JAPANESE MORNING PRESS HIGHLIGHTS 10/05/09

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 09 TOKYO 002278

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SUBJECT: JAPANESE MORNING PRESS HIGHLIGHTS 10/05/09

Index:
1) Top headlines
2) Editorials
3) Prime Minister's daily schedule (Nikkei)

Futenma Relocation Issue
4) State Minister for Okinawa Maehara says it is necessary to review
plan to relocate Futenma facility to Henoko (Asahi)
5) Prefectural board of review recommends to Okinawa Governor that
environmental investigation of site for new U.S. base redone
(Akahata)
6) State Minister for Okinawa Maehara says Futenma relocation should
be reviewed by cabinet council (Nikkei)
7) Cabinet meeting does not reorient policy in the direction of
relocating Futenma facility outside Okinawa (Mainichi)

Defense & Security
8) Defense Ministry aide to visit U.S. next week (Nikkei)

Foreign Relations
9) FM Okada asks China to engage to make a serious attempt to
persuade North Korea on issues (Nikkei)
10) FM Okada expresses concern about different U.S. Govt. opinions
regarding MSDF refueling mission (Asahi)
11) U.S. Ambassador to Japan Roos visits Hiroshima (Mainichi)

Opinion
12) Yomiuri poll reveals 34 PERCENT expect much from LDP President
Tanigaki (Yomiuri)
13) Yomiuri poll discloses solid support for cabinet, 71 PERCENT
(Yomiuri)
14) Kyodo poll: 73 PERCENT of DPJ members of Lower House wary of
dispatching SDF overseas (Tokyo Shimbun)

Politics
15) Health and Labor Minister to set up investigative team for
missing pensions this week (Sankei)

Obituary
16) Former Finance Minister Nakagawa dies at the age of 56 (Asahi)

Articles:

1) TOP HEADLINES

Asahi:
Half of post offices found to have had loose checks on postal
discounts

Mainichi:
North Korean leader Kim greets Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao at
airport; Kim told Hu Jintao's envoy in September, "Six-Party Talks
are not functioning"; Kim seems eager to resume talks with U.S. at
heart

Yomiuri:
Okinawa's Kerama island chain seeks to halve number of divers to
protect reef starting next April

Nikkei:
Interim dividends at listed firms decrease 1 trillion yen


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Sankei:
Welfare minister decides to launch pension solution team before
week's end possibly including Masuzoe advisers

Tokyo Shimbun:
Investigation squad of Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office
questions Hatoyama's lawyer over his donation issue and obtains
accounting books

Akahata:
Young construction workers from four prefectures call in Shibuya for
improved working conditions and higher wages

2) EDITORIALS

Asahi:
(1) Tomonoura ruling: Importance of landscape must be recognized
nationally
(2) Shift in U.S. policy expected to help break deadlock in Myanmar
(Burma)

Mainichi:
(1) Free/low-price lodgings: Poverty business must not be allowed
(2) 10 years after TOKAImura criticality accident

Yomiuri:
(1) Hatoyama administration must show clear path to
decentralization
(2) Ireland's decision to ratify Lisbon Treaty expected to give
impetus to EU integration

Nikkei:
(1) Administrative wasteful spending must be eliminated with ban on
amakudari
(2) Japanese-model terrestrial digital broadcasting spreading in
South America

Sankei:
(1) G-7 financial ministers and central governors meeting: Heavy
responsibility must be recognized before discussing G-4 option
(2) Earthquake exemption clause must be added to post-Kyoto
framework

Tokyo Shimbun:
(1) Face up to declining birthrate

Akahata:
(1) Tax reform: Consumption tax must be lowered to support common
people

3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei)

Prime Minister's schedule, October 4

NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full)
October 5, 2009

Spent the morning at his private residence.
14:56 Met Tokyo Governor Ishihara.

4) Futenma relocation to Henoko needs review: Maehara


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ASAHI (Page 2) (Abridged)
October 4, 2009

State Minister for Okinawa Seiji Maehara indicated yesterday that
the government should look for an alternative site as soon as
possible for the currently planned relocation of the U.S. Marine
Corps' Futenma Air Station in Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture, to Henoko
in the prefecture's northern coastal city of Nago since the
possibility of implementing the existing plan is low. "It (Futenma
relocation) has taken too much time," Maehara said. "We should
reconsider a new relocation site under the Hatoyama government," he
added, "and then we should go ahead with it." However, Maehara
avoided saying whether the new relocation site should be within or
outside Okinawa Prefecture. "The foreign minister and the defense
minister are discussing this matter," he said instead.

5) Okinawa prefectural council's report to governor calls for
reinvestigating environmental impact on site for Futenma replacement
facility

AKAHATA (Top play) (Excerpts)
October 3, 2009

Okinawa Prefecture's Environmental Assessment Council yesterday
submitted to Okinawa Governor Hirokazu Nakaima a report with
recommendations on the document presented by the Defense Ministry
concerning procedures for conducting the environmental impact
assessment of the site in the Henoko district, Nago City, for
constructing an alternative facility of the U.S. Marine Corps'
Futenma Air Station. The report by the council, chaired by Masamitsu
Tsukayama, suggests that 412 cases in 59 items be reinvestigated in
effect. The report also notes that if it is impossible to minimize
the negative impact, every possibility should be looked into,
including a cancellation of the project.

In response to a request by the governor this June, the council held
eight meetings and conducted two local investigations.

In replying to questions from reporters, Tsukayama said:

"The document produced by the organization placing the order is
extensive at 5,000 pages, but it is considered insufficient in view
of scientific grounds, such as predictions and assessment. We think
it is necessary to carry out another investigation in effect."

The report points out that the site for the new base is categorized
as an area of sea that requires the strict preservation of the
natural environment under the prefecture's environment-protection
guidelines. From this point of view, the report affirms that the
construction project will have a great impact on the environment,"
rejecting the Okinawa Defense Bureau's view that "there will be
little impact."

The report with recommendations notes that (the Okinawa Defense
Bureau) produced the document without fully responding to the
governor's advice, as seen from the fact that no survey on dugongs
was conducted for several years. The report further says that the
document "is insufficient in terms of analysis of the investigation
results, predictions, and assessments" regarding the environmental
impact of reclamation and the construction of such facilities as a
V-shaped pair of runways.


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The report then calls for a reinvestigation in effect, emphasizing
the need for "more accurate predictions and an assessment with
grounds." The document from the Okinawa Defense Bureau noted that
"the organization placing the order can avoid or minimize the
environmental impact by taking available measures. But on this
point, as well, the report notes: "In the case it is impossible to
minimize the impact, the prefectural government should look into
every possibility, including a cancellation of or changes in the
project, including its site and scale."

6) State Minister for Okinawa Maehara underlines need for concerned
ministers to reexamine Futenma relocation plan

NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full)
October 5, 2009

State Minister for Okinawa and Northern Territories Seiji Maehara
held a press conference in the city of Naha on Oct. 4. Referring to
the planned relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station
(in Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture) to the coastal area of Camp Schwab
(in Nago in the prefecture),Maehara said: "I have said that (the
relocation plan) needs to be reexamined, and that's how I feel. If I
am asked for my opinion, I will say so." Maehara thus indicated that
he will refer to the need to review (the relocation plan) in future
talks among the four concerned cabinet ministers, including Foreign
Minister Katsuya Okada.

"I wonder if the relocation will really move forward," Maehara said
to the press corps after touring Futenma Air Station on Oct. 3. "It
is necessary to look into a new relocation site under the Hatoyama
administration."

7) Four ministers fail to come up with new policy direction on
Futenma relocation

MAINICHI (Page 25) (Full)
October 3, 2009

Shinichiro Nishida, Yasushi Sengoku

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano held a meeting with Foreign
Minister Katsuya Okada, Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa, and
Minister for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs Seiji Maehara
at the Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) on October 2 to
discuss the plan to relocate the U.S. forces' Futenma Air Station
(in Ginowan City, Okinawa) to the coastal area of Camp Schwab (in
Nago City, Okinawa). However, they failed to come up with a policy
direction regarding whether the plan will be reviewed to facilitate
Futenma's relocation out of Okinawa in accordance with the position
of the Democratic Party of Japan.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates is scheduled to visit Japan
in late October, while President Barack Obama is also visiting in
November. Hirano said at an interview with Mainichi Shimbun on
October 2 that "we need to have a comprehensive view" ahead of the
President's visit to Japan. However, a senior Ministry of Foreign
Affairs (MOFA) official pointed out that, "They have not agreed on
the timing or the schedule." The government has not even drawn up
its strategy for negotiations with the U.S.

Kitazawa appeared to be anxious at the meeting on October 2, saying:
"We don't have time. Let's exchange information frequently." With

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regard to his statement during his visit to Okinawa on September 26
that "relocation out of Okinawa or out of Japan would be extremely
difficult," Kitazawa explained that, "We have not come up with a
policy direction."

October 13 is the deadline for Okinawa Governor Hirokazu Nakaima,
who approves of the current relocation plan, to submit his opinion
on the preparatory documents for environmental assessment (at the
proposed Futenma relocation site). If the government does not come
up with a position, the governor will be forced to make a decision
while the administration's position is still unclear.

October 15 is also the deadline for revising the budget requests
relating to Futenma relocation. The Liberal Democratic Party
(LDP)-New Komeito administration made a "provisional allocation" of
some 29 billion yen for this purpose, which is on par with the
previous fiscal year. Hirano has announced in a news conference on
October 2 that the Futenma Relocation Council, which was set up by
the LDP-New Komeito administration as a venue for consultations
between the Tokyo government and the local governments, will be
reviewed. If the "provisional allocation" in the budget requests is
simply carried over, the new administration's decision-making
ability will be questioned. However, Okada, who is positive about
reviewing the current relocation plan, said to reporters after the
ministers' meeting, "We just need to make a final decision by the
time (the budget formulation) is finalized (toward the end of
2009)," already indicating an intention to defer the issue.

8) Parliamentary defense secretary to visit U.S. next week

NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full)
October 3, 2009

It has been decided that Parliamentary Defense Secretary Akihisa
Nagashima will visit the United States in the middle of next week.
He is expected to hold talks with Assistant Secretary of State Kurt
Campbell and persons connected with the Department of Defense in
Washington D.C. The purpose of the visit is to gauge the U.S.
government's views on the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan and
other matters ahead of a visit to Japan by Defense Secretary Robert
Gates.

9) Okada: "I hope China will make a serious effort to persuade North
Korea"

NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full)
October 5, 2009

In a press conference in Yokkaichi City, Mie Prefecture, yesterday,
Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada spoke of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's
visit to North Korea: "I expect some progress will be made on the
issues of North Korea's nuclear development program and its past
abductions of Japanese nationals. I hope China, which has the
greatest influence over North Korea, will make a serious effort to
persuade the North (to address these issues)."

10) Okada expresses concern about gap in views within U.S.
government over MSDF's refueling mission

YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full)
October 4, 2009


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Risa Kato, Siem Reap

Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada held informal talks with the
traveling press corps in Siem Reap in Cambodia, where he was
visiting, on the night of Oct. 3. Okada expressed concern about a
gap in views within the U.S. government about the Democratic Party
of Japan's policy on the handling of the Maritime Self-Defense
Force's refueling mission in the Indian Ocean. "There is a mood in
the U.S. State Department that (even if (the refueling mission) is
terminated),it will accept (civilian aid to Afghanistan) if that is
better than (the refueling mission)," Okada said. "But the Defense
Department probably wants (Japan) to dispatch (SDF personnel) in
uniform. The question is to what extent we should give consideration
to such an idea."

11) Ambassador Roos visits Hiroshima, will convey experience to
President Obama

MAINICHI (Page 3) (Full)
October 5, 2009

Kensuke Yaoi

U.S. Ambassador to Japan John Roos visited the Peace Memorial Park
in Hiroshima City with his family on October 4 and laid a wreath at
the Monument for Atomic Bomb Victims. He also visited the Hiroshima
Peace Memorial Museum, where he said he was "deeply touched." In the
museum's visitors' book he wrote, "Hiroshima powerfully impresses
upon visitors the destructiveness of nuclear weapons. It makes us
strongly feel the importance of seeking the peace and stability of a
world without nuclear weapons." According to Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba,
who escorted the Ambassador during part of his visit, Roos said on
the way to the Peace Memorial Park, "I will convey my experience (on
October 4) to President Obama".

Roos and his son David, 17, presented origami cranes when visiting
the Children's Peace Monument, which is modeled after Sadako Sasaki,
who was exposed to the atomic bombing at the age of two and died of
leukemia at the age of 12. He also spent about an hour at the Peace
Memorial Museum. Saying he wanted to see the museum by himself, he
toured the facility unaccompanied by museum officials providing
explanations of exhibits. Roos is the eighth U.S. ambassador to
visit the museum, but reportedly it is unusual for an ambassador be
unaccompanied by a guide.

"He understood the experience of the atomic bombing victims and
tried to understand their feelings along with his family" said Mayor
Akiba. "It was very moving."

12) Poll: 34 PERCENT pin hopes on LDP President Tanigaki

YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full)
October 5, 2009

In a telephone-based nationwide public opinion survey conducted by
the Yomiuri Shimbun on Oct. 2-4, only 34 PERCENT of respondents
answered "yes" when asked if they had expectations for Liberal
Democratic Party President Tanigaki, with 57 PERCENT saying "no."
Respondents were also asked if they thought the LDP would be able to
return to power. In response to this question, 50 PERCENT answered
"yes," down from 66 PERCENT in a previous survey conducted Aug.
31-Sept. 1 right after the House of Representatives election. Public

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opinion was severe on the LDP's desire to win back the reins of
government under Tanigaki.

Among LDP supporters, "yes" accounted for 58 PERCENT , with "no"
reaching 36 PERCENT . The proportion of those thinking the LDP will
be able to take office again among LDP supporters was 80 PERCENT
right after the House of Representatives election. In the latest
survey, however, the figure was 71 PERCENT .

13) Poll: Cabinet support steady at 71 PERCENT

YOMIURI (Page 1) (Abridged)
October 5, 2009

The public approval rating for the Hatoyama cabinet was 71 PERCENT
in a telephone-based nationwide public opinion survey conducted by
the Yomiuri Shimbun on Oct. 2-4. The disapproval rating was 21
PERCENT . The Hatoyama cabinet's support rate dropped from the 75
PERCENT rating marked in the last survey conducted right after its
inauguration, but it still remains high.

In the breakdown of public support for political parties, the ruling
Democratic Party of Japan stood at 47 PERCENT (51 PERCENT in the
last survey). The opposition Liberal Democratic Party was at 17
PERCENT (19 PERCENT in the last survey),dropping to its lowest
level on a par with the rating it received right after the 1998
House of Councillors election that ended in its crushing defeat
under the Hashimoto cabinet.

In the survey, respondents were asked if they approved of the
tripartite coalition framework of the DPJ, the Social Democratic
Party, and the People's New Party. To this question, "no" increased
to 50 PERCENT (39 PERCENT in the last survey),with "yes" at 39
PERCENT (49 PERCENT in the last survey). As seen from these
figures, the proportion of negative answers topped that of
affirmative ones. This appears to reflect the confusion that arose
over such issues as a loan-repayment moratorium system, which
Financial Services Minister Kamei, who is PNP president, has
announced as a policy measure for small businesses.

Respondents were also asked about the Hatoyama cabinet's plan to end
the Maritime Self-Defense Force's refueling mission in the Indian
Ocean. In response to this question, affirmative answers accounted
for 48 PERCENT (44 PERCENT in the last survey),with negative ones
accounting for 37 PERCENT (39 PERCENT in the last survey). When
asked if they approved of the Hatoyama cabinet's policy of reducing
Japan's greenhouse gas emissions by 25 PERCENT , "yes" accounted for
75 PERCENT (74 PERCENT in the last survey).

14) 73 PERCENT of DPJ Lower House lawmakers cautious about SDF's
overseas missions

TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 1) (Abridged)
October 5, 2009

Kyodo News recently conducted a questionnaire survey of 308
Democratic Party of Japan lawmakers elected in the recent House of
Representatives election. The survey was carried out in mid- and
late September, and answers were received from 210 LDP lawmakers by
Oct. 4. In the survey, a total of 73.3 PERCENT were cautious about
sending the Self-Defense Forces for overseas missions, maintaining
that Japan should go no further than to engage the SDF in United

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Nations peacekeeping operations or otherwise in humanitarian
assistance activities like international emergency relief
operations. Those in favor of sending the SDF to multinational
forces for operations including rear support accounted for 12.4
PERCENT . Meanwhile, 1.0 PERCENT said Japan should not send the SDF
overseas.

15) Pension issue settlement team to be launched before end of week:
Advisers to former welfare minister Masuzoe may be tapped

SANKEI (Top play) (Excerpts)
October 5, 2009

Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Akira Nagatsuma on October 4
decided to launch a pension premium payment record issue settlement
team (tentative name) consisting of by experts from the private
sector as early as this week. The envisaged team will study specific
measures to relieve more victims whose pension accounts have become
unidentifiable. It will also begin to spearhead a fact-finding
survey of pension premium payments records that are difficult to
identify. The Social Insurance Agency (SIA) has thus far been
reluctant to launch such a survey. The team will consist of about
ten members. Final coordination of views is now underway with the
possibility appointing Hakodate University Guest Professor Motoshi
Isomura and journalist Tatsuya Iwaseas members. Both were members of
the Pension Premium Records Issue Working Committee under the direct
control of former health, labor and welfare minister Yoichi
Masuzoe.

The Democratic Party of Japan's policy manifesto for the Lower House
election stipulates fiscal 2010 and 2012 as an intensive period for
dealing with the pension record issue. (The cost for the work is
estimated at approximately 200 billion yen.) Nagatsuma wants to
materialize the measures he has worked on by the end of fiscal 2012
with the envisaged team playing a leading role. Since Isomura and
Iwase, who have been informally appointed as members, dealt with the
pension record issue at the working committee for nearly two years,
Nagatsuma has determined that they would be indispensable for the
swift relief of victims and the uncovering of the problems.

Nagatsuma is also calling for the cross-checking of pension records
as a national project, by intensively applying personnel, goods, and
money to the comparison of the original paperwork for 850 accounts
with on-line premium payment records. The settlement team will also
study a personnel arrangement for the cross-checking of pension
premium payment records after the Social Insurance Agency is
reorganized into a Japan pension agency in January next year.

16) Former finance minister Nakagawa found dead in bedroom at his
residence

ASAHI (Page 1) (Excerpts)
October 5, 2009

The wife (50) of former finance minister and state minister for
financial affairs Shoichi Nakagawa (56) discovered her husband lying
unconscious at his residence (5-chome, Shimouma, Setagaya Ward,
Tokyo) at around 8:18 a.m. on October 4, and called an ambulance.
According to the police, he was found dead lying face-down on a bed
in a bedroom on the second floor of his home. He had no visible
external injuries. Since the cause of his death could not be
determined by the administrative autopsy, the police plan to conduct

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a pathological examination. The Setagaya police view that according
to the situation of his body and the room, there is a slim chance of
any foul play being involved or of his committing suicide. Since a
family member provided an account that he had been taking sleeping
pills, the police plan to investigate the causal relationship.

He took office as finance minister and state minister for financial
affairs of the Aso cabinet after contributing to the election of
Taro Aso to the president of the Liberal Democratic Party. Attaching
importance to stimulus measures to address the global financial
crisis, Nakagawa spearheaded the cabinet's economic policy,
including the fixed-amount cash handouts. He also boosted his
presence by calling for more public spending at various
international conferences. He appeared incoherent and slurred his
speech at a news conference after the Group of Seven meeting of
finance ministers and central bank governors in Rome in February
this year. Facing strong criticism, he stepped down from his post.
He lost the general election in August to a Democratic Party of
Japan candidate. He lost his seat in the Lower House as he was also
unable to secure a seat in the proportional representation system.

ROOS