Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09TOKYO1170
2009-05-22 07:11:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Tokyo
Cable title:  

DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 05/22/09

Tags:  OIIP KMDR KPAO PGOV PINR ECON ELAB JA 
pdf how-to read a cable
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 13 TOKYO 001170 

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 05/22/09

INDEX:

(1) Prime minister calls for return of four islands in package at
Japan-Russia summit (Asahi)

(2) Russian Foreign Ministry criticizes prime minister for his
statement: "Russia is illegally occupying the four islands" (Asahi)


(3) Civilians to be sent to NATO-led PRT in Afghanistan for first
time; Damage to Japan's neutrality feared (Asahi)

(4) Clash on greenhouse gas reduction target; Prime minister to
decide in June (Asahi)

(5) Income falls to level 20 years ago; household income down to
5.56 million yen in 2007 (Tokyo Shimbun)

(6) Toru Hasuike, brother of abductee, publishes book calling for
priority to dialogue over sanctions (Tokyo Shimbun)

(7) Editorial: Nuclear non-proliferation: Time to speed up agreement
on test ban (Tokyo Shimbun)

(8) Sankei-FNN poll on Aso cabinet, political parties, DPJ's
leadership change (Sankei)

ARTICLES:

(1) Prime minister calls for return of four islands in package at
Japan-Russia summit

ASAHI (Page 4) (Full)
May 22, 2009

Asahi Shimbun has learned that Prime Minister Aso during his talks
with Prime Minister Putin on May 12 had asked for the settlement of
the Northern Territories issue through the return of all four
islands as a package, saying that the 1956 Declaration stipulating
the return of the two islands of Habomai and Shikotan before the
other islands in the territories would not settle the Northern
Territories issue. This was revealed by a Japanese government
source.

The prime minister at a meeting of the Upper House Budget Committee
on May 21, as well, categorically said that he has no intention of
adopting an in-stages approach of realizing the return of the
islands of Habomai and Shikotan before the islands of Kunashiri and
Etorofu, whose possibility the government once searched for when
Mori was prime ministers. He said, "If the attribution of the four
islands is ascertained, we will respond to a timeframe for an actual
return of such or the method of such a return in a flexible
manner."

According to the same source, the prime minister announced this
stance at the main session of the summit on the 12th. During a
15-minute one-on-one meeting with Putin, he reportedly underscored:
"I would like to hear a firm reply at the July summit (to be held on
the sidelines of the G-8 Summit.) I would like you to convey what we
discussed today to President Medvedev (who will attend the G-8
Summit)."


TOKYO 00001170 002 OF 013


Putin pledged, "We will convey our stance properly at the July
meeting." He also stated, "The president and I are in complete
agreement on this issue." However, Putin said, "Though there were
various oppositions and criticisms from various view points on the
domestic front, I changed my stance to that of the 1956
Declaration." He thus stressed that it was a difficult decision to
approve even the return of the two islands.

As other reasons why it is difficult to settle the Northern
Territories issue, Putin cited domestic public opinion in Russia,
and cases involving Ukraine, which fought with Russia over the
Crimean Peninsula after the collapse of the USSR, and Kaliningrad,
located on the coast of the Baltic Sea, which became the territory
of the USSR after World War II. Putin thus reportedly pointed out
the danger that if Russia gives in to Japan on the territorial
issue, territorial disputes in its neighboring countries could
rekindle.

Putin also stated at his talks with former prime minister Mori,
which were held prior to the summit, that he did not want to replace
the 2001 Irkutsk statement, which characterized the 1956 Declaration
as the starting point for the negotiations process.

Given the series of statements made by Putin, there has appeared a
view among Japanese government officials that there is only a slim
chance of President Medvedev making an in-depth proposal. A Foreign
Ministry official said, "There is a possibility of the president
showing enthusiasm or proposing joint development."

(2) Russian Foreign Ministry criticizes prime minister for his
statement: "Russia is illegally occupying the four islands"

ASAHI (Page 4) (Full)
May 22, 2009

Hideki Soejima, Moscow

Referring to the situation in the Northern Territories, Prime
Minister Taro Aso said that they are illegally occupied by Russia.
Russian Foreign Ministry Information and Press Department Spokesman
Nesterenko on May 21 issued a statement criticizing his statement as
unforgivable.

The prime minister at a meeting of the Upper House Budget Committee
on the 20th said: "The four northern islands have never become the
territories of any foreign country. They are an integral part of
Japan. It is very regrettable that the illegal occupation of the
islands by Russia still continues more than 60 years after the end
of World War II." He thus stressed the Japanese government's
principle stance.

Nesterenko pointed out, "If there is anything illegal, it is Japan's
demand, which has no legal basis at all." He criticized Aso, "The
prime minister's statement will not lead to bilateral political
dialogues and the creation of an environment conducive to
implementing the agreements between the two countries on issues such
as visa-free exchanges."

(3) Civilians to be sent to NATO-led PRT in Afghanistan for first
time; Damage to Japan's neutrality feared

ASAHI (Page 3) (Abridged slightly)

TOKYO 00001170 003 OF 013


May 21, 2009

Erika Fuji, Atsuko Tannai

The government will send later this month civilians to the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) military-civilian provincial
reconstruction team (PRT) as part of the country's human
contributions to reconstruction assistance in Afghanistan. Concerns
are being heard in opposition parties and nongovernmental
organizations (NGOs) that Japan's neutrality might be harmed or that
humanitarian assistance involving troops might cause collateral
damage.

Four individuals will be sent to Afghanistan: two male Foreign
Ministry officials and two publicly-recruited female members,
including one specializing in peace building. They will take part in
the Lithuania-led PRT in the mid-western Afghan town of Chagcharan
in the status of secretaries at the Japanese Embassy in Kabul on a
two-month rotational basis. They plan to survey local needs to lead
to assistance in education, medicine and other fields under the
protection of Lithuanian troops.

The publicly recruited are Hisako Ishizaki, 30, who previously
worked at the Japanese Embassy in Iran, and Chihiro Imai, 41, who
was engaged in reconstruction in Afghanistan as an NGO member.

This is the first time for Japan to dispatch personnel to a PRT by
going a step further than providing financial aid. The step follows
a visit in January 2007 to NATO headquarters by then Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe where he announced Japan's plan to make humanitarian
contributions in consideration of the United States. Abe
specifically expressed eagerness to dispatch Self-Defense Force
(SDF) troops. But the government eventually dropped the SDF option,
saying that such might result in the use of force overseas which is
prohibited under the Constitution.

The government then received a request last fall from Lithuania for
Japanese civilians' participation (in the PRT). Lithuania, which
could not afford to send its own civilians, had been looking for a
country that could take over the role played by Iceland until last
summer. In compliance with the request, the Foreign Ministry
concluded based on the results of a fact-finding survey in
Afghanistan that the security situation was relatively calm and that
neither a suicide bombing nor the kidnapping of a foreigner had
occurred.

Even so, some raised objections to the dispatch. For instance,
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) lawmakers Tadashi Inuzuka, who is
grappling with Afghan issues, noted: "People do not have an image
that NATO-centered PRTs are neutral. Japan is regarded more neutral
than the United Nations, so joining a PRT would be
counterproductive."

Japanese NGOs and other organizations conducting activities in
Afghanistan have been critical of the modalities of PRTs. Japan
International Volunteer Center Afghanistan representative Takatoshi
Hasebe took this view: "As collateral damage increased, people's
views toward foreign forces have become severe. Japan might be
looked at in the same light, and that might take a toll on NGO
activities."

According to Japanese aid agency source, there are cases in which

TOKYO 00001170 004 OF 013


aid agency and NGO workers conduct activities separately from PRTs
in the judgment that working alongside PRT troops would increases
risks.
(4) Clash on greenhouse gas reduction target; Prime minister to
decide in June

ASAHI (Page 7) (Full)
May 22, 2009

Kenichi Goromaru, Tomohisa Yamaguchi

How much will Japan be able to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by
2020 from the 1990 level? The tug-of-war among cabinet ministers,
the business sector, labor, and environmental groups over the
mid-term target for global warming prevention measures that Prime
Minister Taro Aso will decide in June is growing in intensity. These
players are divided in their support for the six options presented
by the experts' group, but there are now moves to find a
compromise.

Labor, business both support 4 PERCENT increase

A full-page advertisement was placed in the May 21 issue of Asahi
Shimbun which stated: "Only Option 1 will ensure international
fairness, appropriate burden on the people, and feasibility. Options
3 to 6 will have a serious impact on the social economy and impose
an extremely heavy financial burden on families. Will they be
feasible?"

The ad was placed by 59 economic and business organizations,
including the Nippon Keidanren (Japan Business Federation) and the
Japan Iron and Steel Federation, and seven industry-specific (mostly
heavy industries) labor unions, including the Kikan-roren (Japan
Federation of Basic Industry Workers' Unions). A joint advertisement
by labor and business is very unusual.

Option 1 calls for controlling emissions at an increase of 4 PERCENT
. This is the most lenient among the six options presented in April
by the government's committee on the mid-term target. It is expected
that the target can be met by continuing with current energy
conservation efforts.

According to a government source, more than 50 PERCENT of the
10,000 comments collected from the public via e-mail through the
government's "public comment" webpage (on the e-Gov website) also
supported Option
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 13 TOKYO 001170

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 05/22/09

INDEX:

(1) Prime minister calls for return of four islands in package at
Japan-Russia summit (Asahi)

(2) Russian Foreign Ministry criticizes prime minister for his
statement: "Russia is illegally occupying the four islands" (Asahi)


(3) Civilians to be sent to NATO-led PRT in Afghanistan for first
time; Damage to Japan's neutrality feared (Asahi)

(4) Clash on greenhouse gas reduction target; Prime minister to
decide in June (Asahi)

(5) Income falls to level 20 years ago; household income down to
5.56 million yen in 2007 (Tokyo Shimbun)

(6) Toru Hasuike, brother of abductee, publishes book calling for
priority to dialogue over sanctions (Tokyo Shimbun)

(7) Editorial: Nuclear non-proliferation: Time to speed up agreement
on test ban (Tokyo Shimbun)

(8) Sankei-FNN poll on Aso cabinet, political parties, DPJ's
leadership change (Sankei)

ARTICLES:

(1) Prime minister calls for return of four islands in package at
Japan-Russia summit

ASAHI (Page 4) (Full)
May 22, 2009

Asahi Shimbun has learned that Prime Minister Aso during his talks
with Prime Minister Putin on May 12 had asked for the settlement of
the Northern Territories issue through the return of all four
islands as a package, saying that the 1956 Declaration stipulating
the return of the two islands of Habomai and Shikotan before the
other islands in the territories would not settle the Northern
Territories issue. This was revealed by a Japanese government
source.

The prime minister at a meeting of the Upper House Budget Committee
on May 21, as well, categorically said that he has no intention of
adopting an in-stages approach of realizing the return of the

islands of Habomai and Shikotan before the islands of Kunashiri and
Etorofu, whose possibility the government once searched for when
Mori was prime ministers. He said, "If the attribution of the four
islands is ascertained, we will respond to a timeframe for an actual
return of such or the method of such a return in a flexible
manner."

According to the same source, the prime minister announced this
stance at the main session of the summit on the 12th. During a
15-minute one-on-one meeting with Putin, he reportedly underscored:
"I would like to hear a firm reply at the July summit (to be held on
the sidelines of the G-8 Summit.) I would like you to convey what we
discussed today to President Medvedev (who will attend the G-8
Summit)."


TOKYO 00001170 002 OF 013


Putin pledged, "We will convey our stance properly at the July
meeting." He also stated, "The president and I are in complete
agreement on this issue." However, Putin said, "Though there were
various oppositions and criticisms from various view points on the
domestic front, I changed my stance to that of the 1956
Declaration." He thus stressed that it was a difficult decision to
approve even the return of the two islands.

As other reasons why it is difficult to settle the Northern
Territories issue, Putin cited domestic public opinion in Russia,
and cases involving Ukraine, which fought with Russia over the
Crimean Peninsula after the collapse of the USSR, and Kaliningrad,
located on the coast of the Baltic Sea, which became the territory
of the USSR after World War II. Putin thus reportedly pointed out
the danger that if Russia gives in to Japan on the territorial
issue, territorial disputes in its neighboring countries could
rekindle.

Putin also stated at his talks with former prime minister Mori,
which were held prior to the summit, that he did not want to replace
the 2001 Irkutsk statement, which characterized the 1956 Declaration
as the starting point for the negotiations process.

Given the series of statements made by Putin, there has appeared a
view among Japanese government officials that there is only a slim
chance of President Medvedev making an in-depth proposal. A Foreign
Ministry official said, "There is a possibility of the president
showing enthusiasm or proposing joint development."

(2) Russian Foreign Ministry criticizes prime minister for his
statement: "Russia is illegally occupying the four islands"

ASAHI (Page 4) (Full)
May 22, 2009

Hideki Soejima, Moscow

Referring to the situation in the Northern Territories, Prime
Minister Taro Aso said that they are illegally occupied by Russia.
Russian Foreign Ministry Information and Press Department Spokesman
Nesterenko on May 21 issued a statement criticizing his statement as
unforgivable.

The prime minister at a meeting of the Upper House Budget Committee
on the 20th said: "The four northern islands have never become the
territories of any foreign country. They are an integral part of
Japan. It is very regrettable that the illegal occupation of the
islands by Russia still continues more than 60 years after the end
of World War II." He thus stressed the Japanese government's
principle stance.

Nesterenko pointed out, "If there is anything illegal, it is Japan's
demand, which has no legal basis at all." He criticized Aso, "The
prime minister's statement will not lead to bilateral political
dialogues and the creation of an environment conducive to
implementing the agreements between the two countries on issues such
as visa-free exchanges."

(3) Civilians to be sent to NATO-led PRT in Afghanistan for first
time; Damage to Japan's neutrality feared

ASAHI (Page 3) (Abridged slightly)

TOKYO 00001170 003 OF 013


May 21, 2009

Erika Fuji, Atsuko Tannai

The government will send later this month civilians to the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) military-civilian provincial
reconstruction team (PRT) as part of the country's human
contributions to reconstruction assistance in Afghanistan. Concerns
are being heard in opposition parties and nongovernmental
organizations (NGOs) that Japan's neutrality might be harmed or that
humanitarian assistance involving troops might cause collateral
damage.

Four individuals will be sent to Afghanistan: two male Foreign
Ministry officials and two publicly-recruited female members,
including one specializing in peace building. They will take part in
the Lithuania-led PRT in the mid-western Afghan town of Chagcharan
in the status of secretaries at the Japanese Embassy in Kabul on a
two-month rotational basis. They plan to survey local needs to lead
to assistance in education, medicine and other fields under the
protection of Lithuanian troops.

The publicly recruited are Hisako Ishizaki, 30, who previously
worked at the Japanese Embassy in Iran, and Chihiro Imai, 41, who
was engaged in reconstruction in Afghanistan as an NGO member.

This is the first time for Japan to dispatch personnel to a PRT by
going a step further than providing financial aid. The step follows
a visit in January 2007 to NATO headquarters by then Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe where he announced Japan's plan to make humanitarian
contributions in consideration of the United States. Abe
specifically expressed eagerness to dispatch Self-Defense Force
(SDF) troops. But the government eventually dropped the SDF option,
saying that such might result in the use of force overseas which is
prohibited under the Constitution.

The government then received a request last fall from Lithuania for
Japanese civilians' participation (in the PRT). Lithuania, which
could not afford to send its own civilians, had been looking for a
country that could take over the role played by Iceland until last
summer. In compliance with the request, the Foreign Ministry
concluded based on the results of a fact-finding survey in
Afghanistan that the security situation was relatively calm and that
neither a suicide bombing nor the kidnapping of a foreigner had
occurred.

Even so, some raised objections to the dispatch. For instance,
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) lawmakers Tadashi Inuzuka, who is
grappling with Afghan issues, noted: "People do not have an image
that NATO-centered PRTs are neutral. Japan is regarded more neutral
than the United Nations, so joining a PRT would be
counterproductive."

Japanese NGOs and other organizations conducting activities in
Afghanistan have been critical of the modalities of PRTs. Japan
International Volunteer Center Afghanistan representative Takatoshi
Hasebe took this view: "As collateral damage increased, people's
views toward foreign forces have become severe. Japan might be
looked at in the same light, and that might take a toll on NGO
activities."

According to Japanese aid agency source, there are cases in which

TOKYO 00001170 004 OF 013


aid agency and NGO workers conduct activities separately from PRTs
in the judgment that working alongside PRT troops would increases
risks.
(4) Clash on greenhouse gas reduction target; Prime minister to
decide in June

ASAHI (Page 7) (Full)
May 22, 2009

Kenichi Goromaru, Tomohisa Yamaguchi

How much will Japan be able to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by
2020 from the 1990 level? The tug-of-war among cabinet ministers,
the business sector, labor, and environmental groups over the
mid-term target for global warming prevention measures that Prime
Minister Taro Aso will decide in June is growing in intensity. These
players are divided in their support for the six options presented
by the experts' group, but there are now moves to find a
compromise.

Labor, business both support 4 PERCENT increase

A full-page advertisement was placed in the May 21 issue of Asahi
Shimbun which stated: "Only Option 1 will ensure international
fairness, appropriate burden on the people, and feasibility. Options
3 to 6 will have a serious impact on the social economy and impose
an extremely heavy financial burden on families. Will they be
feasible?"

The ad was placed by 59 economic and business organizations,
including the Nippon Keidanren (Japan Business Federation) and the
Japan Iron and Steel Federation, and seven industry-specific (mostly
heavy industries) labor unions, including the Kikan-roren (Japan
Federation of Basic Industry Workers' Unions). A joint advertisement
by labor and business is very unusual.

Option 1 calls for controlling emissions at an increase of 4 PERCENT
. This is the most lenient among the six options presented in April
by the government's committee on the mid-term target. It is expected
that the target can be met by continuing with current energy
conservation efforts.

According to a government source, more than 50 PERCENT of the
10,000 comments collected from the public via e-mail through the
government's "public comment" webpage (on the e-Gov website) also
supported Option 1.

However, a senior government official says that, "With Option 1, it
will not be possible to draw China into the international framework
for global warming prevention." Environment Minister Tetsuo Saito
also said at his news conference on May 12: "Japan will be ridiculed
by the world if it comes up with a target like that," criticizing
the Nippon Keidanren for supporting Option 1.

However, according to a Keidanren official, Chairman Fujio Mitarai
reacted very strongly to the minister's remark. A senior Ministry of
Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) official lamented that, "I went
to persuade him, telling him 'we also have to take international
negotiations into account,' but he would not listen, so I had to
leave."

Option 6 calling for a 25 PERCENT reduction, which is the opposite

TOKYO 00001170 005 OF 013


extreme of Option 1, has the support of environmental NGOs and other
groups. Both the New Komeito party and the Democratic Party of Japan
are including this in their campaign platforms. However, this is
premised on the upgrading of all equipment, including existing
equipment, with the most advanced energy saving functions. It is
said that this will result in the reduction of annual disposable
income per household by 220,000 yen to 770,000 yen by 2020.

A senior Environment Ministry official voices the criticism that,
"This does not take into account the elements of the Green New Deal
(stimulating the economy with global warming prevention measures),"
but admits that "25 PERCENT reduction will indeed be difficult."

7 PERCENT reduction a possible compromise

The mid-term target committee has also presented four options in
between these two extremes. Option 2 calls for assigning reduction
goals by country based on progress made in past energy conservation
efforts (ranging from a 1 PERCENT increase to a 5 PERCENT
reduction) with the basic goal being "a 25 PERCENT overall
reduction by the developed countries." Option 4 would assign targets
based on the size of the economy (8-17 PERCENT reduction). Option 3
would apply the target only to replacement equipment for the purpose
of introducing the latest technology (7 PERCENT reduction),while
Option 5 would apply this also to some existing equipment (15
PERCENT reduction).

While Options 2 and 4 will make Japan's reduction target lower, the
computation formula is very complicated. It will be difficult to
reach an agreement with the other developed countries that Japan
needs to collaborate with.

Among these options, Option 3 has been attracting the most
attention. The Keizai Doyukai (Japan Association of Corporate
Executives),whose members are individual business operators,
announced its support on May 18. Chairman Masamitsu Sakurai
(chairman of Ricoh Company, Ltd.) paid a visit to Environment
Minister Saito on the next day and told him that "the scientific
viewpoint is also very important," taking into account the proposal
of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for
"25-40 PERCENT reduction by the developed nations." This made Saito
very happy.

Option 3 is premised on "maximum introduction of energy conservation
technology" as written into the METI council's long-term projection
of energy demand and supply. Representatives of the industries
participated in the discussions on this, so there is a growing
opinion in the government that "this may be the lowest common
denominator for all parties."

Meanwhile, an idea has also emerged in the government that the
figures should be flexible to a certain extent in order to save some
cards for future international negotiations.

The government will be holding a meeting of the council on global
warming issues attended by Prime Minister Taro Aso on May 24, thus
entering the final phase of coordination. However, since this is "a
set of simultaneous equations with no real correct answer," where
the wishes of businesses and scientists, international political
agendas, and other factors all come into play, the prime minister
will be facing some tough decisions.


TOKYO 00001170 006 OF 013


(5) Income falls to level 20 years ago; household income down to
5.56 million yen in 2007

TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 1) (Full)
May 22, 2009

Data from the "Comprehensive Basic Survey of the People's Living
Conditions, 2008" published by the Ministry of Health, Labor and
Welfare (MHLW) on May 21 show that average household income in 2007
was 5,562,000 yen, the lowest in the 19 years since the Heisei Era
started in 1989.

Average household income reached its peak in 1994 at 6,642,000 yen
and has been declining consistently. It has now reverted to the 1988
level. The analysis of the MHLW's Office for the Basic Survey of the
People's Living Conditions is that "the reasons are a reduction in
the earnings of the bread winner and an increase in households
consisting only of the aged." It is believed that this can be
attributed to changes in the employment environment, such as the
increase of mostly young non-regular workers who are unlikely to get
substantial pay increases.

Average household income in 2007 dropped by 106,000 yen from the
previous year. It has been pointed out that this was due to the
cutback in bonuses in small and mid-sized businesses experiencing
difficulties during this period.

The ratio of households that complained of "hard times," 57.2
PERCENT , was the same with the highest record marked in the 2007
report, exceeding the 50 PERCENT level for 11 consecutive years.

The ratio of households with lower-than-average income was 60.9
PERCENT , only 0.3 percentage points below that of the previous
year, which was an all-time high. This figure exceeded 60 PERCENT
for four years in a row. The median was 4,480,000 yen, which is
regarded as closer to the perception of most households, and 44.3
PERCENT of households had income lower than 4 million yen.

In this survey, average income of households consisting of people 65
or older or of people who are above 65 and unmarried children who
are 18 or younger was 2,989,000 yen, going below 3 million yen for
the first time since 2004. Households with minor children (18 or
younger) had an average income of 6,914,000 yen, dropping below 7
million yen for the first time since 1990.

The survey was conducted in June and July 2008.

(6) Toru Hasuike, brother of abductee, publishes book calling for
priority to dialogue over sanctions

TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Full)
May 21, 2009

Toru Hasuike, former secretary general of the Association of the
Families of Victims Kidnapped by North Korea, published a new book
titled: "Abduction - Heading toward fight beyond the barrier between
rightists and leftists (Rachi - Sayuu no kakine o koeta tatakai
he)," issued by Kamogawa Publishing Co. In the book, the elder
brother of Kaoru (who had been abducted by North Korea but returned
home in 2002) calls for giving priority to a dialogue over sanctions
(in dealing with North Korea),taking a different stance from that
of the families' group.

TOKYO 00001170 007 OF 013



No progress was made on the abduction issue during the past five
years. Hasuike has attended left-wing groups' meetings since last
year. In such meetings, he criticizes the Japanese government's
stance of prioritizing sanctions in dealing with the North,
claiming: "Even if relations between the two countries are hostile,
both should hold discussion. Without dialogue, they will never be
able to find a clue to resolving the issue."

His new book in the outset includes this phrase: "I am now under
fire from rightists, unlike in the past, with such words as 'he
changed sides," and "he is a betrayal'." But he says that his true
intention is to prompt both right and left wings to move to rescue
the abduction victims.

Ball in Japan's court

Hasuike emphasizes:

"I am still enthusiastic to resolve the abduction issue. But now I
feel keenly that we should not be emotional but should be rational.
To prompt the North to open the door to start negotiations, our side
must take the North's views into consideration; otherwise,
negotiations will never be carried out. The ball is in the Japanese
court."

The present state, though, seems to be going against this direction.
Citing Japan's response to North Korea's launch of a projectile in
early April, Hasuike vents this view:

"It was an overreaction. Considering in a cool-headed manner, we
should realize the Nodong (an intermediate-range ballistic missile)
is a graver threat to Japan. I think Japanese hawks and munition
companies took advantage of the North's test firing."

Hasuike further says:
"The Japanese government, while emphasizing that what the North did
is wrong, has pledged to bring the victims back to Japan, but it has
given a low priority to the North's nuclear development and Japan's
wartime history. The government's assertion that the bad fellow must
be expelled is understandable but is dangerous."

Hasuike stresses the need for studies and analysis of the deadlocked
situation from a various angles. He expects that his new book will
contribute to urging the government to start this effort.

(7) Editorial: Nuclear non-proliferation: Time to speed up agreement
on test ban

TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 5) (Full)

The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty is the international framework
for achieving nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. While there
is criticism that the treaty is "dysfunctional," we should work for
reinforcing the NPT regime in light of the recent rise in the
opportunity for disarmament.

Delegates from member states stirred when U. S. President Barack
Obama's message that, "Through cooperation and shared understanding,
I am hopeful that we will strengthen the pillars of the NPT and
restore confidence in its credibility and effectiveness" was read
out at the meeting of the Preparatory Committee for the NPT Review

TOKYO 00001170 008 OF 013


Conference held at the UN headquarters in early May.

The 2005 Review Conference failed to adopt an agreement and ended in
discord due to conflict between the U.S. and the Middle Eastern
countries. However, at the present preparatory committee, the
assessment of the national delegates is that the agenda has been set
and "the atmosphere for dialogue on the nuclear issue has emerged."
The change in the U.S. administration's policy has presented a
golden opportunity to strengthen the NPT regime.

The NPT requires the five "nuclear powers" - the United States,
Russia, United Kingdom, France, and China - to "make sincere efforts
to negotiate on nuclear disarmament." The U.S. and Russia have
started talks on a new treaty for the reduction of strategic
weapons. We hope that these two nations, which possess 90 PERCENT
of the nuclear weapons in the world, will take the lead in
disarmament.

On the other hand, India and Pakistan have refused to become NPT
members and went ahead to possess nuclear arms. Iran is suspected of
enriching uranium even though it is a NPT member.

An agreement on nuclear test ban is necessary to prevent
proliferation and strengthen the NPT regime. The U.S. and China are
now positive about ratifying the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban
Treaty (CTBT). If they do ratify the treaty, this will constitute
pressure on Iran, Israel, and other countries that have not done
so.

There are three countries that are not signatories to the CTBT.
India and Pakistan have claimed that they "will not conduct any
further nuclear tests." Their accession to the treaty will attest to
this promise. We also urge North Korea to refrain from conducting a
second nuclear test.

Negotiations on the Fissile Materials Cut-Off Treaty (FMCT) banning
the manufacture of fissile materials for use in weapons, which has
been shelved for over a decade, should resume. There are numerous
issues for the NPT Review Conference in May 2010.
There have been numerous calls for nuclear disarmament since
President Obama's speech on a "nuclear-free world" in Prague in
April. Seventeen Nobel Prize laureates recently issued a
"Hiroshima-Nagasaki Declaration" asking national leaders and
citizens to take action toward the abolition of nuclear arms.

The Japanese government will convene an international conference on
nuclear disarmament early next year. It should play a role in making
this event contribute to strengthening the NPT regime.

(8) Sankei-FNN poll on Aso cabinet, political parties, DPJ's
leadership change

SANKEI (Page 5) (Full)
May 19, 2009

Questions & Answers

(Note) Figures shown in percentage. Figures in parentheses denote
findings from a previous Sankei-FNN survey conducted April 25-26.

Q: Do you support the Aso cabinet?


TOKYO 00001170 009 OF 013


Yes 27.4 (28.2)
No 60.9 (59.2)
Don't know (D/K),etc. 11.7 (12.6)

Q: Which political party do you support?

Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) 27.5 (29.2)
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) 30.5 (21.5)
New Komeito (NK) 4.0 (3.0)
Japanese Communist Party (JCP) 3.0 (2.9)
Social Democratic Party (SDP or Shaminto) 1.3 (1.3)
People's New Party (PNP or Kokumin Shinto) 0.4 (0.5)
Reform Club (RC or Kaikaku Kurabu) 0.0 (0.1)
New Party Nippon (NPN or Shinto Nippon) 0.0 (0.1)
Other political parties 0.2 (1.2)
None 31.4 (39.6)
D/K, etc. 1.7 (0.6)

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

Prime Minister Aso's personal character
Yes 32.0 (37.7)
No 57.2 (55.5)
D/K, etc. 10.8 (6.8)

Prime Minister Aso's leadership
Yes 15.8 (16.6)
No 75.5 (78.4)
D/K, etc. 8.7 (5.0)

Economic policy
Yes 25.2 (27.6)
No 67.0 (65.8)
D/K, etc. 7.8 (6.6)

Foreign policy
Yes 31.1 (33.4)
No 50.1 (52.7)
D/K, etc. 18.8 (13.9)

Cash benefits
Yes 36.4 (39.2)
No 58.2 (55.7)
D/K, etc. 5.4 (5.1)

Expressway toll reductions
Yes 46.3 (58.0)
No 46.7 (37.7)
D/K, etc. 7.0 (4.3)

Preferential system for purchases of eco-friendly home electronics
and automobiles
Yes 50.7 (---)
No 40.6 (---)
D/K, etc. 8.7 (---)

Response to Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Konoike's resignation
Yes 27.9 (---)
No 56.7 (---)
D/K, etc. 15.4 (---)


TOKYO 00001170 010 OF 013


Q: Do you have expectations for new DPJ President Hatoyama?

Yes 41.6
No 49.4
D/K, etc. 9.0

Q: Were you interested in the DPJ presidential election?

Yes 70.8
No 27.3
D/K, etc. 1.9

Q: Do you think DPJ President Ozawa's resignation was good for the
DPJ?

Yes 73.8
No 17.6
D/K, etc. 8.6

Q: Do you think DPJ President Hatoyama is more appropriate as DPJ
president than Mr. Katsuya Okada?

Yes 35.2
No 45.4
D/K, etc. 19.4

Q: Do you think Mr. Ozawa should continue to display his influence
in a key party post?

Yes 35.5
No 57.4
D/K, etc. 7.1

Q: Do you think DPJ President Hatoyama will be more influenced by
Mr. Ozawa than Mr. Okada?

Yes 80.7
No 9.1
D/K, etc. 10.2

Q: Is Mr. Ozawa's explanation of his resignation convincing?

Yes 21.2
No 72.9
D/K, etc. 5.9

Q: Do you think the DPJ presidential election's campaign period was
too short?

Yes 64.9
No 27.8
D/K, etc. 7.3

Q: When comparing Prime Minister Aso and DPJ President Hatoyama,
which one do you think is more trusworthy?

Prime Minister Aso 29.6
DPJ President Hatoyama 49.3
D/K, etc. 21.1

Q: When comparing Prime Minister Aso and DPJ President Hatoyama,
which one do you think is better in terms of policy?

TOKYO 00001170 011 OF 013



Prime Minister Aso 25.7
DPJ President Hatoyama 43.1
D/K, etc. 31.2

Q: When comparing Prime Minister Aso and DPJ President Hatoyama, who
do you think would be more appealing in an election campaign?

Prime Minister Aso 30.1
DPJ President Hatoyama 46.7
D/K, etc. 23.2

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

Prime Minister Aso 33.1
DPJ President Hatoyama 37.7
D/K, etc. 29.2

Q: Do you think it is necessary to carry out the political reforms
listed below and now being discussed between the ruling and
opposition parties?

Reduce Diet members
Yes 87.5 (85.8)
No 8.1 (11.0)
D/K, etc. 4.4 (3.2)

Restrict hereditary politics
Yes 56.2 (51.9)
No 36.1 (41.5)
D/K, etc. 7.7 (6.6)

Prohibit corporate, organizational donations
Yes 68.0 (68.5)
No 24.0 (25.4)
D/K, etc. 8.0 (6.1)

Review the single-seat constituency system
Yes 69.1 (---)
No 16.7 (---)
D/K, etc. 14.2 (---)

Q: Do you feel uneasy about the new type of influenza?

Yes 76.5
No 22.9
D/K, etc. 0.6

Q: Are you doing something in your daily lives to prevent yourself
from being infected with this novel flu virus?

Yes 67.2
No 32.4
D/K, etc. 0.4

Q: Do you think the government and local public entities have taken
appropriate measures against the new influenza?

Yes 74.2
No 19.3
D/K, etc. 6.5

TOKYO 00001170 012 OF 013



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

Taro Aso 8.3 (8.7)
Nobuteru Ishihara 4.5 (5.4)
Yuriko Koike 3.1 (3.7)
Junichiro Koizumi 13.0 (11.7)
Yoichi Masuzoe 10.7 (10.6)
Kaoru Yosano 4.1 (5.3)
Other ruling party lawmakers 2.1 (3.5)
Yoshimi Watanabe 4.7 (4.0)
Ichiro Ozawa 3.7 (5.2)
Katsuya Okada 9.0 (5.4)
Naoto Kan 2.7 (2.8)
Akira Nagatsuma 2.0 (---)
Yukio Hatoyama 7.6 (2.2)
Seiji Maehara 2.4 (2.3)
Other opposition party lawmakers 2.6 (2.9)
None 15.3 (20.1)
D/K, etc. 4.2 (3.3)

Q: When do you think an election should be held for the House of
Representatives?

Right away 16.3
In July right after passing the supplementary budget 40.0
Upon the current membership's expiry, or in August or afterward
40.3
D/K, etc. 3.4

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

He should resign and the election should be held under the new prime
minister 18.4 (23.5)
Prime minister should be selected according to election results 77.0
(72.5)
D/K, etc. 4.6 (4.0)


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 31.3 (34.6)
DPJ 45.2 (34.0)
NK 4.7 (3.9)
JCP 3.5 (4.5)
SDP 1.7 (2.0)
PNP 0.7 (0.6)
RC 0.0 (0.0)
NPN 0.1 (0.4)
Other political parties 5.4 (10.3)
D/K, etc. 7.4 (9.7)

Polling methodology: The survey was conducted May 17 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.

TOKYO 00001170 013 OF 013



ZUMWALT