DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 02/03/10

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 09 TOKYO 000217 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 02/03/10 INDEX: (1) Hatoyama becoming frustrated, might be losing composure over Ozawa problem (Nikkei) (2) Another political group of DPJ Secretary General Ozawa being investigated for failing to report 1.6 billion yen in political funds accounting (Asahi) (3) Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno says ruling party team's trip to Guam is not for studying alternative Futenma relocation site (Jiji.com) (4) "Close Up 2010" column: U.S. Quadrennial Defense Review reflects strong sense of alarm toward China (Mainichi) (5) Government to draw up IT strategy under the leadership of politicians with an emphasis on medical care and education (Asahi) (Corrected copy) Parents and children after divorce; joint custody is the norm in Europe and United States (Yomiuri) ARTICLES: (1) Hatoyama becoming frustrated, might be losing composure over Ozawa problem NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) February 3, 2010 Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's frustration is mounting prior to the expiration of the legal detention period of House of Representatives member Tomohiro Ishikawa, a former secretary to Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa. Ishikawa was arrested on charges of violating the Political Funds Control Law. The prime minister has argued back with harsh words against statements by cabinet ministers and senior vice ministers. If Ozawa, who has backed Hatoyama, is pressed to step down from his party post due to such remarks, the administration will inevitably lose political ground. Some observers believe that this situation is causing Hatoyama to lose his composure. "That is not an answer," Hatoyama said in rebuttal to Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada's remarks indicating the possibility of the continued use of the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station yesterday. In a press conference, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano, a close aide to Hatoyama, also spoke in rough tones: "What will become of the efforts by people who are earnestly exploring other options?" Difficulty in keeping Ozawa at a distance Senior Vice Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda stated earlier that it would be difficult to offer the full amount of child allowances starting in fiscal 2011 (as pledged in the DPJ's manifesto for the last general election). In reaction to this statement, Hatoyama openly showed his displeasure, saying: "He should not talk about the future." Okada was a rival candidate against Hatoyama in the DPJ presidential election last year, and Noda is a leader of the group of members who distance themselves from Ozawa. Paying little attention to the TOKYO 00000217 002 OF 009 existence of differences in views among cabinet members, Hatoyama has said: "I will make a final decision" on many occasions. However, he can no longer take such a confident attitude. Behind his frustration might be his awareness of the difficulty in keeping Ozawa at a distance. Hatoyama told reporters yesterday morning: "Given what Secretary General Ozawa has achieved up to now, I hope he will lead the campaigning (for the House of Councillors election this summer). This remark can be taken to mean that he would keep Ozawa in his post if he is not held criminally accountable. In the evening, however, he said: "What I can say now is that since it is the secretary general who leads the Upper House election campaign, (Mr. Ozawa) naturally should lead the campaign." Party members close to Ozawa have said that Mr. Hatoyama was able to become prime minister thanks to Mr. Ozawa's efforts. Hatoyama has also been grilled by the opposition camp over a falsified donation scandal in the ongoing Diet session every day. If Ozawa takes responsibility for the politics-and-money scandal, the prime minister might be pressured to take responsibility for appointing Ozawa as secretary general. Detention period of Ozawa's secretary to expire tomorrow Confrontation between anti-Ozawa and pro-Ozawa forces in the DPJ could intensify over a successor to Ozawa and other issues. Among the anti-Ozawa members, Kozo Watanabe lost the post of supreme advisor after the general election last year, while Yoshito Sengoku and Seiji Maehara were awarded with key ministerial posts - the post of state minister for government revitalization council for Sengoku and the post of public servant system reform and land, infrastructure, transport and tourism minister for Maehara. Even if Ozawa retains his post, it is unlikely that new prospects will open up. The two top leaders in the government have both been saddled with politics-and-money scandals. The opposition camp can use this abnormal situation as ammunition for an attack in the run-up to the Upper House election. Lawmaker Ishikawa's legal detention period is to expire on Feb. 4, but the DPJ has yet to determine what punishment he will receive. A senior party member said: "If lawmaker Ishikawa's indictment is found to be linked to Mr. Ozawa, it will be difficult to prompt Ishikawa to leave the party or resign as a Diet member." Another party member said: "It is Mr. Ozawa who will make the decision." If Ishikawa resigns before March 15, a by-election will be held on April 25. A person close to the prime minister was overheard saying: "If the DPJ is defeated in the by-election, calls might grow for the prime minister to resign before the Upper House election." (2) Another political group of DPJ Secretary General Ozawa being investigated for failing to report 1.6 billion yen in political funds accounting ASAHI (Page 31) (Abridged) February 3, 2010 It was learned that "Kaikaku Forum 21," a political group affiliated with Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa, has failed to report massive transfers of funds in and out of its TOKYO 00000217 003 OF 009 bank account in its political funds accounting report. Approximately 1.5 billion yen was deposited into this account in 2004 and over 100 million yen was withdrawn in 2005, but neither of those transactions was recorded in the accounting reports. Furthermore, over 300 million yen was withdrawn from the bank account shortly before the general election last year. It is possible that all these cash transfers were used for election campaigns. A fresh case of dubious political funds has surfaced in an Ozawa-linked political group. It appears that the Special Investigation Division of the Tokyo District Prosecutors Office, which is investigating the land deal involving Ozawa's fund management organization Rikuzan-kai, is also aware of these fund transfers. It is also investigating funds managed by Forum 21 in order to clarify the whole picture of Ozawa's political funds. Forum 21 has not responded to Asahi Shimbun's queries. (3) Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno says ruling party team's trip to Guam is not for studying alternative Futenma relocation site JIJI.COM (Full) 12:01, February 3, 2010 At a news conference on the morning of Feb. 3, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yorihisa Matsuno discussed the relocation of the U.S. forces' Futenma Air Station (in Ginowan City, Okinawa) and said that with regard to the decision of the government and ruling parties' Okinawa base issues examination committee to go on an inspection tour of the U.S. territory of Guam, "the government regards the purpose of the trip as an inspection of the relocation site for the U.S. Marines under the U.S. Forces Japan realignment road map." He thus indicated that Guam is not being considered as an alternative relocation site (of the Futenma base). Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has stated in late December that Guam is "unlikely" as a relocation site "in consideration of (maintaining) deterrence." A senior government official also pointed out on Feb. 2 that "in terms of (the U.S. forces') presence or deterrence, (relocation to Guam) would be difficult in reality." (4) "Close Up 2010" column: U.S. Quadrennial Defense Review reflects strong sense of alarm toward China MAINICHI (Page 3) (Full) February 3, 2010 The Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) released by the Obama administration on Feb. 1 reflects a strong sense of alarm at the rise in China's military capability and reemphasizes the importance of the Japan-U.S. alliance in East Asia. However, Japan and the U.S. are currently unable to find a solution to the issue of the relocation of the U.S. forces' Futenma Air Station in Okinawa. Both sides have no desire to see any further deterioration of the bilateral relationship and are searching for a point of agreement in order to deepen the alliance further. Japan-U.S. alliance as deterrent TOKYO 00000217 004 OF 009 By Yoso Furumoto in Washington At a news conference on Feb. 1, U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates touched on China's criticism of the U.S.'s sale of weapons to Taiwan and announcement of the suspension of U.S.-China military exchanges. He said: "If there is stagnation in the bilateral relationship, we hope it will be temporary," calling on China not to make the situation even more serious. However, the QDR indicates that the U.S. has a growing sense of alarm toward China as a "potential adversary." The QDR points out that China's building of aircraft carriers and offensive submarines "raises questions about its long-term motives." The U.S. is particularly concerned about its advanced cyber attack capability and offensive capability in space. The U.S. military command systems will be paralyzed if the use of artificial satellites and the Internet is disrupted, rendering high-tech weapons practically useless. China reacted sensitively to this. Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu refuted on Feb. 2 the QDR's questioning of China's military transparency and other issues, stating: "Making irresponsible remarks on (China's) legitimate and normal national defense construction amounts to interference in internal affairs." He called for a "stop to such irresponsible remarks." Meanwhile, there is virtually no doubt that the Chinese armed forces regard the U.S. as its hypothetical adversary. China conducted a successful experiment on shooting down a satellite with a ballistic missile in January 2007. It also announced technical experiments on a land-based missile interception system last month. Experts see this as aiming at incapacitating the Japan-U.S. missile defense (MD) systems. In this situation, the United States' Asia policy centered on the Japan-U.S. security alliance attaches even greater practical importance to deterring the expansion of China's power with a strong Japan-U.S. alliance. There is no denying that the pending Futenma relocation issue between the two countries now carries relatively less weight for the U.S. side. Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama supported the U.S. position on the evening of Feb. 2, stating: "China's neighbors need to watch the increase in its military spending. We would like to demand greater transparency." Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa also said on the same day: "We share the perception on the lack of transparency (of China's military expansion)," stressing that Japan and the U.S. are on the same page on this issue. The harsh view of Japan in the U.S. is beginning to change. In an editorial on Jan. 28, The New York Times criticized the U.S. government's tough stance on the Futenma issue and asserted that "the Obama administration should show flexibility." The visit to China last December by some 140 Diet members led by Democratic Party of Japan Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa, which gave rise to concerns that "Japan is moving closer to China," has actually led to a growing opinion that "destabilizing the Japan-U.S. alliance over the Futenma issue should be avoided." Secretary Gates reiterated the importance of the bilateral alliance TOKYO 00000217 005 OF 009 on Feb. 1 and stressed that "our keyword is patience." He indicated that the U.S. will wait for Japan to decide on Futenma's relocation site. Futenma remains a sticking point By Yasushi Sengoku, Takenori Noguchi While the Japan-U.S. alliance is increasing in importance, the deepening of this alliance depends on progress in the Futenma issue. At the Japan-U.S. Security Subcommittee (SSC) meeting held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on the morning of Feb. 2, Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell reminded the Japanese side once again that "the current relocation plan is the only feasible option." After the discussions that lasted two hours, Campbell told reporters, "We are willing to discuss (other) options with Japan," but he added that the current plan "is the result of discussions between the two governments over many years," stressing the meaning and importance of this plan. The SSC meeting marked the official start of the governmental talks on deepening the alliance agreed upon at the meeting between Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Hawaii in January. In addition to Campbell, Assistant Secretary of Defense Wallace Gregson participated on the U.S. side. The Japanese side was represented by MOFA North American Affairs Bureau Director General Kazuyoshi Umemoto, Defense Policy Bureau Director General Nobushige Takamiszwa (of the Ministry of Defense),and other officials. Before the meeting, the Japanese side said, "We will not discuss the Futenma issue. We will propose a review of the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement and host nation support for the U.S. forces (omoiyari yosan or sympathy budget)," (according to a senior MOFA official). However, when the meeting was actually held, the Japanese side had to explain that the options for selecting a relocation site for the Futenma base have become even more restricted with the victory of an opponent to Futenma relocation in the recent Nago City mayoral election in Okinawa. Moreover, the two sides were only able to confirm the procedures for the all-important talks on deepening the alliance, agreeing to "conduct the talks with the aim of confirming a common understanding of the regional security environment in Asia and the Pacific." The Nago election, where the relocation opponent won over the candidate who accepts the relocation with a slim margin of only 1,600 votes, has turned into heavy pressure on the process of selecting a relocation site. At a news conference on Feb. 2, Okada gave the following interpretation of Campbell's remark on "discussing the options": "At the very least, Japan should come up with a solid plan. I don't think the U.S. intends to join Japan in the search for (a relocation site)." (5) Government to draw up IT strategy under the leadership of politicians with an emphasis on medical care and education ASAHI (Page 5) (Abridged slightly) February 3, 2010 TOKYO 00000217 006 OF 009 Sawa Okabayashi An outline of the government's new information technology (IT) strategy to be compiled for the first time under the administration of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) has become clear. The strategy focuses on the use of IT in medical care, education, and other areas in which Japan is said to be lagging behind other industrialized countries. The DPJ plans to incorporate those areas in its manifesto for this summer's House of Councillors election. The government will also aim at the flexible allocation of funds under the initiative of lawmakers, reorganizing the existing IT Strategy Headquarters into a new body. According to the draft strategy the Asahi Shimbun has obtained, the government will support the effort to send itemized statements for medical expenses via the Internet, in addition to expanding the telemedicine program. The government will also allocate budgets for Internet-assisted classes and the IT training program on a priority basis. The draft is designed to promote the use of IT in a wide range of administrative areas, such as the introduction of a taxpayer identification number system and the use of the Internet for election campaigns. The government intends to finalize a strategy that incorporates those steps in April. The government will reorganize later this month the existing IT Strategy Headquarters, launched during the cabinet of Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, into a new body headed by Prime Minster Yukio Hatoyama. Under the existing system, IT strategies have differed from ministry to ministry, priorities have not been clear due to the please-everyone policies, and cooperation between ministries has been insufficient. At the new headquarters, lawmakers will draw up policies themselves. Mid- to long-term policies will be sent to the government agencies. The new headquarters will set up a planning committee to finalize the new strategy based on this draft plan. Education, Science, and Technology Minister Tatsuko Kawabata, who is responsible for information technology, will head the committee, which will be composed mainly of senior vice ministers and parliamentary secretaries of the Cabinet Office, the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry, and the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry. Senior vice ministers and parliamentary secretaries of relevant ministries will join the committee when cooperation is necessary. The government plans to place a task force of experts under the planning committee to deal with problems flexibly. Draft outline of the government's new IT strategy < Medial care > Q Make medical and health information accessible to anyone at any location in the country. Q Implement an online system for medical institutions' work of issuing statements of medical expenses for health insurance purposes to increase efficiency. < Education > Q Promote e-learning that is secure and safe. Q Develop and recruit IT-savvy personnel. < Environment > Q Promote smart grid technology. TOKYO 00000217 007 OF 009 Q Use IT to promote energy-efficient eco-friendly housing. < Administrative services > Q Implement a taxpayer identification number system by using resident identification numbers. Q Integrate cards issued by public institutions. < Government > Q Conduct election campaigns that use the Internet. Q Promote the use of IT at the Diet. < Creation of new businesses > Q Significantly expand the digital contents market. Q Promote cloud computing. (Corrected copy) Parents and children after divorce; joint custody is the norm in Europe and United States YOMIURI (Pages 16 and 17) (Full) January 26, 2010 Many people attribute problems concerning children after divorce to Japan's sole custody system in which the custody of a child is given to one parent at the time of divorce under the civil law. In reality, the parent with custody has such rights and duties as providing education and managing property, whereas the parent without custody can do almost nothing. In arbitration and judicial proceedings, the custody of a child is given to the mother 90 percent of the time. With no provision on child visitation rights in the civil law, visitations are affected substantially by the wishes of the parent with custody. If the parent living with the child fiercely refuses to let the other parent see the child during arbitration or judicial proceedings, it will be difficult to realize visitation. Even if visitation is allowed, the frequency of visits will be low, such as once a month. Furthermore, even if the parent with custody ignores a decision on visitation, the other parent has no power to forcibly carry out visitation. "It strongly reflects the family system since the Meiji period (1868-1912)," Masayuki Tanamura, a professor at Waseda University, explained about the Japanese custody system. "Custody is regarded as a parent's right to control a child. A battle occurs over who should have that right." Meanwhile, in European countries and the United States, joint custody in which the two parents continue to raise their children even after divorce has become the norm following an increase in divorces from the 1970s though the 1990s. "Child visitation rights are granted to both parents even after divorce," Takao Tanase, a lawyer and a Chuo University professor, explained. "Parents see their children quite frequently, visiting with them for a period of three days and two nights, for instance." In many cases, international marriages involving Japanese nationals that end in divorce can lead to serious conflicts due to such differences in custody systems. The number of international marriages that end in divorce is on the rise. In 2008, a record number of 18,774 international marriages ended in divorce. TOKYO 00000217 008 OF 009 Recently there have been cases in which Japanese nationals living abroad have returned to Japan with their children after their international marriages ended in divorce and have not returned to the country in which they used to live. These cases have now escalated into a problem of international proportions. Broken down by country, there are 73 such cases involving the United States, 36 cases involving Canada, 33 cases involving the UK, and 35 cases involving France, according to the Foreign Ministry. The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction exists to deal with cross-border child abduction. The convention stipulates that if a child is taken to another country unilaterally, the child must be returned to the original country if there is a complaint from the parent from whom the child was taken. Member countries are obliged to provide cooperation in returning the children. The United States and many European countries are signatories to the convention, but Japan is not. The United States and European countries are urging Japan to accede to the convention. "Problems between husband and wife must be considered separately from the relationship between parent and child," Tanase said. "The law must be improved premised on parental visits in principle except for cases in which harm, such as abuse, is inflicted on a child by a parent living in a separate location. Divorce is no longer unusual in Japan, so it is important to accept the idea of divorced parents jointly raising their child." Parents and children after divorce; (Part 1): Arbitration and judicial proceedings for parental visitation mark three-fold increase over 10 years; parents without custody can do nothing, struggling to see children Today, a couple divorces in Japan every two minutes. An increasing number of parents are asking the courts for child visitation rights after divorce. Cross-border child abductions following international marriages that end in divorce are becoming a problem. At a time when the nature of families and values are becoming increasingly diverse, we interviewed divorced parents who are struggling to see their children - a problem that is difficult to resolve under the existing system. A woman we will call "Ms. A," 51, a temporary employee residing in Tokyo, has been living apart from her son, 15, since her former husband moved out with him five years ago. Over the last five years, she has only been allowed to see her son twice for a total of 95 minutes. Moreover, those meetings took place at a family court in the presence of examiners. Even so, she could not stop shedding tears from the moment she saw her son. "My son, who was learning piano, held his palm against mine to compare their sizes. Watching him speak with his eyes fixed on mine, I sensed that we were connected by a strong bond." Driven by her desire to see her son, she filed a request with the court in July 2007 for arbitration seeking child visitation rights. "But my ex-husband was reluctant to let me see my son, citing that he was moving up to the next grade and onto high school." But trial visitations were conducted for the two of them to see how TOKYO 00000217 009 OF 009 the system would work by allowing them to spend short periods of time together in the court building with the aim of examining the method for implementing the program in the process of the arbitration. The first visitation took place in March, 2008, for 50 minutes and the second one in April, 2009, for 45 minutes. For the second visitation, her son brought a video game he could not play with his mother during the fist session. "He remembered what had occurred a year earlier." A reconciliatory plan of visitation once every two months was discussed in the arbitration, but the two parties failed to reach an agreement, and the case moved onto judicial proceedings in which a judge makes a decision. "I'm worried sick that I might not be able to see my son for the rest of my life." ? (The rest of the article is the same as the original) ROOS