/K 4.8

Restrict hereditary politics
Yes 51.9
No 41.5
D/K 6.6

Prohibit corporate, organizational donations
Yes 68.5
No 25.4
D/K 6.1

Q: DPJ President Ozawa's secretary has been indicted on the charge
of violating the Political Funds Control Law. Do you think DPJ
President Ozawa's account was convincing?

Yes 14.3 (16.8)
No 80.9 (78.8)
D/K 4.8 (4.4)

Q: Do you think DPJ President Ozawa should resign as his party's
head?

Yes 56.6 (62.3)
No 37.4 (30.8)
D/K 6.0 (6.9)

Q: Do you think DPJ President Ozawa should fulfill his public
accountability?

Yes 80.5 (---)
No 15.6 (---)
D/K 3.9 (---)

Q: Do you think DPJ President Ozawa should hold a one-on-one debate
with Prime Minister Aso at an early date?

Yes 84.1 (---)
No 11.5 (---)
D/K 4.4 (---)

Q: Do you think the following bills should be passed during the
current Diet session?

Additional economic stimulus
Yes 79.9 (---)
No 12.8 (---)
D/K 7.3 (---)

Consumer Affairs Agency establishment
Yes 55.3 (---)

TOKYO 00001005 004 OF 006


No 28.2 (---)
D/K 16.5 (---)

Antipiracy legislation
Yes 60.6 (---)
No 29.8 (---)
D/K 9.6 (---)

Q: Who do you think is most appropriate now for Japan's prime
minister among the following politicians in the ruling and
opposition parties?

Taro Aso 8.7 (4.6)
Shigeru Ishiba 2.9 (3.9)
Nobuteru Ishihara 5.4 (6.2)
Yuriko Koike 3.7 (4.0)
Junichiro Koizumi 11.7 (11.1)
Yoichi Masuzoe 10.6 (10.4)
Kaoru Yosano 5.3 (5.7)
Other ruling party lawmakers 3.5 (2.3)
Yoshimi Watanabe 4.0 (4.5)
Ichiro Ozawa 5.2 (5.8)
Katsuya Okada 5.4 (6.5)
Naoto Kan 2.8 (4.2)
Yukio Hatoyama 2.2 (2.5)
Seiji Maehara 2.3 (---)
Other opposition party lawmakers 2.9 (3.5)
None 20.1 (18.1)
D/K 3.3 (5.1)

Q: What do you think about replacing Prime Minister Aso before the
next election for the House of Representatives?

Step down, election under the new prime minister 23.5
Elect the prime minister, according to the election results 72.5
D/K 4.0

Q: What do you think about replacing DPJ President Ozawa before the
next election for the House of Representatives?

Step down, election under the new DPJ president 57.3
Election under DPJ President Ozawa 39.8
D/K 2.9

Q: Which political party would you like to vote for in the next
election for the House of Representatives in your proportional
representation bloc?

LDP 34.6 (34.7)
DPJ 34.0 (36.0)
NK 3.9 (5.9)
JCP 4.5 (4.9)
SDP 2.0 (2.2)
PNP 0.6 (0.6)
RC 0.0 (0.0)
NPN 0.4 (0.6)
Other political parties 10.3 (6.0)
D/K 9.7 (8.7)

Q: What government would you like to see after the next House of
Representatives election?


TOKYO 00001005 005 OF 006


LDP-led government 21.0
DPJ-led government 30.1
LDP-DPJ grand coalition 42.6
D/K 6.3

Polling methodology: The survey was conducted April 25-26 by the
Sankei Shimbun and Fuji News Network (FNN) over the telephone on a
computer-aided random digit dialing (RDD) basis. For the survey, a
total of 1,000 persons were sampled from among men and women, aged
20 and over, across the nation.

(2) Think of statesmen making laws: Seiji Maehara and Guam
relocation agreement

NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full)
April 28, 2009

Seiji Maehara, a vice president of the Democratic Party of Japan
(DPJ),46, had lunch with Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense
Mitchell (Shivers) on April 16 at a Spanish restaurant near the
Department of Defense in Washington. Mitchell then asked Maehara
about his party's policy toward the U.S. The DPJ had opposed the
agreement on the relocation of U.S. Marines from Okinawa to Guam.
Maehara said:

"We will cooperate on the U.S. force realignment in Japan, but our
party will discuss individual issues while maintaining the
relationship of trust."

Maehara told Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg and other
U.S. officials: "Japan-U.S. relations are the linchpin of Japanese
diplomacy." Maehara, who is regarded as a right-wing politician of
the party, was quick to oppose the Guam relocation agreement, which
stipulates Japan's share of up to 2.8 billion dollars.

Maehara happened to find the book titled International Politics
written by then Kyoto University Prof. Masataka Kosaka, while he was
preparing for an entrance examination, after having failed in an
exam the previous year. The book paved the way for him to foreign
and security affairs. He entered Kyoto University without
hesitation. He studied under Prof. Kosaka, a conservative opinion
leader, who made the basis for the reevaluation of former Prime
Minister Shigeru Yoshida. He once thought of becoming a scholar.
However, he was told by Kosaka that he was not smart enough to
become a scholar. He, therefore, joined the Matsushita Institute of
Government and Management.

He was first elected to the Diet in 1993 as a member of the Japan
New Party. In opposition to the political move involving the JNP,
which was led by then Japan Renewal Party head Ichiro Ozawa, he
moved to the New Party Sakigake.

At that time, Hiroyuki Sonoda, 67, extended a helping hand to
Maehara. For Maehara, Sonoda is still the most reliable person among
the ruling Liberal Democratic Party members. They sometimes come
across at their favorite restaurant in the Ginza district. Sonoda
said: "I want to work with you again." Maehara responded with a
smile: "I would like to do so."

Maehara won the 2005 DPJ presidential election. Before that, through
Kazuo Inamori, honorary chairman of KYOCERA Co., Ozawa had offered
to support Maehara in the race if Maehara would give Ozawa the post

TOKYO 00001005 006 OF 006


of secretary general. But Maehara flatly turned down Ozawa's offer.
Since then, it is said that there has been a wide gulf between the
two.

Ozawa, Maehara's successor, took a stance against the government and
ruling camp and his stance had a negative impact on the Maritime
Self-Defense Force's refueling mission in the Indian Ocean and other
issues. In the DPJ, there are moves to resolve issues by "opposing
the principle," in order to avoid the confrontation between the
right and left wings. However, the party will face issues it has put
off if it takes the reins of government.

Political realignment advocates in the LDP, which has become
perplexed at the politically divided Diet situation, name Maehara
with whom they want to form a new party. Some DPJ members say
Maehara can read neither the political situation nor a mood in the
party.

Maehara has recently reiterated the need for "a change in
government," refraining from making remarks on Ozawa's course of
action (over his secretary's violation of the Political Funds
Control Law). He did not give his word to former Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe and other politicians, with whom he visited the United
States.

He says: "A change of government is just a means. We will have to
find out what the purpose is." If he joins the ruling camp, he may
have to prepare a different answer.

ZUMWALT