Cablegate: Daily Summary of Japanese Press 02/25/08

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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 02/25/08

INDEX:

(1) Prime Minister Fukuda, President Lee in their first summit

likely to agree to restart regular diplomatic exchanges (Tokyo

Shimbun)

(2) New Komeito frets over losing clout in divided Diet (Nikkei)

(3) 8 parties agree to revise SOFA (Ryukyu Shimpo)

(4) Keidanren to approve mandatory caps on greenhouse gas emissions

under industry-specific accumulation method (Nikkei)

(5) Koga takes offensive on selection of Nippon Izokukai vice

chairmen with eye on accelerating debate on removing Class-A

criminals from Yasukuni Shrine (Mainichi)

(6) FTC eyes exclusively clamping down on unscrupulous business

practices (Yomiuri)

(7) NPA says cases of child abuse largest ever in 2007, although

decrease in death toll of abused children (Mainichi)

(8) Poll on public attitude toward politics (Yomiuri)

ARTICLES:

(1) Prime Minister Fukuda, President Lee in their first summit

likely to agree to restart regular diplomatic exchanges

TOKYO SHIMBUN ONLINE (Full)

February 25, 2008, 11:38 a.m.

Seoul, Kyodo News Service, Feb. 25

Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda this afternoon is to meet at the Blue

House in Seoul with new South Korean President Lee Myung Bak

immediately after his inauguration as president. Both leaders are

expected to agree to restart what they call a "shuttle diplomacy" or

both leaders visiting each other on a regular basis, with Lee making

a visit to Japan in late April. Fukuda will convey his intention to

travel again to South Korea sometime in the latter half of this

year, and confirm with Lee to open up a future-oriented, new

"Japan-South Korea age," based on a relationship of personal mutual

trust.

Both leaders are also expected to speed up the work aimed at

resuming negotiations as quickly as possible for concluding a

bilateral economic partnership agreement (EPA). The negotiations

were interrupted in 2004.

On the North Korean nuclear issue, both leaders will confirm that

Japan, the United States, and South Korea will work in close

cooperation through the six-party talks to bring about a peaceful

solution. Fukuda, based on the Japan-North Korea Pyongyang

Declaration, will brief Lee on Japan's policy of normalizing

diplomatic ties after resolving the abduction, nuclear, and missile

issue, and seek Lee's understanding.

(2) New Komeito frets over losing clout in divided Diet

NIKKEI (Page 2) (Abridged slightly)

TOKYO 00000491 002 OF 010

February 25, 2008

The New Komeito, the Liberal Democratic Party's coalition partner,

is visibly frustrated as its say declines in the divided Diet, where

the ruling coalition does not hold a majority in the House of

Councillors. Although the New Komeito leadership, including

Representative Akihiro Ota, advocates closer cooperation with the

LDP, frustration is bubbling up in the party about the party's

inability to demonstrate its own policy identity. The option of

forming a grand alliance between the LDP and the major opposition

Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) might come up again, and political

realignment might occur after the next House of Representatives

election. The New Komeito, however, has yet to come up with any game

plan to deal with such an eventuality.

Ota has recently repeatedly played up the party's policy goal of

raising the level of national income to the highest level ever over

the next three years or 2010. On the afternoon of Feb. 15, Ota held

a meeting with Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, his first this year, at

the Prime Minister's Office (Kantei). In the 50-minute Fukuda-Ota

meeting, business and economic measures took center stage.

Ota has indicated to his aides that he shares the same awareness of

issues with the prime minister. But there are no signs of the LDP

producing a package of policies in line with the New Komeito's

calls.

In terms of numbers, the New Komeito's role has diminished due to

the divided Diet. Even with the New Komeito, the coalition is still

a minority in the Upper House.

The New Komeito is also placed outside the loop of the LDP-DPJ

battle over the selection of new Bank of Japan governor. At a

meeting on Feb. 19 of New Komeito Lower House members, Isamu Ueda

said: "Our party needs a venue to discuss BOJ personnel affairs.

Without it, we won't be able to fulfill our accountability."

The party's image going against reform over road-related tax revenue

is also a matter of concern for the New Komeito. Land,

Infrastructure, and Transport Minister Tetsuzo Fuyushiba, who served

as New Komeito secretary general for eight years, repeatedly made

Diet replies that could be taken as siding with his ministry. Many

New Komeito supporters complained that Fuyushiba has acted like a

lawyer representing MLIT bureaucrats and LDP lawmakers with ties to

road construction interests.

What is more serious is that the party has yet to come up with any

plan to deal with a rekindled grand coalition vision and political

realignment. An alliance between the LDP and DPJ is certain to

reduce the New Komeito's presence. "If this situation persists, our

usual strategy of holding the deciding vote will not work," a New

Komeito member said with alarm.

(3) 8 parties agree to revise SOFA

RYUKYU SHIMPO (Top play) (Full)

February 24, 2008

In the wake of an Okinawa-based U.S. serviceman's rape of a junior

high school girl and other incidents caused by U.S. military

personnel, the Ryukyu Shimpo held an urgent roundtable of

representatives from eight political parties in Okinawa Prefecture

TOKYO 00000491 003 OF 010

yesterday afternoon at its head office in Naha. On Feb. 22, the

government announced a plan to prevent similar incidents. However,

the representatives from the eight political parties unanimously

agreed that the government-announced plan is insufficient. They also

agreed that the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) should

be drastically revised. They stressed that the Okinawa should assume

a strong stance in pressing for a revision of SOFA provisions,

including the need for the Okinawa prefectural assembly to pass

another resolution.

The roundtable participants were Seizen Hokama, deputy chairman of

the Liberal Democratic Party's Okinawa prefectural federation,

Kantoku Teruya, chairman of the Social Democratic Party's Okinawa

prefectural federation, Tomonori Itosu, representative of New

Komeito's Okinawa prefectural headquarters, Masaharu Kina, chairman

of the Okinawa Socialist Masses Party, Seiken Akamine, chairman of

the Japanese Communist Party's Okinawa prefectural committee, Mikio

Shimoji, representative of the Political Group of Okinawa Revolution

(Seito Souzou), Chobin Zukeran, deputy representative of the

Democratic Party of Japan's Okinawa prefectural federation, and

Hiroshi Goya, representative of the People's New Party's Okinawa

prefectural federation.

The SDP, OSMP, JCP, and DPJ called for holding a rally of local

residents at an early date, insisting that all the parties should

demonstrate the anger of Okinawa to Japan and the United States.

However, the LDP, New Komeito, Souzou, and PNP were cautious,

maintaining that they have yet to find out any drastic measures and

that they must first clear up the causes of such incidents. They

were divided over whether to hold a rally.

The roundtable participants severely criticized the recent junior

high school girl rape. "He did not even have the morals common to

human beings," Hokama said. Teruya called the incident "extremely

despicable, a clever trick, and malicious." Itosu also called the

government's plan "insufficient," suggesting the need to register

U.S. military personnel living outside their bases as foreign

residents with local government offices. "The government is taking

just cosmetic steps," Kina said, "so we should watch U.S. military

personnel at the gates."

In addition, all representatives from the eight political parties

consented to a drastic revision of the SOFA. "Including the

propriety of stationing foreign troops in Japan," Akamine insisted,

"we should hold in-depth discussions." Shimoji said his party would

shortly write up SOFA provisions that should be revised. His party

will present its report of recommendations to the government. Goya

said the Okinawa prefectural government should work on the Japanese

government to revise the SOFA, representing the people of Okinawa

Prefecture.

The ruling parties gave high marks to the Okinawa prefectural

government's response, saying the prefectural government is making

strenuous efforts to take preventive steps in an earnest manner. The

ruling parties also suggested the need for Okinawa to make a strong

request to the Japanese government for preventive measures.

Meanwhile, the opposition parties criticized voiced criticism. "The

prefectural government remains hesitant before the government," one

of the representatives from the opposition parties said. Another

opposition representative said, "The prefectural government should

have come up with its own request before the government's plan was

out."

TOKYO 00000491 004 OF 010

(4) Keidanren to approve mandatory caps on greenhouse gas emissions

under industry-specific accumulation method

NIKKEI (Page 3) (Full)

February 25, 2008

Nippon Keidanren (the Japan Business Federation) has started

coordination to accept Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's proposal for

setting targets by country for reducing greenhouse gas emissions

under a post-Kyoto framework for combating global warming. The

nation's largest business organization will make a policy switch

from its cautious stance and fall in step with the government. But

the group is still dead set against the idea of setting mandatory

caps on each corporation.

To achieve the targets set in the Kyoto Protocol, Keidanren has

worked out an industry-specific voluntary action plan. Under the

plan, however, some industries have not been required to reduce gas

emissions and have been mandated only to improve their energy

efficiency. Keidanren had insisted that setting reduction targets

for industries under a post-Kyoto framework would undermine their

competitiveness.

Even if energy efficiency is improved, a rise in output will

inevitably increase emissions. Now that such criticism is growing

even in the government, Keidanren was apparently pressed to change

its strategy.

Keidanren will start a discussion in March on the method of

collecting and aggregating data on possible gas-emissions cuts for

different industries and sectors. Prime Minister Fukuda made this

proposal at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (Davos

Conference) this January. A Keidanren member said: "Industrial

circles' voluntary reduction efforts are likely to be reflected in

it." Keidanren Chairman Fujio Mitarai, chairman of Canon, indicated

in a press conference on Feb. 20 that the organization would approve

a market to trade the right to emit greenhouse gases. Reflecting its

softened stance, Keidanren hopes to come up with a specific

post-Kyoto mechanism by this April.

Still, industries that have emitted huge amounts of greenhouse

gases, like steel and electricity, are putting up strong resistance

to the idea of setting country-specific targets. Hearing the policy

stance announced by the prime minister in his speech at the Davos

Conference, a senior Nippon Steel Corporation critically said: "It

is premature to approve of setting numerical targets before the U.S.

announces its policy." The government may find it difficult to

promote work to unify views.

If the government is able to obtain approval for introducing

numerical targets, the next focus of attention will shift to how to

attain the target set for Japan. If Japan adopts the method of

collecting and aggregating data, as recommended by the government

and Keidanren, industries will estimate the amount of reduced gases

by themselves. In such a case, their estimates tend to be

overoptimistic.

Keidanren has insisted that nonbinding targets should be introduced,

opposing an introduction of a penalty if and when companies fail to

meet the targets set for them. It therefore is uncertain whether

greenhouse gas emissions will be significantly reduced.

TOKYO 00000491 005 OF 010

The government plans to discuss ways to set a target for Japan and

other details at its Council on Global Warming, which also includes

business leaders as members. Keidanren will determine its policy

stance, reflecting discussions at the council.

(5) Koga takes offensive on selection of Nippon Izokukai vice

chairmen with eye on accelerating debate on removing Class-A

criminals from Yasukuni Shrine

MAINICHI (Page 5) (Full)

February 22, 2008

Makoto Koga, chairman of the Japan Association for the Bereaved

Families of the War Dead (Nippon Izokukai) has begun paving the way

for accelerating debate in the association on the idea of removing

the enshrined Class-A war criminals from Yasukuni Shrine. With an

eye on a meeting on Feb. 28 of the association's directors and

councilors, Koga last month tried to maneuver to appoint an

individual favoring his plan into the vice chairman's post. However,

encountering strong opposition from those who are reluctant to

pursue the idea, he gave up this time around. But he has not budged

from pursuing his goal to remove Class-A war criminals enshrined at

Yasukuni Shrine. Koga's political clout is indispensable for the

association, which is gradually decreasing in numbers because of the

graying of the membership. Koga, who will retain the chairman's

post, is waiting for the next chance.

Koga last May formed a study group of 14 members in the association.

Most of the 14 are in favor of removing Class-A war criminals from

the shrine. However, the three vice chairmen -- Hidehisa Otsuji, who

is chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party's caucus in the House of

Councillors, former LDP Upper House member Tsugio Morita, and

Tokushima Prefectural Izokukai Chairman Minoru Masuya -- are

reluctant to do so. Since Masuya chairs the study session, the

argument to remove enshrined Class-A war criminals from Yasukuni has

not moved forward.

Koga attempted to convince Morita and Masuya to quit their posts at

a time when the chairmanship and vice chairmanship elections are

conducted. He also tried to find the chance of picking as the

replacements of Morita and Masuya a standing director who favors

removing the enshrined war criminals, and LDP Upper House member

Toshiei Mizuochi,.

In a meeting on Jan. 31 of the committee on selection of board

members, one committee member, who is close to Koga, suggested: "Why

don't we decide on chairmen as Chairman Koga wishes?" A total of

eight committee members, excluding the chairman and vice chairmen,

opposed the suggestion. On the night of Jan. 30, committee members

reluctant to unenshrine Class-A war criminals from Yasukuni worked

on other committee members to persuade them.

As a result, a rumor appeared that Koga had indicated his intention

to quit his post. Otsuji and two other chairmen met on Feb. 7 with

him at LDP headquarters to ask him to remain in his post. Koga told

them that he would continue in the post. This incident demonstrated

that Koga was still an important player in the Nippon Izokukai.

Koga played up his presence by visiting Iwojima (Iwoto) on Feb. 13

for the first time as chairman of the Nippon Izokukai. He told the

press: "My feelings about the Yasukuni issue have been consistent."

TOKYO 00000491 006 OF 010

(6) FTC eyes exclusively clamping down on unscrupulous business

practices

YOMIURI (Page 2) (Abridged slightly)

February 24, 2008

The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) unveiled a plan yesterday to

integrate the existing consumer administrative bodies into one under

the leadership of the government. The plan is mainly designed to

allow the FTC to solely take charge of regulations on consumer

transactions, including unscrupulous business practices. The FTC

plans to request such powers at a meeting of the Consumer

Administration Promotion Council, but the plan is likely to draw

objections from affected government offices.

The plan is intended to unify administrative bodies offering

consultation services and handling consumer complaints with the

penalty department and to allow the FTC to take charge of

regulations on consumer transactions, including fraudulent business

practices, unscrupulous canvassing, mislabeling, and inappropriate

contracts.

Under current bureaucratic sectionalism, the Internal Affairs and

Communications Ministry holds jurisdiction over matters related to

mobile phones, and the Land, Infrastructure, and Transport over

problems associated with travel and real estate. Further, because

the Consumer Contracts Law under the competence of the Cabinet

Office does not provide any punitive measures against transgressors,

victims of illegal contracts must file civil lawsuits.

The FTC's current powers focus on cracking down on illegal business

practices, such as bid-rigging and cartels. Its rules governing

consumer transactions are restricted to advertisements and

mislabeling under the Law for Preventing Unjustifiable Extra or

Unexpected Benefit and Misleading Representation.

The plan is designed to extend the FTC's powers to regulate all

consumer transactions, including unscrupulous business practices.

The commission claims that the plan will allow it to apply the law

across the board.

In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission can crack down on

bogus advertisements, canvassing, and telephone sales. In Australia,

Britain, Canada, and South Korea, competition policy authorities

also handle complaints regarding consumer transactions.

Some government officials are toying with the idea of establishing a

consumer agency to unify consumer administrative bodies, but

relevant ministries and government agencies reluctant to see their

powers divided oppose the plan. They are expected to object to the

FTC's plan as well.

(7) NPA says cases of child abuse largest ever in 2007, although

decrease in death toll of abused children

MAINICHI ONLINE

13:45, February 21, 2008

According to a report compiled by the National Police Agency (NPA),

the cases of child abuse the police arrested suspects or sent papers

to prosecutors last year totaled 300 (one percent increase from the

TOKYO 00000491 007 OF 010

previous year), the largest number since 1999 when the NPA started

tallying statistics about the child abuse. The number of children

who died from physical abuse was 37 (a 37.3 PERCENT drop from

2006). A total of 315 children, including those who died, suffered

from physical abuse, with the number remaining high (down 0.3

PERCENT from 2006).

Regarding the reason for a decrease in the death toll, despite an

increase in the number of arrests, the NPA said:

"The reason may be that the police have responded promptly to the

reports since cooperation with child consultation centers has been

strengthened, although the number of reports on child abuse has

boosted as society has become more aware of child abuse."

The cases of child prostitution and child pornography totaled 1,914

(a 14.1 PERCENT drop from the previous year) last year. The number

of children who were victims of child pornography totaled 304 (a

20.2 PERCENT increase from 2006). The serious situation of children

becoming wrapped up in such criminal acts continues.

According to the NPA, the number of abused children totaled 315,

which include 224 cases of physical abuse, 69 cases of sexual

molestation, and 22 cases of denying children basic care. By age, 47

children were less than one year old; 25 were five-year-olds; and 24

were three year olds.

A total of 97 children were abused by their mothers, 91 were abused

by their fathers, 55 by their adopted fathers or stepfathers, and 46

by their common-law fathers or others.

The cases of child prostitution the police arrested suspects and

sent papers to prosecutors totaled 1,347 (down 16.5 PERCENT from

2006). A total of 984 suspects were sent to public prosecutors

offices (drop of 13.7 PERCENT ). The cases of child pornography were

567 (8.0 PERCENT decrease). The police sent 377 suspects to

prosecutors (up 7.7 PERCENT ). A total of 1,160 children (a 12.5

PERCENT drop) were victimized and forced into child prostitution.

However, the number of children, who were victimized to submit to

child pornography, increased by 20.2 PERCENT , or to 304.

Meanwhile, the number of crimes committed by juveniles has dropped

for four years in a row.

(8) Poll on public attitude toward politics

YOMIURI (Page 11) (Full)

February 24, 2008

Questions & Answers

(Figures shown in percentage)

Q: Do you trust Japan's political parties or politicians today?

Trust very much 2.7

Trust somewhat 27.2

Don't trust very much 45.0

Don't trust at all 23.0

No answer (N/A) 2.0

Q: Are you interested in state affairs? If any, pick up to three

from among those listed below.

TOKYO 00000491 008 OF 010

The government's economic policy 65.1

The government's foreign policy 34.3

The government's environmental, welfare, educational policies 55.9

Opposition parties' policies 9.6

Elections, results 9.6

Diet debate 16.9

Power struggles among politicians, intraparty factions 8.1

Topics about politicians 4.8