DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 11/06/09

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 13 TOKYO 002570 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 11/06/09 INDEX: (1) Editorial: Premier must make brave decision on Futenma relocation (Sankei) (2) PM Hatoyama in tight spot on delaying Futenma relocation decision to after January 2010 (Nikkei) (3) Interview with former Secretary of Defense James Schlesinger -- Nuclear umbrella and Japan-U.S. talks essential; nuclear deterrent to stay for time being (Asahi) (4) U.S. heliport in Azabu, Tokyo: What if a helicopter crashes into the National Art Center? (Akahata) (5) Geithner to visit Japan starting Nov. 10 (Nikkei) (6) Idea floated for using 2.9 trillion yen frozen in fiscal 2009 extra budget for economic stimulus measures (Asahi) (7) Projects to be reviewed by Government Revitalization Unit for wasteful spending (Nikkei) (8) Interview with the Dalai Lama: Okinawa advised to have a global perspective (Ryukyu Shimpo) (9) TOP HEADLINES (Nikkei) (10) EDITORIALS (Nikkei) ARTICLES: (1) Editorial: Premier must make brave decision on Futenma relocation SANKEI (Page 2) (Full) November 6, 2009 U.S. President Obama is coming to Japan on Nov. 12. The Hatoyama administration probably wants to make his visit a success both in name and reality and to strengthen the bilateral alliance between Japan and the United States. To do so, the Hatoyama administration will have to settle the biggest pending issue of relocating the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station in Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture. However, it looks like Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama is going to push back his decision probably out of consideration for the prefecture's local communities opposing the planned relocation of Futenma airfield within Okinawa Prefecture. Then the question becomes what will happen to Japan-U.S. relations as a result. Prime Minister Hatoyama and President Obama will meet. Their meeting, however, will be no better than a perfunctory ceremony. Japan has been unable to carry out its intergovernmental promise with the United States to relocate Futenma airfield. What's more, Japan will discontinue its refueling activities in the Indian Ocean. President Obama will have to leave Japan for his next visit with a sense of disappointment at and disillusion in Japan. The bilateral alliance is about to become hollow. It is time for TOKYO 00002570 002 OF 013 Prime Minister Hatoyama, as Japan's leader, to act to resolve the crisis, fixing his eyes on Japan's national interest. We strongly urge Prime Minister Hatoyama to make a decision to accept the current plan to relocate the heliport functions of Futenma airfield to a coastal area of Camp Schwab in Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, in line with an intergovernmental agreement reached between Japan and the United States three years ago. On Nov. 5, Tokyo lost its last chance to have the Futenma issue settled before the presidential visit. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Campbell, who arrived in Japan that day, met with Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada at the Foreign Ministry. However, they parted without resolving the issue. Their meeting went no farther than to confirm that through diplomatic channels they will continue coordinating the summit meeting, in addition to such matters as Japan's new aid package for Afghanistan and climate change. There is no policy direction on Futenma. Under such circumstances, the crisis is apparently casting a shadow over the entire relationship between Japan and the United States. The Futenma relocation has been a pending issue over the 14 years since Japan and the United States reached an intergovernmental agreement in 1996. The Japanese and U.S. governments have finalized their agreement on the current plan, included in their roadmap for the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan, to relocate Futenma airfield to Nago by 2014 and transfer Okinawa-based Marines and their families, totaling 17,000, to Guam. The current plan for relocating Futenma airfield, should it not be translated into action, will fail to attain its objectives in terms of mitigating the burden of Okinawa Prefecture's base-hosting localities and stepping up the alliance's deterrence. Furthermore, Japan's security and U.S. military strategies all over the Asia-Pacific basin will be affected seriously. Meanwhile, Okinawa's local residents have been calling for the overall reversion of Futenma airfield and the return of U.S. military bases and facilities located south of the U.S. Kadena Air Base. However, the return of those bases and facilities will also be called off. We wonder if the Japanese government took seriously this warning from U.S. Secretary of Defense Gates during his recent visit to Japan. The Pentagon chief declined the salute of a guard of honor from the Self-Defense Forces and a dinner party. They should not have overlooked this unusual event. However, the Hatoyama government seems to have made light of it. The prime minister, foreign minister, and defense minister have said different things. Prime Minister Hatoyama himself has not specified when and how to settle the issue. Therefore, the U.S. Department of State issued a warning about the impact on the Japan-U.S. alliance, a spokesman saying the kind of relationship Japan wants to build with the United States is up to it. U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye, a U.S. Democratic Party legislator known for being knowledgeable about Japan, also told Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima during his recent TOKYO 00002570 003 OF 013 visit to the United States that some U.S. Congressmen might begin to question the Japan-U.S. alliance if Japan remains in disarray. We, too, are concerned about a growing sense of distrust in the U.S. Congress and in the U.S. military. The Department of State spokesman said the U.S. government will not set a time limit to resolve the issue of Futenma relocation. This, however, is only a consideration to avoid causing a decisive fissure in the Japan-U.S. alliance. Foreign Minister Okada, Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa, and other Japanese government officials are now discussing a new package of measures for Afghan aid before the presidential visit to Japan. However, they have no plans to send SDF troops to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. The new package will likely be limited to such measures as vocational training and farmland development for former Taliban militants. If that is the case, the Japan-U.S. summit, scheduled for Nov. 13, is highly likely to end up an empty meeting, only focusing on such issues as the global environment and Afghan aid without touching on the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan as a symbol of the rocksolid alliance. What the Hatoyama administration's leaders should recognize is that an intergovernmental agreement is an international commitment. Many new administrations place value on continuity in foreign policy and honor their predecessors' agreements; for they realize that overturning policies could cost the credibility of their countries. According to Foreign Ministry officials, Japan has never broken an international commitment. North Korea's Nodong Shinmun newspaper, dated Oct. 28, carried an article with a caption reading: "Unpredictable U.S.-Japan Relations." In this article, Pyongyang apparently looked forward to a deepening of the fissure in the bilateral alliance between Japan and the United States. "Public opinion anticipates that the discord between Japan and the United States will become even more serious," it said. We must not forget that the hollowing out the Japan-U.S. alliance will please China and some other countries. (2) PM Hatoyama in tight spot on delaying Futenma relocation decision to after January 2010 NIKKEI (Page 3) (Full) November 6, 2009 The fact that the U.S. government has set the end of 2009 as the deadline for making a decision on the relocation of the U.S. forces' Futenma base in Okinawa is now the key issue facing the Japanese government as it formulates a response. While Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has talked about making a decision "after the Nago mayoral election in January 2010," Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada has indicated that he is "aiming at a decision before year end." There is discord in the cabinet, even on the question of the relocation site. While the two governments have decided to avoid any conflict on the Futenma issue at the Japan-U.S. summit on Nov. 13, the scenario after that remains unclear. After his meeting with Okada on Nov. 5, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell emphasized to reporters that they were able to have a very good discussion. The TOKYO 00002570 004 OF 013 meeting came on the day after the announcement that Okada will not be going to the U.S. for a bilateral foreign ministerial meeting to lay the groundwork for the summit. Although both sides refrained from going into details, there is no doubt that Futenma was the main topic of discussion. "Conflict" to be avoided The common understanding between the two governments is that the Futenma issue will not be finalized at the summit meeting. The U.S. side will not accept any other relocation proposal other than the existing plan, while the Japanese government has not decided on a policy, with Okada himself still advocating a plan to merge Futenma with Kadena Air Base. If the summit goes into a full-fledged discussion of this issue, the glaring differences between the two positions will inevitably stand out. U.S. President Barack Obama cannot afford to fail in his first visit to Japan. Therefore, the two governments have decided to give priority to staging a successful summit meeting and to defer a decision for the moment. The problem is what will happen after the summit. Within the Japanese administration, Okada, like the U.S. side, takes the position that the deadline for the Futenma issue is the end of 2009. The budget bills for funding government policies will be formulated before year end. It is believed that Okada is concerned that failure to make a decision on the Futenma issue may hinder budget planning for foreign and security policies. Within the government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and the Ministry of Defense are beginning to accept that the deadline is the year end. However, this deadline is negated by Hatoyama's statement that "a certain amount of time is necessary (to make a decision on Futenma relocation),and there are the Nago mayor election and Okinawa gubernatorial race." The Nago election will be held in January, and the Okinawa election is scheduled for November. His factoring the elections into the deadline puzzles not only the U.S. government, but even Japanese government officials. Nago has decided to accept the current relocation plan, but this decision may be shaken by the outcome of the mayoral election in January. If the Prime Minister has made his statement with the full knowledge of the risk the election results may pose to Japan-U.S. relations, what is his purpose? According to a senior MOFA official, "It would not be surprising if the U.S. government regards the Prime Minister's statement on postponing a decision until after the Nago mayoral election as an excuse to annul the existing agreement." Eyeing House of Councillors election On the other hand, the Prime Minister's statement seems to be consistent with the political schedule for next year. The Upper House election tops the political agenda for 2010. It would be undesirable to alienate the Social Democratic Party, which demands the relocation of the Futenma base out of Okinawa, before this election. His scenario is to defer the Futenma decision and give priority to unity of the ruling coalition at least until prospects are certain for the enactment of the FY2010 budget, after which he will resolve this issue. TOKYO 00002570 005 OF 013 Both Japan and the U.S. will have to wait for the Prime Minister - who insists that "I will be the one to decide in the end" and who is not speaking his mind - to make a decision. (3) Interview with former Secretary of Defense James Schlesinger -- Nuclear umbrella and Japan-U.S. talks essential; nuclear deterrent to stay for time being ASAHI (Page 3) (Full) November 6, 2009 Hirotsugu Mochizuki, Washington While the world is moving toward nuclear disarmament under U.S. President Barack Obama, Japanese government officials expressed concern over a possible decline in the reliability of the United States's nuclear umbrella. This was revealed by former Secretary of Defense James Schlesinger during an interview with the Asahi Shimbun. Schlesinger is a pragmatic heavyweight skeptical of the nuclear disarmament policy course. To underpin the argument that the United States must maintain its massive nuclear deterrent even in the post-cold war era, Schlesinger cited Japan's concern. -- What opinions did Japanese government officials express before the Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States? Schlesinger: I don't want to go into the details, but they expressed concern if the United States would maintain its extended deterrence (nuclear umbrella) to defend Japan. We got the impression such a view was held not only by high-ranking officials but also by Japanese people in general. -- Should Japan shift its stance of advocating nuclear disarmament on one hand and relying on the nuclear umbrella on the other? Schlesinger: Japan is not the only country that speaks with a forked tongue. What is necessary is a forum for Japan and the United States to discuss nuclear policy issues formally. There is what is called the Nuclear Planning Group, which allows the North Atlantic Treaty members to share information on nuclear policy issues with the United States. It is also indispensable to have talks focused on Japan's concerns and interests. -- President Obama is aiming at a nuclear-free world. Is it possible for all countries to abandon their nuclear weapons? Schlesinger: Pakistan is inferior to India in terms of conventional weapons, so it will not abandon its nuclear weapons, in order not to upset the balance of power. Israel regards the possession of weapons as an "amulet." North Korea also regards nuclear weapons as its only diplomatic trump card, so it will not give them up. Even President Obama said in his speech in Prague that a world without nuclear weapons will probably not be realized in his lifetime. He is still in his 40s, so he will be around for the next 40 years. The nuclear deterrent will continue to exist in the "foreseeable future." -- The United States and Russia have agreed to cut back their stockpiles of nuclear weapons, and economic ties between the United States and China are also growing stronger. TOKYO 00002570 006 OF 013 Schlesinger: Both China and Russia might say that they have no intention to launch an attack. But in the military area, what really matters is not a country's intention but its capability. China has steadily increased its nuclear capability. It is important for the United States and Russia to keep their nuclear capabilities so that China will not dare to compete with them. -- Is the Obama administration going to announce a dramatic policy shift through a new Nuclear Posture Review? Schlesinger: That's doubtful. The Obama administration doesn't seem to have tried to shift to the course the Department of Defense has charted. The United States and Russia have agreed on the goal of cutting deployed nuclear warheads to 1,500 - 1,675. The aim is just a little lower than the target specified in the Treaty of Moscow concluded during the Bush administration. -- The Obama administration is aiming to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. Schlesinger: The United States has not produced new nuclear weapons since the 1980s, so they have become old. I think the nuclear weapons are still operational at this point, but there are some matters of concern. It is dangerous to prohibit tests permanently. -- Do you think there is any chance for President Obama to visit Hiroshima? Schlesinger: The matter was settled with the conclusion of the San Francisco Peace Treaty between Japan and the United States in 1951. If President Obama wants to visit the historical site, he should do so. (4) U.S. heliport in Azabu, Tokyo: What if a helicopter crashes into the National Art Center? AKAHATA (Page 13) (Full) November 6, 2009 There is a U.S. military heliport (31,670 square meters) located in Azabu, Minato Ward, central Tokyo. The heliport is located across the loop highway No. 3 just near the National Art Center. Residents in the Azabu district have been suffering from the noise caused by helicopters taking off and landing, and they have in constant fear of a helicopter crashing into their town. An executive committee formed by labor unions and civic groups, which have called for the removal of the heliport, has sent letters notifying the danger of the heliport to museums in Japan and abroad. The committee is chaired by Satoru Kawasaki. The letters were sent to world-famous museums such as the Tokyo National Museum, the National Museum of Western Art, the Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art, in Tokyo; the National Gallery of Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the United States; the Muse?e du Louvre and the Muse?e d'Orsay in France; the British Museum; and the Hermitage Museum in Russia. The letters underscored that the residents have been suffering from noise, vibrations, and wind caused by helicopters flying from Atsugi, Yokota, Yokosuka and other bases to the heliport, an important connection point and operation base for the U.S. military in the capital of Japan. TOKYO 00002570 007 OF 013 A U.S. military helicopter crashed onto the campus of the Okinawa International University in August 2004. The letters call for sufficient careful examinations and consideration of the danger of the heliport, citing that if a heliport crashes into the National Art Center, works of art could be reduced to ashes, resulting in a loss of international confidence in Japan's cultural administration. The executive committee asked the National Art Center and the Education Ministry and the Agency for Cultural Affairs, which holds jurisdiction over the art center, to stop the helicopters from flying over the museum. According to research conducted by Minato Ward in February in areas surrounding the heliport, the noise reached a maximum level of 89 dB during the period between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., causing anxiety for local residents. The U.S. side began using part of the metropolitan Aoyama Park as a temporary heliport due to the construction of a tunnel for the loop highway No. 3. Following the completion of construction, the U.S. military has continued to illegally occupy the land for 16 years. (5) Geithner to visit Japan starting Nov. 10 NIKKEI (Online) Nov. 6, 2009 (Masakuni Oshirabe in Washington) The U.S Department of the Treasury announced on Nov. 4 that Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner will visit Japan on Nov. 10-11. This will be his first visit to Japan since the administration of President Barack Obama was launched this January and he assumed the post of Treasury Secretary. While in Japan, he will meet senior government officials and "discuss policies to bring about well-balanced and strong global economic growth," the Treasury Department said. Geithner will visit Tokyo prior to participating in a finance ministerial meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Singapore on the 12th. This spring, he visited China, which holds the largest amount of U.S. government bonds, and discussed ways to reduce the U.S. fiscal deficit and other issues with Chinese government officials, but he did not visit Japan at that time. After the administration of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama was launched, Geithner held a meeting with Finance Minister Hirohisa Fujii in Pittsburgh in late September. During the meeting, they reaffirmed the need for the U.S. to maintain a strong dollar and for Japan to not take a weak yen policy. Global economic growth has greatly depended on the weak dollar that has continued since the Geithner-Fujii meeting and excessive consumer spending in the U.S. Geithner is expected to discuss with Japanese officials in Japan measures to correct this imbalance of the global economy and other problems. (6) Idea floated for using 2.9 trillion yen frozen in fiscal 2009 extra budget for economic stimulus measures ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) November 6, 2009 Judging that 2.9 trillion yen worth of projects allocated in the fiscal 2009 supplementary budget lacks urgency and effectiveness, TOKYO 00002570 008 OF 013 the Hatoyama government decided to freeze the disbursement. But some government officials have begun to call for putting the amount in this fiscal year's second supplementary budget. The government intended to use most of the amount to finance new measures for next fiscal year, such as the child allowance. The officials, however, think it is necessary to implement measures to stimulate the job market and the economy within this fiscal year. This information was revealed by a major cabinet minister. However, Finance Minister Hirohisa Fujii and others remains cautious about disbursing about 3 trillion yen in government funds, given a large drop in tax revenues. Cabinet ministers will soon start coordinating views to make a policy decision by the end of this month. To implement measures pledged in the Democratic Party of Japan's manifesto for the last House of Representatives election within the framework of a fiscal 2010 budget, 7.1 trillion yen will be needed. If the government allocates the 2.9 trillion yen frozen by a cabinet meeting on Oct. 16 to the second supplementary budget, it will become necessary to secure new financial resources by resorting to such means as reducing the requested amount totaling approximately 95 trillion yen for next fiscal year's budget or by issuing government bonds. The Hatoyama cabinet plans to submit a second supplementary budget in the ordinary session to be convened early next year. Deputy Prime Minister and National Policy Unit Minister Naoto Kan has indicated that the government would draft a budget, focusing on measures to create jobs, protect the environment, and buoy up the economy. Financial Affairs Minister Shizuka Kamei has insisted that the government should compile an extra budget worth more than 10 trillion yen. (7) Projects to be reviewed by Government Revitalization Unit for wasteful spending NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) Evening, November 2, 2009 Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare Q Measures to increase doctors, subsidies for emergency treatment, and prenatal care Q Expenses for health promotion Q Maintenance of equipment for the introduction of computerized systems to process itemized billing statements for medical expenses Q Expenses for training, testing, and research at National Institute of Public Health Q Programs to promote work-life balance Q Subsidies to enhance support for the balancing of work and family, etc. Q Programs to support part-time workers in becoming permanent workers, etc. Q Programs to assist employment agencies for elderly people with special talents or skills Q Programs for regional cooperation among young people Q Computerized system to process itemized billing statements for medical expenses covered by work-related accident compensation Q Promotion of measures to resolve individual labor disputes Q Expenses for managing vocational bureaus for elderly people Q Youth independence support centers Q Global personnel training assistance project Q Programs to support middle-aged and older persons seeking TOKYO 00002570 009 OF 013 employment Q Job skills development system implementation programs Q After-hours childcare project, etc. Q Excellent child drama touring performance programs Q Measures to support people who receive welfare benefits but are capable of working Q Financial support for livelihood protection system (measures to prevent fraudulent claims for medical expenses) Q Financial support for livelihood protection system (measures to prevent false claims for housing benefits) Q Expenses for programs to promote health welfare for the disabled (research study program to support the disabled) Q Expenses for management and consignment of facility for 10th anniversary of UN World Program of Action concerning disabled persons Q Programs to minimize need for nursing care (part of regional support programs) Q Programs to support hobby groups for the elderly (programs to promote regional welfare for the elderly) Q Children's future fund, Welfare And Medical Service Agency Q Independent administrative agencies Q Corporate pension promotion expenses, expenditures for publicity activities for pensions Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Q Oil reserve (expenditures for government-stockpiled oil commissions) Q Streamlining of oil and natural gas distribution (oil refining, gasoline stations, natural gas, LP gas, etc.) Q Subsidies for promoting the introduction of energy-efficient products and new energies (for businesses) (subsidies for the introduction of residential solar power generation equipment, high-efficiency water heaters, and high-efficiency industrial furnaces) Q Subsidies for the promotion of introducing energy-efficient products and new energies (for consumers) (subsidies for the introduction of residential solar power generation equipment and high-efficiency water heaters) Q Subsidies for measures for areas hosting electric power facilities Q Research and development programs (1) (100 PERCENT government-financed programs) Q Model programs (1) (international energy-efficiency programs, etc.) Q Model programs (2) smart grid-related programs, secure Japan project Q Support for contents, industries related to the people's daily lives, and service industry Q Subsidies for independent administrative agencies Ministry of Foreign Affairs Q Budget for official development assistance (ODA) (grant aid projects) Q Technical cooperation by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA): subsidies for operating expenses Q Expenses for publicity activities Q Expenses for requested projects Q Japan Foundation (including operational funds) Q Voluntary donations to international organizations Q Technical cooperation by JICA: labor costs, travel expenses, office expenses, and business consignment fees Q JICA's technical cooperation: operating expenses for JICA TOKYO 00002570 010 OF 013 facilities in Japan Q Subsidies for Japan Institute for International Affairs Q Expenditures for large-scale international conferences Projects related to medical service systems Q Government-financed labor costs for doctors (expenditures for medicine and medical equipment excluded) Q Government-financed medical expenditures (measures to strictly assess system to process itemized billing statements of medical expenses) Q Government-financed medical expenses (meal expenses served during hospitalization and charges for hospital beds) Q Government-financed expenditures for medicine and medical equipment (measures to promote use of generic drugs) Q Government-financed expenses for Japan Health Insurance Association (financial adjustment among insurers) Q Government-financed expenses for judo physiotherapists Q Subsidies for All-Japan Federation of National Health Insurance Organizations and federation of prefectural health insurance organizations Other projects to be reviewed Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare Q Project to promote 8020 special campaign (to keep 20 teeth until age of 80) Q Health and welfare promotion project for the disabled Q Project for appropriate implementation guidance for nursing care services Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry Q Support for revitalizing shopping streets/city centers Q Support for small- and medium-sized businesses Q Subsidies for product development by small to medium manufacturers Ministry of Foreign Affairs Q Expenses for overseas diplomatic facilities abroad, etc. Q Grant aid cooperation, etc. (8) Interview with the Dalai Lama: Okinawa advised to have a global perspective RYUKYU SHIMPO (Page 3) (Full) November 6, 2009 We interviewed Dalai Lama XIV, who is on his first visit to Okinawa, on his impression of Okinawa and how to achieve an island of peace with no military bases. (Interview conducted by Junichi Tomita, director and chief editor of Ryukyu Shimpo) Tomita: What is your impression of Okinawa? Dalai Lama: My first impression is that it is really beautiful. The structure of the houses is different from those on the Japanese mainland. I understand that the people of Okinawa have their own unique language, so I think the unique Okinawan cultural legacy has, no doubt, been preserved. I am very pleased. Tomita: Okinawa suffered greatly during the Pacific War. The people of Okinawa hope for an island of peace but 75 percent of U.S. military bases in Japan are still concentrated in Okinawa. Okinawa TOKYO 00002570 011 OF 013 is in a very difficult situation because of the occasional serious crimes and accidents originating from the bases, and the Japan-U.S. security treaty continues to be a serious hindrance. What should the Okinawan people do to achieve an island of peace with no military bases and to influence the governments of Japan and the United States? Dalai Lama: Basically, it is anachronistic to use force. I embrace the position of absolute opposition to military force. There used to be a wall between East and West Europe during the Cold War era, but the wall no longer exists. North Korea has the nuclear arms issues and it is a country ruled by military power. Such a situation exists whether we like it or not. China is a country that has the largest population in the world and a long history, and I have a lot of respect for China. I think a superpower like China should play a more constructive role in the world. Yet, in reality, it is ruled by secretism, and only the leaders decide and move everything. The world is one body, and there should be one single world. The Okinawan people's wish to get rid of U.S. military bases should be realized in recognition of the fact that Okinawa is a part of the world. At the same time, Okinawa is also a part of the world and of Asia. The United States is a superpower and a free democratic country. From a broader perspective, the fact that military bases still exist in Okinawa, in a sense, means that the bases are here because they are necessary. I think it is very important to understand the interests of the world from a global perspective. I think totalitarian thinking and the worship of military power has disappeared in Asia. Democracy should spread more widely and the world should become more open and transparent. When this is realized, it goes without saying that all military bases should be withdrawn from Okinawa. I think there are aspects of Okinawa that are extremely unhealthy due to the existence of the U.S. military bases both in the past and at present. Crimes, such as rape, and accidents occur, but these should be eradicated with the laws of your country. The American political leaders should also pay more attention to this problem. I hope that the media will report on this sad situation more widely among the people. The situation where offenses are committed blatantly should be eliminated through such a process. Twenty years have passed since I received the Nobel Peace Prize, but the notion of suppressing disputes with military force is still dominant in the international community. What should people do to achieve peace without using military force? Recently, the Middle East, Iran, and Pakistan are in crisis. Military force is always used in these regions. They should know that using military force as a means to resolve problems is wrong. Former President George Bush is a close friend but it is really sad that he chose the exercise of military force as the means to resolve the Iraq issue even though the U.S. advocates democracy and freedom. People should know that problems should be resolved by peaceful TOKYO 00002570 012 OF 013 means, that is, dialogue. Dialogue should be promoted instead of military force and violence. I think the United States should use the billions that it spends for military policies for education, health, and other economic aspects. If that was the case, the world situation today would have been very different. The root of many problems is the suspicion, distrust, and feeling of alienation in people's hearts. By minimizing and eliminating such distrust, good relations can finally be built in this world. Tomita: What is your message for the people of Okinawa? Tell us the secret of your good health. Dalai Lama: I understand that the Okinawan people live long lives because of the weather and fresh air from the sea. I would love to stay longer so that I can also live a long life. I would think that the Okinawan people live comfortably in material terms. However, to live meaningful lives as human beings, it is wrong to rely completely on material things. I hope that you will pay attention to the values of the spiritual aspect of human beings. Basically, love is the foundation upon which we can build happy lives. In addition to obtaining knowledge and education, it is important for young people not to let go of the love from they received from their mothers and other people close to them, and rather to expand upon that love. By focusing our attention to the love that is inherent in human beings, it will be possible to live happier and healthier lives. (9) TOP HEADLINES Asahi: Number of suspicious deaths in Tottori rises to five; Prefectural police investigating circumstances surrounding acquaintances and boyfriends of woman under arrest for fraud Mainichi: Matsui named World Series MVP; God of baseball smiles on him Yomiuri: Government to accept all employee claims to correct falsified pension records; Health and Welfare Ministry plan not to seek evidence Nikkei: Japan, U.S., Europe to tighten bank capital rules; Framework expected to be produced within the year likely to apply pressure to Japanese banks to increase capital Sankei: Plutonium-thermal power generation plant gets underway (Part 1): Kyushu Electric Power Co.'s Genkai nuclear plant reaches criticality Tokyo Shimbun: Minister at embassy in U.S. used secret funds for dinner with Board of Audit officials in 2000 TOKYO 00002570 013 OF 013 Akahata: Chairman Shii in a press conference raises four questions about DPJ administration -- bases in Okinawa, medical insurance system for people 75 and older, politics and money, and prohibition of Diet replies by bureaucrats (10) EDITORIALS Asahi: (1) Plutonium-thermal power generation requires strict supervision (2) Financial policy: Block vicious deflationary cycle Mainichi: (1) Daycare center establishment criteria: Empower local regions (2) "Pluthermal" power generation: Safety comes first with challenges in mind Yomiuri: (1) Diet reform: Power of Cabinet Legislation Bureau chief must be reduced (2) Matsui named MVP: New York Yankees win World Series championship Nikkei: (1) 20th anniversary of fall of Berlin Wall: Japan cannot keep up with change Sankei: (1) Futenma relocation: Prime Minister must make bold decision; hollowing out of Japan-U.S. alliance undermines national interests Tokyo Shimbun: (1) Hatoyama donation scandal: Nip distrust in administration in the bud (2) Matsui named MVP: Indomitable hitter deserves applause Akahata: (1) Futenma Air Station: Government must not turn deaf ear to voices calling for removal of air station ROOS