DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 04/24/09

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 12 TOKYO 000955 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 04/24/09 INDEX: INDEX: (1) Japan-U.S. leaders confer by phone on restarting the Six-Party Talks on North Korea, agree on goal of a nuclear-weapons free world [Nikkei] (2) Rengo to call for SOFA revision in U.S.; Rengo Okinawa president and others to hold talks from April 30 with labor union supporting President Obama [Ryukyu Shimpo] (3) F-22 a link for Japan-U.S. alliance [Sankei] (4) Gaps in views of Ozawa and Okada [Asahi] (5) Major financial institutions to log combined net loss of 4 trillion yen in fiscal year 2008 [Nikkei] (6) Japan posts first trade deficit in 28 years, shaking up status as trade-oriented nation [Asahi] (7) Editorial: China must increase naval transparency [Nikkei] (8) TOP HEADLINES (9) EDITORIALS (10) Prime Minister's schedule, April 23 [Nikkei] ARTICLES: (1) Japan-U.S. leaders confer by phone on restarting the Six-Party Talks on North Korea, agree on goal of a nuclear-weapons free world NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) Eve., April 24, 2009 Prime Minister Taro Aso this morning held a 15-minute conversation by phone with U.S. President Obama. The two leaders agreed to continue to closely cooperate to bring about an early resumption of Six-Party Talks on the North Korean nuclear program and other issues. Prime Minister Aso stated that he "strongly supports" the President's nuclear-disarmament stance that aims at having a nuclear-weapons free world. The President said, "Japan is a leader in this area, and I would like us to tackle this together in the future." The telephone conversation occurred at the request of the American side. The President brought up the Pakistan assistance conference that Japan hosted, saying: "It was extremely beneficial. I would like to thank Japan." The President mentioned the response to the launching by North Korea of the Taepodong 2 ballistic missile, which the North called a "satellite." He praised it by saying, "The U.S. and Japan were able to cooperate closely at the United Nations Security Council." The Prime Minister, too, responded by saying, "The UNSC reached a swift agreement, and the presidential statement had strong content." The two leaders confirmed that they would continue to coordinate a visit to Japan by the President in the latter half of this year. (2) Rengo to call for SOFA revision in U.S.; Rengo Okinawa president TOKYO 00000955 002 OF 012 and others to hold talks from April 30 with labor union supporting President Obama RYUKYU SHIMPO (Page 2) (Full) April 23, 2009 Rengo (Japanese Trade Union Confederation) Okinawa President Nobumasa Nakamura will visit the United States from April 30 through May 3 along with Rengo President Tsuyoshi Takagi and others. During their stay in the United States, they will hold talks with America's largest labor union, which supports the Obama administration, and call for a review of the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) and the closure of Futenma Air Station. It will be the first time for a Rengo Okinawa representative to accompany the Rengo [president's] trip to the United States. President Nakamura and others will hold talk for two days from April 30 with executives of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) composed of 56 labor unions with a membership of 11 million. U.S. Labor Department and Treasury Department officials might attend the talks. President Nakamura said: "The SOFA is an unequal pact, but it has never been revised. We want to present Okinawa's frank views to the Obama administration through the talks." President Nakamura will ask that the SOFA should be revised in a way to: (1) hand over the custody of an accused U.S. service member [to the Japanese side] before indictment, (2) allow municipal officials to enter a U.S. base in an emergency situation, (3) require the U.S. military to clean up the environment in returning its base, (4) apply Japanese laws when conducting military exercises, and (5) apply three labor laws to base workers. At the same time, the president will seek the realignment and reduction of bases, including the closure and return of Futenma Air Station. President Nakamura expressed his hope, saying: "The American labor union has a history of being suppressed by authority. I think [AFL-CIO] will sympathize with Okinawa's circumstances." Rengo President Takagi and others will discuss responses to the effort for eliminating nuclear weapons and the global financial crisis. Rengo and AFL-CIO hold talks every several years. This time around, President Takagi called for President Nakamura's participation in discussing the peace issue. (3) F-22 a link for Japan-U.S. alliance SANKEI (Page 5) (Full) April 23, 2009 Hiroyuki Noguchi If the Japan-U.S. alliance should ever rupture, it would probably be attributable to Japan's constitutional constraints that do not allow Japan to participate in collective self-defense. The fear I had was that it would be Japan's own fault. However, President Obama and his administration are now about to prove that such is not the case. The Obama administration is reluctant to export F-22 fighters to Japan. The F-22, which is the U.S. Air Force's fifth-generation fighter TOKYO 00000955 003 OF 012 jet, is the most likely candidate for Japan's follow-on mainstay fighter. Facing China's abnormal military expansion, the F-22 should be a 'guardian deity' to protect the skies of freedom and democracy in East Asia. However, the Obama administration, giving heed to China, is hesitant to export the F-22 to Japan. At every turning point in history, America has tended to be "love sick" over China, and time and again, this infatuation for China has threatened Japan's national interests. The F-22 is also known as the "Raptor." True to the nickname, its real power is tremendous. The F-22 Raptor scored "144-0" in a simulated dogfight and "241-2" in another. The results astonished the top guns of air forces around the world. The dogfights were conducted with the participation of such distinguished fighters as the F-15, F-16, and F-18, which were developed by the United States and are currently deployed in Japan and other U.S. allies. In the dogfights, the F-22 Raptor downed a combined total of 385 fighters, losing only two. They can be no match for the F-22, which is a stealth fighter that is hardly detectable to enemy radar because of its configuration and materials. The F-22 outshines other state-of-the-art fighters in supersonic flying performance and supermobility as well. In a nutshell, the F-22 is a standout. The U.S. Congress has embargoed exports of the F-22 for security reasons. In a way, this ban can be taken for granted. At the 2007 Japan-U.S. summit, however, then Prime Minister SHINZO ABE asked the United States to provide Japan with information as an exception. That is because Japan was facing a vital threat from China's rapid deployment of advanced fighter attackers and missiles. China also deploys the Su-27, a mainstay fighter for the Russian air force in the 1990s, and the Su-30, an advanced type of the Su-27. Moreover, China has developed the J-10, a new fighter jet, with technical know-how introduced from Israel. China is expected to deploy stealth aircraft like the F-22 Raptor 10 to 12 years down the road. East Asia-where such apparent threats as China, North Korea, and Russia are rampant-retains the Cold War structure even now. Nevertheless, Secretary of Defense Gates announced his decision on April 6 to stop producing the F-22, reasoning that it was designed with a concept drawn from the Cold War era. The Pentagon chief also referred to a substantial review of the plan, with asymmetric wars in Afghanistan and terrorism in mind, from the conventional one that regards China and Russia as potential threats. The F-22 is no exception, in other words. Even so, what Gates said could be a trial balloon. It cannot be taken at face value. In the U.S., many members of Congress-particularly from the Republican Party-think the United States should sell the F-22 to Japan, with an eye on China. Capitol Hill legislators backed by the munitions industry or labor unions cannot overlook the U.S. government's provisional course of action, either. The reason why President Obama has yet to make his final decision is reportedly because he wants to see how Congress in particular will respond. What lies behind the call-off of F-22 production is the price. The F-22, priced at 19.8 billion yen in FY2001, has been lowered from year to year. Even so, its per unit cost is still steep at 14 billion yen, more than double that of the F-15, which is the F-22's predecessor. This is costly spending at a time when there is an international economic crisis. The F-22 is so superior that it cannot easily be exported to allies. This brought about a vicious TOKYO 00000955 004 OF 012 circle of abstaining from mass-production and boosting the price further. The initial plan was to produce a total of 750 F-22s but production has now been scaled back to 187. Meanwhile, the U.S. Air Force is also strongly upset, claiming that it needs 234 to 381 F-22s before the downscaling of the production line. The weapons industry is also insisting on continuing F-22 production. In 44 states, a total of 25,000 people have jobs related to F-22 production. It is certain that the production of F-22s, once started for delivery to Japan, will greatly contribute to the U.S. economy and its job security. Japan's F-2 support fighter, currently operational on the front, was co-developed with the United States. The F-2's development cost was almost on a par with the F-22's. Given its cost efficiency, it was not a huge burden on Japan. The Obama administration is now apparently beginning to give way over the North Korean nuclear and missile issues without consulting with Japan. Will it be also joining hands with China, which is edging toward Japan's territorial waters? If the United States makes friends with China while turning a blind eye to China's military expansionism and its oppression of speech, people, and religions, then the pro-U.S. conservatives at Japan's political and economic centers would all alike turn into the mere conservatives. As a result, they may come to abhor the United States and turn into anti-U.S. conservatives. Exporting the F-22 to Japan will serve not only to prevent the nightmare of Japan and the United States breaking away from each other but also create strong links between the two countries. (4) Gaps in views of Ozawa and Okada ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) April 24, 2009 Noriko Akiyama Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) President Ichiro Ozawa ordered his party to look into completely prohibiting corporations and organizations from making donations [to individual politicians]. Katsuya Okada, a DPJ vice president, who heads the party's Political Reform Promotion Headquarters, however, calls for restricting the hereditary-seat system of passing down Diet seats to descendents [seshusei]. While Ozawa is being pressured to resign, Okada is regarded as most likely person to replaced him. The two DPJ leaders, who withdrew from the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in 1993, are now struggling over "political reform." In a general meeting yesterday of the political reform task force, the idea of restricting the hereditary-seat system was easily approved, but banning corporations and organizations from donating money to individual politicians did not go smoothly. Twenty-one junior lawmakers submitted a written statement calling for an immediate ban on donations from corporations and organizations. Okada tried to propose implementing the ban five years from now, but such Lower House members as Goshi Hosono and Sumio Mabuchi called for an immediate ban, saying: "It is meaningless to ban them five years in the future;" and, "The DPJ should determine that it will change the Japanese political culture." The panel has decided to hold a meeting again. TOKYO 00000955 005 OF 012 In the wake of the arrest of his state-paid secretary, Ozawa proposed on March 17 a total ban on donations from corporations and organizations to individual politicians. He then entrusted Okada with the issue. Speculation was life that Ozawa made strategic arrangements for picking Okada as his successor. But it is hard to say that they have got on well with each other. On April 20 Okada told reporters: "I wonder if the way of thinking that corporate donations are bad but individual ones are good is acceptable." Many DPJ members felt strong discomfort on a policy of totally ban corporate donations in order to wipe away the image of Ozawa, who had continued to receive a huge amount of donations from one company. Okada proposed imposing restrictions also on fund-raising party tickets, in a bid to close loopholes with a ban on donations from companies receiving orders for public works projects. However, Ozawa said: "The public is interested in a complete ban." Since Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama and other officials have called for a total ban, Okada will be forced to accept Ozawa's proposal. At a press conference on April 21, Ozawa expressed his willingness to continue serving as the DPJ president, saying: "[Corporate donations to individual politicians] should be totally prohibited. I presume that our party will stipulate a total ban as its general will in a set of campaign pledges (manifesto) for the next House of Representatives election. That is the best way (to fulfill my responsibility for explaining the donation scandal)." Probably having felt the Ozawa would remain in his post by totally prohibiting corporate donations, Okawa gave him a warning, saying: "Under the situation where 60-70% of the public has said that they are not satisfied with an explanation (by Ozawa of the arrest of his secretary),it is impossible to bring about a change in government. I strongly hope for Mr. Ozawa's explanation." Ozawa and Okada left the LDP in 1993 under the banner of political reform. They have a relationship like that of teacher and student. A person who knows them at that time said: "Mr. Ozawa favored Okada." The two, however, are now waging a psychological war. The restrictions on the hereditary-seat system the Okada-led taskforce compiled yesterday has an aspect that can be taken as sarcasm toward Ozawa, who is a typical politician succeeded to the Diet seat held by his father. Former DPJ Policy Research Committee Chairman Yoshito Sengoku, who has distanced himself from Ozawa, said yesterday in a meeting of lawmakers: "Many voters in Japan want to move away from politics that is controlled by political nepotism and enormous money." (5) Major financial institutions to log combined net loss of 4 trillion yen in fiscal year 2008 NIKKEI (Page 3) (Excerpts) April 24, 2009 Japan's financial institutions, such as major banks, brokerages and insurance companies, are believed to have suffered a combined net loss of about 4 trillion yen for the year ended March 31, TOKYO 00000955 006 OF 012 underscoring the heavy toll of the global financial crisis on their earnings and investments. The red ink is the largest since a roughly 4.7 trillion yen loss in fiscal 2002, when financial institutions grappled with the disposal of nonperforming loans. In addition to banks, the global financial market crisis directly hit institutional investors such as the Norinchukin Bank. With the latest red ink making lenders cautious, looming concerns about a credit crunch are casting a dark shadow on the outlook for the domestic economy and stocks. Mizuho Financial Group Inc. said Thursday it now expects to log a group net loss of 580 billion yen for fiscal 2008, following in the footsteps of Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc., which has already announced a projected net loss of 390 billion yen. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. is expected to revise down its projected net loss to several hundred-billion yen, and Chuo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. to 80 billion yen. The global financial market crisis has also wreaked havoc on the portfolios of major institutional investors such as Norinchukin Bank, which will book about 600 billion yen in losses for fiscal ¶2008. In the insurance industry, a handful of major life insurers, such as American International Group Inc.'s Alico Japan, are believed to have fallen into the red. If insurers grow cautious and begin reining in investment risk, the stock market could feel the burden. Brokerages are also expected to disclose hefty losses. Nomura Holdings Inc. is likely to report a record group net loss of 700 billion yen for fiscal 2008, while Daiwa Securities Group Inc. and Nikko Citigroup Ltd., a unit of Citigroup Inc., are also expected to log net losses. Hefty losses ascribable to three factors -- delay in improvement in margin spreads, reliance on stock investments, and lax risk management Yasuo Ota Japan's major financial institutions are poised to book large net losses for the year ended March 31, due largely to their inability to learn three bitter lessons from past mistakes and make appropriate changes. Japanese banks have branched out into mutual fund sales and other businesses in an effort to generate commission revenues, but their core lending operations tend to show weak profitability because of lagging improvement in margin spreads. At the same time, the banks' ongoing emphasis on shareholdings has put a burden on their earnings. After repaying past infusions of public funds, major banks boosted cross-shareholdings. Companies with which they enjoyed close ties sought such arrangements, fearing hostile takeover attempts from foreign investors. Based on lessons learned from the burst of Japans' economic bubble, the banks should have known the danger of relying too heavily on stock investments. Yet with the domestic economy entering a long-term expansion, the banks began reviving the cross-shareholding practice. TOKYO 00000955 007 OF 012 Risk management practices at the banks were never fully implemented, leading to painful losses on high-risk instruments snapped up to turn a profit. Securitized products with liquidity risks and hedge fund investments with scanty disclosure are prime examples of the areas that ended up hurting the banks. In some cases, top banks' lenders were not thoroughly aware of the risks being taken on their watch because of the complex and specialized nature of the investments. The huge public fund infusions of the late 1990s aimed to revive the financial system and underpin the economy by helping big banks rebuild. But the latest credit crunch suggests that the banks do not have a thorough grasp of their social responsibilities. Some pundits are urging another round of public fund infusions into major financial institutions. While such actions may be inevitable to avert a crisis, the banks need to implement business reforms that underline their self-discipline and willingness to fulfill their responsibilities to society. (6) Japan posts first trade deficit in 28 years, shaking up status as trade-oriented nation ASAHI (Page 3) (Full) April 23, 2009 With imports outpacing exports in fiscal 2008, Japan posted its first trade deficit of 725.3 billion yen in 28 years since fiscal 1980, according to a report released by the Finance Ministry on April 22. The result came because global trade shrank due to the financial crisis. Japan's exports have declined almost 50% on a monthly basis since January 2009. Japan, as a trade-oriented nation, achieved economic growth in the postwar period. Will its growth model no longer hold true? Limits of growth dependent on U.S. pointed out Japan recorded a trade deficit of approximately 1.4 trillion yen 28 years ago, following the second oil crisis. The value of exports boosted 22.8% over the previous year, but the value of imports also grew 14.0% as prices of crude oil shot up, triggered by the Iran Revolution. As a result, Japan posted a trade deficit, and an approximately 3.1 trillion yen deficit could not be shaved off in fiscal 1979. The main cause of the annual trade deficit in fiscal 2008 was a record 16.4% plunge in exports. Japan's exports to the U.S., the country that triggered the financial crisis, began to fall in September 2007. Since June 2008, the rate of decrease has been in the double-digit range. In October, following the collapse of U.S. investment bank Lehman Brothers in September, exports to China also began to decrease. As a result, Japan's overall exports shifted to negative territory in October, and exports shrank 26.7% in November, 35% in December, and 45.7% this January. China, which is gradually becoming Japan's largest export market, produces toys and furniture with plastic and metal materials imported from Japan and sells such assembled products to the U.S. and other countries. Slack domestic demand in the U.S. will put a damper on China's production activities and will eventually reduce TOKYO 00000955 008 OF 012 Japan's exports to the U.S. and China. Japan's exports to China have exceeded those to the U.S. on a monthly basis since last summer, but the Japanese economy has still been affected by U.S. economic conditions. President Barack Obama has said: "We are beginning to see a ray of hope." Other administration officials have also made remarks indicating their confidence of the turning around of their economy. But the U.S. economy has experienced ups and downs. The situation is such that it will be difficult for Japan to rapidly boost its exports again. Japan External Trade Organization's (JETRO) International Economic Research Department Head Toshiki Takahashi said: "Japan is a trade- and investment-oriented nation, rather than a trade-oriented nation. The trade deficit itself is not a serious problem." He keeps in mind the fact that the black figure of income, such as dividends and interest from abroad though overseas operations, has been larger than the trade black figure since fiscal 2005. Even so, the scale of income surplus has also contracted on a monthly basis since October 2008, when the financial crisis became serious. Some observers take the view that economic growth dependent on the U.S. has already reached its limits. This view is gaining influence. Emerging countries hold key to recovery In reference to Japan's trade deficit recorded for the first time in 28 years, Finance Minister Yosano stressed the need to expand domestic demand, saying: "It is necessary for the decreased external demand to be covered with the effect of our economic stimulus measures." Whenever the economy tumbles, the government advocates the need for expanded domestic demand in order to bring about an autonomous recovery." Such a slogan always starts with a roar and end with a whimper, as Japanese society has faced a declining population. Mitsui & Co., Ltd. President Masami Iijima called on the government to take measures to stimulate developing countries' domestic demand to Japan through its official development assistance (ODA) program. As seen from the fact that the Group of 20 (G-20),composed of such emerging countries China, India and Russia, in addition to Japan, the U.S., and European countries, have played the leading role in mapping out measures to cope with the financial crisis, emerging countries are enhancing their international presence. Various countries have hammered out measures to boost domestic demand, but the dominant view in the Japanese business world is that such measures will produce results first in emerging countries." The question is how the government and the private sector will cope with the replacement of major players. According to JETRO, merger and acquisition (M&A) by Japanese firms overseas between October and December in 2008 increased triple in value terms over the same period a year ago. Food manufacturers and retailers are said to be linked to domestic demand, but a number of companies in these areas have begun operations overseas. For instance, Suntory Ltd. bought up a leading beverage company of TOKYO 00000955 009 OF 012 New Zealand in Oct. 2008, and Asahi Breweries, Ltd., acquired an Australian beverage department of a leading British food company in December of the same year. In the manufacturing industry, Toyota Motor Corp. Nissan Motor Co. have cut production costs and have accelerated the development of low-price vehicles which people in emerging countries can afford to buy. Japanese firms are trying to find potential markets and to explore new demand in an effort to recover their business performance. The government also needs to come up with new ideas beyond the framework of conventional economic stimulus measures designed to temporarily boost domestic demand. (7) Editorial: China must increase naval transparency NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) April 24, 2009 The Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy, on the occasion of marking its 60th anniversary, held its first international fleet review yesterday at Qingdao, Shandong. The Chinese navy invited representatives from 29 countries, including Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force and the naval forces of the United States and Russia, to show a stance of deepening exchanges with its foreign counterparts. However, we are concerned about China's nontransparent naval expansion. Chinese President Hu Jintao, concurrently presiding over the Central Military Commission as the Chinese military's top brass man, reviewed the fleet. The fleet review was on an unprecedented scale, as seen from the Chinese media's repeated saturation coverage. In recent years, China has hurried to build up its naval forces. The fleet review displayed China's naval preparedness, and the event was apparently aimed to heighten the communist government's centripetal force. This is the first time that China has invited foreign naval representatives to its naval review. This was probably intended to dodge the 'China-is-a-threat' argument. Naval vessels from 14 countries-including the United States, Russia, and South Korea-were also there at Qingdao. However, no MSDF vessels were invited to the event. A Chinese daily noted: "Not a few Chinese people will recall their unpleasant memories as they see a naval vessel flying a Japanese flag." This is another example that shows how difficult it is to carry out defense exchanges between Japan and China. As it stands, the two countries will need to continue their tenacious confidence-building efforts. China forwent its rumored announcement of a plan to build its first aircraft carrier. However, Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie, who met with Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada in March, and some other top brass officers have declared their desire to build flattops. It is hard to understand that the Chinese military's high-ranking officers have not clarified the strategic aim of building aircraft carriers while explaining that the reason why China is going to build aircraft carriers is "because China is a big power." In the meantime, the Chinese government has not unveiled its budgetary measures in such areas as research and development. TOKYO 00000955 010 OF 012 China needs to secure sealanes for its globalized economic activities. In addition, China's financial power is growing. Given such factors, China is highly likely to continue its military buildup. In Asia, China is already spending the largest amount of money on its national defense. China's failure to fulfill its accountability will cause its neighbors to become even more concerned. The communist government itself should hurry to increase military transparency. China has been increasing its fleet activities in waters around Japan. A high-ranking naval officer of China reportedly talked about his idea of dividing the Pacific Ocean into eastern and western halves with Hawaii in between when that Chinese naval officer met with the U.S. Pacific Command chief the year before last. The Japanese government and the Self-Defense Forces must be on the alert for China's military buildup. (8) TOP HEADLINES Asahi: Survey: 30% of public hospitals eye cutting number of beds due to shortage of doctors and declining income Mainichi: No. 7 reactor at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant set to resume operations in May after "Golden Week" holidays Yomiuri: China informs Japan and U.S. of its decision to launch system next month forcing foreign manufacturers to reveal source codes of their digital home appliances and other high-tech products Nikkei: Government eyes easing conditions for tax cut in research and development Sankei: Prime minister to earnestly consider changing government's interpretation of right to collective self-defense Tokyo Shimbun: 14,000 elderly on welfare live unregistered care homes Akahata: LDP, New Komeito ram antipiracy bill through Lower House (9) EDITORIALS Asahi: (1) Japan urged to play active role in effort to realize nuclear-free world (2) Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation must make fresh start Mainichi: (1) Antipiracy legislation: Ruling coalition must compromise on Diet approval (2) Chiba mayor arrested over bribery Yomiuri: (1) Speedy antipiracy debate needed in Upper House TOKYO 00000955 011 OF 012 (2) Chinese Navy greets 60th anniversary: Military buildup demonstrated in first naval parade Nikkei: (1) Critical phase not over for Japanese, U.S. financial institutes (2) Chinese Navy needs more transparency Sankei: (1) DPJ must respond to call for early enactment of antipiracy legislation (2) Industrial revitalization amendment must be emergency step Tokyo Shimbun: (1) Continued antipiracy revision talks urged (2) SMAP vocalist Kusanagi arrested for public indecency Akahata: (1) Revitalization of small businesses need solid measures (10) Prime Minister's schedule, April 23 NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) April 24, 2009 07:10 Met Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsumoto at the Kantei. Joined by Chief Cabinet Secretary Kawamura. 09:00 Attended a meeting of the Lower House Antipiracy Special Committee. 12:04 Arrives at the Kantei. 12:57 Attended a meeting of lawmakers in the Diet Building. 13:02 Attended a Lower House plenary session. 14:50 Met at the Kantei with Palau President Toribiong. 15:39 Met Cabinet Office Vice Minister Yamamoto. Followed by Vice Foreign Minister Yabunaka. 16:38 Met Akita Governor Satake, with Election Strategy Council Vice Chairman Suga and Lower House member Koji Futada present. 17:17 Met Cabinet Intelligence Director Mitani. Followed by former Ambassador to the U.S. Yanai and Assistant Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yanagisawa. 19:08 Dined with Administrative Reform Minister Amari at a Japanese restaurant in the ANA Intercontinental Hotel Tokyo. 21:09 Met Amari at his official residence. TOKYO 00000955 012 OF 012 ZUMWALT