DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 03/12/09

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 10 TOKYO 000554

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SUBJECT: DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 03/12/09

INDEX:

(1) Editorial: Form coalition against North Korea, centered on
Japan, U.S., South Korea (Nikkei)

(2) Uruma's remarks causing major stir (Yomiuri)

(3) Kamei calls for prosecutor general's explanation about why
Ozawa's secretary was arrested at this time (Tokyo Shimbun)

(4) U.S. military permits on-site inspection over Futenma fuel
spills (Okinawa Times)

(5) SDF set to sail for waters off Somalia: Weapons-use standards
for Somalia mission rarely different with those for past missions;
SDF personnel unfamiliar with judgment on responding to attacks
(Mainichi)

(6) Japan and United States must shift from tatemae to honne in
taking action (Sankei)

(7) IWC working group to issue final report in May: Interim meeting
ends with division over coastal whaling left unfilled (Tokyo
Shimbun)

(8) Human-rights group denounces Soichiro Tahara's remark, "Tanaka,
Ozawa were both done in by Jews" (Nikkan Gendai)

ARTICLES:

(1) Editorial: Form coalition against North Korea, centered on
Japan, U.S., South Korea

NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full)
March 12, 2009

Former North Korean agent Kim Hyon Hui met family members of Yaeko
Taguchi, an abduction victim, in Busan, South Korea, for the first
time. Kim was sentenced to death and later pardoned for blowing up a
Korean Air Lines passenger jet in 1987.

Taguchi was abducted by North Korea around 1978. Kim told (South
Korean investigators) that she had learned Japanese from a Japanese
woman with the Korean name of Lee Eun Hye. The National Police
Agency identifies the Japanese woman as Taguchi.

Kim encouraged the family members with the words, "Keep up your
hope." Much information about new facts reportedly was not provided,
but the meeting must be meaningful for them in that they were
informed about how Taguchi was living in North Korea.

The meeting was arranged through cooperation between the governments
of Japan and South Korea in response to the desires of both parties
concerned. The realization of the meeting was greatly attributed to
the inauguration of the conservative administration of President Lee
Myung-bak. It would have been difficult to bring about such a
meeting under the previous administration of President Roh Moo-hyun,
who placed emphasis on a policy of reconciliation.

North Korea promised in talks with Japan last August to
reinvestigate past kidnapping cases of Japanese nationals, but no
progress has been made at all. Many South Korean citizens were also

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abducted by North Korean agents. We hope that Japan and South Korea,
encouraged by this meeting, will strengthen cooperation in an
attempt to throw light on the abduction issue.

It is also imperative for the two countries to jointly address the
North Korean nuclear and missile issues, not limited to the
abduction issue. In the six-party talks on the North Korean nuclear
development problem, no agreement has been reached on ways to verify
nuclear information supplied by North Korea.

Signs have been observed since later this January of North Korea
preparing to launch the long-range ballistic missile Taepodong-2 at
a missile base in Musudan, which is located on the side of the Sea
of Japan.

North Korea claims that it is preparing to launch a satellite for
the peaceful use of space, but it must be just an excuse. It is
apparent that Pyongyang is aiming to inflame tensions by launching a
missile that has a sufficient range to land on the U.S. and push
ahead with negotiations with the Obama administration in its favor.


It is necessary for Japan, the U.S., and South Korea to form a
strengthened coalition against North Korea in an effort to prevent
the North from launching a missile. Such plans are floating as
tightening sanctions against the North based on a resolution of the
UN Security Council and intercepting the launch. Countries
concerned, centered on the three countries, should jointly urge
North Korea to exercise self-restraint through various diplomatic
efforts and warnings.

(2) Uruma's remarks causing major stir

YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full)
March 10, 2009

Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Iwao Uruma remarked there was no
possibility that the investigation into the scandal involving
alleged illicit donations from Nishimatsu Construction Co. would
spread to the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Uruma's remarks
created a major stir. Although he denied the remarks in such
occasions as a press conference, the opposition parties have said
his explanation was insufficient. Therefore, the issue will not be
resolved soon.

Uruma made the remarks during an informal meeting with reporters on
the evening of March 3 at the Prime Minister's Office, when he was
asked whether (the investigation) would reach the LDP. He was then
asked whether the public would consider it a politically motivated
investigation if the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) case was the
only one targeted by prosecutors. He responded:

"The amount of donations received by (the LDP) is different. I think
it's difficult to prove (a person's) awareness of the illegality of
donations in a case involving such a small amount of money."

It is unusual for Uruma -- a former director general of the National
Police Agency and key player at the heart of the government -- to
speak of the outlook of an investigation currently under way. News
organizations, including Yomiuri Shimbun reported the remarks on
their morning editions on March 6.


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However, Uruma made the remarks off-the-record talk. Such meetings
take place when reporters need further explanations from politicians
and bureaucrats about policies. Uruma normally holds this kind of
meeting with reporters daily during the week. Therefore, Uruma's
name was withheld in reports, and he was described as "a government
source" or "high-level government official."

Uruma's remarks drew a barrage of protest from the ruling and
opposition parties, with DPJ Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama
saying, "I couldn't help but suspect that the investigation was
being political manipulated by prosecutors and the government."

On the night of March 6, Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura
cautioned Uruma, saying: "Your remark was a common view that could
cause misunderstanding." Uruma said another off-the-record meeting
said: "That was just a generalization how difficult it is to prove
awareness of illegality."

Asahi Shimbun effectively broke the off-the-record agreement in an
article linking the remarks to Uruma: "The DPJ will pursue the issue
in the Diet, believing the high-level government official to be
Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Uruma," in its March 7 morning
edition, along with Uruma's above explanation. After that, the
cabinet reporters' club, to which Yomiuri Shimbun and other media
companies belong, called for a revocation of the off-the-record
status of the remarks. Uruma, however, refused, saying: "I can't
have what I've said made public retroactively."

Kawamura phoned Prime Minister Taro Aso, who had returned to Tokyo
that night from Okinawa, and asked his instruction. Aso told
Kawamura: The deputy chief cabinet secretary should fulfill his
responsibility for explaining himself," indicating that Uruma should
officially respond to the allegation. Following this, Kawamura,
appearing on Fuji TV and NHK talk shows on the morning of March 8,
revealed for the first time that the person in question was Uruma.

However, Uruma dined the remarks at a press conference in the Prime
Minister's Office, saying: "I don't remember whether I said the
investigation will not reach politicians belonging to a specific
political party."

Various media companies, including Yomiuri, Asahi, Mainichi and
Nikkei, carried similar articles in their morning issues on March 6.
Kyoto News also dispatched a similar article. In a press conference,
a reporter questioned:

"Almost all reporters (attended the off-the-record session) the
deputy chief cabinet secretary's remarks, but he said neither he nor
his secretaries remember him making such remarks. Is this
questionable?"

Uruma just stated: "There are differences in the memories of a
person talking about a general view and those questioning whether
the investigation will reach the LDP."

Uruma's remarks and reaction to them

March 5 During off-the-record meeting at the Prime Minister's
Office, Uruma said the investigation into the Kanematsu Construction
Co.' illegal donation scandal would not reach the LDP. Uruma's name
was withheld in the first reports and he was described as a senor
government official.

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March 6 The ruling and opposition parties criticized the remarks.
Uruma told reporters that he just talked about how difficult to
probe a person's awareness of illegality.
March 7 Asahi Shimbun reported that the DPJ would pursue the issue
in the Diet, believing the senior government official to be Uruma.

The cabinet reporters' club called for a revocation of the
off-the-record status of the remarks. But Uruma refused the request,
saying: "I can't have what I have said made public retroactively."
March 8 Chief Cabinet Secretary Kawamura identified "a government
source" as Uruma in NHK and Fuji TV programs.
March 9 Prime Minister Aso, in an Upper House Budget Committee
session, said: "The remarks during the off-the-record session were
misreported." In a committee session that afternoon, Aso retracted
what he had said in the morning, saying: "There were discrepancies
between Uruma's memory and how the reporters received his remarks.
Uruma, in a press conference in the afternoon, said: "It may be that
either of my memory and the reporters' is correct."
Aso told the press corps at the Prime Minister's Office: "The
remarks were not misreported. But there were discrepancies.

(3) Kamei calls for prosecutor general's explanation about why
Ozawa's secretary was arrested at this time

TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Full)
March 12, 2009

People's New Party Acting President Shizuka Kamei yesterday called
for an explanation by Prosecutor General Toshiaki Hiwatari about why
the first state-funded secretary of Democratic Party of Japan
President Ozawa was arrested on charges of violating the Political
Funds Control Law at this juncture. In a press conference yesterday,
Kamei said:

"Why did prosecutors arrest him (at this time),upon fully aware
that it will have an overwhelming effect on the recent trend that
would change national politics? It is necessary for the top
prosecutor to give an explanation to the people. ... It is
undesirable to amplify public distrust in the prosecutors' office.
If Mr. Ozawa were also arrested, the people would see reasons, but
if the investigation ends only with the arrest of his secretary, the
top prosecutor should give an explanation in public.

(4) U.S. military permits on-site inspection over Futenma fuel
spills

OKINAWA TIMES (Page 27) (Full)
March 12, 2009

Concerning the issue of jet fuel spills from a fuel tank in a
northern area of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station, U.S.
Marines Okinawa's foreign policy staff section (G-5) yesterday
informed Ginowan City and Okinawa Prefecture through the Okinawa
Defense Bureau that the U.S. Marine Corps would allow local
officials to enter the base for an on-site inspection, conditioning
it on "eye observation" with "no photographing or sampling." The
city will accept this condition in order to confirm the site.
However, a city official is critical of this condition, saying:
"Photographing and sampling are not allowed. The Japanese
government, which has accepted such a condition, has problems."

The Okinawa Defense Bureau does not know why the U.S. military

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allows no photographing or sampling, officials said.

According to the Okinawa Defense Bureau, three officials each from
Ginowan City, Okinawa Prefecture, and the Okinawa Defense Bureau
will enter the base for an on-site inspection. The bureau is now
coordinating the date and time with the U.S. military, officials
said.

Ginowan City's Mayor Yoichi Iha noted: "The U.S. military is
concerned about environmental pollution being brought to light in
any case, so they will not allow sampling." He also said: "The U.S.
military has accountability about how the fuel spills could affect
the environment and whether the fuel that leaked has been handled
properly."

According to U.S. Marines Okinawa's press division and other
sources, the fuel spills-initially estimated at about 3,000 liters
(800 gallons)-amounted to about 760 liters (200 gallons) and about
380 liters (100 gallons) has already been recovered. However, the
press division said, "Only a small grass area and soil were
affected." The U.S. military is going to replace the grass area's
grounds with uncontaminated soil and will sow grass seeds, the press
division said.

When jet fuel spilled at the U.S. Kadena Air Base in 2007, the U.S.
military allowed sampling a small amount of withered grass but
allowed no soil sampling.

(5) SDF set to sail for waters off Somalia: Weapons-use standards
for Somalia mission rarely different with those for past missions;
SDF personnel unfamiliar with judgment on responding to attacks

MAINICHI (Page 5) (Full)
March 11, 2009

The biggest difference of the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) activities
in waters off Somalia with those carried out in the past is that the
use of weapons does not directly lead to constitutional debate.
Unlike terrorists, piracy has no political background and is nothing
more than robbery and kidnapping. Piracy does not fall under the
category of "nations and organizations equivalent to nations."

The weapons-use standards for the maritime policing activities in
the Somalia mission are rarely different with those for the past
missions. Applying article 7 of the policemen's duty performance law
correspondingly, shooting that will harm the other side is allowed
only in "self-defense" or during an "emergency evacuation." The SDF
bears responsibility for proving its activities are such.

Prime Minister Taro Aso said: "Are there any pirates who would dare
attack SDF personnel?" He is optimistic, but since pirates arm
themselves with rocket artillery and machine guns, they cannot be
placed on the same level with domestic criminals. There was a case
in which an Indian navy ship mistakenly sank a Thai fishing boat.
There remains a risk that SDF personnel would kill or injure pirates
due to excessive return fire. There is concern that it will be
difficult for SDF personnel who are unfamiliar with criminal law to
judge in a moment.

An implementation plan the Defense Ministry revealed on March 4
stipulates that deterring and driving off pirates are vital. The
major purposes are that the SDF destroyers will intimidate pirate

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boats in order to keep them out and find pirates quickly by patrol
helicopters. SDF destroyers will disperse them with warning shots.
Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada stated that the rules of engagement
(ROE),which stipulates the procedure of weapons-use, will be
restrained. A senior Defense Ministry officials even said: "The SDF
destroyers will just run away from pirates.

(6) Japan and United States must shift from tatemae to honne in
taking action

SANKEI (Page 7) (Full)
March 11, 2009

James E. Auer, director of the Center for U.S.-Japan Studies and
Cooperation at the Vanderbilt Institute for Public Policy Studies

No action, talk only

I did not expect the Democratic Obama administration's relations
with Japan would make a good start. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi
and President George W. Bush, who maintained a close relationship,
have left their posts and (former Deputy Secretary of State) Richard
Armitage, who played a major role, has also left the front stage.
Nevertheless, Hillary Clinton visited Japan as her first foreign
destination as secretary of State, and President Barack Obama
invited Prime Minister Taro Aso to the White House as the first
foreign leader he met.

President Obama might have had a greater interest in China than in
Japan. There was no mention of Japan in Secretary Clinton's essay on
Asia policy, written last year when she was a presidential
candidate. But this time around, all media reports said that both
Clinton's visit to Tokyo and Prime Minister Aso's trip to Washington
were extremely friendly, while emphasizing that maintaining and
strengthening U.S.-Japan relations was of crucial importance for the
two countries.

Some take the view that the expressions of friendship were just pro
forma words or tatemae, however.

Describing Japan-U.S. relations as "no action, talk only," my
Japanese friend cynically said that the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty
should be renamed a "NATO treaty." The time has come for both Japan
and the United States to take action with determination, according
to my friend.

Providing railway technology an idea

Prime Minister Aso's political base has markedly weakened. There may
be a scenario in which Kaoru Yosano of the Liberal Democratic Party
or Ichiro Ozawa of the Democratic Party of Japan becomes prime
minister before long. In either case, I have given thought to what
they could do to turn "tatemae" or pro forma expressions into the
honest and sincere action or honne in collaboration with President
Obama. As a result, I have come up with many possibilities,
including the following:

1) Congress has approved the Obama administration's economic
stimulus package that includes 9 billion dollars for high-speed
railways. The Washington-New York line is regarded as most
important. Even the fastest Amtrak train takes about three hours.
With the introduction of maglev technology, which was developed by

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Japan's JR Tokai and will be used between Tokyo and Nagoya, travel
time between America's central political and economic cities can be
shortened to less than one hour.

Reportedly, JR Tokai Chairman Yoshiyuki Kasai will gladly provide
this technology to the U.S. side. Mr. Aso or his successor should
consider this option as an assistance measure for the U.S. economy.
Meanwhile, the United States can provide Japan with F-22 fighter
technology to deal with the buildup of the Chinese Army.

2) Japan and the United States, the world's two largest economies,
have (the option of concluding) an economic partnership agreement
(EPA),which opens up great possibilities. But Japan's agricultural
policy is not appealing to the United States. The fundamental
improvement of that agricultural policy will benefit U.S. farmers
and Japanese consumers (though the farming population is small.)
This will help strengthen the complementary relationship between the
two countries.

In the industrial field, for example, Boeing, which is producing the
world's best passenger planes and military aircrafts, is in need of
Japan's excellent components, such as fibers. I believe such
relations can be expanded in the agricultural sector, as well.

Spell of right to collective self-defense must be broken

3) Security in the Asia-Pacific regions is a matter of paramount
importance. North Korea is an immediate threat to the two countries,
and in the mid- to long terms, China's moves are a threat. Up until
the 1980s, Japan contributed significantly to blocking the
activities of Soviet submarines. That was because unlike today, the
Soviet Union did not think Japan would not use its right to
collective self-defense for the United States.

North Korea today might think that Japan will not cooperate with the
United States in blocking North Korea's attack. It is not
unreasonable for the North to assume that Japan, which thinks it
cannot exercise the right to collective self-defense, will not shoot
down an incoming missile until it reaches the sky over it.

(The government) should swiftly order the (Cabinet) Legislation
Bureau director general to make clear that Japan can exercise the
right to collective self-defense. It is also necessary to consider
replacing the director general with someone like former
Administrative Vice-Foreign Minister Shotaro Yachi, who is highly
strategic. He would be able to eliminate the illogical spell that
puts Japan at risk.

If such happens, Japan would be able to expect the U.S. government
to wield significant influence. (The United States) would strengthen
its support for Japan's bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security
Council. (The United States) would be able to urge North Korea to
take responsibility for the issue of Japanese nationals abducted by
the North. In terms of policy toward China, (the U.S. government)
would try to increase moderates who support cooperation with Japan
rather than with the Chinese people who are supportive of the
unclear military buildup and seizing Japan's marine resources.

DPJ President Ichiro Ozawa said, "The U.S. 7th Fleet is enough for
the defense of Japan." This shows that he does not have a good
knowledge of the U.S. forces in Japan or of the U.S.-Japan alliance.
Relations are strengthened by multiple actions, as was discussed

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above, and evolve into an alliance of mutual trust.

(7) IWC working group to issue final report in May: Interim meeting
ends with division over coastal whaling left unfilled

TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 3) (Full)
March 12, 2009

Toshiro Shimizu, Rome

An interim meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in
Rome ended its three-day session on March 11 with arguments between
anti-whaling countries and Japan remaining along divergent lines.
Discussions on specific issues, such as the extent of reduction of
catches in Japan's coastal whaling (if resumed),did not take
place.

The IWC last month released a compromise plan that would allow Japan
to resume coastal whaling in compensation for its drastically
cutting back on scientific research whaling in the Southern Ocean in
stages or totally abolishing such. The proposal has drawn attention,
but Japan took a position that it cannot accept the total abolition
of scientific whaling. It released a statement condemning the Sea
Shepherd, an environmental protection group, for obstructing the
activities of Japan's scientific whaling vessels.

Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, Britain and the U.S. criticized
Japan's scientific whaling as de facto commercial whaling and called
for total abolition of such.

The IWC will aim at having pro-whaling countries and anti-whaling
countries reach an agreement in the run-up to a plenary meeting to
be held in Portugal. It has decided to compile a final report by May
18, based on the working group's compromise plan.

Akira Nakamae, executive director of the Fisheries Research Agency,
who took part in the meeting, representing Japan, told reporters:
"Discussions have yet to be finalized. However, in my view,
participating countries have agreed on the direction of helping the
IWC create rules."

(8) Human-rights group denounces Soichiro Tahara's remark, "Tanaka,
Ozawa were both done in by Jews"

NIKKAN GENDAI (Full)
March 12, 2009

A statement made by Soichiro Tahara in a TV Asahi program on the 8th
has developed into an awful mess.

Tawara said: "Mr. (Takuei) Tanaka was done in by the Jews. Like him,
Mr. Ozawa was also done in by the Jews." The Simon Wiesenthal
Center, a Jewish-affiliated human-rights organization based in Los
Angeles, has flared back at this remark.

Former Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka was also present in the
program as a guest. Touching on the arrest of a secretary of Ozawa,
she said: "There must be persons who will be distressed if the
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) assumes political power." In
response, Tawara, citing the case of Kakuei Tanaka arrested in the
Lockheed case, emphasized: "He was done in by Jews (Yudaya ni
yarareta)."

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The Simon Wiesenthal Center posted on its website on March 9 a
statement ASTERISK titled: "We denounce Japanese TV news
personality for blaming political scandals on America and the Jews."
In the written statement, deputy chief of the center says:

"There was no conspiracy by Jews and the U.S. It is outrageous and
unacceptable for Soichiro Tahara in a news program to have made a
statement that gives mistaken view to Japanese people. ... TV Asahi
should immediately retract this ludicrous statement and it and Mr.
Soichiro Tahara should make a public apology."

The Simon Wiesenthal Center was established in 1977 by Simon
Wiesenthal, an activist who pursued Nazi war criminals involved in
the Holocaust during World War II. The group is mainly known for its
effort to prevent the memory of the Holocaust from fading away. It
protests against anti-Semitic remarks and media reports that accuse
Jews of conspiracies. According a publishing company source, there
is a case in Japan of magazine carrying an article that denied the
existence of the gas chambers (that were used to kill Jews during
the Holocaust). Because of fierce protests from the Center, the
magazine ceased publication.

Regarding the controversial remark by Tahara, a spokesman for TV
Asahi said: "We have received no protest (from the center) as of the
10th." What then will TV Asahi do when it comes?

(Statement: March 9, 2009)

WIESENTHAL CENTER DENOUNCES JAPANESE TV NEWS PERSONALITY FOR BLAMING
POLITICAL SCANDALS ON AMERICA AND THE JEWS

The Simon Wiesenthal Center strongly criticized Soichiro Tahara,
host of TV Asahi's Sunday Project program for anti-Semitic and anti-
American accusations made during a March 8th exchange with former
Japanese Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka. In the live broadcast,
Tahara told Tanaka that her father, former Prime Minister Kakuei
Tanaka was "done in by America, by the Jews and Ozawa, (leader of
the Democratic Party of Japan) too, was done in (by America and/or
the Jews)."

"It is outrageous and unacceptable that in 2009, a time of
international uncertainties and increased anti-Semitism, that a host
of a news program meant to inform the Japanese people about
political developments would instead conjure up non-existent
conspiracies to blame domestic scandals on Jews or America," said
Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Wiesenthal Center in a
statement from Jerusalem.

Rabbi Cooper found it all the more disturbing since Tahara made this
statement during a direct exchange with a former Foreign Minister,
Makiko Tanaka and that it was unfortunate she did not challenge his
falsehood immediately during the live broadcast. "Instead, all the
viewers heard was a remark by the show host that the Foreign
Minister's late father and the current president of the Democratic
Party of Japan were both victims of outside plots against them," he
said.

"TV Asahi should immediately dissociate itself from this ludicrous
statement and TV Asahi and Mr. Tahara owe all concerned a public
apology," he concluded.) Back to Top


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ZUMWALT