DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 09/30/09

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 07 TOKYO 002285 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 09/30/09 INDEX: (1) U.S. Consul General Greene enthusiastic about cultural exchanges (Miyako Mainichi Shimbun) (2) U.S. Consul General Greene visits Miyakojima Island, inspects new energy project in the city (Miyako Shimpo) (3) At prefectural assembly Okinawa governor stands by position of accepting Futenma relocation within prefecture (Ryukyu Shimpo) (4) More than 30 non-Okinawa-based aircraft stationed on Kadena Air Base; 288 instances of noise over 70 decibels detected in a day (Ryukyu Shimpo) (5) Integration of policy-making mechanisms by government, ruling parties: Ruling parties trying to ensure their presence be felt; Committee chairmen underscoring their say through Diet management (Nikkei) (6) U.S. expert calls idea of East Asian Community "outdated" (Sankei) (7) Afghan governor expresses appreciation for Japan's aid (Yomiuri) (Corrected copy) MOFA opens press conference to all media companies: Foreign Ministry immediately put this decision into practice (Mainichi) ARTICLES: (1) U.S. Consul General Greene enthusiastic about cultural exchanges MIYAKO SHIMPO (Page 1) (Full) September 29, 2009 Raymond Greene, who arrived at the post of consul general of the U.S. Consulate General in Okinawa on Aug. 25, called on Miyakojima Mayor Toshihiko Shimoji at the city hall in Hirara on the 28th to report on the assumption of his new post. The consul general and the mayor exchanged their views on the environment and cultural exchanges. Greene told Shimoji: "Miyakojima is a wonderful island. I would like to hear the mayor's views on such matters as clean technology and cultural exchanges." Referring to environmental issues, Shimoji said: "Miyakojima has been dealing with environmental issues at a top level in the country. The United States and Japan have begun joint research on storage butteries. We should promote technological development. What we are now considering is to use wind-power generation to charge batteries. We want to use those batteries for electric cars." He also added: "We would be glad if we have a place to jointly research the technologies of the United States and Japan or if we can join hands on research in the form of conducting demonstration experiments to verify what will come out." TOKYO 00002285 002 OF 007 Greene responded: "The President has placed importance on environment problems. I want to look into the role of research in Okinawa in the future." The consul general stated on cultural exchanges: "I am going to carry out educational exchanges at Kagamihara Junior High School on the 29th. I want to talks about the role of the consulate general, the experiences of consul generals, and the importance of the study of languages. We also want to strengthen relations between educational and cultural exchanges. Personnel exchanges are significant for Okinawa and the United States." The mayor expressed his appreciation, saying: "I am grateful. If the consul general becomes a bridge between Japan and the U.S., it will become a good motivation." Greene lived in Yokohama as a JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching Program) member. He studied at International Christian University. He also participated in a training program of the Foreign Ministry. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He speaks Japanese and Chinese. (2) U.S. Consul General Greene visits Miyakojima Island, inspects new energy project in the city MIYAKO MAINICHI SHIMBUN (Page 9) (Full) September 29, 2009 U.S. Consul General in Okinawa Raymond F. Greene, and other officials visited Miyakojima Island on Sept. 26 to inspect the island's new energy project. They paid a courtesy call on Miyakojima Mayor Toshihiko Shimoji on the 28th. Greene arrived at his current post in August this year. It was the first time for him to visit a remote island on official business. The island where Okinawa Electric Power Co. has carried out the verification experiment for large-scale solar power generation was chosen as the place for the consul general to visit. Okinawa Electric Power Co. has received subsidies from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry for the project. Greene visited the city administration building in Hirara, where he said: "I would like to hear the mayor's views on how to expand relations between Miyakojima and the consulate general in the areas of clean technology and cultural exchanges." Shimoji introduced the city's idea of using wind-power generation to charge storage batteries and using them as power sources for electric cars. He told the consul general: "We would appreciate if research to increase the capability of storage batteries and verification tests are carried out on Miyakojima." After meeting with the mayor, Greene visited the Nanamata and Minafuku district where Okinawa Electric Power plans to conduct verification tests. He is going to exchange views with Kagamihara Junior High School students on Sept. 29. (3) At prefectural assembly Okinawa governor stands by position of accepting Futenma relocation within prefecture RYUKYU SHIMPO (Page 1) (Abridged) September 30, 2009 TOKYO 00002285 003 OF 007 Representative interpellation took place for the first time after the change of government following the House of Representatives election at the September session of the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly (chaired by Yoshinobu Takamine) on September 29. In response to the suggestion that Okinawa should demand from the Hatoyama administration a concrete timetable for the relocation of the U.S. forces' Futenma Air Station out of Okinawa, Governor Hirokazu Nakaima said: "While relocation out of Okinawa is the best option, relocation within the prefecture is unavoidable to remove the danger as quickly as possible." He reiterated his longstanding position and indicated that he will closely watch the government's response. He was replying to a question from Isho Urasaki (Liberal Democratic Party) and Shiko Sakiyama (Social Democratic Party-Goken Network). Concerning the preparatory documents for the environmental assessment at the site of Futenma's replacement facility, the governor indicated that he will submit his opinion on October 13, based on the recommendations of the Okinawa Environmental Impact Assessment Council to be compiled on October 2. With regard to the impact of the lawsuit seeking a re-assessment, Cultural and Environmental Affairs Department chief Kenji Chinen said: "Depending on the court verdict, there might be a need to consider redoing the assessment." This was in response to Urasaki's question. To the question whether he intends to conduct a re-assessment because (the preparatory documents) did not respond fully to the governor's opinion on the assessment methodology report, Chinen said: "The preparatory documents do not meet the requirements (for a re-assessment under the laws and ordinances)." (4) More than 30 non-Okinawa-based aircraft stationed on Kadena Air Base; 288 instances of noise over 70 decibels detected in a day RYUKYU SHIMPO (Page 1) (Full) September 30, 2009 Kadena - Six F-22 fighters from Guam arrived at Kadena Air Base (KAB),where 12 of the United States' top-of-the-line F-22s are already deployed temporarily, on the morning of September 29. The reported reason was evacuation on account of the typhoon and the length of time they will spend there is unclear. Since September, more than 10 FA-18 fighters not based in Okinawa have arrived for exercises, and the newly arrived F-22s bring the total of non-Okinawa-based aircraft to 30. Local residents are increasingly concerned about the intensification of noise. According to the Kadena town office's survey, since September, FA-18 and AV-8 Harrier fighters based in the U.S. Marines' base in Iwakuni have arrived in Kadena one after the other. Twelve FA-18s arrived on September 1, and on September 29, 13 of this model aircraft, the largest number during the period, were spotted. Four Harriers arrived on September 1, six on September 10, and four on September ¶11. The town office's records show that there were 288 instances of noise (over 70 decibels) on September 25. The F-22s that arrived on September 29 are based at the Elemendorf Air Base in Alaska. This is the fourth time that they have flown from Guam, where they are deployed temporarily, to Kadena. Their arrival brought the total number of F-22s on the Kadena base to 18. The Okinawa and Kadena governments were not given advance notice of TOKYO 00002285 004 OF 007 the F-22s' arrival. The Kadena town office was informed by the Okinawa Defense Bureau at around 03:20 p.m. on September 29. (5) Integration of policy-making mechanisms by government, ruling parties: Ruling parties trying to ensure their presence be felt; Committee chairmen underscoring their say through Diet management NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) September 30, 2009 While the government and the ruling parties are trying to integrate their policy-making mechanisms, the ruling parties have begun taking an approach of strengthening leverage. The Democratic Party of Japan's Lower House standing committee chairmen and special chairmen on September 29 confirmed a stance of strengthening their right to speak through the management of the Diet. They thus made a preemptive move in creating a new policy-making mechanism designed to put an end to the current vague situation. The tug of war between the government and the ruling parties will likely intensify over the management of the Diet, which holds the key to the fate of bills. Diet Affairs Committee Chairman Kenji Yamaoka of the DPJ at a meeting with Lower House standing committee chairmen held in the Diet on the 29th played up the importance of the Diet for the realization of policies, noting, "It is the Diet that realizes the expectations of the people. Dissatisfaction with abolition of party policy research councils The Hatoyama cabinet will scrap party policy research councils in the run-up to integrating policy-making mechanisms and set up a policy council at each ministry chaired by its senior vice minister. However, at the meeting, many attendants voiced dissatisfaction, with one noting, "Which government office will take responsibility for drafting a manifesto?" Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yorihisa Matsuno, who was representing the government, was at a loss for words, later saying, "Could you raise that question at a policy council meeting?" The basic policy for the management of Lower House committees compiled by Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Committee Chairman Nobutaka Tsutsui and others further surprised Matsuno. The package included requests for the proactive use of administrative investigation rights and approval for revisions of legislation at Lower House committees. One participant complained, "These are like requests filed by an opposition party." Preemptive move in pursuit of committee leadership Behind the ruling parties having taken a preemptive move in managing Diet committees is a view that the importance of the management of Lower House committees will increase as a result of the scrapping of party research councils. That is because the chairman of each committee attends policy meetings, which means that there is a strong likelihood that not only deliberations on bills but also policy debates between the government and the ruling parties will be carried out by Lower House committees. The party under the initiative of Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa decides select committee chairmen, who have the right to hold committee meetings, even before picking senior vice ministers. Many committee chairmen are cabinet member-level persons who are in their TOKYO 00002285 005 OF 007 fifth or sixth term. Many of them are ranked higher than those who are picked for senior vice ministers. The emergence of a pattern of senior vice minister vs. committee chairmen is conceivable. One standing committee chairman sought to check, "The venue for the government and the ruling parties to debate is committees." SDP, PNP becoming increasingly active After discussing with lawmakers who belong to the ruling parties the moratorium of debt payment by small and medium, and very small businesses, a measure sought by State Minister for Financial Affairs Shizuka Kamei, the leader of the People's New Party, Senior Vice Cabinet Office Minister Kohei Otsuka said emphatically, "My understanding is that this is a policy meeting." Many DPJ members are cautious about turning that policy step into law The meeting that day was held at the request of the SDP and the PNP. This pattern could give the SDP and the PNP an excuse to make inroads into various government offices to increase their say. The government and the ruling parties will likely continue a process of trial and error in creating a framework for integrating their policy-making mechanisms. (6) U.S. expert calls idea of East Asian Community "outdated" SANKEI (Page 3) (Slightly abridged) September 30, 2009 Yoshihisa Komori, Washington In an interview with the Sankei Shimbun on Sept. 28, Vice Chairman Larry Wortzel of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission - a policy advisory panel in the U.S. Congress - spoke of the concept of an East Asian Community advocated by the administration of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama. He said: "The idea of forming an East Asia Community was initially proposed by China as a diplomatic strategy to eliminate U.S. (influence) from East Asia, and numerous Asian countries have rejected the idea. Japan's proposal is outdated." Wortzel, an expert on China's foreign policy and external strategy, stated: "The specifics of the new Japanese proposal have yet to be disclosed, but I think it is basically a similar initiative to the "East Asia Cooperative Community" advocated by China as a diplomatic strategy starting around 2005 at meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and on other occasions. With this strategy, China tried to exclude (the influence of) the U.S. from East Asia." Wortzel also predicted that the Japanese proposal for an East Asian Community "is unlikely to be widely accepted by many Asian countries or to move significantly forward." He pointed out that it was somewhat too late for Japan to make a proposal similar to the Chinese concept, which met with disapproval by numerous Asian countries and has almost been abandoned. Wortzel further said that even if Japan's concept is taken as a mere regional cooperation plan, it carries little weight because there are a number of forums for talks and consultative organizations in Asia, such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Conference TOKYO 00002285 006 OF 007 (APEC),ASEAN plus 3 (Japan, China, and South Korea),and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF). In reference to an expected response by the U.S. to the community concept, Wortzel commented: "I think there is no need for the Obama administration to immediately issue an official statement opposing the concept, but strong objections are expected from Congress. I can definitely say that the idea will not be widely accepted in the U.S." Wortzel began analyzing Asian military affairs for the U.S. Army starting in the 1970s; served as a military attach at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing for seven years starting in the latter half of 1980's; after serving in such posts as vice president of The Heritage Foundation from 2000, has assumed the current post. (7) Afghan governor expresses appreciation for Japan's aid YOMIURI (Page 7) (Full) September 17, 2009 Michinobu Yanagisawa Chagcharan, midwest Afghanistan - Governor Sayed Munib of Ghor Province, Afghanistan, where Japan has dispatched officials to participate in the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT),gave an interview to Yomiuri Shimbun, where he expressed his appreciation and said that he "expresses his appreciation for Japan's reconstruction aid." The governor also talked about the old ruling Taliban forces and other insurgents and claimed that "the enemies' malicious schemes have failed," indicating his confidence about the security situation in his province. The governor stated that the maintenance of security and economic development are the two prerequisites for Afghanistan's stability. He asked Japan and other members of the international community to cooperate in such areas as improving the expertise of civil servants and judicial officers, education, and construction. Japan dispatched four Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials to the PRT in Chagcharan, the capital of Ghor Province, where the Lithuanian troops are in charge, last June. These officials are involved with assistance for schools, the construction of clinics, and other aid projects through the local NGOs. (Corrected copy) MOFA opens press conference to all media companies: Foreign Ministry immediately put this decision into practice MAINICHI (Page 26) (Full) September 30, 2009 At a press conference on Sept. 29 Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada said that he had decided in principle to open Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) press conferences to all media companies. He translated this idea into action, starting with one held on the same day. As a result, it was attended by some 30 foreign correspondents who do not belong to the MOFA Press Club. Okada had made a similar announcement at a press conference on the 18th. However, he has been putting off implementing the plan in order to consult with the Press Club. He said, "It's been a while since I held the previous conference (on the 18th). I have TOKYO 00002285 007 OF 007 personally decided to open my press conferences to all media companies." Eligible for this scheme are members of The Japan Newspaper Publishers & Editors Association, The National Association of Commercial Broadcasters in Japan, The Japan Magazine Publishers Association, The Internet News Association of Japan, The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan, and holders of a foreign correspondents' registration certificate, free lancers and so on. Those who want to attend MOFA press conferences need to register in advance on the MOFA website. ROOS