DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 09/25/09

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 12 TOKYO 002247 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 09/25/09 INDEX: INDEX: (1) Building relationship of trust a top priority for Hatoyama and Obama (Asahi) (2) Editorial: Japan-U.S. summit; Further enhance pragmatic decisions (Sankei) (3) PM Hatoyama's speech at UN General Assembly to become foreign policy manifesto (Asahi) (4) Bureaucrats baffled by "Hatoyama-style diplomacy" (Sankei) (5) ConGen Greene stresses promotion of Futenma relocation within Okinawa, to seek DPJ's understanding (Ryukyu Shimpo) (6) Poll on Hatoyama cabinet, political parties (Tokyo Shimbun) (7) Profiles of new parliamentary secretaries (Nikkei) ARTICLES: (1) Building relationship of trust a top priority for Hatoyama and Obama ASAHI (Page 2) (Excerpts) September 24, 2009 Nao Fujita, Hiroshi Ito, New York Hatoyama: Let us take the lead in making the world nuclear free Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and U.S. President Barack Obama held their first meeting (in New York on Sept. 23) at which they confirmed their resolve to face up to common challenges, such as global warming and nuclear disarmament. At the same time, friction is expected to arise in the future over specific issues, such as a review of U.S. bases in Okinawa and aid to Afghanistan. Hatoyama diplomacy advocating an "equal Japan-U.S. relationship" has begun. The word "change" helped bring Hatoyama and Obama closer to each other. President Obama: I congratulate the Democratic Party of Japan for bringing about dramatic change in the country. Prime Minister Hatoyama: I am here to thank the President and the American people for giving me the courage to make change. They also gave the Japanese people the courage to opt for a change of government. Hatoyama and Obama exchanged words for the third time following their telephone conversation on Sept. 3 and their chat during the dinner party the day before the UN climate change summit Obama placed a telephone call to Hatoyama early on the morning of Sept. 3 to congratulate him on the DPJ's landslide victory in the (Aug. 30) general election. In the telephone conversation, Hatoyama proposed close cooperation in climate change, disarmament, and the economy with the aim of steering policy on a course toward dealing TOKYO 00002247 002 OF 012 with global rather than controversial bilateral issues. A monthly magazine published in August carried Hatoyama's essay that caused a sensation by irritating the United States. The DPJ's efforts to create an atmosphere of friendship did not go smoothly partly because the security policy the DPJ advocated as an opposition party was interpreted as strongly anti-American. The Japan-U.S. relationship was regarded as the DPJ's Achilles heel. In line with the position of former DPJ president Ichiro Ozawa, the party was eyeing an equal Japan-U.S. alliance, a review of the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan, a revision of the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement, and ending the Maritime Self-Defense Force's refueling mission in the Indian Ocean. Japan experts in the United States continually warned DPJ executives that all of those goals appeared anti-American. The DPJ began correcting its course before the (Aug. 30) general election, believing that shaky Japan-U.S. relations prevent the Hatoyama administration from focusing on domestic issues of concern to the people. In mid-July, then Secretary General Katsuya Okada met with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell. Okada told Campbell "we will not put all outstanding issues on the table at the same time," indicating that (the DPJ administration) would place some issues on the backburner. "Let us take the lead in making the world nuclear free," Hatoyama said to Obama in their first summit meeting, expressing his support for Obama's vision of a nuclear-free world. Obama: I look forward to visiting Japan in November "We had good discussions from the viewpoint that the U.S.-Japan alliance is vital," Obama said after his meeting with Hatoyama. "We agreed to strengthen and deepen our alliance." The U.S. government regards President Obama's first visit to Japan in November as the crucial step in building cooperative relations with the Hatoyama administration. Washington shared Tokyo's wishes to create a positive environment through the first Japan-U.S. summit. "I think we will have many more talks in the future, and I look forward to visiting Japan in November," Obama said to Hatoyama in an effort to create an amicable atmosphere. Obama also expressed his intention to resolve ONE issue at a time without referring to any specific issues. The Obama administration had shown consideration for the Hatoyama administration in a series of talks ahead of the Hatoyama-Obama meeting. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton held talks with Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada on Sept. 21 in which Clinton said regarding the planned relocation of Futenma Air Station: "There is an existing plan, but we are happy to answer and discuss any question the Japanese government has." Clinton also expressed a stance of accepting the Hatoyama administration's policy of not simply extending the refueling mission in the Indian Ocean. TOKYO 00002247 003 OF 012 At the same time, the Obama administration has drawn a line in the sand. "There is a plan--clearly we're going to hold discussions about it, but where the discussions will lead, at this point, I can't predict," Assistant Secretary of State Philip Crowley told the press on Sept. 21, stopping short of saying that the U.S. government would renegotiate the existing plan. The line drawn in the sand reflects the political situation in America. Within the U.S. Marines there is opposition to the Futenma relocation plan owing partly to concern over the conditions at the relocation site. If Washington agrees to review the agreement with Tokyo, its opponents might gain the upper hand. In addition, 60 percent of the American people oppose sending additional troops to Afghanistan. Japan's indirect aid to Afghanistan is growing in importance. The other serious challenge for the Obama administration is reform of the HEALTH care insurance system. The President's support ratings have plummeted due to strong opposition from conservatives. There is a possibility that President Obama will suspend his push for healthcare reform to make the trip to Japan. That would make his trip all the more important. If Japan insists on a major review of the Futenma relocation plan and presents no new Afghan aid plan, President Obama will find himself in a tight spot and passage of a healthcare reform bill will be dealt a blow. This helps explain why the administration is sending Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg to Japan later this month and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates in October. Center for Strategic and International Studies Japan Chair Michael Green takes this view: "Prime Minister Hatoyama may be expecting President Obama to soften his stance regarding the Afghan and Okinawa issues once a relationship of trust with him is built. But that is only wishful thinking." (2) Editorial: Japan-U.S. summit; Further enhance pragmatic decisions SANKEI (Page 2) (Full) September 25, 2009 Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, who is now visiting the U.S., and President Obama at a summit agreed to further strengthen the bilateral alliance and work together on such issues as North Korea, nonproliferation, and climate change. We would like to express our honest approval that the leaders of the two countries reaffirmed that the Japan-US alliance is a "cornerstone." However, it is of concern that specific issues, such as supporting measures against terrorism and the U.S. Force Japan realignment program, have been left as unfinished tasks. In order for Japan and the U.S. to build true bonds of trust, it is imperative for Prime Minister Hatoyama to respond to those agenda items with specific actions, based on pragmatic decisions. The summit was characterized as the highlight of Mr. Hatoyama's TOKYO 00002247 004 OF 012 diplomatic debut. However, the meeting was brief - less than 40 minutes. The meeting left the impression that they just exchanged principles and policy platforms. It appears that given the U.S.-China summit, which lasted an hour and a half, the Japan-U.S. summit did not get into in-depth discussion. The U.S. is becoming increasingly concerned about the policy pledges that Prime Minister Hatoyama and Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada are advocating. This is why the meeting was so brief. They say that they will not simply extend the Maritime Self-Defense Force's refueling mission in the Indian Ocean. They have also been taking a position to review the U.S. Forces Japan realignment program, including the relocation of the Futenma Air Station, and the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement. The U.S. is alarmed about those issues because they affect the very core of the alliance. Prime Minister Hatoyama has stopped short of providing detailed accounts on the specifics of a "close and equal Japan-U.S. alliance" and the relationship between his East Asian Community initiative and the U.S. If the leaders delve into the details of those pending issues or specific subjects, many risk factors will be revealed that could cause friction. Although neither Japan nor the U.S. wanted to touch on them, it is clear that those issues cannot be put on the back burner forever. In particular, the due date for refueling operation in the Indian Ocean is next January. The government says that it will look into civilian assistance as an alternative measure. In any case, it must come up with a concrete plan swiftly. The budget has already been prepared for portions of the U.S. Forces realignment plan and parts of the plan have been set in motion. Any delay in the government's action in laying out a roadmap could damage the deterrence system of Japan and the U.S. It is also puzzling that Foreign Minister Okada used the word "wakaba-mark (originally means those who have recently obtained a driving license, but also refers to people who have just started something),when speaking of international contributions by the Self-Defense Forces (SDF). The SDF has steadily accumulated experience in and knowledge of overseas peace contribution activities. We wonder whether it was appropriate for the foreign minister to use such words in his statement. It is only natural for both leaders agreed to uphold the Japan-U.S. cooperative structure in dealing with North Korea's nuclear and abduction issues. It is fine for the two countries to cooperate on nuclear disarmament and climate change. However, Japan must not lose sight of the actual aspects of bilateral cooperation, including the efficacy of the nuclear umbrella and the impact of an excessive cut in greenhouse gas effects on the economy. We would like Prime Minister Hatoyama to do his utmost in order to strengthen the Japan-U.S. alliance, while bearing the interests of the nation and its people in mind. (3) PM Hatoyama's speech at UN General Assembly to become foreign policy manifesto ASAHI (Page 3) (Full) September 25, 2009 TOKYO 00002247 005 OF 012 Nao Fujita (New York) Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's speech at the United Nations in the early hours of September 25 (Japan time) can be regarded as a supplement to the election manifesto of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ),which was short on foreign policy. Since he was in a rush to attend the UN General Assembly right after his administration's inauguration, he drafted this speech after coordinating with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The speech reflects an attempt to change tack to adapt to the reality of the international community. In this speech, the Prime Minister proudly declares the significance of the change of government in Japan and promises "the new Japan will not turn its back" on the challenges facing the world. His speech is noteworthy for its heavy focus on bilateral relations with North Korea. In its campaign pledges the DPJ had stated that the issue of North Korea's missile and nuclear (programs) is "absolutely unacceptable", but it had not mentioned how it will handle Japan-DPRK relations. However, under ONE of the "five challenges" cited in Hatoyama's UN speech on denuclearization, Hatoyama voices his intention to normalize diplomatic relations in accordance with the Japan-DPRK Pyongyang Declaration. He sends the following message to North Korea: "If the DPRK takes constructive and sincere actions, Japan is ready to respond positively." The Japan-DPRK Pyongyang Declaration is a document signed in 2002 by then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's during his visit to North Korea. The declaration is an agreement for the two countries to resume normalization talks. At the time the DPJ was critical of the agreement because of public dissatisfaction with the fact that although General Secretary Kim Jong Il admitted the abductions, what he offered was far from a solution to the abduction issue. Hatoyama's speech clearly indicates the Hatoyama administration has opted to carry out a policy based on the Declaration. Mindful of U.S. moves to engage in bilateral talks with the DPRK as early as October to pave the way for the resumption of the Six-Party Talks, the Prime Minister has shifted to reinstating the Declaration. This is a clear indication that he is giving greater priority to setting the stage for the resumption of dialogue than to concerns about being criticized as weak-kneed toward North Korea. In relation to the war against terrorism, Hatoyama cites the civilian aid efforts for Afghanistan he previously mentioned at his summit meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama. He explains that this is because "reconciliation and reintegration of insurgents will become critical issues in national reconstruction." It is believed that he will indicate Japan's intention to play a leading role in promoting peace. Meanwhile, with regard to the East Asian community advocated by Hatoyama, he cites "reducing the region's security risks and sharing each others' economic dynamism" as the objectives of this concept and enumerates areas of possible cooperation, including Free Trade Agreements, finance, energy, and disaster relief. The question now is how these proposals can be fleshed out ahead of the APEC summit to be held in Singapore in November, in which the United States will also participate. TOKYO 00002247 006 OF 012 The speech also touches on pledges in domestic policies. The expansion of domestic demand is viewed as part of the "response to the global economic crisis." He presents the child allowances and the abolition of the temporary tax rates for gasoline. He declares that "through the change of power, Japan is sending a clear signal of the forthcoming revival of its economy." On greenhouse gas emission reduction, Hatoyama reiterates Japan's mid-term target of reducing emissions by 25 percent from 1990 levels. Here he is clearly making a pledge that is opposed by industrial and other sectors at home and an "international commitment" to make this irreversible. The Prime Minister had given greater importance to the speech at the UN General Assembly even before the general election. He wanted to impress upon world leaders the significance of the change of government in Japan. The last sentence of the speech, "This concludes my message from the new Japan," is the international version of Hatoyama's first policy speech as prime minister. (4) Bureaucrats baffled by "Hatoyama-style diplomacy" SANKEI (Page 2) (Full) September 24, 2009 Morimichi Imabori, New York Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, who has made his diplomatic debut on his current U.S. tour, is trying to exclude the involvement of bureaucrats during his visit to New York in an effort to demonstrate his political leadership. However, he appears to be at a loss for words when he talks to the press after meetings, causing confusion among the bureaucrats accompanying him. Speaks in own words Hatoyama held talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao immediately after he arrived in New York on the evening of Sept. 21. Normally, Japanese prime ministers discuss the details of their overseas travel in advance with the Foreign Ministry's deputy ministers and bureau director generals concerned. The bureaucrats make arrangements with other countries before prime ministers visit foreign countries. But as a result of repeating this procedure over and over again, there have been cases in which the prime ministers have ended up conducting talks that were completely orchestrated by bureaucrats in advance. Hatoyama, however, dispensed with "bureaucratic preparations" when he met with Hu. He talked with the Chinese leader in his own words for about ONE hour. Hatoyama's UN speech drafted by senior vice minister At a United Nations climate change summit meeting, as well, Hatoyama stuck to the so-called Democratic Party of Japan's (DPJ) style, which means that the speech he gave at the meeting was compiled by Senior Vice Foreign Minister Tetsuro Fukuyama and other DPJ lawmakers who have addressed global warming. Hatoyama did not allow any foreign ministry officials to take part in the compilation of the speech. However, such politically-led decision-making gave rise to TOKYO 00002247 007 OF 012 confusion. Deputy chief cabinet secretary fails to give smooth explanation Up until now, a deputy chief cabinet secretary accompanying the prime minister has been in charge of explaining what was discussed in meetings between the prime minister and foreign leaders. Following this practice, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yorihisa Matsuno gave an explanation after the Japan-China summit. However, he failed to give a smooth explanation of the summit, disappointing the press corps. There was even at point at which he was unable to provide detailed explanations about what Hatoyama and Hu said during their meeting. When the Liberal Democratic Party held the reins of government, a senior Foreign Ministry official who joined the deputy chief cabinet secretary's press conference would provide supplementary explanations if necessary. The bureaucrats who accompanied Matsuno during his press briefing were uncertain about whether they should support him or not. One of the bureaucrats accompanying Hatoyama said with expectation, "Politically-led decision-making means that politicians assume all the responsibility. This is good." However, another bureaucrat said, "I still don't know how to work with the DPJ-led government." Even on the diplomatic front, there are still contradictions between political leadership and administrative arrangements. (5) ConGen Greene stresses promotion of Futenma relocation within Okinawa, to seek DPJ's understanding RYUKYU SHIMPO (Page 2) (Full) September 25, 2009 Raymond Greene, U.S. consul general in Okinawa, held his first news conference after taking up his post at the Consulate General in Urasoe City on September 24. Regarding the plan for the relocation of the U.S. forces' Futenma Air Station, Greene stated that, "(The U.S. position) that the existing Japan-U.S. agreement is realistic because Futenma needs to be relocated as soon as possible remains unchanged," stressing that the U.S. stance is to promote the plan to relocate the Futenma base to Henoko in Nago City. Commenting on the Democratic Party of Japan's (DPJ) advocacy of relocation out of Okinawa or out of Japan, Greene said: "I am aware that the DPJ has doubts about the U.S. Forces Japan (USFJ) realignment package (including Futenma relocation). We will make efforts to explain the history, background, and objectives through diplomatic channels in order to seek its understanding." He indicated his intention to seek the DPJ administration's understanding of the existing plans. Regarding the proposal to merge Futenma with Kadena Air Base, Greene explained the history of the proposal, telling the press: "This was also studied in the process of USFJ realignment in the late 1990s. The noise will become even worse if 60-70 planes are moved from Futenma to Kadena. It was decided that this was not feasible not only because of operational issues but also because of the major (noise) problem for the local communities." On the question of the revision of the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA),Greene refrained from giving direct a comment. He TOKYO 00002247 008 OF 012 stated that, "It is not as if there has been no change at all in 60 years. Improvement of operations has been implemented. While I am not negative (about this demand),I am not in a position to comment on this complicated issue." (6) Poll on Hatoyama cabinet, political parties TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 4) (Abridged) September 18, 2009 Questions & Answers (Figures shown in percentage. Parentheses denote the results of the last survey conducted Aug. 31-Sept. 1.) Q: Do you support the newly launched Hatoyama cabinet? Yes 72.0 No 13.1 Don't know (D/K) + no answer (N/A) 14.9 Q: (Only for those who answered "yes" to the previous question) What's the primary reason for your approval of the Hatoyama cabinet? Pick only ONE from among those listed below. The prime minister is trustworthy 12.1 Because it's a coalition cabinet of the Democratic Party of Japan, Social Democratic Party, and People's New Party 7.4 The prime minister has leadership ability 3.1 Something can be expected of its economic policies 16.4 Something can be expected of its foreign policies 3.1 Something can be expected of its political reforms 29.2 Something can be expected of its tax reforms 3.4 Something can be expected of its administrative reforms 10.2 There's no other appropriate person (for prime minister) 11.7 Other answers (O/A) 0.8 D/K+N/A 2.6 Q: (Only for those who answered "no" to the first question) What's the primary reason for your disapproval of the Hatoyama cabinet? Pick only ONE from among those listed below. The prime minister is untrustworthy 16.5 Because it's a coalition cabinet of the Democratic Party of Japan, Social Democratic Party, and People's New Party 19.7 The prime minister lacks leadership ability 5.7 Nothing can be expected of its economic policies 35.0 Nothing can be expected of its foreign policies 4.9 Nothing can be expected of its political reforms 3.8 Nothing can be expected of its tax reforms 2.7 Nothing can be expected of its administrative reforms 3.1 Don't like the prime minister's personal character 5.8 O/A 0.9 D/K+N/A 1.9 Q: Which political party do you support? Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) 47.6 (41.1) Liberal Democratic Party (LDP or Jiminto) 18.8 (19.0) New Komeito (NK) 3.7 (5.1) Japanese Communist Party (JCP) 3.1 (3.4) Social Democratic Party (SDP or Shaminto) 1.8 (2.1) TOKYO 00002247 009 OF 012 Your Party (YP or Minna no To) 1.4 (2.4) People's New Party (PNP or Kokumin Shinto) 0.4 (1.5) New Party Nippon (NPN or Shinto Nippon) --- (0.1) Other political parties, groups --- (0.1) None 21.6 (22.9) D/K+N/A 1.6 (2.3) Q: What do you think the Hatoyama cabinet should tackle on a priority basis? Pick up to two. Economic stimulus, job security 35.5 (40.2) Social security, including pension reform 37.1 (35.2) Administrative, fiscal reforms, such as eliminating the waste of tax money 44.8 (39.7) Public service reform, such as prohibiting amakudari (practice of placing high-level government officials in executive posts at public corporations or private businesses after retirement) 15.6 (19.0) Childcare support, including child allowance payouts 19.8 (17.3) Switch from bureaucrat-led government to politician-led government 9.3 (8.2) Politics-and-money issues, such as prohibiting corporate contributions 4.3 (6.6) Toll-free expressways 3.5 (2.7) Social disparity 3.7 (5.4) Drastic tax reform 5.1 (7.5) Foreign, security policies 4.4 (6.3) O/A 1.1 (0.6) D/K+N/A 3.0 (1.9) Polling methodology: This survey was conducted across the nation on Sept. 16-17 by Kyodo News Service on a computer-aided random digit dialing (RDD) basis. Among randomly generated telephone numbers, those actually for household use with ONE or more eligible voters totaled 1,442. Answers were obtained from 1,032 persons. 7) Profiles of new parliamentary secretaries NIKKEI (Page 4) (Full) September 19, 2009 (Cabinet Office) Kenta Izumi Graduated from Ritsumeikan University; former Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) policy research committee vice chairman, former House of Representatives cabinet committee director; Lower House Kyoto No. 3 district; third term; 35 (Maehara group in the DPJ) Kenji Tamura University of Tokyo; former finance ministry personnel, former DPJ tax research committee deputy chief (jicho); Lower House Shizuoka No. 4 district; third term; 41 (Noda group) Keisuke Tsumura University of Tokyo; former Bank of Japan personnel, former Lower House security committee director; Lower House Okayama No. 2 district; third term; 37 (Kan group) (Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry) Junya Ogawa University of Tokyo; former internal affairs and communications TOKYO 00002247 010 OF 012 ministry assistant division director, Lower House internal affairs and communications committee member; Lower House Kagawa No. 1 district; second term; 38 (Maehara group) Takeshi Shina University of Tokyo Graduate School; former lawyer, former Lower House financial affairs committee member; Lower House Iwate No. 1 district; second term; 42 (Ozawa group) Seiken Hasegawa University of Tokyo; ex-vice minister for policy coordination of the former posts and telecommunications ministry, former DPJ vice secretary general; Upper House proportional representation; first term (People's New Party (PNP)) (Justice Ministry) Tetsuji Nakamura Kyoto University; former DPJ Upper House vice secretary general, former Upper House health, labor and welfare committee director; Upper House Nara constituency; first term (two terms in Lower House); 38 (Foreign Ministry) Shuji Kira University of Tokyo; former DPJ vice secretary general, former DPJ policy research committee vice chairman; Lower House Oita No. 1 district; third term; 51 (Ozawa group) Chinami Nishimura Niigata University Graduate School; former Niigata prefectural assembly member, former Lower House cabinet committee member; Lower House Niigata No. 1 district; third term; 42 (Kan group) (Finance Ministry) Hiroshi Ogushi University of Tokyo; former finance ministry personnel, former DPJ policy research committee vice chairman; Lower House Saga No. 2 district; second term; 44 Shinichiro Furumoto Ritsumeikan University; former Lower House finance committee director, former DPJ vice secretary general; Lower House Aichi No. 11 district; third term; 44 (DPJ group affiliated with the former Democratic Socialist Party) (Education, Culture, sports, and Science and Technology Ministry) Hitoshi Goto Tohoku University; former agriculture ministry assistant division director, Lower House land, infrastructure, and transport committee director; Lower House Yamanashi No. 3 district; third term; 52 Miho Takai Waseda University; former company employee, former DPJ public relations committee deputy chief (dairi); Lower House Tokushima No. 2 district; third term; 37 (Maehara group) (Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry) TOKYO 00002247 011 OF 012 Kazunori Yamanoi Kyoto University Graduate School, Matsushita Institute of Government and Management; Lower House health, labor and welfare committee director; Lower House Kyoto No. 6 district; fourth term; 47 (Maehara group) Shinya Adachi Tsukuba University; former associate professor at Tsukuba University, former Upper House health, labor and welfare committee member; Upper House Oita constituency; first term; 52 (Hatoyama group) (Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry) Takahiro Sasaki Shibetsu High School; former Hokkaido prefectural assembly member, former DPJ election campaign committee deputy chief (dairi); Lower House Hokkaido No. 6 district; second term; 60 (DPJ group affiliated with former Japan Socialist Party) Yasue Funayama Hokkaido University; former farm ministry personnel, former Upper House agriculture, forestry and fisheries committee member; Upper House Yamagata constituency; first term; 43 (Hatoyama group) (Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry) Yosuke Kondo Keio University; former Nikkei reporter, former DPJ policy research committee vice chairman; Lower House Yamagata No. 2 district; third term; 44 (Noda group) Chiaki Takahashi Meiji University; former agricultural cooperative employee, former Upper House agriculture, forestry and fisheries committee director; Upper House Mie constituency; third term; 53 (Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry) Takashi Nagayasu University of Tokyo; former company executive, former DPJ vice secretary general; Lower House Osaka No. 19 district; third term; 41 Taizo Mikazuki Hitotsubashi University; former Lower House land, infrastructure and land committee director, former DPJ vice secretary general; Lower House Shiga No. 3 district; 38 (DPJ group affiliated with the former Democratic Socialist Party) Yuji Fujimoto Michigan State University Graduate School; former Upper House cabinet committee member, former DPJ policy research committee vice chairman; Upper House Shizuoka constituency; first term; 52 (Noda group) (Environment Ministry) Nobumori Otani George Washington University Graduate School; former Lower House foreign affairs committee director; Lower House Osaka No. 9 district; third term; 46 (Hatoyama group) TOKYO 00002247 012 OF 012 (Defense Ministry) Daizo Kusuda University of Tokyo; former bank employee, former Lower House cabinet committee member; Lower House Fukuoka No. 5 district; third term; 34 (Tsutomu Hata group) Akihisa Nagashima Keio University Graduate School; former DPJ vice secretary general, former Lower House special committee on abductions; Lower House Tokyo No. 21 district; third term; 47 (Noda group) ROOS