DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 12/28/09

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 13 TOKYO 002931 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 12/28/09 INDEX: (1) Chief cabinet secretary says Guam not ruled out as possible Futenma relocation site (Mainichi) (2) MD Kitazawa meets Japanese Ambassador to U.S. Fujisaki on Futenma relocation (Nikkei) (3) Environmental assessment relating to Futenma relocation to continue; survey of dugongs over several years to be conducted (Okinawa Times) (4) Future of Futenma (Part 1): Interview with Kazuya Sakamoto, professor at Osaka University (Ryukyu Shimpo) (5) Japan-U.S. alliance off course; top leaders must talk to each other more (Tokyo Shimbun) (6) Poll on Hatoyama cabinet, political parties (Nikkei) (7) Sankei-FNN poll on Hatoyama cabinet, political parties (Sankei) (8) Poll on Hatoyama cabinet, political parties (Mainichi) (9) Poll: Hatoyama cabinet, political parties (Asahi) ARTICLES: (1) Chief cabinet secretary says Guam not ruled out as possible Futenma relocation site MAINICHI ONLINE (Full) 12:51, December 28, 2009 Ai Yokota At a news conference on the morning of Dec. 28, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano formally announced the launch of the "Okinawa base issue examination committee," a working-level panel of the government and the ruling parties for considering the relocation site for the U.S forces' Futenma Air Station (in Ginowan City, Okinawa). The committee will hold its first meeting in the afternoon of the same day. Hirano said at the news conference that "the committee has no intention to rule out Guam from the beginning." He showed consideration for the Social Democratic Party (SDP),which has reacted strongly to Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's negation of plans to relocate the Futenma base to Guam or other locations overseas. Although the SDP is also against setting a deadline for making a decision, Hirano stated clearly that a decision will be made "around May." With regard to the question of deterrence, which Hatoyama cited as the reason for ruling out relocation to Guam, Hirano said: "Reduction of the burden imposed by Futenma and ensuring safety comes first. On top of this, there are issues relating to the Japan-U.S. relationship and security. A major part of this has to do with national interest in relation to deterrence." The committee is being set up in response to the SDP's demand. It reports to the Ministerial Committee on Basic Policies consisting of TOKYO 00002931 002 OF 013 cabinet ministers at the party- leader level and is chaired by Hirano. Other members are Senior Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Koichi Takemasa, Senior Vice Minister of Defense Kazuya Shimba, SDP policy chief Tomoko Abe, and People's New Party policy chief Mikio Shimoji. (2) MD Kitazawa meets Japanese Ambassador to U.S. Fujisaki on Futenma relocation NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) Evening, December 28, 2009 Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa held a meeting with Japanese Ambassador to the U.S. Ichiro Fujisaki at the Ministry of Defense on the morning of Dec. 28 to exchange views on the issue of the relocation of the U.S. forces' Futenma Air Station. Fujisaki briefed Kitazawa on his recent meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. It is believed that he told Kitazawa that the U.S. strongly demands that Japan make a decision based on the current plan to relocate the Futenma base to the coastal area of Camp Schwab. (3) Environmental assessment relating to Futenma relocation to continue; survey of dugongs over several years to be conducted OKINAWA TIMES (Page 2) (Full) December 26, 2009 Tokyo - The budget of the Ministry of Defense (MOD) for the next fiscal year will include 1.3 billion yen to continue the environmental impact assessment in relation to the construction of a replacement facility for the U.S. forces' Futenma Air Station in Henoko, Nago City. A survey of dugongs over several years will be conducted in response to the governor's opinion on the preparatory documents for the environmental survey. Budget allocation for land reclamation in Henoko has been deferred, but the upper limit of spending for "acts incurring liabilities on the national treasury" for unidentified recipients in the general provisions of the government's budget has been raised from 100 billion to 1 trillion yen. This is a measure to ensure that once the relocation site is specified, contracting procedures can be initiated promptly. The "acts incurring liabilities on the national treasury" cover not only spending for Futenma relocation but also possible economic stimulation measures on a national scale. This concept deals with expenditures only on a contract basis that can be funded with reserve funds or a supplementary budget once cash payments become necessary. The MOD estimates the cost of constructing the main structure of the Futenma replacement facility to be 142 billion yen. Futenma-related spending in the MOD's budget is currently limited to funds for continuing the environmental survey and the cost of removing and relocating land-based structures in Camp Schwab (3.9 billion yen). Under the environmental survey, investigations relating to the planned deployment of the vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, MV-22 Osprey, are not included. Budget allocations relating to U.S. Forces Japan (USFJ) realignment total 90.9 billion yen, with 47.2 billion yen earmarked for the cost of relocating U.S. Marines in Okinawa to Guam. Net fiscal spending of 13.7 billion yen for construction projects to build a headquarters for the port operations unit, a clinic, and a fire station is included. Realignment-related subsidies for Okinawa total 1.54 billion yen. TOKYO 00002931 003 OF 013 The budget for the wages of U.S. military base employees under host nation support for the USFJ (omoiyari yosan or sympathy budget), which was identified for "review" by the budget screening team of the Government Revitalization Unit, totals 45.2 billion yen for Okinawa (representing a 870 million yen cut from the budget request). This cutback is in response to the recommendation of the National Personnel Authority and does not reflect the screening team's verdict. Approximately 160 million yen is allocated for setting up the Okinawa Defense Bureau's Nago defense office (with a staff of 44) and this amount will be used for renting office space and paying for utilities. Total appropriation for base-related measures in Okinawa is 157.9 billion yen (representing a 1.2 billion yen cut from the budget request). The budget for soundproofing homes is 5 billion yen, which represents the first time in recent years that the full amount of the budget request has been granted. Allocations for SACO (Special Action Committee on Okinawa)-related projects total 12.5 billion yen, including 10.5 billion yen for the construction of the main structure of the Navy Hospital in Camp Kuwae and 200 million yen for the construction of a helipad required for the return of parts of the Northern Training Ground. (4) Future of Futenma (Part 1): Interview with Kazuya Sakamoto, professor at Osaka University RYUKYU SHIMPO (Page 4) (Full) December 28, 2009 The Hatoyama cabinet has postponed a conclusion to the issue of relocating the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station. What path can be drawn at a time when the U.S. side is increasingly irritated and calling for the early implementation of the existing plan to relocate Futenma to the city of Nago and when the Japan-U.S. alliance is strained? The newspaper interviewed two experts. -- Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said that he is looking into sites other than Nago. Sakamoto: I don't know what he is really thinking. He doesn't seem to be strategically looking into whether the peace and security of East Asia can be defended (with relocation to a place outside Okinawa). Faced with an objection from the Social Democratic Party, I think the Prime Minister has simply decided to give top priority to the maintenance of the coalition administration. Preparations before the change of government were insufficient. -- In bearing the burden of bases, the patience of Okinawa's people has reached its limit. Sakamoto: I'm aware of that. There is no other option but to move forward a step at a time toward reducing the burden. If a Japan-U.S. agreement (to relocate Futenma to Nago) is implemented, 8,000 U.S. Marines will be moved to Guam. Bases in Okinawa carry significance for East Asia, and their stable operation constitutes the foundation of diplomacy and security. -- The relocation issue is the main point of contention in the upcoming Nago mayoral election. TOKYO 00002931 004 OF 013 Sakamoto: If the Prime Minister intends to make a decision after seeing the results, he should say first, "I will take local wishes into account, but they will not necessarily be fulfilled. The government will make the final decision." The Futenma relocation was determined 13 years ago, and there is no time to waste. But if (forces opposed to the relocation) win the election, it is certain that the implementation of the Nago plan will be difficult. -- Will there be any impact on the Japan-U.S. alliance? Sakamoto: The United States' position is that the alliance with Japan is the cornerstone of its Asia policy; it is not lip service. The United States is puzzled by and angry at the current situation. Although the Maritime Self-Defense Force's refueling mission in the Indian Ocean will soon come to an end, Afghanistan is the matter of greatest concern for the people of the United States. I'm afraid that criticism of Japan's withdrawal from Afghanistan combined with the Futenma issue will undermine (U.S.) sentiment toward Japan. Those two things might adversely affect the review of the bilateral alliance on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the revised Japan-U.S. Security Treaty. -- There is a view that it is unnecessary to station U.S. Marines in Okinawa. Sakamoto: It is difficult to immediately relocate them outside Okinawa. There are such destabilizing factors as the North Korean issue and China's military buildup. Relocation outside Okinawa will trigger anxiety in neighboring countries. -- What is your evaluation of the Prime Minister's security policy? Sakamoto: His theory of a Japan-U.S. security alliance without the regular stationing of U.S. forces in Japan is dangerous from the standpoint of military common sense. He has not painted a picture of how Japan and the United States can secure the security of Japan and the peace and security of East Asia. It is desirable to look for a direction for the settlement of base issues in the process of increasing the Self-Defense Forces' activities in Okinawa, while strengthening cooperation between the SDF and U.S. forces. (5) Japan-U.S. alliance off course; top leaders must talk to each other more TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Abridged slightly) December 27, 2009 Koki Miura Wearing a poker face can send a strong cynical message at times. During a Dec. 4 Japan-U.S. ministerial-level meeting on the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station (in Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture),U.S. Ambassador to Japan John Roos was told by Defense Minister Katsuya Okada and Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa that settling the issue before year's end would be difficult. After the meeting, Ambassador Roos left the Foreign Ministry, saying to the press corps, "Hello, everyone. It was a productive meeting." To have a decision postponed until next year cannot have been productive for Ambassador Roos, who wants to see the early implementation of the existing plan to relocate Futenma to the Henoko district in Nago. In fact, the Ambassador reportedly said TOKYO 00002931 005 OF 013 during the meeting, "President Obama has lost face." He uttered those words of harsh criticism after having the working-level officials leave the room. The alliance with the United States, which is the cornerstone of Japan's security policy in the postwar period, has run into snags. If such a situation arises between two Western countries, their top leaders will have face-to-face talks. During the 2007 G-8 Summit in Germany, I witnessed as a correspondent in Berlin German Chancellor Angela Merkel manage to come up with a common greenhouse gas reduction target, preventing the talks from breaking down. Chancellor Merkel did the necessary groundwork, talking directly with the top leader of each country on her cell phone. On the Futenma issue, Prime Minister Hatoyama said to President Obama, "Trust me." But as yet there have been no in-depth talks between the two leaders. There have been no reports except for remarks by Ambassador Roos and the so-called Japan experts in the United States who are responsible for talks with Japan. The ministerial-level working group meetings held in the past have been attended by cabinet ministers from the Japanese side but by the ambassador to Japan, the US Forces Japan commander, and State Department assistant secretary-level officials from the U.S. side. In other words, no one on the Japanese side has confirmed President Obama's wishes. How many people are there in Japan who can make a direct phone call to President Obama? Needless to say, the situation was the same under the former administration led by the Liberal Democratic Party. Many past prime ministers were not readily able to place a call to their American counterparts. The prime minister simply followed government officials, entirely leaving to them actual talks with the United States. Ultimately, a Japan-U.S. relationship that has not required the involvement of the top leaders in managing bilateral issues has been regarded as "good." But I think the Japan-U.S. alliance has begun to stray off course because it has to rely on only a handful of Japan experts in the United States. (6) Poll on Hatoyama cabinet, political parties NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) December 28, 2009 Questions & Answers (Figures are percentages. Parentheses denote results from the last survey conducted in November.) Q: Do you support the Hatoyama cabinet? Yes 50 (68) No 42 (24) Can't say (C/S) + don't know (D/K) 8 (8) Q: Which political party do you support or prefer? Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) 46 (56) Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) 23 (19) New Komeito (NK) 4 (3) Japanese Communist Party (JCP) 2 (3) TOKYO 00002931 006 OF 013 Social Democratic Party (SDP or Shaminto) 2 (3) People's New Party (PNP or Kokumin Shinto) 1 (1) Your Party (YP or Minna no To) 2 (1) New Party Nippon (NPN or Shinto Nippon) 0 (0) Other political parties 1 (1) None 15 (11) C/S+D/K 5 (3) (Note) Percentages may not add up to 100 PERCENT in some cases due to rounding. Polling methodology: The survey was taken Dec. 25-27 by Nikkei Research Inc. over the telephone on a random digit dialing (RDD) basis. For the survey, samples were chosen from among men and women aged 20 and over across the nation. A total of 1,597 households with one or more eligible voters were sampled, and answers were obtained from 1,033 persons (64.7 PERCENT ). (7) Sankei-FNN poll on Hatoyama cabinet, political parties SANKEI (Page 5) (Full) December 22, 2009 Questions & Answers (Note) Figures are percentages. Figures in parentheses are percentages in the previous Sankei-FNN survey, conducted Nov. 21-22. Q: Do you support the Hatoyama cabinet? Yes 51.0 (62.5) No 40.4 (22.9) Don't know (D/K),etc. 8.6 (14.6) Q: Which political party do you support? Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) 37.2 (39.7) Liberal Democratic Party (LDP or Jiminto) 19.2 (17.3) New Komeito (NK or Komeito) 2.8 (4.5) Japanese Communist Party (JCP or Kyosanto) 3.3 (3.2) Social Democratic Party (SDP or Shaminto) 1.8 (3.0) People's New Party (PNP or Kokumin Shinto) 0.7 (0.9) Your Party (YP or Minna no To) 3.1 (3.8) New Party Nippon (NPN or Shinto Nippon) 0.3 (0.2) Other political parties 1.2 (0.4) None 29.2 (26.5) D/K, etc. 1.2 (0.5) Q: Do you approve of the Hatoyama cabinet on the following points? The prime minister's personal character Yes 59.6 (70.0) No 34.1 (20.2) D/K, etc. 6.3 (9.8) The prime minister's leadership Yes 20.7 (34.7) No 72.4 (46.0) D/K, etc. 6.9 (19.3) TOKYO 00002931 007 OF 013 Economic policy Yes 25.3 (---) No 63.9 (---) D/K, etc. 10.8 (---) China policy Yes 39.6 (---) No 45.9 (---) D/K, etc. 14.5 (---) U.S. policy Yes 34.9 (---) No 52.3 (---) D/K, etc. 12.8 (---) Global warming policy Yes 64.1 (---) No 28.0 (---) D/K, etc. 7.9 (---) DPJ Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa's action concerning a Chinese vice president's audience with H.M. the Emperor Yes 27.2 (---) No 65.6 (---) D/K, etc. 7.2 (---) The prime minister's way of handling his fund-managing body's political donation problem Yes 14.9 (18.8) No 75.3 (64.8) D/K, etc. 9.8 (16.4) DPJ Secretary General Ozawa's way of handling his fund-managing body's political donation problem Yes 10.5 (---) No 79.1 (---) D/K, etc. 10.4 (---) The SDP's influence on the Hatoyama cabinet Yes 27.9 (---) No 61.3 (---) D/K, etc. 10.8 (---) The PNP's influence on the Hatoyama cabinet Yes 23.6 (---) No 63.6 (---) D/K, etc. 12.8 (---) DPJ Secretary General Ozawa's influence on the Hatoyama cabinet Yes 40.5 (---) No 52.8 (---) D/K, etc. 6.7 (---) The Hatoyama cabinet's performance over the past three months since coming into office Yes 40.2 (---) No 45.1 (---) D/K, etc. 14.7 (---) Q: What do you think the Hatoyama government should prioritize in compiling the budget for next fiscal year? TOKYO 00002931 008 OF 013 Keep to its manifesto 9.1 Achieve results from economic stimulus measures 57.0 Avoid increasing debt 32.5 D/K, etc. 1.4 Q: Do you think the government should not set an income limit for child allowances in the process of compiling the budget? Yes 43.2 No 53.4 D/K, etc. 3.4 Q: Do you think the government should abolish gasoline and other road-related provisional surcharges? Yes 54.1 No 40.2 D/K, etc. 5.7 Q: Do you think the government has no choice but to make up for tax revenue with new taxes or tax rates in the case of abolishing the road-related provisional surcharges? Yes 61.7 No 33.4 D/K, etc. 4.9 Q: Do you take it for granted that the government changes its course of action in response to requests from the DPJ and its coalition partners? Yes 58.3 No 36.0 D/K, etc. 5.7 Q: Do you think these requests from the DPJ and its coalition partners are unclear? Yes 70.4 No 21.9 D/K, etc. 7.7 Q: Do you think the ruling coalition's request for highway construction, which is contradictory to its policy of making expressways toll-free, is inappropriate? Yes 64.5 No 22.8 D/K, etc. 12.7 Q: Do you think the DPJ's campaign promises may be changed because the nation's economic environment and other circumstances have changed? Yes 79.7 No 17.2 D/K, etc. 3.1 Q: Do you think the results of the DPJ's budget screening may be reviewed in the process of compiling the budget? TOKYO 00002931 009 OF 013 Yes 83.9 No 11.7 D/K, etc. 4.4 Q: Do you think DPJ Secretary General Ozawa has more leadership than Prime Minister Hatoyama does? Yes 64.5 No 26.3 D/K, etc. 9.2 Q: What do you think is most important about the issue of relocating the U.S. military's Futenma airfield? Expedite Futenma relocation in Okinawa Prefecture as agreed on between Japan and the U.S. 28.3 Reconsider a relocation site in or outside Okinawa Prefecture even if it takes time 43.4 Carry out Futenma relocation in Okinawa Prefecture even if it takes time 23.8 D/K, etc. 4.5 Q: Which factor do you think should be regarded as most important on the Futenma issue? Japan-U.S. relations 38.5 Okinawa Prefecture's public opinion 55.8 Ruling coalition partnership 2.1 D/K, etc. 3.6 Q: The government and the ruling coalition have deferred their conclusion on the question of where to relocate Futenma airfield. Is this convincing? Yes 46.4 No 45.6 D/K, etc. 8.0 Q: Who do you think is most appropriate as Japan's prime minister? Katsuya Okada 7.9 Ichiro Ozawa 9.1 Naoto Kan 7.5 Yoshito Sengoku 0.7 Akira Nagatsuma 1.9 Yukio Hatoyama 18.2 Seiji Maehara 5.5 Shizuka Kamei 1.6 Mizuho Fukushima 1.0 Other ruling party lawmakers 1.0 Shigeru Ishiba 4.8 Sadakazu Tanigaki 1.6 Yoichi Masuzoe 7.0 Other opposition party lawmakers 3.1 None 25.0 D/K, etc. 4.1 Q: How long do you think the Hatoyama cabinet will continue? Several months or so at longest 10.7 Until around next summer's election for the House of Councillors 38.7 TOKYO 00002931 010 OF 013 Until next fall 25.7 Continue after next fall 22.2 D/K, etc. 2.7 Polling methodology: The survey was conducted Dec. 19-20 by the Sankei Shimbun and Fuji News Network (FNN) over the telephone on a computer-aided random digit dialing (RDD) basis. For the survey, a total of 1,000 persons were sampled from among men and women, aged 20 and over, across the nation. (8) Poll on Hatoyama cabinet, political parties MAINICHI (Page 2) (Full) December 21, 2009 Questions & Answers (T = total; P = previous; M = male; F = female) Q: Do you support the Hatoyama cabinet? T P M F Yes 55 (64) 51 57 No 34 (21) 38 30 Not interested 12 (15) 11 12 Q: (Only for those who answered "yes" to the above question) Why? T P M F Because the prime minister is from the Democratic Party of Japan 6 (4) 7 5 Because something can be expected of the prime minister's leadership 2 (4) 2 2 Because something can be expected of the prime minister's policies 9 (11) 8 10 Because the nature of politics is likely to change 82 (78) 82 82 Q: (Only for those who answered "no" to the above question) Why? T P M F Because the prime minister is from the Democratic Party of Japan 5 (4) 3 7 Because nothing can be expected of the prime minister's leadership 42 (16) 44 41 Because nothing can be expected of the prime minister's policies 32 (48) 30 33 Because the nature of politics is unlikely to change 20 (30) 20 20 Q: Which political party do you support? T P M F Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) 35 (39) 34 35 Liberal Democratic Party (LDP or Jiminto) 16 (15) 20 13 New Komeito (NK) 4 (3) 4 5 Japanese Communist Party (JCP) 2 (3) 2 2 Social Democratic Party (SDP or Shaminto) 2 (1) 1 3 People's New Party (PNP or Kokumin Shinto) 1 (1) 0 1 Your Party (YP or Minna no To) 4 (2) 5 3 Reform Club (RC or Kaikaku Kurabu) 0 (0) -- 0 New Party Nippon (NPN or Shinto Nippon) 0 (0) 0 0 Other political parties 1 (0) 2 1 None 33 (33) 30 36 TOKYO 00002931 011 OF 013 Q: The Hatoyama government plans to provide child allowances to child-rearing households. Concerning this plan, the DPJ asked the Hatoyama government to set an income limit that was not incorporated in its manifesto. Do you approve of setting an income limit for child allowances? T P M F Yes 71 72 70 No 25 25 26 Q: The DPJ pledged in its manifesto to abolish gasoline and other road-related provisional surcharges, beginning next fiscal year. However, the DPJ has asked the government to maintain these provisional tax rates in compiling the budget for next fiscal year. Do you approve of maintaining the provisional tax rates? T P M F Yes 54 57 52 No 40 41 39 Q: Prime Minister Hatoyama has deferred his conclusion to next year on whether to relocate the U.S. military's Futenma airfield in Okinawa Prefecture to the Henoko area of Nago City in the same prefecture. Do you approve of his decision-making deferment? T P M F Yes 42 40 44 No 51 57 47 Q: How do you think Prime Minister Hatoyama should deal with the issue of relocating Futenma airfield? Pick one that is close to your opinion. T P M F Negotiate with the U.S. to move Futenma airfield out of Okinawa Prefecture or Japan 51 (50) 47 55 Look for another relocation site in Okinawa Prefecture 15 (17) 17 13 Accept the current plan to relocate Futenma airfield to Henoko 25 (22) 33 19 Q: The deferment of the Futenma issue has given rise to concerns about the deterioration of Japan-U.S. relations. Do you think there is no problem about the Hatoyama government's policy toward the U.S., or are you worried about Japan-U.S. relations? T P M F No problem 26 31 23 Worried 68 67 69 Q: Next year marks the 50th anniversary of the revision of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty. Prime Minister Hatoyama and U.S. President Obama agreed in their meeting this November to start intergovernmental talks to deepen the Japan-U.S. alliance. Pick one that is close to your opinion. T P M F Strengthen it further 27 26 28 Maintain it as is 56 56 56 Weaken it further 11 16 8 TOKYO 00002931 012 OF 013 Q: Do you think Prime Minister Hatoyama should resign if his former state-funded secretary is prosecuted on the charge of violating the Political Funds Control Law over his fund-managing body's falsification of political donation reports? T P M F Yes 40 42 39 No 54 54 53 (Note) Figures shown in percentage, rounded off. "0" indicates that the figure was below 0.5 PERCENT . "No answer" omitted. Figures in parentheses denote the results of the last survey conducted Nov. 21-22. Polling methodology: The survey was conducted Dec. 19-20 over the telephone across the nation on a computer-aided random digit sampling (RDS) basis. A total of 1,588 households with one or more eligible voters were sampled. Answers were obtained from 1,032 persons (65 PERCENT ). (09122404im) Back to Top ( (9) Poll: Hatoyama cabinet, political parties ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) December 22, 2009 Questions & Answers (Figures are percentages, rounded off. Bracketed figures denote proportions to all respondents. Figures in parentheses denote the results of the last survey, conducted Nov. 14-15.) Q: Do you support the Hatoyama cabinet? Yes 48 (62) No 34 (21) Q: Why? (One reason only. Left column for those marking "yes" on previous question, and right for those marking "no.") The prime minister is Mr. Hatoyama 6(3) 2(1) It's a DPJ-led cabinet 35(17) 11(4) Policy 42(20) 33(11) Action 11(5) 50(17) Q: Which political party do you support now? Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) 42 (46) Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) 18 (14) New Komeito (NK) 2 (3) Japanese Communist Party (JCP) 1 (2) Social Democratic Party (SDP or Shaminto) 1 (1) Your Party (YP or Minna no To) 1 (0) People's New Party (PNP or Kokumin Shinto) 0 (0) Reform Club (RC or Kaikaku Kurabu) 0 (0) New Party Nippon (NPN or Shinto Nippon) 0 (0) Other political parties 0 (0) None 31 (28) No answer (N/A) + don't know (D/K) 4 (6) Q: Do you think Prime Minister Hatoyama has been displaying TOKYO 00002931 013 OF 013 leadership? Yes 18 No 74 Q: The DPJ pledged in its manifesto for this summer's House of Representatives election to abolish the gasoline surcharges and provide child allowances. The DPJ, however, has requested Prime Minister Hatoyama change this policy and maintain the gasoline surcharges in compiling the budget for next fiscal year. In addition, the DPJ has also requested Prime Minister Hatoyama set an income limit for child allowances. Is this convincing? Yes 50 No 43 Q: The next question is about relocating the U.S. military's Futenma airfield in Okinawa Prefecture. The Hatoyama cabinet has deferred a conclusion on the current plan to relocate Futenma airfield to Nago City in Okinawa Prefecture, which is based on an intergovernmental agreement between Japan and the U.S. The Hatoyama cabinet will review the current relocation plan for other options, including the possibility of looking for a new site for the Futenma relocation. Do you approve of the Hatoyama cabinet's response to the Futenma issue? Yes 30 No 60 Q: The next question is about the recent audience of a Chinese vice president with H.M. the Emperor. The Hatoyama cabinet carried out the audience against the one-month rule for proposing an audience to be granted by H.M. the Emperor for foreign VIPs. Do you think the Hatoyama cabinet's judgment in this case was appropriate? Yes 39 No 51 Q: The next question is about Prime Minister Hatoyama's problem concerning his fund-managing body's falsification of political fund reports. Do you think this is a serious problem and Prime Minister Hatoyama will have to resign in due course to take responsibility? Yes 44 No 50 Polling methodology: The survey was conducted Dec. 19-20 over the telephone on a computer-aided random digit dialing (RDD) basis. Respondents were chosen from among the nation's voting population on a three-stage random-sampling basis. Households with one or more eligible voters totaled 3,465. Valid answers were obtained from 2,115 persons (61 PERCENT ). ROOS