DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 02/12/09

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 10 TOKYO 000330

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DEPT FOR E, P, EB, EAP/J, EAP/P, EAP/PD, PA;
WHITE HOUSE/NSC/NEC; JUSTICE FOR STU CHEMTOB IN ANTI-TRUST DIVISION;
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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO PGOV PINR ECON ELAB JA

SUBJECT: DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 02/12/09

INDEX:

(1) Poll on Aso cabinet, political parties (Yomiuri)

(2) Government expects Clinton's Japan visit on Feb. 16 to help
resolve abduction issue (Sankei)

(3) Prime Minister Aso's visit to Sakhalin on Feb. 18 may end up
accepting Russia's claim over island; Practical approach raises fear
(Sankei)

(4) Third group of 23 DPJ candidates for next Lower House election
(Mainichi)

(5) Gov. Nakaima again proposes Futenma alternative's offshore
relocation (Ryuku Shimpo)

(6) Greenhouse gas emissions: Government looking into emissions cuts
with focus on between 5 PERCENT -15 PERCENT : Six proposals for
mid-term goal (Nikkei)

ARTICLES:

(1) Poll on Aso cabinet, political parties

YOMIURI (Page 10) (Full)
February 10, 2009

Questions & Answers
(Figures shown in percentage)

Q: Do you support the Aso cabinet?

Yes 19.7
No 72.4
Other answers (O/A) 0.7
No answer (N/A) 7.3

Q: Which political party do you support now?

Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) 26.8
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) 28.3
New Komeito (NK) 3.2
Japanese Communist Party (JCP) 2.4
Social Democratic Party (SDP or Shaminto) 0.8
People's New Party (PNP or Kokumin Shinto) 0.3
Reform Club (RC or Kaikaku Kurabu) ---
New Party Nippon (NPN or Shinto Nippon) ---
Other political parties ---
None 35.7
N/A 2.5

Q: When comparing Prime Minister Aso and DPJ President Ozawa, who do
you think is more appropriate for prime minister?

Prime Minister Aso 23.7
DPJ President Ozawa 40.1
N/A 36.2

Q: There is an opinion saying it would be unavoidable to raise the
consumption tax rate in order to maintain the social security
system, including pensions. Do you agree to this opinion?

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Yes 33.6
Yes to a certain degree 19.5
No to a certain degree 9.1
No 34.4
N/A 3.4

Q: Prime Minister Aso has indicated a plan, which is contingent on
an economic turnaround, to raise the consumption tax rate in fiscal
2011 to ensure financial resources for social security. Do you
support this plan?

Appreciate very much 11.4
Appreciate somewhat 21.9
Don't appreciate very much 19.4
Don't appreciate at all 42.2
N/A 5.1

Q: The government plans to hand out 2-trillion yen cash benefits to
individual households as an economic stimulus measure. Do you
appreciate this cash payout plan?

Appreciate very much 10.6
Appreciate somewhat 10.8
Don't appreciate very much 18.6
Don't appreciate at all 56.1
N/A 3.8

Q: The government plans to pay out the cash benefits within the
current fiscal year. How will you use the money?

Use the money for daily lives 44.4
Buy something that I wanted to buy if I could afford to 16.8
Use the money for travel, leisure, eating out, etc. 14.2
Save the money 18.4
Won't receive the money 3.7
O/A 0.2
NA 2.2

Q: The government plans to send out the Maritime Self-Defense Force
in order to protect Japanese and Japanese-related ships from pirates
rampant in waters off the eastern African coast of Somalia. Do you
support this MSDF deployment plan?

Yes 39.5
Yes to a certain degree 17.5
No to a certain degree 10.7
No 21.6
N/A 10.7

Q: The MSDF, even when deployed to Somalia waters, is currently not
allowed to protect foreign ships irrelevant to Japan. Do you support
the idea of enacting a new law allowing the MSDF to protect these
foreign ships as well?

Yes 45.0
Yes to a certain degree 13.6
No to a certain degree 8.2
No 21.4
N/A 11.8

Q: Concerning the "amakudari" (descent from heaven) practice of

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retired government bureaucrats landing jobs with public corporations
or private businesses and their "watari" (migration) practice of
moving into a number of jobs through their ensuing outplacements to
public corporations in particular, Prime Minister Aso has indicated
a plan to prohibit government ministries and agencies within this
year from offering amakudari and watari outplacements to their
retirees. Do you appreciate this plan?

Appreciate very much 55.5
Appreciate somewhat 23.4
Don't appreciate very much 7.2
Don't appreciate at all 9.8
N/A 4.1

Q: When would you like the House of Representatives to be dissolved
for a general election?

Right away 27.9
Around this spring 19.8
No later than this June when the current Diet session ends 21.9
Before the current membership's expiry in September 26.1
N/A 4.3

Q: If an election were to be held now for the House of
Representatives, which political party would you like to vote for in
your proportional representation bloc?

LDP 26.0
DPJ 40.3
NK 3.4
JCP 3.1
SDP 1.9
PNP 0.5
RC ---
NPN ---
Other political parties ---
Undecided 20.5
N/A 4.3

Q: What form of government would you like to see after the next
election for the House of Representatives?

LDP-led coalition government 10.6
DPJ-led coalition government 24.5
LDP-DPJ grand coalition government 23.6
Government under new framework after political realignment 35.2
O/A 0.0
N/A 6.1

Polling methodology: The survey was conducted Feb. 6-8 across the
nation on a computer-aided random digit dialing (RDD) basis.
Households with one or more eligible voters totaled 1,805. Valid
answers were obtained from 1,087 persons (60.2 PERCENT ).

(Note) In some cases, the total percentage does not become 100
PERCENT due to rounding.

(2) Government expects Clinton's Japan visit on Feb. 16 to help
resolve abduction issue

SANKEI (Page 3) (Full)
February 11, 2009

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Six months have passed since North Korea promised in working-level
talks with Japan on August 11 to reinvestigate past abduction cases
of Japanese nationals by North Korean agents. During this period,
however, North Korea did not carry out this promise and even
threatened that it would fire a ballistic missile. This brinkmanship
diplomacy was apparently intended to draw out concessions from the
U.S. The government expects to use the upcoming visit to Japan by
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton starting on Feb. 16 to find
a clue to resolving the North Korean abduction and nuclear problems
by obtaining U.S. understanding and cooperation on these issues.

In her first telephone conversation with Japanese Foreign Minister
Hirofumi Nakasone in January, Clinton referred to the abduction
issue, saying: "I place importance on the abduction issue. I am
giving consideration to the abduction victims and the Japanese
people." Tokyo has worked on Washington to realize her meeting with
family members of abduction victims. Deputy Spokesman Robert Wood
gave this positive reply: "Ms. Clinton will give proper
consideration to the Japanese proposal."

It appears so far that Japan and the U.S. have made a smooth start
on policy coordination toward North Korea, but a lawmaker with
cabinet experience suggested: "It is necessary to carefully watch
what moves the U.S. government will make from now."

Last October, Washington removed North Korea from the list of states
sponsoring terrorism, even though the Japanese government had voiced
strong opposition, citing the North's failure to deliver what it had
promised to Japan. The delisting decision by former President Bush,
who used to repeatedly say, "I will never forget the abduction
issue," after meeting with Sakie Yokota, the mother of an abduction
victim, has damaged the sensitivities of the Japanese people toward
the U.S.

A Japan-U.S. negotiator commented:

"The Obama administration is fully aware that removing North Korea
from the terror list has not helped resolve the issue; on the
contrary, it has complicated U.S. relations with Japan. The Obama
administration will not make the same mistake as its predecessor.
The administration also is keeping in mind the DPRK's violation of
the 1994 Framework Agreement with the U.S. under the Clinton
administration that resulted in giving Pyongyang time to develop
nuclear weapons."

A Foreign Ministry source, however, noted: "Since the U.S. gives
priority to the nuclear issue over the abduction issue, if new moves
are observed in North Korea, Japan's view probably will be
ignored."

Kyoko Nakayama, special advisor to the prime minister, visited the
U.S. in January and asked key U.S. government officials to continue
to help resolve the abduction issue. However, according to a senior
Foreign Ministry official, North Korea is also trying to have its
views reflected in the new U.S. administration's policy. Optimism
may not be warranted regarding how the U.S. will respond.

Administrative Vice Foreign Minister Mitoji Yabunaka stated in a
press conference on Sept. 9 that it was important to strengthen
cooperation among Japan, the U.S., and South Korea in dealing with
North Korea. He said: "What is clear is that the Obama

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administration has recognized the six-party talks as an effective
framework."

Clinton is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Taro Aso and other
senior Japanese government officials when she visits Japan. The
Japanese officials should convey to her Japan's indomitable resolve
to settle the abduction and nuclear issues. If so, Japan may be able
to have the U.S. government set its policy toward the North in its
favor.

(3) Prime Minister Aso's visit to Sakhalin on Feb. 18 may end up
accepting Russia's claim over island; Practical approach raises
fear

SANKEI (Top play) (Abridged slightly)
February 12, 2009

Morimichi Imahori

Prime Minister Taro Aso will visit Sakhalin on Feb. 18 to hold a
Japan-Russia summit, becoming the first Japanese premier to visit
that island in the postwar period. Sakhalin is called Karafuto in
Japan. Southern Sakhalin was Japan's territory until it was invaded
and occupied (in 1945) by the Soviet Union. Prime Minister Aso has
decided to visit Sakhalin with the aim of bringing progress to the
Northern Territories issue by building relations of cooperation in
resource exploitation. There are some misgivings that the prime
minister's visit before the sovereignty issue has been settled might
generate the wrong message regarding Japan's diplomatic stance.

The prime minister's decision to visit Sakhalin is traceable to his
telephone conversation with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on
Jan. 24 in which the president said: "I would like to invite you to
the ceremony celebrating the start-up of the Sakhalin-2 project. I
would like to discuss all outstanding issues between Russia and
Japan."

Japan received an informal invitation from Russia on the
administrative level just before the Aso-Medvedev telephone
conversation. A senior Foreign Ministry official noted: "Our initial
reaction was: 'What is the motive for inviting the prime minister to
Sakhalin? The invitation came only three weeks before the ceremony.
Should the prime minister willingly visit the island?'"

The Japanese people have mixed feelings about Sakhalin.

Under the Portsmouth Peace Treaty of 1905 that ended the
Russo-Japanese War, Japan took over the southern part of Sakhalin
from the line at 50 degrees north latitude from Russia. Japan
renamed the area Karafuto Prefecture with its capital at the place
currently called Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

Karafuto was invaded by the Soviet Union on August 9, 1945, days
before the end of the war. Japan renounced its rights and claims in
the Treaty of San Francisco of 1951. But because the Soviet Union
did not sign the treaty, Japan's standpoint is that the issue of
sovereignty over the Kuril Islands, excluding the four Russian-held
islands, and southern Karafuto has not been settled under
international law.

The number of visas issued to travelers to Japan has increased as
Japan has begun cooperating earnestly in the exploitation of oil and

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natural gas in waters off Sakhalin. The Japanese government opened
an office in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk in 1997. The government upgraded the
office to a consulate general in 2001, citing a growing need to
protect Japanese nationals in Sakhalin.

Despite such complex circumstances, Prime Minister Aso has decided
to visit Sakhalin by turning a deaf ear to the concern in the
Foreign Ministry and other circles that the prime minister's visit
to the island over which sovereignty has not been established might
end up sending the wrong message to Russia and the Japanese public.

Since taking office, Prime Minister Aso has been endeavoring to
forge pragmatic relations with China and South Korea centering on
the economy. In his policy speech on Jan. 28, Aso defined Russia as
an important partner in the Asia-Pacific region. The prime minister
intends to strengthen relations with Russia centering on the
resource and energy fields and move the Northern Territories issue
forward with the start-up of Sakhalin-2 as a turning point. Aso told
the House of Repetitive Budget Committee on Feb. 5: "I have no
intention of using any political issue as a tool of political
bargaining. I am always considering our country's national
interests.

Japan Forum on International Relations President Kenichi Ito
commented apprehensively: "I don't know if it is a good idea for the
Japanese prime minister to visit Sakhalin at a time when the
Northern Territories issue remains stalled. Such might end up
endorsing the former Soviet Union's military act."

(4) Third group of 23 DPJ candidates for next Lower House election

MAINICHI (Page 5) (Full)
February 12, 2009

The Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ),the largest opposition force,
decided on Feb. 10 in its executive meeting on the third group of 23
candidates for the next general election of the House of
Representatives. With the decision, the DPJ has officially endorsed
a total of 260 candidates. Of the 300 electoral district seats, the
DPJ has decided on the lineup of 284 candidates, including 22
candidates to who the DPJ will give its recommendations. When asked
on a television program on Feb. 10 about his party's target for
seats, DPJ President Ichiro Ozawa said: "More than 150 electoral
district seats."

Based on its surveys since last fall, the DPJ has officially
endorsed candidates, who meet a certain level of requirements. In
order to swiftly make arrangements to meet the election, the party
endorsed this time the 23 candidates in a lump. According to
Election Campaign Committee Chairman Hirotaka Akamatsu, Ozawa will
narrow down the electoral districts, in which the party will
extensively put funds and support by senior members, to 50 to 60 in
one month.

The DPJ officially endorsed 289 candidates and recommended two
candidates for 291 electoral districts in the 2005 Lower House
election. However, the ratio of the DPJ recommending other parties'
candidates in the upcoming election will remarkably increase. The
party's way of fielding candidates has shown that the DPJ aims at
taking over the reins of government by allying with other opposition
parties. Of the remaining 16 electoral districts, the DPJ has
labeled eight districts, including the Ibaraki No. 3, Niigata No. 5,

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Hiroshima No. 6 and Okayama No. 3 constituencies, as "cooperation
districts." The Ibaraki No. 3 electoral district is currently
represented by former Administrative Reform Minister Yoshimi
Watanabe, who has left the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP);
the Niigata No. 5 district, by former Foreign Minister Makiko
Tanaka, who belongs to the DPJ Lower House parliamentary group; the
Hiroshima No. 6 constituency, by People's New Party Deputy Chief
Shizuka Kamei; and the Okayama No. 3 constituency, by former trade
minister Takeo Hiranuma. The DPJ intends to cooperate with eight
incumbent lawmakers who are expected to run in these districts.

Remaining eight electoral districts

The DPJ plans to field its candidates in eight single-seat
constituencies, which include the Iwate No. 4, Saitama No. 11, Gunma
No. 4 and No. 5, Tokyo No. 12, Kanagawa No. 1, Toyama No. 3 and
Hyogo No. 8.

Of the eight electoral districts, although the Iwate No. 4 district
is Ozawa's home constituency, Ozawa has implied at switching to the
Tokyo 12 district, which is New Komeito leader Akihiro Ota's home
constituency. Ozawa has said that he will decide at the last as to
in which electoral district I should run. As he indicated on Jan. 31
that he would run in the Iwate No. 4 constituency, the possibility
of Ozawa switching to another district is now diminishing.

A rumor is going around that New Party Nippon leader Yasuo Tanaka,
who joins the DPJ's Upper House parliamentary group, will vie for
the Lower House seat in the Hyogo No. 8 district, in which a New
Komeito member will run. Tetsundo Iwakuni declined the DPJ's
endorsement as the candidate for the Kanagawa No. 1 constituency.
Although the People's New Party has called on the DPJ to file a
united candidate (PNP candidate) in the Kanagawa No. 1 district, the
DPJ is expected to dwell down on fielding its own candidate. The DPJ
has picked a candidate for the Toyama No. 3 constituency.
Coordination will be carried out as to which a unified opposition
candidate or DPJ candidate should be fielded.

(5) Gov. Nakaima again proposes Futenma alternative's offshore
relocation

RYUKYU SHIMPO (Page 2) (Full)
February 11, 2009

The Okinawa prefectural assembly yesterday opened its February
regular session, during which Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima delivered a
policy speech for fiscal 2009 and again proposed moving out to sea
the government-planned relocation site of an alternative facility
for the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station. In his policy speech
for fiscal 2008, the governor stated that "the relocation site
should be moved to an offshore area as far as possible." In
yesterday's speech, however, the governor stated that the relocation
site should be moved as far as possible into the offshore area,
etc." In this way, his policy speech showed a subtle change in its
wording by inserting "etc. (nado)."

According to the Okinawa prefectural government's base reversion
policy division, the word "etc." was inserted by its administrative
officials. It was not especially instructed by the governor, the
division said. The division explained that the reason why the word
"etc." was inserted is because it is intended to expand the scope of
possible changes to the Futenma relocation plan. In addition, the

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division also said Okinawa is not coordinating in concrete terms
with the government on any other solution plans that differ from the
governor's proposal to move the relocation site out to sea.

Concerning the expanded scope of possible changes to the
government's Futenma relocation plan, the division explained that
that is because the governor has sought to move the relocation site
to an offshore area from the perspective of considering the living
environment of local residents but has recently said he would also
lay emphasis on the environmental impact of the newly planned
facility on other areas, including Oura Bay, where Futenma airfield
will be relocated.

As a general trend, administrative documents frequently use the word
"etc." One prefectural government official said the usage of "etc."
is called "toton-no-jutsu" or a technique that leaves a loophole.
"It's a typical bureaucratic style of writing," the official
explained. If bureaucrats say or write something to define in only
one way, that could deny other possibilities. The usage of "etc."
has a shade of meaning as an excuse that they can make later if and
when what they said or wrote did not come out as a result.

(6) Greenhouse gas emissions: Government looking into emissions cuts
with focus on between 5 PERCENT -15 PERCENT : Six proposals for
mid-term goal

NIKKEI (Top Play) (Full)
February 8, 2009

The government has finalized six proposals for a mid-term goal of
cutting greenhouse gas emissions, an issue that will come into focus
in talks on an international framework (post-Kyoto Protocol) for
measures to address global warming starting in fiscal 2013. Details
of the proposals have now been revealed. The proposed goals to be
achieved by 2020 are broad-based, consideration having been given to
the cost of emissions cuts and the state of international
negotiations. The targets range between a 7 PERCENT increase and a
25 PERCENT cut, compared with the 1990 level. The government
intends to narrow down the proposed range of reduction percentages
to between 5 PERCENT and 15 PERCENT , the range with the highest
feasibility. It will set Japan's target by June.

The government will present the six proposals to the Round-Table on
Global Warming, chaired by Hiroshi Okuda, executive and advisor of
Toyota Motors, which directly reports to Prime Minister Taro Aso.
The prime minister will likely order each government agency to press
ahead with the Green New Deal program, which is designed to make
efforts to prevent global warming and buoy up the economy
compatible.

The six proposals have been set, based on certain premises, such as
a 6 PERCENT increase, calculated on the premise of the continuation
of the present effort to cut emissions," "between a 7 PERCENT
increase and a 2 PERCENT cut to be achieved, by taking measures
that will cost a similar amount of money spent by the U.S. and
European countries." Among the proposed amounts of cuts, a 25
PERCENT cut is the largest, which was worked out, based on the view
presented by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
that it is necessary for industrialized countries as a whole to cut
emissions by 25 PERCENT -40 PERCENT .

Since Japan is calling for changing the base year for comparison of

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emissions cut from 1990 as provided under the Kyoto Protocol, target
figures compared with the 2005 emissions level have also been
indicated. Provided that 2005 is adopted a new base year, emissions
cuts to be achieved will range between 4 PERCENT and 30 PERCENT .

The subcommittee (chaired by former Bank of Japan Governor Toshihiko
Fukui) of the Round Table, which is looking into a prospective
mid-term to be adopted, has analyzed the feasibility of the six
proposals by inviting views from industrial circles and the public.
It will reach a formal decision by June, after determining the
international situation, people's livelihood and burdens likely to
be imposed on corporate activities.

The compiled proposals are aimed at smoothly facilitating
discussions with the inclusion of measures needed in the event of a
specific reduction rate being set. However, a growing view among
government officials is that a settlement will be reached on the
range of cuts by between 5 PERCENT and 15 PERCENT . Under the Kyoto
Protocol, Japan is required to cut emissions by 6 PERCENT from the
1990 level in the 2008-2012 period. As such, it would be difficult
for it to obtain understanding from various countries, unless it
comes up with a goal higher than that. On the other hand, a dominant
view is that a proposal for cutting emissions by 25 PERCENT is
unrealistic, as it necessitates such measures as to disseminate high
energy-efficiency water heaters to 90 PERCENT of households
throughout the nation or installing solar heat panels at every new
house, as a government source said.

Many foreign countries will likely make requests in setting their
emissions cut goals. China and India are insisting that
industrialized countries that have emitted a great deal of
greenhouse gases should cut emissions substantially. The EU has come
up with a 20 PERCENT reduction plan, compared with the 1990 level.
It will most likely call on Japan to make a substantive cut, too.
However, it is deemed certain that domestic industry circles will
complain about the idea of expanding a reduction rate as it will
have an adverse effect on the economy.

Six proposals for mid-term goal (to be achieved by 2020)

Proposal Rate of emissions reduction or increase, compared with
1990 level ( PERCENT ) Basic thinking Major measures
(1) 6 Continue present effort Increase the use of wind power and
solar heat panels for houses four times larger than the present
level
(2) 7 - minus 2 Invest costs on the level similar to the mount the
U.S. and European countries spend Increase the use of solar heat
panels nearly 10 fold
(3) Minus 4 Improve measures through self-help effort Increase the
use of solar heat panels approximately 10 fold. 5-fold increase in
the use of wind power

case in which industrialized countries as a whole aim at a 25
PERCENT cut

(4) Minus1 - minus13 Each country equally shares emissions cut cost
Increase the use of solar heat panel up to 20 fold
(5) Minus 16 - minus 18 Unify the ratio of the cost of emissions
cuts to be shouldered by each country to GDP Increase the use of
solar heat panels over 20 fold. Increase the ratio of
next-generation types among new model cars to over 40 PERCENT
(6) Minus 25 Japan will independently cut emissions by 25 PERCENT

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Increase the use of solar heat panels more than 50 fold. Install
high-efficiency water heaters at 90 PERCENT of households

(N.B.) Global warming gas targeted is carbon dioxide (CO2).

ZUMWALT