AMBASSADOR MEETS KOMEITO LEADERSHIP

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 002416 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/20/2019 TAGS: PGOV JA SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR MEETS KOMEITO LEADERSHIP TOKYO 00002416 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: DCM James P. Zumwalt per 1.4 (b/d) ¶1. (C) Summary: Komeito party head Natsuo Yamaguchi described his party's dissatisfaction with the lack of transparency and accountability in the Hatoyama government's policy making process during a meeting with the Ambassador October 20. In particular, there have not been adequate discussions prior to policy shifts, such as regarding the U.S. base realignment roadmap, Yamaguchi said. Yamaguchi also described his party's efforts to rebuild itself following the August Lower House election loss. Key to this will be understanding the needs of the people and making policy proposals to respond to them; among the party's policy goals will be to improve social support for working women, Yamaguchi said. End Summary. ¶2. (C) The Ambassador met October 20 with Komeito head Natsuo Yamaguchi, who took over following former party president Akihiro Ota's loss in the recent Lower House election. Yamaguchi opened by offering his congratulations to President Obama for winning the Nobel Peace Prize and outlining the efforts of his party -- and its backer, the Soka Gakkai Buddhist group -- to promote nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation. Noting the President's words in Prague, the Ambassador agreed that this is a critical global task, along with other issues such as climate change. In response to the Ambassador's question on the Komeito's views on Prime Minister Hatoyama's initiative to reduce greenhouse gasses, Yamaguchi said that his party supports Hatoyama's concept, but remains unclear about what the new government specifically has in mind. ¶3. (C) Turning to the DPJ government's policy making process in general, Yamaguchi said that the Hatoyama government has not carried out thorough enough discussions prior to instituting policy changes. The Komeito believes that explanations and accountability are inadequate. In terms of specific policy shifts, Yamaguchi said that the new government's views on U.S. base realignment, environmental protection and various domestic issues have not been thoroughly explained and that "the government's conclusions seemed to come out of nowhere." ¶4. (C) Turning to the former LDP-Komeito ruling coalition's recent election loss, Yamaguchi said that the party had "suffered damage." To rebuild the party, Komeito leadership planned to utilize the party's nationwide network of 3,000 elected local officials to meet with voters and "hear their voices." (In describing this network, Yamaguchi noted that the Komeito is the party with the greatest representation among city councilmen nationwide and that over 30% of the network are women.) ¶5. (C) It is Komeito policy to be "close to the people," and "the people are grateful that our party listens to them," Yamaguchi reported. Yamaguchi and his colleagues had already traveled through 15 out of Japan's 47 prefectures to engage with voters, and what they had heard was that people are "confused about DPJ policies that lack transparency" and are "worried by so many uncertainties." The party will make its comeback by taking advantage of its network, undertaking a "comprehensive review of the broad themes that affect the Japanese public," and, after gaining an understanding what the public needs, making new policy proposals, Yamaguchi said. ¶6. (C) In response to a question from the Ambassador, Yamaguchi said that one area of his party's comprehensive review will be its support for working women. During its ten years in the ruling coalition, the Komeito secured five increases in the child allowance. The party also has pressed for strengthening the social infrastructure that supports working women to allow them to maintain their employment while raising a family. Although this is an area in which it might be possible to cooperate with the DPJ -- "the DPJ's direction is good," Yamaguchi said -- the DPJ's policy details remain fuzzy, and it is unclear how the Hatoyama government will fund some of its proposals. ¶7. (C) Noting that the Komeito remains an important part of the Diet, the Ambassador pledged to remain in close contact and thanked Komeito for its support of the Alliance, particularly in terms of previously negotiated bilateral agreements. Yamaguchi offered to continue to work closely with the U.S. Embassy and closed by urging the Ambassador to suggest that President Obama visit Hiroshima or Nagasaki. The Ambassador responded that this will be the President's TOKYO 00002416 002.2 OF 002 personal decision, and that he would describe for the President his own recent visit to Hiroshima. ROOS