JAPANESE MORNING PRESS HIGHLIGHTS 11/19/09

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E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO PGOV PINR ECON ELAB JA SUBJECT: JAPANESE MORNING PRESS HIGHLIGHTS 11/19/09 INDEX: 1) Top headlines 2) Editorials 3) Prime Minister's daily schedule (Nikkei) Futenma relocation: 4) MOD proposes curtailment of training at Kadena as a condition for relocating Futenma facility to Nago (Nikkei) 5) Fukushima concerned expeditious decision might be hasty decision (Nikkei) 6) Japanese government under mounting pressure at home and from abroad to reach early decision on Futenma (Yomiuri) 7) Hatoyama asked Obama to trust him; the president said OK (Yomiuri) 8) MOD formulates proposals to promote implementation of existing plan for Futenma facility relocation (Yomiuri) 9) Discussion of Futenma relocation outside Japan also necessary (Tokyo Shimbun) Afghanistan: 10) Okada: No resumption of Indian Ocean refueling mission (Akahata) 11) State Secretary for Foreign Affairs holds talks with Afghan president (Nikkei) Defense & security: 12) Contingency plans for use of Kadena one reason U.S. military opposes the air base's integration with Futenma facility (Tokyo Shimbun) 13) Okada: Release of report on investigation of "secret nuclear accord" difficult this year (Nikkei) 14) Police request U.S. military's cooperate in having sergeant appear for questioning about hit-and-run death (Sankei) Politics: 15) Lower House speaker Yokomichi says Futenma issue is Prime Minister's responsibility (Sankei) 16) LDP and Komeito can't get together or part with each other (Mainichi) 17) Kamei declares support for coalition (Yomiuri) Japan Airlines reconstruction: 18) Two U.S. carriers in tug-of-war for tie-up with JAL (Nikkei) Articles: 1) Topheadlines Asahi: Third-party commission report says JR West information leakage caused by corporate culture of giving top priority to the interests of the organization Mainichi: Ex-secretaries of DPJ Lower House member Ai Aoki forced to make political donations by Ozawa's secretary Yomiuri: 34-year old woman to be re-arrested for murder cases in Saitama, Chiba in December Nikkei: TOKYO 00002674 002 OF 011 U.S. company Pfizer to enter Japanese market for generic drugs Sankei: Ex-chairman of Mizutani Construction Company claims 50-million-yen donation given to Ozawa, could be bribe for winning dam-project contract Tokyo Shimbun: U.S. strategy for contingency in Japan revealed; possible factor behind difficulty of merging Futenma with Kadena Air Base Akahata: Big businesses hold reserves even under serious economic recession; 100 PERCENT increase in 10 years to 429 trillion yen 2) EDITORIALS Asahi: (1) Government project screening: Great accomplishment should lead to next steps (2) Party leaders' debate: Prime Minister's evasiveness is lamentable Mainichi: (1) Outrageous that party leaders' debate has not been held even once (2) White Paper on Crime: Deterioration of "moral consciousness" Yomiuri: (1) Appointment of former bureaucrat as National Personnel Authority commissioner: No problem if merit-based (2) Regulation of tuna fishing: Need for discipline to enjoy toro (fatty tuna) Nikkei: (1) Are the major banks over the worst in their business results? (2) Shortage of vaccines is the basic problem Sankei: (1) Futenma working group: Do not use this as means to defer decision (2) Obama Asian tour: Tolerance of China's military expansion is regrettable Tokyo Shimbun: (1) Appointment of National Personnel Authority commissioner: Tighten control to eradicate amakudari (2) Myanmar (Burma): Make the mood for dialogue bear fruit Akahata: (1) Easing of day care regulations: Making sacrifices affecting children amounts to abandoning political responsibility 3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) Prime Minister's schedule, November 18 NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) November 19, 2009 09:51 Met Finance Minister Fujii, Parliamentary Secretary of Finance Furumoto, and Vice Finance Minister Tango, joined by Senior Vice TOKYO 00002674 003 OF 011 Finance Minister Minezaki, at the Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei). 11:01 Met members of groups calling for the return of the Northern Territories, including Hokkaido Gov. Harumi Takahashi. Senior Vice Minister of Cabinet Office Oshima was also present. 11:53 Attended a national local heads' convention held at NHK Hall in Jinnan. 13:22 Met former Lower House member Tetsundo Iwakuni at the Kantei. Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretaries Matsuno and Matsui and Advisor Nakayama were also present. 15:02 Met the finance minister and Administrative Reform Minister Sengoku. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirano was also present. 17:02 Met OECD Secretary General Gurria. 18:14 Attended, along with his wife Miyuki, a party commemorating the 70th anniversary the Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers, and Publishers (JASRAC). 19:40 Dined, along with his wife Miyuki, at a Park Hyatt Tokyo Japanese restaurant with fashion designer Hiroko Koshino, International University of Health and Welfare Professor Yuji Kuroiwa, and pianist Mari Kumamoto. 22:41 Arrived at his official residential quarters. 4) Futenma relocation to Nago preconditioned on reducing Kadena training: Defense Ministry NIKKEI (Page 2) (Abridged) November 19, 2009 The Defense Ministry decided yesterday to precondition the planned relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station in Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture, to a coastal area of Camp Schwab in the island prefecture's northern coastal city of Nago on such steps as curtailing the flight training of fighter jets deployed to the U.S. Kadena Air Base in order to reduce noise. The Defense Ministry plans to propose these preconditions in the next meeting of a working group set up by the Japanese and U.S. governments over the Futenma issue. The ministry transmitted the decision yesterday to the prime minister's office and the Foreign Ministry. Other preconditions include: 1) consulting on stipulating environment-oriented measures in the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement, which provides for the legal status of U.S. Forces Japan and their personnel, and 2) cutting down on the Japanese government's burden sharing of costs for the stationing of U.S. forces in Japan (omoiyari yosan, literally "sympathy budget)." The ministry wants to obtain public understanding by drawing concessions to a certain extent from the U.S. government in return for implementing the current Futenma relocation plan. The ministry eyes putting up a 'struggle over conditions' that is premised on accepting the current plan. This is because U.S. President Obama has shown a flexible stance of accepting minor changes to the current plan. "It's possible to adjust a portion of the plan that is based on the roadmap for the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan," Obama declared in his recent meeting with Prime Minister Hatoyama. Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of Defense Gates also made a similar remark when he visited Japan last month. However, the ministry gave weight to the fact that Obama himself referred to the issue. The ministry then set about attaching conditions to the relocation of TOKYO 00002674 004 OF 011 Futenma airfield to Nago. 5) SDP head voices concern about hasty decision over Futenma NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) November 19, 2009 State Minister for Consumer Affairs and Declining Birthrate Mizuho Fukushima, who heads the Social Democratic Party, one of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan's two coalition partners, has expressed concern about the pending issue of relocating the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station in Okinawa Prefecture. "I'm alarmed about the working group of Japan and the United States saying they will reach a conclusion promptly," Fukushima said at a press conference yesterday. "Taking a wrong step will result in reaching a hasty conclusion and will make it difficult to resolve the problem," she added. 6) Defense Ministry's amendment proposal calls for accelerating transfer of Marines to Guam plan, aiming for progress on Futenma issue YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) November 19, 2009 The Defense Ministry worked out an amendment to the government's existing plan to reduce the base burden on Okinawa and submitted it to the Prime Minister's Office and the Foreign Ministry yesterday. With the proposed amendments, the Defense Ministry aims to move forward with the current plan to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station in Ginowan City, Okinawa Prefecture, to a coastal area of Camp Schwab in Nago City. The government plan specifies that the transfer of 8,000 U.S. Marines in Okinawa to Guam and the return of significant land areas south of Kadena Air Base being used by the U.S. military facilities to Japan will come after an alternative facility to the Futenma air base is constructed. But the proposed amendment calls for accelerating the plan to transfer Marines and part of the plan to return U.S. military facilities. Once Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada decide to approve the existing plan, the ministry will present the amendment proposal to the U.S. side as the government's plan, with the aim of resolving the Futenma issue by the end of the year. The Defense Ministry in its proposal hints at its willingness to approve of moving the planned construction site further offshore, as requested by the Okinawa governor and the Nago mayor. The U.S. government's indication of its approval of slight changes in the current Futenma relocation plan is reflected in the ministry's proposal. In addition, during the Japan-U.S. summit meeting on Nov. 13, U.S. President Barack Obama said regarding the roadmap agreed on between Japan and the U.S. in 2006 for the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan: "Modifying it is also necessary." Focusing on his flexible stance, the ministry intends to ask the U.S. to speed up the plan to transfer Marines and also part of the plan to return military facilities to Japan. The amendment further calls for expanding a plan to move training activities for fighters at Kadena Air Base out of the prefecture. It also proposes creating an environment clause in the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement to allow the central and local TOKYO 00002674 005 OF 011 governments to enter U.S. military bases if environmental contamination is caused within the bases and to require the U.S. military to restore the land it has used to its original state. The Foreign Ministry also is laying out its own amendment to the existing plan. If Prime Minister Hatoyama decides to approve the current plan, the Defense Ministry and the Foreign Ministry are expected to compile a government plan based on their proposals, and to present it to the U.S. side during a meeting of the committee of Japanese and U.S. foreign and defense ministers responsible for the Futenma relocation issue. 7) Hatoyama said, "Trust me," regarding Futenma issue, and President Obama replied, "OK" YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) November 19, 2009 During the Nov. 13 Japan-U.S. summit, President Barack Obama called for the early implementation of the existing bilateral agreement on the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station in Okinawa. In response, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said, "Trust me," -- an expression that can be taken that he promised the early settlement of the matter. This was revealed on Nov. 18 by individuals with knowledge of the exchange. According to them, the Prime Minister referred to the fact that he himself had mentioned the option of moving Futenma out of Okinawa or even out of the country during the campaign for the House of Representatives election in August. The Prime Minister then said, "It is a matter that involves great difficulties," and "I would like to reach a conclusion as soon as possible via the working group (to be set up by cabinet ministers responsible for foreign and defense affairs and others)." Then he added, "Trust me." President Obama replied, "OK." The President delivered a speech on the following day, Nov. 14, in which he said: "For the implementation of the bilateral agreement on U.S. force realignment, we have agreed to move the matter expeditiously through a joint working group." But the Prime Minister made the following comment on the night of Nov. 14: "If the Japan-U.S. agreement is the premise, there is no need to set up a working group. I did not promise (the U.S. side) that we will reach a conclusion by the end of the year." The comment sounded negative about reaching an early settlement. The concern is widespread in Tokyo that if Japan postpones a conclusion, the relationship of trust between Hatoyama and Obama will be undermined. 8) Nago mayoral election: Pressure building for early settlement YOMIURI (Page 2) (Excepts) November 19, 2009 Pressure on the government to reach an early settlement on the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station in Okinawa Prefecture is building at home and abroad. The U.S. Senate has passed a budget bill (related to the construction of military installations) that cuts funding for the transfer of U.S. Marines stationed in Okinawa to Guam -- approximately 300 million dollars (about 27 billion yen) - by approximately 70 PERCENT . In the meantime, in Okinawa, forces opposing the relocation of the Futenma functions to Nago decided on the 18th to support a single candidate TOKYO 00002674 006 OF 011 to run for the Nago mayoral election in January next year. Both issues have the possibility of nullifying the US Forces Japan realignment plan as a whole, unless the government reaches a decision at an early date. The government is now pressed to reach a decision as soon as possible. Regarding the Nago mayoral election, those opposing accepting the airfield facilities have announced that they have decided to support a single candidate, Susumu Inamine. Inamine is a first-time candidate and former chief of the education board. The election will likely be a one-on-one contest between Inamine and incumbent Nago Mayor Yoshikazu Shimabukuro, who is in favor of the existing relocation plan. There is a strong possibility that the government will be bound by the election outcome in reaching a decision, because the election results will make it clear whether the city accepts the Futenma facilities or not. 9) Commentary on USFJ strategy for Japan contingency: Discussion on overseas relocation of air force capability necessary TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 3) (Full) November 19, 2009 Shigeru Handa, editorial staff member A U.S. Forces Japan (USFJ) plan to dispatch additional military aircraft to Kadena Air Base (KAB) and Futenma Air Station has been revealed. Some 80 airplanes will be deployed to KAB and around 300 helicopters will be deployed to the Futenma base from the U.S. mainland. Even KAB, which has two 3,700-meter runways and which could easily absorb the Futenma Air Station during peacetime, will be very crowded. It appears that Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada's proposal to merge KAB and Futenma as a solution to the Futenma relocation issue will not be feasible. However, the number of aircraft at KAB is not constant. The B-52 bomber units withdrew in 1970 at the height of the Vietnam War. The deployment of the F-15 fighters started in 1979, but 18 of them were withdrawn in 1992, after the disintegration of the Soviet Union. Last April, the USFJ made an unofficial proposal to the Ministry of Defense to withdraw all fighters from the Misawa base in Aomori Prefecture and to withdraw some aircraft from KAB. While the proposal has not been considered in detail, this development serves to show that the present state of the bases is not permanent. A squadron of the top-of-the-line F-22 stealth fighters, which have been coming and going at KAB, will be more powerful than two squadrons of the F-15 fighters based in Kadena. It seems that with the introduction of unmanned aircraft, the U.S. Air Force is also considering using the F-22s to fill the gap created by decommissioned fighters or rotating the deployment of aircraft between U.S. military bases in Japan and the U.S. mainland. The Japan-U.S. talks on USFJ realignment, which includes the Futenma relocation issue, started in February 2005 with both sides agreeing to a "review of the USFJ troop structure." Discussions between the two countries on all options, including the relocation of air force TOKYO 00002674 007 OF 011 capabilities overseas, should not be considered taboo, but should be a central theme. 10) Foreign Minister Okada says MSDF logistic support operations in Indian Ocean will not be resumed AKAHATA (Page 2) (Full) November 19, 2009 At the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee on Nov. 18, Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada discussed the withdrawal of the Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) from logistic support operations in the Indian Ocean when its legal authorization, the new special antiterrorism measures law, expires in January. He said: "We have decided not to undertake any further refueling operations," revealing that he has no plans to resume the mission. This was in response to a question from Katsuei Hirasawa (Liberal Democratic Party). 11) Senior Vice Foreign Minister Fukuyama meets with Afghan president NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) November 19, 2009 Kabul, Jiji Senior Vice Foreign Minister Tetsuro Fukuyama held talks on Nov. 18 with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Kabul. Fukuyama explained to Karzai about Japan's aid package worth 5 billion dollars over the next five years to help reconstruct Afghanistan. He called on Karzai to make efforts to restore public order and improve his governance capability. Karzai expressed his appreciation for Japan's assistance and cited such issues as the restoration of public order as challenges for his second term in office. 12) U.S. strategy for Japan contingency revealed; a possible factor behind difficulty to merge Futenma base with Kadena Air Base TOKYO SHIMBUN (Top play) (Full) November 19, 2009 It was learned that U.S. Forces Japan (USFJ) has a contingency plan to deal with an armed invasion of Japan by dispatching an additional 80 aircraft to the Kadena Air Base (KAB) in Okinawa (straddling the towns of Kadena and Chatan and Okinawa City) and an additional 300 helicopters to Marine Corps Air Station Futenma (in Ginowan City). This explains the military factor behind the U.S. side's renewed rejection of the proposal to merge Futenma Air Station with the KAB at the Japan-U.S. cabinet level working group on Futenma relocation. According to a source involved with Japan and U.S. military issues, the U.S. Air Force has drafted a plan to boost combat capability in the event of a contingency in Japan. An additional 80 aircraft, including F-16 fighters, airborne warning and control system (AWACS) planes, air tankers, and transports, would be dispatched from the U.S. mainland. Since there are approximately 100 military planes, including 54 F-15 fighters of the 18th Air Wing and the U.S. Navy's P-3C patrol planes, stationed regularly at the KAB at present, the contingency TOKYO 00002674 008 OF 011 plan calls for doubling the number of aircraft. In a contingency, the U.S. Marines will also dispatch an additional 300 large helicopters for the transport of troops to the Futenma base. This will mean a seven-fold increase from the current 50 helicopters. With regard to the reason why the scale of increase in aircraft by the Marines would be larger than that by the Air Force, the same source said: "The explanation I got is that damaged helicopters and those with mechanical troubles will not be fixed but rather will be replaced by other aircraft." If all the aircraft and helicopters were concentrated in KAB, the base would be jammed with aircraft. The U.S. side reportedly explained that: "The minimum speed of fighters and the maximum speed of helicopters at takeoff and landing are the same at 120 knots (approximately 220 kilometers per hour),and this will cause operational problems if they fly together. Therefore, it is necessary to have two air bases in Okinawa." The USFJ's contingency strategy is based on a hypothetical armed attack by the Soviet Union, which had military forces on par with America's in the Far East during the Cold War. The same level of military reinforcement is said to be necessary for a contingency in Taiwan or on the Korean peninsula. While the probability of such a contingency is extremely low, the USFJ reportedly premises its use of military bases on a contingency situation. 13) Foreign Minister Okada: It will be difficult to disclose investigation results of "secret nuclear deal" before year's end NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) November 19, 2009 At a House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee session yesterday, Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada stated that it will be difficult to disclose the investigation results of allegations concerning the secret Japan-U.S. nuclear deal before the end of the year. He indicated the outlook that the investigation results will be made public early next year. 14) Okinawa Prefectural Police asks for U.S. military's cooperation in having staff sergeant appear for questioning over hit-and-run incident SANKEI (Page 22) (Full) November 19, 2009 A 27-year-old staff sergeant based at the U.S. Army Torii communications station has been refusing to appear for police questioning on a voluntary basis in connection with the hit-and-run incident that killed a 66-year-old man of Yomitan Village, Okinawa Prefecture. The Okinawa Prefectural Police revealed on Nov. 18 that they have asked the U.S. military for its cooperation in having the staff sergeant respond to their request for his appearance as a suspect. In order to report the criminal charges regarding the incident to the U.S. military in accordance with the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces TOKYO 00002674 009 OF 011 Agreement, the prefectural police plan to carry out the investigation cautiously. Meanwhile, the lawyer representing the staff sergeant expressed on Nov. 18 an intention to respond to questioning if the prefectural police report the criminal charges (to the U.S. military). 15) Lower House Speaker Yokomichi: Coordinating views on Futenma issue is prime minister's duty SANKEI (Page 5) (Full) November 19, 2009 House of Representatives Speaker Takahiro Yokomichi yesterday made an unprecedented cutting remark toward Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama in reference to inconsistent remarks cropping up from among cabinet ministers responsible for dealing with the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station. Delivering a speech in Tokyo, Yokomichi said: "Coordinating views (among cabinet ministers) is necessary. That is Mr. Hatoyama's duty." Yokomichi further said: "Some members of the Democratic Party of Japan say that the Diet is not a place for the ruling parties to discuss but a place for discussion between the government and the opposition parties. Although a parliamentary cabinet system has been adopted, the Diet is based on the doctrine of separation of powers of administration, legislation and judicature. It is important for all political parties to discuss matters thoroughly." This remark was intended to express his opposition to DPJ Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa's stock argument that the Diet is a place for the opposition parties to confront the government and the ruling parties," although he did not mention Ozawa by name. 16) LDP, New Komeito maintain reasonable distance MAINICHI (Page 5) (Full) November 19, 2009 Hirohiko Sakaguchi The secretaries general, policy chiefs and Diet affairs committee chairmen of the opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and New Komeito met yesterday for the first time since they fell into the opposition. They discussed how to deal with Diet business. They had not had much contact with each other for about the past month and a half, based on the wishes of the New Komeito, which wants to play up its own political identity. The Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) is the largest party in both Diet chambers. Under the current situation, if the LDP and New Komeito discontinue their relations, they might both be wiped out. Therefore, the two opposition parties appear to be maintaining neutral attitudes for the time being by jointly submitting lawmaker-initiated bills. In yesterday's meeting, the participants agreed to call on the government and ruling parties to hold a party heads debate on Nov. 25 and intensive deliberations on foreign and security policy and the issue of politics and money at the House of Representatives Budget Committee, and to report at the Diet on the Japan-U.S. summit meeting and other events. The LDP and New Komeito have jointly submitted a bill to support people infected with hepatitis to the current Diet session. The two parties are now working on another bill to settle a class action TOKYO 00002674 010 OF 011 lawsuit on the recognition of atomic-bomb disease. They are expected to jointly submit a total of five bills during the ongoing Diet session. However, the New Komeito did not agree to submit a bill on cargo inspection of ships heading to and from North Korea or a bill to extend the Maritime Self-Defense Force's refueling mission in the Indian Ocean. On the other hand, the LDP did not join the New Komeito's plan to submit a bill revising the Political Funds Control Law. Gaps between the two parties appear to be growing. 17) Financial Affairs Minister Kamei: We will maintain present ruling coalition framework YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) November 19, 2009 With regard to his plan to form a new party with the New Party Nippon and the group led by former trade minister Takeo Hiranuma, an independent, People's New Party leader Shizuka Kamei, who is now serving as state minister for financial services, said yesterday at a press conference: "(Even if the new party plan is realized) my party will not withdraw from the coalition government. That's obvious," indicating his intention to maintain the present coalition framework. 18) Two U.S. carriers in tug-of-war over tie-up with JAL: Delta announces 92 billion yen in capital assistance with eye on open skies agreement NIKKEI (Page 9) (Excerpts) November 19, 2009 Delta Air Lines, the biggest U.S. carrier, on Nov. 18 announced that it had floated a proposal to Japan Airlines, now under restructuring, for offering capital assistance totaling roughly 1 billion dollars, or 92 billion yen, and joining an alliance it leads. Teaming up with an investment fund, American Airlines, the second largest U.S. carrier that forms another alliance, has also proposed to JAL to offer up to 130 billion yen. The governments of Japan and the U.S. will likely sign an open skies agreement shortly. The two U.S. carriers aim to expand operations in the Asian market, by bringing JAL into the fold. JAL plans to decide its capital tie-up partner as early as this year. The tug-of-war between the two U.S. carriers will likely heat up. Business expansion in Asia aimed at Delta President Edward Bastian on the 18th held a press conference in Tokyo and released his company's plan to offer capital assistance to JAL. According to Bastian, the company has floated a proposal to JAL that it is ready to offer capital assistance totaling 1.2 billion, of which 500 million dollars would likely be dispensed by purchasing shares by the third party allocation capital increase. Delta is also offering 20 million dollars to cover expenses for JAL to join the SkyTeam alliance, by defecting from the Oneworld global airline alliance and 300 million dollars for offsetting a short-term decline in JAL's sales, as well as 200 million dollars for losses associated with the sale of aging planes. American Airlines on the same day issued a statement noting that since switching alliances amid financial restructuring involves taking risks, the best option for JAL would be continuing business TOKYO 00002674 011 OF 011 under the present state (as a member of the Oneworld alliance)." The carrier has offered up to 130 billion yen in assistance, teaming up with TPJ, a leading U.S. investment fund. There is a regulation that limits the ratio of ownership of carriers by foreign air carriers to one-third. However, JAL is likely to conduct an additional capital increase of about 300 billion yen in the process of restructuring, so both carriers are not likely to run into any issues. JAL is now applying to the government-backed Enterprise Turnaround Initiative Corp. of Japan for capital assistance for restructuring. JAL President Haruka Nishimatsu has stated that it would be natural for the company to maintain a partnership with American Airlines. Even so, Delta is competing with American for capital assistance to JAL, because Japan and the U.S. will likely sign an open skies agreement as early as early December. ROOS