DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 03/19/09

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 10 TOKYO 000614 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 03/19/09 INDEX: (1) No one can see Ozawa's real intention; he may decide on his course of action as early as next week (Asahi) (2) Will the secretary general step down, too, if President Ozawa quits?: Hatoyama on tightrope (Sankei) (3) Interview with Jun Iio, professor of government at National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, on political distrust -- Policies do not coincide with perception of times (Tokyo Shimbun) (4) U.S. Navy puts off Ishigaki visit (Okinawa Times) (5) Mayor asks Defense Ministry for Kadena pact (Okinawa Times) (6) Report from Somalia: SOS over pirate attack: Differentiating pirate ships from fishing boats difficult for naval vessels (Yomiuri) (7) DPJ submits counterproposal on child pornography: Purchasing such to be prohibited (Jiji) (8) TOP HEADLINES (9) EDITORIALS (10) Prime Minister's schedule, March 18 (Nikkei) ARTICLES: (1) No one can see Ozawa's real intention; he may decide on his course of action as early as next week ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) March 18, 2009 Lawmakers in the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) are now busy with considering what decision President Ichiro Ozawa will make on his course of action. Ozawa said on March 17 that he would decide after seeing what punishment prosecutors would give his secretary, who has been arrested for receiving alleged illegal donations from Nishimatsu Construction Co. The outlook is that Ozawa will likely make a decision as early as next week. However, since nobody can knows his real intention on his course of action, political maneuvering has already started in the DPJ with an eye on a leadership election. Okada keeps silent Ozawa met on March 17 with Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Cai Ying-wen at DPJ headquarters. He told her: "I think the DPJ and DPP are in similar circumstances. Don't you think so? Taiwan is more democratic than Japan." He compared Japan with �00A;Taiwan where the DPP took the reins of government from the Chinese Nationalist Party in 2000. At a press conference after his meeting with Cai, Ozawa clarified that he was considering March 24 when his secretary's detention expires a juncture for him to make a decision on his course of action. Asked by reporters about whether the outcomes of such local elections as Chiba Prefecture's gubernatorial election on March 29 TOKYO 00000614 002 OF 010 would affect his decision, Ozawa underscored: "They are not at all the same as the future course of my action. They are different in character." With Ozawa's possible resignation in mind, there is a growing call for Katsuya Okada to become president again among junior and mid-level DPJ lawmakers. Okada, however, has repeatedly said: "Unity in the party is important." Although Okada attended on the 17th a meeting of the party's anti-global warming taskforce, which he heads, he did not mention anything about Ozawa's resignation issue. There are two views on Ozawa's course of action. Calls for Ozawa's remaining in the presidency are regaining momentum among his aides. Takeo Nishioka, the steering committee chairman of the House of Councillors, who has acted in line with Ozawa since their were members of the now defunct Liberal Party, and other veteran and young lawmakers have given words of encouragement to him. "I presume that if he declares he will cut ties with general contractors, he would be able to overcome the situation," one senior lawmaker said. However, there is no change in the situation that he is coming under criticism from supporters in electoral districts. For this reason, some supporters are talking about the idea of Ozawa turning over the presidency to Okada in order to keep his influence over the party. One member pointed out: "In order to keep his influence, he should choose the best timing for stepping down." Ozawa's resignation is being talked about as if it were true. However, there remain hurdles for Ozawa to quit his post. Some party members hailing from the former Social Democratic Party are alarmed if it is Okada, for he is described as a person lacking in flexibility. Upper House Caucus Chairman Azuma Koshiishi is expected to back the option of Ozawa staying on in his post. Hatoyama, Kan taking cautious stance Okada is not the only candidate to succeed Ozawa. In the group-led by Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama and the other one led by Deputy President Naoto Kan, there are calls for them to become president. Hatoyama and Ozawa have supported Ozawa in managing the party under the so-called troika system. The two are, however, cautious about their remarks. Hatoyama told reporters after Ozawa's press conference on the 17th: "I would like to take a wait-and-see attitude until he makes a decision on his own." The leadership, however, has looked into choosing candidates for a presidential race, which will be held anyway. One senior member pointed out: "We should prevent a presidential election from criticizing as a back-room deal. We should hold a leadership race, but we should quietly carry it out, since the Diet is in session." The senior member's remarks indicated that the DPJ was considering electing a new president by its Diet members at a meeting of its members from the two chambers of the Diet. Hatoyama and Kan met in a National Diet Library room on the afternoon of March 9 for the first time since Ozawa's secretary had been arrested. According to individuals related to the two, Hatoyama and Kan referred even to the question of fielding only one candidate, with Hatoyama saying, 'I don't want to compete with TOKYO 00000614 003 OF 010 you." Kan has taken a stance of waiting for Ozawa's decision, saying, "I would like to take an appropriate response while waiting for the president's judgment." Many DPJ members view that Kan is enthusiastic about assuming the presidency as well as the prime minister's post. "If a leadership race is held, Kan will probably run for it." So, Hatoyama and Kan will continue efforts to prove the intentions of others. However, the biggest obstacle is that Hatoyama and Kan, who has supported Ozawa, appear to be taking responsibility for the donation scandal. A veteran lawmaker sought to constrain the two, saying: "Neither Hatoyama nor Kan is qualified to run a presidential election." A generational change will likely become a key word. Both Hatoyama and Kan are 62, but Okada is 55. The group supporting Okada has said that we should play up the need for a generational change, while the group backing Hatoyama has insisted that the DNA of the troika system must be retained. (2) Will the secretary general step down, too, if President Ozawa quits?: Hatoyama on tightrope SANKEI (Page 5) (Full) March 19, 2009 Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama is now placed in a delicate situation in the party due to the arrest of President Ichiro Ozawa's secretary. The reason is because there is a possibility that he might have to retire from the front stage, if Ozawa resigns as party president, due to the question of joint responsibility. Hatoyama has repeatedly expressed his support for Ozawa staying on in his post. In the meantime, he needs to make preemptive moves in the crisis the party is facing, while taking criticism of Ozawa into consideration. He will have to walk a tightrope in handling such a situation. Hatoyama in a speech given at a Tokyo hotel offered an apology for the scandal. He indicated a desire to aim for realizing a change in government, going into the upcoming election under the leadership of Ozawa. He said, "I want the party to overcome the incident in unison and open up the horizon." Hatoyama has been consistently supporting Ozawa staying on in his post ever since Ozawa's secretary was arrested. Since the DPJ made a leap forward in the Upper House election in 2007 under the Ozawa-Hatoyama leadership, its aim has been securing a single majority in the next Lower House election under the same leadership, Hatoyama reportedly had no option for rebelling against Ozawa, according to his aide, a mid-ranking party member. There is also a circumstance in which Hatoyama dissuaded Ozawa, who hinted at his intention to step down following the grand coalition incident in ¶2007. As a matter of fact, as soon as Ozawa touched on his future at an executive meeting on the 10th, noting, "I want to stay on for some time to come," Hatoyama corrected his statement, saying, "What he means by 'for some time to come' is 'for a long period of time.'" He was concerned that participants would take such a statement that he was trying to lay down groundwork for his resignation. TOKYO 00000614 004 OF 010 One senior member, who keeps Hatoyama at arm's length with an eye on a likely post-Ozawa prime ministerial candidate, pointed out, "If Mr. Ozawa steps down, Mr. Hatoyama will have to quit, sharing his fate." If Vice President Okada, on whom many members pin hopes, replaces Ozawa, change of generation will accelerate, making Hatoyama as a person of the past. Some among persons close to Okada take this position: "If Ozawa steps down, Hatoyama will not stay on in his post. If an Okada administration treats him a key cabinet member, that will be enough." Will he be able to retain influence as before and exercise power as a likely post-Ozawa candidate? Will he be able to repel calls that he should take joint responsibility? Hatoyama is finding himself forced to handle a difficult situation in the party. (3) Interview with Jun Iio, professor of government at National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, on political distrust -- Policies do not coincide with perception of times TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Full) March 19, 2009 -- What lies at the root of today's public distrust in politics? "In my view, policies are the biggest problem. Voters are uncomfortable with the lawmakers' mood of not giving serious thought to matters. There is a gap between the policies and the perception of the times. Voters are angry with the old mindset that huge disbursements would do in the face of the once-in-a-century crisis. We need to create a system that can come up with policies by consolidating people's views with the participation of voters centering on political parties. -- Specifically, what does coming up with policies by consolidating people's views mean? "Democracy rests on a two-way system with the voters. Policies do not result from just listening to the voters. Suppose a lawmaker received a petition to repair the road that has a hole in it. The lawmaker then has to hear views on how to fix it. That's not all. He has to consider why the hole was created and to generalize the answer. That would lead to the reviews of the road management system and of how to allocate funds. That's the consolidation of people's opinions." -- What problems does the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) have in that respect? "Political parties are not confident in grasping voter trends, so they tend to rely on opinion polls. Polls ask who is best suited to become the prime minister, and the person most popular in the polls becomes the prime minister." -- As a result, the person who is not fit for the job has become the prime minister. "Prime Minister Taro Aso regards prime minister-led politics as acting based on his own beliefs, which is wrong. His administration TOKYO 00000614 005 OF 010 is awfully instable because he has proposed many things with no settlement lines in mind, believing that his duties end with the presentation of his beliefs. -- The Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) is also being shaken because of the Nishimatsu donation scandal. "The DPJ has grown owing to the ruling parties' failures. There has never been an occasion to test the DPJ's abilities. Attention is focused on whether the party can investigate in the situation to reach a conclusion that can convince the voters and also whether it can present its unified logic concerning matters, including the propriety of replacing the party president." -- The corruption of lawmakers has long been mentioned. Have the lawmakers' abilities really declined? "In the past when the legislators played a small role, they simply had to know how to behave. Today, they are required to play a greater role, and I think one could say that they are corrupt in that sense. Old-fashioned politicians won't do. Today's politicians must be good team players." -- Some ascribe the corruption of politicians to the single-seat constituency system "There are growing 'hereditary' seats, and that's a problem. Hereditary seats are a legacy from the medium-sized constituency system. Hereditary seats do not disappear because the individual supporter associations, a product of the old mid-sized system, play a main role in election campaigning under the single-seat system. The mid-sized system election strategy is alive because there has been no change of government. I think the form of political campaigning would change with power shifts. -- The next House of Representatives election will occur within six months. What should the lawmakers do until then? "The LDP and the DPJ, the two large parties, are urged to connect the people's day-to-day lives to the policies so that the voters can sense that they are linked to the policies. Voters are also encouraged to make orders. With the upcoming election likely to determine who takes the reins of government, the political parties are in a weak position. This makes easier for voters' opinions to reach lawmakers' ears, making it worthwhile for the general public to take part in politics. Public distrust in politics would then result in a good cycle, intertwined with their participation in and understanding of politics. (4) U.S. Navy puts off Ishigaki visit OKINAWA TIMES (Page 2) (Full) March 19, 2009 The initially scheduled entry of two U.S. Navy minesweepers into the port of Ishigaki has been postponed, and the two U.S. naval vessels are rescheduled to enter port on April 3 and leave port on April 5. The U.S. Navy has informed Ishigaki City of this plan through the Japan Coast Guard's Ishigaki office, city officials said yesterday. Ishigaki Mayor Nagateru Ohama consulted with city officials yesterday evening. As a result, the mayor decided to oppose the two warships' rescheduled port call, given that the port is crowded and TOKYO 00000614 006 OF 010 that their port call could bring about unnecessary confusion. The mayor will meet the press on March 24 to announce his final decision. The U.S. Navy informed Ishigaki City on March 4 of its plan to have the two minesweepers enter port on April 1 and leave port on April 3 for "their crew's rest" and also for "friendship and goodwill." A large passenger ferry is scheduled to arrive at a berth where the minesweepers can be berthed. The city answered in writing on March 13 that it could not consent to the minesweepers' port call. According to the city's port and harbor division, a freighter and a sugar carrier are scheduled to use the port of Ishigaki on April 3-5. The port will be left open for a while before they enter port and after they leave port, an official said. On March 11, Takehiro Funakoshi, director of the Status of U.S. Forces Agreement Division at the Foreign Ministry, visited the city's government office. On that occasion, the mayor told the Foreign Ministry official: "We are against the port call of any country's warship. We don't want you to throw the peaceful port into unnecessary confusion." Funakoshi has indicated that "just because it's a warship" is the reason to oppose its use of a port that can berth it is against the purpose of the Ports and Harbors Law that stipulates "equal treatment to ships using ports." (5) Mayor asks Defense Ministry for Kadena pact OKINAWA TIMES (Page 2) (Full) March 19, 2009 Kadena Town Mayor Tokujitsu Miyagi yesterday called on Okinawa Coordinator Takafumi Fujii at the Defense Ministry and proposed concluding a special agreement on the U.S. military's use of Kadena Air Base and studying how to use the site of a naval tarmac after its relocation. Fujii gave no answer about the proposal of a special agreement. Concerning the tarmac, however, the mayor quoted Fujii as saying the Defense Ministry "will make efforts to avoid affecting local communities." Miyagi later told reporters, "I know it's difficult to conclude an agreement as well as concluding a treaty, but I told him that I want the government to do this as a target for voluntary efforts." With this, the mayor indicated that he would continue to request base-caused damage be reduced. Concerning the tarmac, Miyagi noted: "After the Navy is gone, if Air Force aircrafts or other aircrafts come from outside, that's the same and that's out of the question." The mayor said he has requested no aircraft be parked there for prepositioning or any other purposes. Japan and the United States have agreed to move the tarmac to the side of Okinawa City on the base premises. Miyagi also requested the F-22 Raptor stealth fighter jets, temporarily deployed to Kadena Air Base, not take off late at night or early in the morning when returning to the U.S. mainland. However, the Defense Ministry gave no answer, according to the mayor. Miyagi noted that noise occurred 4,042 times in February or 144 TOKYO 00000614 007 OF 010 times a day on average. In addition, the mayor also showed noise statistics based on readouts in Kadena Town in 2008, and the mayor requested the aircraft noise regulatory action be followed. (6) Report from Somalia: SOS over pirate attack: Differentiating pirate ships from fishing boats difficult for naval vessels YOMIURI (Top play and page 3) (Abridged slightly) March 18, 2009 Kenji Nakanishi on a Danish naval frigate in waters off Somali Two Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) destroyers have now set sail for waters off Somalia, a major trade route connecting Asia and Europe. The area is increasingly tense. Naval vessels from many countries are now escorting and monitoring merchant ships. It is difficult to differentiate pirate ships from fishing boats from coastal countries that are operating in the waters in the area. I watched anti-piracy operations from a Danish naval frigate. "We were attacked by pirates, and we are fleeing from them at maximum speed!" On the morning of March 14, the Danish frigate Absalon (6,300 ton displacement with 130 crewmembers) received this radio message from the skipper of a Vietnamese-registered cargo ship. The ship was attacked by two rocket bombs from two vessels disguised as fishing boats, according to the skipper. "The pirates are three nautical miles ahead of us. Three nautical miles ahead of us." The Absalon received the SOS on the second day after taking a turn to the southwest from waters near Salalah, Oman, and entered the busy lane where 20,000 vessels come and go annually. The cargo ship was significantly out of the course of a convoy of merchant ships escorted by Malaysian naval vessels. The site in question was 45 kilometers north of the Absalon. Helicopters hastily took off from the Absalon and disappeared into the sky. Thanks to international anti-piracy operations, the hijacking of commercial vessels in waters off Somalia has been declining since January, but attacks have been increasing. This year, there have been over 30 attacks as compared with four for the January-March period of last year. "Prevent the crewmembers from being taken hostage before it is too late," the Absalon's captain Dan Pedersen ordered his crew while gazing at the computer screen. Some 20 minutes later, helicopters of the Turkish Navy, which was under the command of the multinational unit along with the Danish Navy, reached the sky over the area in question, and confirmed the crewmembers were safe. An image of the cargo ship with three broken window glasses on the bridge told of the severity of the attack. The helicopters searched for the pirate ship, but it was difficult to identify it from among many fishing boats in the area from some 100 meters above the sea. The search was called off in the afternoon. "At least, we were able to prevent pillage," captain Pedersen said. The Absalon received another radio message from the skipper. He said: "You have saved our lives. My crewmembers and I TOKYO 00000614 008 OF 010 are deeply grateful." Attacks rarely occur in nighttime, according to an Absalon crewman on lookout under the starry sky. He also told me that many pirates would sleep in their boats at sea and look for targets after dawn. Dawn was only several hours away. There were eight skull marks on the nose of the helicopter. "That tells you how many pirate attacks we have blocked," the Absalon's crewman in charge of machine guns who called himself Yesper said proudly on the deck. The rule on firing a warning shot was to keep an appropriate distance from a pirate ship, according to Yesper. He also said: "The appropriate distance is a distance that never hits a pirate boat. To me, that means 15 meters." The Absalon has fired a warning shot only twice since it was deployed there last September. The Dutch frigate has not encountered any case that required firing at the hull of a pirate boat. "Pirates are not soldiers. They would surrender as soon as they hear the roar of a helicopter." Helicopters that took off from the frigate fly over the sea at a speed of 220 km/h searching for a pirate ship the size of a grain of rice. (7) DPJ submits counterproposal on child pornography: Purchasing such to be prohibited Jiji March 19, 2009 The Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) on March 19 submitted to the Lower House a bill amending the Law for Punishing Acts Related to Child Prostitution and Child Pornography designed to make the purchases of child pornography punishable. It will aim to negotiate changes in the legislation with the ruling parties, which also submitted an amendment bill to the regular session of the Diet last year. The present law prohibits offering child porn photos or electronic data on such to others with a motive to gain financial benefit or making and possessing such with a view to offering such. The DPJ-sponsored legislation prohibits purchasing such. A prison term of up to three years or a fine of up to 3 million yen would be imposed on offenders. The ruling party-sponsored legislation bans the simple possession of child porn because of concern that such images could be widely proliferated on the Internet or through other media. The DPJ-sponsored legislation does not include a punishment against the simple possession of child porn, taking the stand that a ban would give rise to the abuse of the right to investigate. (8) TOP HEADLINES Asahi: U.N. panel to urge developing countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions Mainichi: McDonald's agrees to give 10 million yen in overtime pay to "nominal manager" TOKYO 00000614 009 OF 010 Yomiuri: At least 30 patients have died since 2000 as hospitals fail to catch alarming signs Nikkei: Government, management, labor to back Japanese style work-sharing Sankei: Big firms not to increase base pays; Electronics makers to freeze periodic wage hikes Tokyo Shimbun: Mazda and other automakers to offer lowest-ever bonuses; Five electronics companies to freeze periodic wage increases Akahata: Government ordered for first time to pay compensation to people recognized as suffering from bomb-related illnesses (9) EDITORIALS Asahi: (1) Two murderers in Net case get death penalty (2) Court overturns Shika nuclear-plant shutdown ruling Mainichi: (1) Net murder case: Capital punishment discussion must be deepened (2) Shika nuclear-plant ruling: Quake-resistance level requires constant review Yomiuri: (1) Annual wage negotiations: Labor and management must work together (2) Net murder case: Surrender was difference between life and death Nikkei: (1) Economic stability requires closer cooperation between Bank of Japan and government (2) No wage increases reflect employment insecurity Sankei: (1) Web murder case: Death sentence appropriate (2) Wage negotiations: Greater efforts necessary for job security Tokyo Shimbun: (1) Death sentence to Web-using killers appropriate (2) Employment security a weight on wage negotiations Akahata: (1) Medical insurance system for people 75 and older must be abolished (10) Prime Minister's schedule, March 18 NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) March 19, 2009 09:01 Met at Kantei with Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretaries Matsumoto and Konoike. Matsumoto remained. TOKYO 00000614 010 OF 010 10:09 Attended Upper House plenary session. 11:25 Met at Kantei with Cabinet Public Relations Secretary Ogawa. 11:59 Met at LDP headquarters with Internal Affairs Senior Vice Minister Ishizaki and posed for a group photo of Ishizaki and his supporter group officials. 12:03 Met with LDP Youth Division Director Inoue. Attended Youth Division meeting. 13:00 Attended Lower House Consumer Affairs Special Committee session. 15:24 Met at Kantei with Nishi-Nippon City Bank President Kubota. 16:07 Met with Upper House LDP Secretary General Tanigawa. Met afterwards with Chief Cabinet Secretary Kawamura, Matsumoto and Konoike. 17:27 Met with Public Security Intelligence Agency Director General Kitada. 18:22 Attended Economic and Fiscal Policy Council meeting. 19:03 Attended meeting of experts to overcome economic crisis. 20:46 Returned to his official residence. ZUMWALT