Cablegate: Daily Summary of Japanese Press 07/24/07

VZCZCXRO0567
PP RUEHFK RUEHKSO RUEHNAG RUEHNH
DE RUEHKO #3371/01 2050757
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 240757Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5767
INFO RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEAWJA/USDOJ WASHDC PRIORITY
RULSDMK/USDOT WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J5//
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RHHMHBA/COMPACFLT PEARL HARBOR HI
RHMFIUU/HQ PACAF HICKAM AFB HI//CC/PA//
RUALSFJ/COMUSJAPAN YOKOTA AB JA//J5/JO21//
RUYNAAC/COMNAVFORJAPAN YOKOSUKA JA
RUAYJAA/CTF 72
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 4624
RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 2202
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 5798
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 1273
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 2980
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 8017
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 4077
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 5133

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 11 TOKYO 003371

SIPDIS

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 07/24/07

Index:

(1) Sankei-FNN joint opinion poll on political awareness

(2) Abe cabinet ministers never stop making gaffes

(3) Ambassador in charge of Okinawan affairs admits US armored motor
vehicle's intrusion into school was deviation from SOFA, saying,
"There is no excuse for it"

(4) US forces' armored vehicle trespasses: Possibility of
infringement of SOFA; DFAA refers to need to confirm fact

(5) 2007 Upper House election on" security" -- Iraq and North Korea
(Part 1): Government conceals the actual state of SDF's airlifting
of 10,000 troops, mostly US soldiers

(6) Monthly comments on politics by Hiroshi Nakanishi, international
political scientist: Abe administration's reliability questioned in
the Upper House election

ARTICLES:

(1) Sankei-FNN joint opinion poll on political awareness

SANKEI (Page 5) (Full)
July 23, 2007

Questions & Answers
(In percentage; figures in parentheses were obtained in survey in
June)

Q: Do you support the Abe cabinet?

Yes 29.1 (32.3)
No 53.6 (49.2)
Don't know; can't say which 17.4 (18.6)

Q: Which political party do you support?

Liberal Democratic Party 32.6 (29.7)
Democratic Party of Japan 16.6 (17.1)
New Komeito 4.3 (4.0)
Japanese Communist Party 3.9 (3.0)
Social Democratic Party 2.0 (1.7)
People's New Party 0.2 (0.2)
New Party Nippon 0.3 (0)
Other political parties 0.5 (1.0)
None 37.2 (40.7)
Don't know; can't say 2.7 (2.8)

Q: Do you highly evaluate the following matters regarding the Abe
administration?

Yes 15.8 (15.4)
No 72.6 (67.7)
Don't know; can't say which 11.7 (16.9)

Yes 19.5 (17.6)
No 59.0 (57.6)
Don't know; can't say which 21.5 (24.9)

Yes 29.0 (25.5)
No 47.7 (49.0)
Don't know; can't say which 23.4 (25.6)

Yes 29.0 (17.3)
No 57.6 (68.6)
Don't know; can't say which 13.5 (14.2)

Yes 17.2
No 66.2
Don't know; can't say which 16.7

Yes 7.7
No 75.8
Don't know; can't say which 16.6

Yes 30.7 (32.5)
No 45.7 (44.4)
Don't know; can't say which 23.6 (23.2)

Yes 21.5 (18.0)
No 46.9 (45.2)
Don't know; can't say which 31.7 (36.9)

Q: How long do you think the Abe cabinet will last?

Until the Upper House election 31.2 (23.1)
Less than three years 53.1 (60.2)
More than three years 9.1 (12.4)
Don't know; can't say 6.7 (4.4)

Q: Are you interested in the Upper House election?

Yes 74.9 (74.6)
No 19.6 (21.9)
Don't know; can't say which 5.6 (3.6)

Q: Which party -- ruling or opposition -- do you want to see grow

TOKYO 00003371 003 OF 011

through the Upper House election?

Ruling parties, such as LDP 28.1 (31.9)
Opposition parties, such as DPJ 55.6 (51.7)
Don't know; can't say which 16.4 (16.5)

Q: What is the greatest campaign issue?

Pension 39.5 (39.0)
Economic disparity 18.4 (18.2)
Tax reform 8.6 (4.8)
Politics and money 8.1 (6.1)
Constitutional revision 6.7 (9.4)
Education reform 4.5 (7.1)
Civil servant reform 4.3 (2.1)
Measures for declining birthrate 3.9 (3.4)
Foreign policy, national security 2.4 (2.8)
Don't know; can't say 3.9 (7.4)

Q: Do you agree with the following statements regarding the upcoming
Upper House election?

Yes 60.9
No 26.6
Don't know; can't say which 12.6

Yes 65.2
No 23.3
Don't know; can't say which 11.6

Yes 54.7
No 35.1
Don't know; can't say which 10.3

Yes 49.8
No 36.0
Don't know; can't say which 14.2

© Scoop Media