Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09TOKYO431
2009-02-25 08:33:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Tokyo
Cable title:  

DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 02/25/09

Tags:  OIIP KMDR KPAO PGOV PINR ECON ELAB JA 
pdf how-to read a cable
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PP RUEHFK RUEHKSO RUEHNAG RUEHNH
DE RUEHKO #0431/01 0560833
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 250833Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
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INFO RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEAWJA/USDOJ WASHDC PRIORITY
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RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 3939
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3884
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 14 TOKYO 000431 

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 02/25/09

INDEX:

(1) Japan called "great partner" in summit meeting; U.S. has clearly
turned away from unilateralism (Yomiuri)

(2) Japan burdened with heavy responsibility in exchange for
prestigious invitation (Yomiuri)

(3) Japanese, U.S. leaders meet under crisis: Prime Minister Aso
eager to hold summit, motivated by desire to buoy up his
administration (Nikkei)

(4) Ozawa placing his own imprint on foreign policy; 75 minutes with
Wang, 30 minutes with Clinton (Asahi)

(5) DPJ President Ozawa harshly criticizes Japan-U.S. summit
meeting: The U.S. did not put its heart into the talks (Jiji Press)


(6) Ozawa speaks of possibility of reducing U.S. forces in Japan:
"The 7th Fleet would be enough" (Jiji Press)

(7) With sharp plunge in support rates, DPJ watching Aso cabinet
from good vantage point; Party stops wrangling over fiscal 2009
budget, while paying attention to discord in LDP (Mainichi)

(8) Prime Minister Aso may try to find way to extend his
administration by shuffling cabinet (Tokyo Shimbun)

(9) Aso administration with only 10 PERCENT public support
(Mainichi)

(10) U.S. serviceman gets six-month prison term for sexually
assaulting Philippine woman: Court martial decides to drop rape
chargen (Okinawa Times)

ARTICLES:

(1) Japan called "great partner" in summit meeting; U.S. has clearly
turned away from unilateralism

YOMIURI (Page 3) (Excerpts)
Eve., February 25, 2009

By Satoshi Ogawa in Washington

In the Japan-U.S. summit meeting, President Obama lauded Japan as "a
great partner," taking a stance that the U.S. together with Japan
would work out resolutions to global-scale challenges. Such an
approach differs from that of the Bush administration, which often
would first make the decision and then ask Japan to agree to it.
There is now the possibility for this kind of approach to become the
standard for the Japan-U.S. relationship.

"The Afghanistan problem should be tackled by the international
community. Every country needs to put in more efforts than before."
In this way, the President in his meeting with Prime Minister Aso
repeatedly stressed the need for every country including Japan to
play a role. It was decided that Japan, too, would take part in the
planning of a comprehensive strategy for assisting Afghanistan.
There was an outstanding difference from the previous U.S.
administration, which used words like, "Show the flag," and strongly

TOKYO 00000431 002 OF 014


requested that countries follow the U.S. lead in the "war on
terror."

A former high-level State Department official said: "The Obama
administration plans to greatly rely on the roles of its partners in
the world even in national security areas." There has been a switch
away from the foreign policy of the previous administration, which
was known for its unilateralism. The stance of the Obama
administration of aiming for each country to share the burden was
reflected in the summit meeting between the President and Prime
Minister Aso.

Prime Minister Aso, responding to such a stance, made an appeal
regarding Japan's "unique fields," such as civilian assistance to
Afghanistan and environmental technologies. A senior Foreign
Ministry official proudly said: "In addition to bilateral and
regional issues, talks covered global-scale problems, as well,
proving that the Japan-U.S. alliance has become multi-layered."

However, it is conceivable that Japan, saddled with its unstable
political situation, may not be able to rise to meet U.S.
expectations of its "great partner" in the future. At that time, the
new Japan-U.S. relationship will be put to the test.

(2) Japan burdened with heavy responsibility in exchange for
prestigious invitation

YOMIURI (Page 3) (Excerpts)
February 25, 2009

Prime Minister Taro Aso and U.S. President Barack Obama held their
first summit meeting in Washington on the morning of Feb. 24, local
time. For Obama, this was the first meeting with a foreign state
leader in the U.S. since he assumed the presidency.

U.S. to ask Japan to expand international contributions

Call for contributions

It was unprecedented for a new U.S. president to invite a Japanese
prime minister as the first foreign leader to the White House,
particularly at a time when he is busy preparing for his first State
of the Union address before Congress.

The prime minister's meeting with the new president only one month
after the president assumed office marks the third earliest,
following the "Ikeda-Johnson meeting" and the "Takeshita-Bush
(senior)" one. Kenji Hirata, secretary general of the Democratic
Party of Japan's (DPJ) caucus in the House of Councillors,
criticized Aso's U.S. visit under the current gloomy economic
situation, but a senior Foreign Ministry official commented: "It is
significant for Japan and the U.S. to declare their determination to
work hand in hand to tackle vital global issues." Chief Cabinet
Secretary Kawamura said yesterday: "There is the basic perception
that the President's stance of placing emphasis on Asia and
favorable Japan-U.S. relations are vital for the world."

Focusing on the United States' preferential treatment to Japan, as
shown by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit to Japan as the
destination of her first official overseas trip, a Japanese
government source fears that the U.S. might ask for Japan's
contributions afterward. The source means that Japan may be asked to

TOKYO 00000431 003 OF 014


offer more contributions than before for reconstructing Afghan, to
which the Obama administration gives priority, and neighboring
Pakistan.

Speculations

Richard Bush, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, takes
this view: President Obama's invitation of the Japanese prime
minister as his first foreign guest stems from the judgment that
"Japan will be a very helpful ally for the president in carrying out
his policy challenges." In actuality, the two leaders confirmed the
importance of the Japan-U.S. alliance at the outset of the meeting.

The Obama administration hopes that the stock and dollar exchange
markets will be favorably affected by demonstrating its willingness
to jointly work with Japan to contain the global economic crisis. On
climate change, the U.S. thinks that cooperation with Japan, which
has jointly developed environment-related technologies with China,
will make it easier to draw China into discussion on the issue. As a
result, major business opportunities may be given to American firms.
In addition, the U.S. anticipates that cooperation with Japan will
make it easier for the U.S. to counter Europe, which has different
basic views from the U.S. over a new international framework to
fight global warming following the 2012 expiration of the Kyoto
Protocol.

The expression "a helpful ally" also means that Japan naturally
should offer its due contributions. As a symbolic case, the U.S. has
called on Japan to take part in reviewing its comprehensive strategy
toward Afghanistan. Balbina Hwang, who served as senior special
advisor to U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill until
last month, pointed out: "High expectations tend to be accompanied
by heavy responsibility, no matter whether it is money or civilian
aid."

The Obama administration has proposed expanding the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization's (NATO) trust fund for Afghan police officers
and having countries concerned pay personnel costs. This idea is
estimated to require 2 to 4 billion dollars annually. A Japanese
government official said: "Once a framework for the plan is worked
out, there will be no option for Japan to stay away from it. Unless
Japan disburses at least several hundred millions of yen annually,
Japan's contributions will not be appreciated." If Japan fails to
win appreciation, "the Japan-U.S. alliance" will be downgraded,"
according to a diplomatic source of the U.S. Democratic Party. In
this sense, as a senior Foreign Ministry official said, "Japan has
been burdened with a heavy responsibility."

The role Japan is expected to play in addressing the financial and
economic crisis can be cited as another reason. Japan trails only
China as the largest foreign holder of U.S. Treasury bonds. To
implement Washington's large-scale economic stimulus package, it
will be necessary to float more government bonds. Some analyze that
the Obama administration expects Japan to buy more U.S. Treasury
bonds. The Japanese government views it unlikely for the U.S.
government to immediately ask Japan to buy its bonds under the
current situation, but the situation may change depending on future
economic conditions of the two countries.

U.S. less eager for personal confidence building

No lunch or dinner or other events aimed to establish a personal

TOKYO 00000431 004 OF 014


relationship between the two leaders were not set. Also, the U.S.
did not arrange for a joint press conference after the talks. Aso
was not accompanied by his wife, either.

For President Obama, there are few advantages from establishing a
relationship of trust with Prime Minister Aso, who is losing
political ground. Unless the U.S. underscores the stance of placing
emphasis on Japan as a precondition for the U.S. policy of
strengthening relations with China, as revealed during Secretary of
State Clinton's visit to China, the U.S. could send a wrong message
to the world audience. The Obama administration probably is also
keeping in mind the Clinton administration of the Democratic Party
having been criticized as "Japan bashing."

Given this, the Obama administration judged it necessary to hold a
summit meeting with Japan before the U.S. holds a bilateral summit
meeting with China. An informed source said that the reason why the
Japan-U.S. summit was arranged in a quite short period of time was
because "it would become difficult to set a summit meeting afterward
because there is a possibility of increasing government instability
in March or later.

The U.S. administration's real intention seems to have been "to
demonstrate the stance of placing importance on Japan, and not on
Prime Minister Aso," as analyzed by the said government source.

(3) Japanese, U.S. leaders meet under crisis: Prime Minister Aso
eager to hold summit, motivated by desire to buoy up his
administration

NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full)
February 25, 2009

The Japan-U.S. summit held on February 24 amid the backdrop of the
financial meltdown was the first meeting between Prime Minister Aso
and U.S. President Obama. To what extent the two leaders, who are so
contrasting in terms of generation, background and political base,
can build a relationship of trust to strengthen the bilateral
alliance will determine the future course of the Aso administration,
which is suffering from sagging public-support ratings.

When the President took office in late January, Aso cited
similarities between himself and Obama: "We share the perception of
the global economic crisis. We basically have the same method for
bringing out the nation's potential."

The prime minister, who calls himself "the economic Aso," was
calling for a summit with Obama even before he took office as
president, noting that Japan and the U.S. as economic powers needed
to indicate their resolve to cooperate to overcome the financial
crisis. The talks on Feb. 24 are the result of the Japanese Foreign
Ministry having frantically worked on the U.S. for a summit in order
to respond to the prime minister's enthusiasm, according to an aide
to Aso.

The prime minister is having trouble maintaining his administration,
with public support ratings for his cabinet having dropped to 15
PERCENT and a non-support rate at 80 PERCENT . The president is
still enjoying a high support rate of 60 PERCENT . Aso's ulterior
motive, visible from time to time, is that he wants to create an
opportunity to buoy up his administration by riding on Obama's
coattails.

TOKYO 00000431 005 OF 014



In order for the two leaders to overcome the economic crisis, it is
necessary for them to hurry to reconstruct their countries' domestic
economies.

The prime minister will aim at enacting the fiscal 2009 budget and
compiling an additional stimulus package, as soon has he returns
home. However, a storm is blowing in the ruling camp with many
wanting to oust him.

Points of Japan-U.S. summit: Japan to take part in planning strategy
to Afghanistan

Further strengthen the Japan-U.S. alliance. Jointly deal with
various issues facing the world.
Do the utmost for the reconstruction of each country's domestic
economy with the aim of overcoming the economic crisis. Counter the
spread of protectionism. Look into a new framework for bilateral
economic dialogue.
Package settlement of North Korea's abduction, nuclear and missile
issues. Collaborate to settle the abduction issue.
Japan to take part in the planning of a U.S. strategy toward
Afghanistan. Japan to proactively extend assistance in the civilian
area
Cooperation in assistance to Pakistan, as well.
Collaboration on the compilation of a mid-term goal for cutting
greenhouse gas emissions. Search for a framework for consultation
among Japan, the U.S. and China.
Technology cooperation in the clean energy area. Japan ready to
cooperate for a U.S. plan for a high-speed railway system.

(4) Ozawa placing his own imprint on foreign policy; 75 minutes with
Wang, 30 minutes with Clinton

ASAHI (Page 2) (Full)
February 25, 2009

Democratic Party of Japan (Minshuto) President Ozawa is now sending
out his diplomatic signals. Ozawa recently met with U.S. Secretary
of State Clinton and then met with Wang Jiarui, head of the Chinese
Communist Party's international liaison department. In the meetings,
an outline of Ozawa's style of diplomacy loomed as he would not
cover up his friendly feeling toward China and constrained the
United States.
With a change of government becoming more likely, there is a growing
sense of alarm at home and abroad.

A special, close feeling toward China

On Feb. 23, Ozawa had quite a long conversation with Wang at DPJ
headquarters. Wang visited Japan at the ruling parties' invitation.
However, his meeting with Ozawa was longer than that with Prime
Minister Aso, lasting one hour and 15 minutes.

"How was your meeting with Clinton?" In this way, Wang asked Ozawa
about his meeting with the U.S. secretary of state on Feb. 17. Ozawa
reportedly asked Wang about his visit to Pyongyang late last month
when Wang met with North Korea's General Secretary Kim Jong Il.

Ozawa has a deep relationship with China as he has been promoting
grassroots exchanges between Japan and China since 1989. In 2006,
Ozawa visited China on behalf of the DPJ and created a mechanism for

TOKYO 00000431 006 OF 014


talks with the Chinese Communist Party. Since then, Ozawa has
annually met with Chinese President Hu Jintao.

However, the meeting with Clinton was contrasting. It took time to
have the meeting schedule arranged. Moreover, the meeting time was
only some 30 minutes. In his meeting with Clinton, Ozawa stressed:
"I am one of those who have maintained that the Japan-U.S. alliance
is more important than anything else. However, one country must not
be subservient to the other country in their bilateral
relationship." Meanwhile, Ozawa referred to the China problem,
saying, "It's inconceivable that North Korea will give up its
nuclear card. Besides, China wants to maintain the present
situation." He also said, "China's democratization of itself-or its
soft landing-is the biggest task for Japan and the United States."

Ozawa, in his meeting with Wang, brought up his ideal regarding the
trilateral relationships of Japan, the United States, and China,
likening the trilateral ties to an "isosceles triangle" with the
Japan-U.S. relationship and the Japan-China relationship being the
same in length. "I have a special, close feeling toward China,"
Ozawa said. Ozawa thinks Japan and the United States are close at
present, and Japan and China are far, but he thinks Japan and China
should be close as well.

That stance, however, could be taken as meaning Japan and China join
hands to constrain the United States. In point of fact, U.S. opinion
leaders often voiced their concerns to DPJ executives, saying Ozawa
might be anti-U.S.

"I had advice from an American friend," Ozawa said, "and I was told
that I am being misunderstood." In this way, Ozawa underscored his
stance of prioritizing the Japan-U.S. relationship. However, Ozawa
is proud that he managed negotiations with the United States over
Japan's market liberalization and international contributions about
20 years ago when Ozawa was with the ruling Liberal Democratic
Party. He is therefore bullish in what he says.

On Feb. 24, Ozawa visited the Nara prefectural city of Kashiba and
he faced a reporter's question there about the presence of U.S.
military bases in Japan. In reply, Ozawa developed his argument:
"Japan should not always be at the beck and call of the United
States. Instead, we, too, should have an appropriate global
strategy. The question is what role Japan is going to play." At the
same time, Ozawa referred to the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet, which is
based in the Kanagawa prefectural city of Yokosuka and covers the
West Pacific and the Indian Ocean. "For the United States to forward
station troops at this time is meaningless," Ozawa said. "The
Seventh Fleet alone is enough for the U.S. presence in the Far
East," he added.

No action to U.S. on 4 issues

Recently, there has been a sharp increase in the number of requests
to DPJ headquarters from various countries wishing to meet with
party executives. The number of requests began increasing in
December last year from the pace of once a week to three. The DPJ
has actually held 30 meetings since that month. One from an Asian
country's embassy in Tokyo explained: "The DPJ may take office.
Given this possibility, we take it for granted."

On the morning of Dec. 19 last year, a group of U.S. experts met at
a Tokyo hotel with DPJ leaders, including Naoto Kan, Yukio Hatoyama,

TOKYO 00000431 007 OF 014


Seiji Maehara, and Katsuya Okada. Among those visitors in the
meeting was Harvard University Professor Joseph Nye, who is now
being considered for the post of ambassador to Japan under the U.S.
Obama administration. According to one of those present at the
meeting, the U.S. group referred to "four pending issues":
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 14 TOKYO 000431

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 02/25/09

INDEX:

(1) Japan called "great partner" in summit meeting; U.S. has clearly
turned away from unilateralism (Yomiuri)

(2) Japan burdened with heavy responsibility in exchange for
prestigious invitation (Yomiuri)

(3) Japanese, U.S. leaders meet under crisis: Prime Minister Aso
eager to hold summit, motivated by desire to buoy up his
administration (Nikkei)

(4) Ozawa placing his own imprint on foreign policy; 75 minutes with
Wang, 30 minutes with Clinton (Asahi)

(5) DPJ President Ozawa harshly criticizes Japan-U.S. summit
meeting: The U.S. did not put its heart into the talks (Jiji Press)


(6) Ozawa speaks of possibility of reducing U.S. forces in Japan:
"The 7th Fleet would be enough" (Jiji Press)

(7) With sharp plunge in support rates, DPJ watching Aso cabinet
from good vantage point; Party stops wrangling over fiscal 2009
budget, while paying attention to discord in LDP (Mainichi)

(8) Prime Minister Aso may try to find way to extend his
administration by shuffling cabinet (Tokyo Shimbun)

(9) Aso administration with only 10 PERCENT public support
(Mainichi)

(10) U.S. serviceman gets six-month prison term for sexually
assaulting Philippine woman: Court martial decides to drop rape
chargen (Okinawa Times)

ARTICLES:

(1) Japan called "great partner" in summit meeting; U.S. has clearly
turned away from unilateralism

YOMIURI (Page 3) (Excerpts)
Eve., February 25, 2009

By Satoshi Ogawa in Washington

In the Japan-U.S. summit meeting, President Obama lauded Japan as "a
great partner," taking a stance that the U.S. together with Japan
would work out resolutions to global-scale challenges. Such an
approach differs from that of the Bush administration, which often

would first make the decision and then ask Japan to agree to it.
There is now the possibility for this kind of approach to become the
standard for the Japan-U.S. relationship.

"The Afghanistan problem should be tackled by the international
community. Every country needs to put in more efforts than before."
In this way, the President in his meeting with Prime Minister Aso
repeatedly stressed the need for every country including Japan to
play a role. It was decided that Japan, too, would take part in the
planning of a comprehensive strategy for assisting Afghanistan.
There was an outstanding difference from the previous U.S.
administration, which used words like, "Show the flag," and strongly

TOKYO 00000431 002 OF 014


requested that countries follow the U.S. lead in the "war on
terror."

A former high-level State Department official said: "The Obama
administration plans to greatly rely on the roles of its partners in
the world even in national security areas." There has been a switch
away from the foreign policy of the previous administration, which
was known for its unilateralism. The stance of the Obama
administration of aiming for each country to share the burden was
reflected in the summit meeting between the President and Prime
Minister Aso.

Prime Minister Aso, responding to such a stance, made an appeal
regarding Japan's "unique fields," such as civilian assistance to
Afghanistan and environmental technologies. A senior Foreign
Ministry official proudly said: "In addition to bilateral and
regional issues, talks covered global-scale problems, as well,
proving that the Japan-U.S. alliance has become multi-layered."

However, it is conceivable that Japan, saddled with its unstable
political situation, may not be able to rise to meet U.S.
expectations of its "great partner" in the future. At that time, the
new Japan-U.S. relationship will be put to the test.

(2) Japan burdened with heavy responsibility in exchange for
prestigious invitation

YOMIURI (Page 3) (Excerpts)
February 25, 2009

Prime Minister Taro Aso and U.S. President Barack Obama held their
first summit meeting in Washington on the morning of Feb. 24, local
time. For Obama, this was the first meeting with a foreign state
leader in the U.S. since he assumed the presidency.

U.S. to ask Japan to expand international contributions

Call for contributions

It was unprecedented for a new U.S. president to invite a Japanese
prime minister as the first foreign leader to the White House,
particularly at a time when he is busy preparing for his first State
of the Union address before Congress.

The prime minister's meeting with the new president only one month
after the president assumed office marks the third earliest,
following the "Ikeda-Johnson meeting" and the "Takeshita-Bush
(senior)" one. Kenji Hirata, secretary general of the Democratic
Party of Japan's (DPJ) caucus in the House of Councillors,
criticized Aso's U.S. visit under the current gloomy economic
situation, but a senior Foreign Ministry official commented: "It is
significant for Japan and the U.S. to declare their determination to
work hand in hand to tackle vital global issues." Chief Cabinet
Secretary Kawamura said yesterday: "There is the basic perception
that the President's stance of placing emphasis on Asia and
favorable Japan-U.S. relations are vital for the world."

Focusing on the United States' preferential treatment to Japan, as
shown by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit to Japan as the
destination of her first official overseas trip, a Japanese
government source fears that the U.S. might ask for Japan's
contributions afterward. The source means that Japan may be asked to

TOKYO 00000431 003 OF 014


offer more contributions than before for reconstructing Afghan, to
which the Obama administration gives priority, and neighboring
Pakistan.

Speculations

Richard Bush, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, takes
this view: President Obama's invitation of the Japanese prime
minister as his first foreign guest stems from the judgment that
"Japan will be a very helpful ally for the president in carrying out
his policy challenges." In actuality, the two leaders confirmed the
importance of the Japan-U.S. alliance at the outset of the meeting.

The Obama administration hopes that the stock and dollar exchange
markets will be favorably affected by demonstrating its willingness
to jointly work with Japan to contain the global economic crisis. On
climate change, the U.S. thinks that cooperation with Japan, which
has jointly developed environment-related technologies with China,
will make it easier to draw China into discussion on the issue. As a
result, major business opportunities may be given to American firms.
In addition, the U.S. anticipates that cooperation with Japan will
make it easier for the U.S. to counter Europe, which has different
basic views from the U.S. over a new international framework to
fight global warming following the 2012 expiration of the Kyoto
Protocol.

The expression "a helpful ally" also means that Japan naturally
should offer its due contributions. As a symbolic case, the U.S. has
called on Japan to take part in reviewing its comprehensive strategy
toward Afghanistan. Balbina Hwang, who served as senior special
advisor to U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill until
last month, pointed out: "High expectations tend to be accompanied
by heavy responsibility, no matter whether it is money or civilian
aid."

The Obama administration has proposed expanding the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization's (NATO) trust fund for Afghan police officers
and having countries concerned pay personnel costs. This idea is
estimated to require 2 to 4 billion dollars annually. A Japanese
government official said: "Once a framework for the plan is worked
out, there will be no option for Japan to stay away from it. Unless
Japan disburses at least several hundred millions of yen annually,
Japan's contributions will not be appreciated." If Japan fails to
win appreciation, "the Japan-U.S. alliance" will be downgraded,"
according to a diplomatic source of the U.S. Democratic Party. In
this sense, as a senior Foreign Ministry official said, "Japan has
been burdened with a heavy responsibility."

The role Japan is expected to play in addressing the financial and
economic crisis can be cited as another reason. Japan trails only
China as the largest foreign holder of U.S. Treasury bonds. To
implement Washington's large-scale economic stimulus package, it
will be necessary to float more government bonds. Some analyze that
the Obama administration expects Japan to buy more U.S. Treasury
bonds. The Japanese government views it unlikely for the U.S.
government to immediately ask Japan to buy its bonds under the
current situation, but the situation may change depending on future
economic conditions of the two countries.

U.S. less eager for personal confidence building

No lunch or dinner or other events aimed to establish a personal

TOKYO 00000431 004 OF 014


relationship between the two leaders were not set. Also, the U.S.
did not arrange for a joint press conference after the talks. Aso
was not accompanied by his wife, either.

For President Obama, there are few advantages from establishing a
relationship of trust with Prime Minister Aso, who is losing
political ground. Unless the U.S. underscores the stance of placing
emphasis on Japan as a precondition for the U.S. policy of
strengthening relations with China, as revealed during Secretary of
State Clinton's visit to China, the U.S. could send a wrong message
to the world audience. The Obama administration probably is also
keeping in mind the Clinton administration of the Democratic Party
having been criticized as "Japan bashing."

Given this, the Obama administration judged it necessary to hold a
summit meeting with Japan before the U.S. holds a bilateral summit
meeting with China. An informed source said that the reason why the
Japan-U.S. summit was arranged in a quite short period of time was
because "it would become difficult to set a summit meeting afterward
because there is a possibility of increasing government instability
in March or later.

The U.S. administration's real intention seems to have been "to
demonstrate the stance of placing importance on Japan, and not on
Prime Minister Aso," as analyzed by the said government source.

(3) Japanese, U.S. leaders meet under crisis: Prime Minister Aso
eager to hold summit, motivated by desire to buoy up his
administration

NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full)
February 25, 2009

The Japan-U.S. summit held on February 24 amid the backdrop of the
financial meltdown was the first meeting between Prime Minister Aso
and U.S. President Obama. To what extent the two leaders, who are so
contrasting in terms of generation, background and political base,
can build a relationship of trust to strengthen the bilateral
alliance will determine the future course of the Aso administration,
which is suffering from sagging public-support ratings.

When the President took office in late January, Aso cited
similarities between himself and Obama: "We share the perception of
the global economic crisis. We basically have the same method for
bringing out the nation's potential."

The prime minister, who calls himself "the economic Aso," was
calling for a summit with Obama even before he took office as
president, noting that Japan and the U.S. as economic powers needed
to indicate their resolve to cooperate to overcome the financial
crisis. The talks on Feb. 24 are the result of the Japanese Foreign
Ministry having frantically worked on the U.S. for a summit in order
to respond to the prime minister's enthusiasm, according to an aide
to Aso.

The prime minister is having trouble maintaining his administration,
with public support ratings for his cabinet having dropped to 15
PERCENT and a non-support rate at 80 PERCENT . The president is
still enjoying a high support rate of 60 PERCENT . Aso's ulterior
motive, visible from time to time, is that he wants to create an
opportunity to buoy up his administration by riding on Obama's
coattails.

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In order for the two leaders to overcome the economic crisis, it is
necessary for them to hurry to reconstruct their countries' domestic
economies.

The prime minister will aim at enacting the fiscal 2009 budget and
compiling an additional stimulus package, as soon has he returns
home. However, a storm is blowing in the ruling camp with many
wanting to oust him.

Points of Japan-U.S. summit: Japan to take part in planning strategy
to Afghanistan

Further strengthen the Japan-U.S. alliance. Jointly deal with
various issues facing the world.
Do the utmost for the reconstruction of each country's domestic
economy with the aim of overcoming the economic crisis. Counter the
spread of protectionism. Look into a new framework for bilateral
economic dialogue.
Package settlement of North Korea's abduction, nuclear and missile
issues. Collaborate to settle the abduction issue.
Japan to take part in the planning of a U.S. strategy toward
Afghanistan. Japan to proactively extend assistance in the civilian
area
Cooperation in assistance to Pakistan, as well.
Collaboration on the compilation of a mid-term goal for cutting
greenhouse gas emissions. Search for a framework for consultation
among Japan, the U.S. and China.
Technology cooperation in the clean energy area. Japan ready to
cooperate for a U.S. plan for a high-speed railway system.

(4) Ozawa placing his own imprint on foreign policy; 75 minutes with
Wang, 30 minutes with Clinton

ASAHI (Page 2) (Full)
February 25, 2009

Democratic Party of Japan (Minshuto) President Ozawa is now sending
out his diplomatic signals. Ozawa recently met with U.S. Secretary
of State Clinton and then met with Wang Jiarui, head of the Chinese
Communist Party's international liaison department. In the meetings,
an outline of Ozawa's style of diplomacy loomed as he would not
cover up his friendly feeling toward China and constrained the
United States.
With a change of government becoming more likely, there is a growing
sense of alarm at home and abroad.

A special, close feeling toward China

On Feb. 23, Ozawa had quite a long conversation with Wang at DPJ
headquarters. Wang visited Japan at the ruling parties' invitation.
However, his meeting with Ozawa was longer than that with Prime
Minister Aso, lasting one hour and 15 minutes.

"How was your meeting with Clinton?" In this way, Wang asked Ozawa
about his meeting with the U.S. secretary of state on Feb. 17. Ozawa
reportedly asked Wang about his visit to Pyongyang late last month
when Wang met with North Korea's General Secretary Kim Jong Il.

Ozawa has a deep relationship with China as he has been promoting
grassroots exchanges between Japan and China since 1989. In 2006,
Ozawa visited China on behalf of the DPJ and created a mechanism for

TOKYO 00000431 006 OF 014


talks with the Chinese Communist Party. Since then, Ozawa has
annually met with Chinese President Hu Jintao.

However, the meeting with Clinton was contrasting. It took time to
have the meeting schedule arranged. Moreover, the meeting time was
only some 30 minutes. In his meeting with Clinton, Ozawa stressed:
"I am one of those who have maintained that the Japan-U.S. alliance
is more important than anything else. However, one country must not
be subservient to the other country in their bilateral
relationship." Meanwhile, Ozawa referred to the China problem,
saying, "It's inconceivable that North Korea will give up its
nuclear card. Besides, China wants to maintain the present
situation." He also said, "China's democratization of itself-or its
soft landing-is the biggest task for Japan and the United States."

Ozawa, in his meeting with Wang, brought up his ideal regarding the
trilateral relationships of Japan, the United States, and China,
likening the trilateral ties to an "isosceles triangle" with the
Japan-U.S. relationship and the Japan-China relationship being the
same in length. "I have a special, close feeling toward China,"
Ozawa said. Ozawa thinks Japan and the United States are close at
present, and Japan and China are far, but he thinks Japan and China
should be close as well.

That stance, however, could be taken as meaning Japan and China join
hands to constrain the United States. In point of fact, U.S. opinion
leaders often voiced their concerns to DPJ executives, saying Ozawa
might be anti-U.S.

"I had advice from an American friend," Ozawa said, "and I was told
that I am being misunderstood." In this way, Ozawa underscored his
stance of prioritizing the Japan-U.S. relationship. However, Ozawa
is proud that he managed negotiations with the United States over
Japan's market liberalization and international contributions about
20 years ago when Ozawa was with the ruling Liberal Democratic
Party. He is therefore bullish in what he says.

On Feb. 24, Ozawa visited the Nara prefectural city of Kashiba and
he faced a reporter's question there about the presence of U.S.
military bases in Japan. In reply, Ozawa developed his argument:
"Japan should not always be at the beck and call of the United
States. Instead, we, too, should have an appropriate global
strategy. The question is what role Japan is going to play." At the
same time, Ozawa referred to the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet, which is
based in the Kanagawa prefectural city of Yokosuka and covers the
West Pacific and the Indian Ocean. "For the United States to forward
station troops at this time is meaningless," Ozawa said. "The
Seventh Fleet alone is enough for the U.S. presence in the Far
East," he added.

No action to U.S. on 4 issues

Recently, there has been a sharp increase in the number of requests
to DPJ headquarters from various countries wishing to meet with
party executives. The number of requests began increasing in
December last year from the pace of once a week to three. The DPJ
has actually held 30 meetings since that month. One from an Asian
country's embassy in Tokyo explained: "The DPJ may take office.
Given this possibility, we take it for granted."

On the morning of Dec. 19 last year, a group of U.S. experts met at
a Tokyo hotel with DPJ leaders, including Naoto Kan, Yukio Hatoyama,

TOKYO 00000431 007 OF 014


Seiji Maehara, and Katsuya Okada. Among those visitors in the
meeting was Harvard University Professor Joseph Nye, who is now
being considered for the post of ambassador to Japan under the U.S.
Obama administration. According to one of those present at the
meeting, the U.S. group referred to "four pending issues": 1) the
Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA); 2) U.S. military
realignment in Japan; 3) Afghan policy; and 4) refueling activities
in the Indian Ocean.

The DPJ is upholding a drastic review of all the four points for an
"equal Japan-U.S. alliance." However, the U.S. participants were
concerned about this DPJ standpoint, with one of them saying: "If
all these points are specified in the manifesto, that will be an
obstacle to your smooth building of a relationship with the Obama
administration." Maehara recalls, "Mr. Nye said he would regard us
as anti-U.S." In concluding the one-hour meeting, the U.S. group
suggested that the DPJ should send a delegation to the United States
at an early date for coordination, according to Maehara.

Hatoyama and other DPJ executives began at once to discuss the idea
of sending a delegation to the United States. However, Ozawa was
cautious. According to one DPJ executive, Ozawa told the party
executives in late January: "I will not meet with Obama until we
take office. It would be just something for prep talks. When we took
office, they may say different things. That's no good."

Meanwhile, the DPJ has its own circumstances. "There's no way we can
enter into coordination with the U.S. side before the House of
Representatives election," one of the DPJ's executives confessed.
That is because the Social Democratic Party (Shaminto),a potential
partner for the DPJ to form a coalition government, is on the same
wavelength with the DPJ for a drastic review of the SOFA pact and
the U.S. force realignment but is against sending the Self-Defense
Forces overseas.

The election comes first. This is Ozawa's way of thinking. In the
meantime, the government will ask the Diet during its current
session for its approval of a treaty on the planned realignment of
U.S. forces in Japan. Ozawa, when asked by a reporter whether the
DPJ will consent to the treaty, went no further than to say: "Why
don't you please ask about such an individual matter after we've
taken office?"

DPJ may negotiate own plan for Afghan peace

Ozawa, though remaining critical of the United States, is paying
close attention to the Obama administration's moves. The Obama
administration regards Afghanistan as the main theater of war in the
war on terror. For Afghan peace, the DPJ is now beginning to hold
behind-the-scenes negotiations with various countries.

Tadashi Inuzuka, who served as a senior vice foreign minister in the
DPJ's shadow cabinet until last month, visited Brussels and
Washington on Feb. 14-20. In Afghanistan, the conflict between the
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF),which is led by the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO),and the Taliban, a group
of antigovernment militants, was getting bogged down. Inuzuka
explained the DPJ's initiative like this.

The United States and NATO withdraw their troops deployed to the
Pakistani border, where the armed insurgents are based. Then, the
SDF and an unarmed U.N. ceasefire monitoring delegation of

TOKYO 00000431 008 OF 014


representatives from Arab states will be sent there instead. In
Tokyo, Afghanistan and Pakistan will hold working-level
consultations and hold a summit meeting of their leaders.

Inuzuka, who worked out the initiative, and Kenji Isezaki, a
professor at the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies' graduate
school, visited Afghanistan late last year with Ozawa's approval.
Isezaki, who served as a special delegate of the Japanese government
for Afghanistan's disarming, took part in the DPJ's work of drafting
a bill in late 2007 to eradicate terrorism. The DPJ bill approved
the SDF's limited deployment to a conflict-suspended area for
civilian assistance.

The conflict-suspending initiative is in line with Ozawa's advocacy
of sharing roles with the United States through proactive
participation in U.N. operations. However, Ozawa criticized the
Obama administration's plan to send reinforcements to Afghanistan.
"They can never prevail," Ozawa said in a radio program aired on
Feb. 16. Ozawa then stressed the idea of recovering farmland as
Japan's possible contribution. The question is whether he will
decide to send SDF troops there. Yet, he does not appear to be
determined.

Policy differences between the government and the DPJ on major
security issues

Government
SDF deployment overseas The government has sent the SDF overseas for
specific issues under such legislative measures as the PKO
Cooperation Law and the Antiterrorism Special Measures Law, but the
government is now considering a general law (or a permanent law
allowing Japan to send the SDF overseas as needed). The government
constrains the SDF's overseas activities under the Constitution that
prohibits Japan from using armed force if it is not for the defense
of Japan.
Afghanistan Under the Antiterrorism Special Measures Law, the
Maritime Self-Defense Force has been tasked with refueling
multinational forces' naval vessels on stage mainly in the Indian
Ocean. Japan has sent no Ground Self-Defense Force troops to
Afghanistan.
U.S. force realignment It is important to maintain deterrence and
mitigate the burden of base-hosting localities in order to maintain
and develop bilateral security arrangements between Japan and the
U.S. Based on the agreement with the U.S. government, Futenma
airfield in Okinawa Prefecture will be relocated to Nago City by

2014.
SOFA In conformity with SOFA provisions, the U.S. will hold suspects
in custody until they are indicted in case the U.S. detains them,
even though Japan has primary jurisdiction over them and even if
their crimes were committed off duty. The custody of suspects may be
turned over to Japan through improvements in the way of implementing
SOFA provisions.

DPJ
SDF deployment overseas If there is a U.N. resolution, it is
constitutional to use armed force outside the defense of Japan.
Enact a general law (or a permanent law) for Japan's proactive
participation in U.N. operations. Decision yet to be made on whether
to send the SDF or a different organization (DPJ manifesto in
2006).
Afghanistan The DPJ is opposed to refueling in the Indian Ocean
because there is no definite U.N. resolution. The SDF may be sent to

TOKYO 00000431 009 OF 014


a "conflict-suspended area" in Afghanistan for humanitarian and
reconstruction assistance (DPJ-drafted antiterror bill in 2007).
U.S. force realignment Alleviate Okinawa Prefecture's base-hosting
burden immediately. Relocate Futenma airfield elsewhere outside
Okinawa Prefecture, disperse USMC bases in Okinawa Prefecture to
other locations outside Okinawa Prefecture or outside Japan, based
on changes in the strategic environment (DPJ's Okinawa Vision in
2008).
SOFA Drastic revisions needed immediately. Japan has primary
jurisdiction over U.S. military personnel even in the case of crimes
committed on duty outside the areas of USFJ facilities, and Japan
will hold suspects in custody at its facilities (ditto).

(5) DPJ President Ozawa harshly criticizes Japan-U.S. summit
meeting: The U.S. did not put its heart into the talks

JIJI PRESS (Internet edition) (Full)
February 25, 2009

Speaking to the press corps in Osaka this morning, Democratic Party
of Japan (DPJ) President Ichiro Ozawa harshly criticized the
Japan-U.S. summit meeting between Prime Minister Taro Aso and
President Barack Obama, saying: "With a prime minister who has lost
the trust of 70 to 80 percent of the public, effective negotiations
are impossible. The United States, too, probably did not put its
heart into the various things talked about."

Ozawa also pointed out: "(The U.S.) has come out with policy of
giving priority to Japan and Asia. In that context, even though the
(meetings) that the prime minister's side requests from time to time
are realized, there does not seem to be any contents to them." DPJ
Secretary General Hatoyama told the press corps in Tokyo: "Can a
prime minister with such a low level of public support be able to
have talks on an equal level with President Obama? I doubt it. I
can't imagine there was any specificity in the contents of the
talks."

(6) Ozawa speaks of possibility of reducing U.S. forces in Japan:
"The 7th Fleet would be enough"

JIJI Press (Internet service) (Full)
February 25, 2009

Speaking to the press corps today in Osaka, Democratic Party of
Japan (DPJ) President Ichiro Ozawa expressed his thinking about the
realignment of U.S. forces in Japan, saying that it would be
possible to reduce the U.S. presence but cutting the Army, Marines
and other troops. He said: "If Japan has the resolve to do by
itself what it should be doing by itself, there would be no need for
the U.S. armed forces to forward deploy so many units in Japan. The
(U.S. Navy's) 7th Fleet would seem to be enough."

Ozawa pointed out, "Once Japan assumes it role on the security
front, the role of the U.S. forces be reduced by that much." He
stressed: "Japan must properly discuss with the United States its
global strategy and then assume more responsibility than it has in
the past." However, he did not touch at all on whether "Japan's
responsibility" meant increasing Japan's defense power.

On the other hand, DPJ Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama, referring
to Ozawa's remarks, told the press corps in Tokyo, "My understanding
is that he was not envisioning an increase in Japan's military

TOKYO 00000431 010 OF 014


power."

(7) With sharp plunge in support rates, DPJ watching Aso cabinet
from good vantage point; Party stops wrangling over fiscal 2009
budget, while paying attention to discord in LDP

MAINICHI (Page 2) (Full)
February 25, 2009

The Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ),the largest opposition force,
is now looking on with folded arms at the sharp plunge in the
support rates for the cabinet of Prime Minister Taro Aso. The DPJ
has already ditched its policy of engaging in a fierce battle (with
the ruling parties) in the Diet over the passage of the fiscal 2009
budget by allowing the ruling coalition to pass it by the March 31
end of the fiscal year. As such, the largest opposition party
intends to closely watch what will occur in the ruling Liberal
Democratic Party (LDP) after the budget clears the Diet.

In Kashiba City, Nara Prefecture, on Feb. 24 just before Aso was
expected to meet with U.S. President Barack Obama, DPJ President
Ichiro Ozawa told reporters with a smile:

"I think it is not good (for U.S. President Barack Obama) to hold
talks with the prime minister, who has been told to leave office by
most of the Japanese public. It is impossible for them to hold a
substantive meeting."

A senior DPJ member said: "Since the LDP itself has stumbled badly,
there is no need to drive Prime Minister Aso into a corner." This
view is shared by many DPJ lawmakers. From this standpoint, the DPJ
has decided to allow the passage of the fiscal 2009 budget before
the end of this fiscal year. Diet Affairs Committee Chairman Kenji
Yamaoka views that there will be discord in the LDP as to whether
the party should go into the next election under Aso's leadership or
find a replacement. The best scenario for the DPJ is to see Aso
dissolve the Lower House immediately after the budget clears the
Diet. The DPJ has a heightened sense of alarm toward the idea of the
LDP picking another prime minister without going through a Lower
House election.

During a meeting on the night of Feb. 23 between Ozawa and veteran
DPJ Upper House members, one participant said: "Considering that
case in which the prime minister does not dissolve the Lower House,
we should start working on the issue of (former New Komeito Chairman
Junya) Yano." What they talked about was that the DPJ should demand
the summoning of Yano to testify as a witness before the Diet. Yano
has filed a complaint accusing the religious sect Soka Gakkai, the
New Komeito's main backer, of obstructing freedom of speech. The DPJ
is also considering issuing a censure motion against Aso and a
no-confidence motion against the cabinet as options.

With a sharp plunge in the support rates for the Aso cabinet, senior
DPJ members have now often use a term 'once the party is in power.'
When requested by Mayor of Ginowan City Yoichi Iha that the base
land to be vacated by the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station be
returned to the city as early as possible, Secretary General Yukio
Hatoyama said in a strong tone: "Once our party assumes the reins of
political power, this is the very issue the new government will
encounter. We will do our best." Iha asked Hatoyama to include the
party's 'Okinawa vision' - which advocates the relocation of the
Futenma Air Station from Okinawa to someplace overseas -- in its set

TOKYO 00000431 011 OF 014


of campaign pledges for the next Lower House election, but Hatoyama
made no reply. Ozawa, who has criticized the Japan-U.S. summit as
meaningless, did not answer a question by reporters as to whether he
was for or against an agreement on the relocation of U.S. marines on
Okinawa to Guam.

Although there is a sense of emotional uplift in the DPJ, there are
uncertain factors in the party. Ozawa said: "Japan should not
blindly follow everything the United States says it should do," but
the overall picture of what Japan-U.S. relations would look like
will remain unclear until after the next Lower House election.

(8) Prime Minister Aso may try to find way to extend his
administration by shuffling cabinet

TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Full)
February 24, 2009

Some officials in the government and ruling coalition are looking
into the possibility of using a cabinet shuffle to extend the life
of the Aso administration. The possibility has suddenly moved closer
to reality because of the need to end as soon as possible the
situation of Kaoru Yosano concurrently serving in three cabinet
posts: finance minister, state minister of financial services, and
state minister of economic and fiscal policy.

Aso has hinted at reviewing the appointment of Yosano holding three
cabinet posts after the fiscal 2009 budget and related bills are
enacted. Therefore, it is most likely that the cabinet will be
shuffled at the same time when Yosano's wearing of three hats comes
to an end. Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshitada Konoike in the
Prime Minister's Official Residence and State Minister for
Administrative Reform Akira Amari have both called for a cabinet
shuffle.

A person close to Aso has asserted that replacing cabinet members is
one option, since the present situation is that the public does not
appreciate the prime minister's effort no matter how much effort he
puts into coming up with policy measures.

Aso, however, is reluctant to shuffle his cabinet. The major reasons
for the cabinet's plummeting support rates in the polls are Aso's
gaffes, such as his flip flop on postal privatization. If Aso
shuffles his cabinet, a chorus of voices from within the party and
outside will call on him to step down. Aides to Aso, too, are not
sure whether a cabinet shuffle is a good idea. The question is
whether to give priority to finding the replacement for the
unpopular Aso to lead the LDP into the Lower House election or
whether to choose a cabinet of capable lawmakers to compile an
additional economic package. Depending on how the cabinet is
shuffled, those LDP members given the cold shoulder from Aso might
react negatively.

Many members of the ruling camp are reacting coldly to the cabinet
shuffle argument. A senior LDP member said: "The prime minister
lacks the will to shuffle his cabinet."

(9) Aso administration with only 10 PERCENT public support

MAINICHI (Page 1) (Full)
February 24, 2009


TOKYO 00000431 012 OF 014


Can Aso cabinet implement additional economic measures?

"Is it possible for the government to adopt a huge economic stimulus
package under the current situation? Is it proper for the Aso
cabinet to implement those measures?" Former Policy Research Council
Chairman Yoshito Sengoku of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ)
asked these questions in a meeting of the House of Representatives
Budget Committee yesterday.

Kaoru Yosano, Finance Minister and State Minister in Charge of
Economic and Fiscal Policy, replied: "It is now essential for all of
us to consider what measures should be taken to buoy up the economy,
no matter who is in charge." There arose a small commotion in the
room when he said, "no matter who is in charge." These words might
be taken as expressing his view that it would be difficult to come
up with an additional economic package under the Aso cabinet.

In the latest opinion survey conducted by the Mainichi Shimbun,
public support for the Aso cabinet dropped to 11 PERCENT - the
third worst on record (in the Mainichi polls). Many Liberal
Democratic Party members say that the party will not be able to win
the next election under Prime Minister Taro Aso. Close attention is
now being paid to moves by Yosano, who has somewhat distanced
himself from Aso.

Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) President Ichiro Ozawa, Chairman
Azuma Koshiishi of the DPJ Caucus in the House of Councillors, and
several other members met at a Tokyo hotel last night. In
anticipation of a collapse of the Aso administration, many
participants said that only Yosano could be touted as a potential
candidate to succeed Aso. A senior New Komeito member added: "If LDP
members say it is desirable to go into the next election under
someone other than Aso, we will accept that suggestions."

Unable to predict how the situation would develop after the fiscal
2009 budget is enacted, the government finds it difficult to compile
an additional economic package. Even a senior government official
was overheard grumbling: "Nobody knows whether the administration
would be able to survive until a new package is prepared."

Prime Minister Aso left for Washington last night, after telling
reporters: "I have to take the results of public surveys with
humility."

While placing hopes on U.S. visit, Aso concerned about seen as "lame
duck"

Prime Minister Aso attended an LDP executive meeting on the evening
of the 23rd, in which he said: "The world is now facing a host of
difficult issues, such as the global recession, environmental
destruction, and global warming. I would like to fully discuss these
issues with President Obama."

Aso, already driven into a corner, is eager to give a boost to his
administration by producing positive results through the U.S. visit
and then swiftly implementing economic stimulus measures.

Aso is also increasingly concerned that the Obama administration
might see his administration as a "lame duck."

Visiting U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told reporters on
Feb. 17: "The U.S. will invite (the prime minister) to the White

TOKYO 00000431 013 OF 014


House on the 24th," but the next day's morning newspapers gave a
great deal of space to the news of Shoichi Nakagawa's resignation as
finance minister for improper behavior at a press conference after a
meeting of Group of Seven (G-7) finance ministers and central bank
governors. Eventually, the news about "the prime minister's visit to
the U.S., and the Japan-U.S. summit" was completely overshadowed by
the Nakagawa debacle.

Needless to say, Prime Minister Aso felt deeply embarrassed before
Secretary Clinton, who brought to him the "honor" of being invited
to the White House as the first foreign leader to meet President
Obama.

In policy toward Russia, Aso also made a grave miscalculation. Aso
attended talks with Russian President Medvedev on Feb. 18, with a
strong resolve to pave the way to settling the Northern Territories
issue. After the bilateral meeting, Aso told reporters: "There was
no progress on the territorial dispute, the other side insisting on
returning only two islands and this side demanding the return of all
four islands." Inviting a reaction from conservatives, this remark
was harshly criticized by Hiroshi Kimura, professor emeritus at
Hokkaido University: "His remark could give the impression to Russia
that Japan has retreated from its conventional position of demanding
the return of all four islands. This remark is a serious stain on
Japan's territorial negotiations with Russia."

No progress has been made on the economic stimulus package, either.
Although the second supplementary budget was enacted on Jan. 27, the
Diet has yet to pass its related bills that would finance the
government's cash handouts plan inserted in the second extra budget,
in part because of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's remark:
"I do not think that the government should enact the bills even by
resorting to the override vote tactics." The government positions
the handout plan as an eye catcher in the package, but 70 PERCENT
of respondents in opinion polls by the Mainichi Shimbun said the
plan did not merit appreciation. The former prime minister's
declaration that he would abstain from a voting has also undermined
the image of the plan.

To boost public support of the Aso cabinet, some in the government
and the ruling camp are calling for shuffling the cabinet. But Aso
has been quoted as saying: "I have no intention to replace the
members because there are no flaws in them." In the run-up to the
expiration of the Lower House members' terms of office, Aso remains
unable to prepare measures to get more public support.

(10) U.S. serviceman gets six-month prison term for sexually
assaulting Philippine woman: Court martial decides to drop rape
charge

Okinawa Times (Page 1) (Full)
Evening, February 24, 2009

With U.S. Army Colonel Donna Wright presiding, U.S. forces began on
February 24 at Kadena Air Base a general court-martial against Army
specialist Ronald Hopstock, 25, who is stationed in Okinawa, on the
charge of having sexually assaulted a Filipino woman in Okinawa City
in February 2008. The court martial was completed that same morning,
with the defendant sentenced to six months in prison and demoted to
a private. He also received a dishonorable discharge from the Army
for unlawful conduct. With agreement having been reached by
prosecutor and attorney before the trial, the punishment was decided

TOKYO 00000431 014 OF 014


beforehand, and the case was closed the same day.

The rape charge was dropped. The sentence was handed down regarding
three violations of the unified court martial act, such as that the
defendant went outside the base on his own in defiance of the
commander's order. Hopstock will likely be taken into custody
immediately.

Referring to the rape charge, U.S. Army Japan spokesman James
Crawford explained: "According to examinations made by both Japanese
and U.S. doctors, there was no evidence suggesting rape. Therefore,
the decision was reached to drop that charge."

Representatives of four Japanese media organizations attended the
court martial.

Hopstock belongs to the First Air Defense Artillery Regiment First
Battalion at Kadena Air Base. He is now performing regular duties,
based on the determination that there is no possibility that he can
escape. He is not being detained or placed under surveillance.

The incident occurred at an Okinawa hotel on February 18 last year.
The Prefectural Police sent papers to the prosecutors charging
Hopstock with committing rape resulting in bodily injury. However,
the Naha District Public Prosecutors Office in May dropped the case
because of insufficient evidence.

The U.S. Army's investigative authority started its own
investigation in May and decided to charge him in July. It has been
listening the circumstances from Hopstock and the Filipino woman.

ZUMWALT