TOKYO MEDIA REACTION - PRESIDENT OBAMA'S

UNCLAS TOKYO 000789 SIPDIS STATE FOR I/RF, PA/PR/FPC/W, IIP/G/EA, EAP/PD, R/MR, EAP/J, EAP/P, PM; USTR FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE; TREASURY FOR OASIA/IMI; SECDEF FOR OASD/PA; CP BUTLER OKINAWA FOR AREA FIELD OFFICE; PACOM HONOLULU FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO JA SUBJECT: TOKYO MEDIA REACTION - PRESIDENT OBAMA'S SPEECH IN PRAGUE ¶1. LEAD STORIES: Top stories on Tuesday morning included Prime Minister Aso's instructions to the Finance Minister on Monday to put together a stimulus package with actual spending in excess of 10 trillion yen, equivalent to more than 2 percent of Japan's GDP. ¶2. "Act Together toward World without Nuclear Weapons" The liberal Asahi editorialized (4/7): "... The U.S. president referred to a 'moral responsibility' and expressed his resolve to reduce nuclear weapons. As citizens of the nation that suffered nuclear bombings, we seriously take the president's call to seek a 'world without nuclear weapons' and moves toward that goal... The path toward the reduction of nuclear weapons will not be easy. However, the President expressed his resolve to act... As an ally of the U.S., there are many things Japan can work together in connection with the Obama administration's idea of creating a 'nuclear- free world.'" ¶3. "President Refers to 'Moral Responsibility'" The liberal Mainichi commented in an editorial (4/7): "During his address in Prague, President Obama said that as the only nuclear power to have used a nuclear weapon, the U.S. has a moral responsibility to act... This is an epoch-making speech... We highly value the President's sincere remarks." ¶4. "Superpower Should Act First" The liberal Tokyo Shimbun wrote in an editorial (4/7): "President Obama unveiled his strategy to reduce nuclear weapons and to stop nuclear proliferation by presenting a far-reaching idea of seeking a 'world without nuclear weapons.' We have hopes for the policy change in the U.S., which has employed diplomacy based on nuclear power... We hope that such nuclear powers as the U.S., Russia, the UK, France, and China will move first toward the reduction of nuclear arms." ZUMWALT