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P 160021Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 08 TOKYO 002154
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: JAPANESE MORNING PRESS HIGHLIGHTS 09/16/09
Index:
1) Top headlines
2) Editorials
3) Prime Minister's daily schedule (Nikkei)
4) SOH President Hatoyama's schedule, September 15 (Nikkei)
Transition in Power
5) Hatoyama administration to be inaugurated today (Nikkei)
6) Unofficial lineup of Hatoyama cabinet members (Yomiuri)
7) DPJ to establish "policy councils" in government ministries and
agencies (Tokyo Shimbun)
The Opposition
8) Komeito president says a withdrawal from election districts is
possible (Sankei)
Relations with Asia
9) Japanese, Chinese, and Korean leaders to hold summit on Oct. 10
(Mainichi)
10) Japanese, Chinese, and Korean foreign ministers planning talks
for 28th (Nikkei)
11) President Lee hopes Japanese Emperor will visit Korea next year
(Yomiuri)
Japan-U.S. Relations
12) Midwest U.S.-Japan Association adopts joint statement (Sankei)
Defense & Security
13) Kansai peace group requests halt to joint Japan-U.S. exercise
(Akahata)
Labor
14) Japanese Trade Union Confederation moving in direction of
approving construction of new nuclear plants (Sankei)
Economics
15) Chairman of the Association of Corporate Executives says fresh
policy consultations with DPJ necessary (Nikkei)
Articles:
1) TOP HEADLINES
Asahi, Mainichi, Yomiuri, Nikkei, Sankei & Tokyo Shimbun:
Hatoyama to form his cabinet today: Kamei picked as state minister
overseeing financial and postal affairs; Fukushima as state minister
for declining birthrate; Maehara as land, infrastructure and
transport minister; Nagatsuma, Kawabata, Fujii to be given
portfolios
Akahata:
Promote campaign in run-up to formation of new administration: New
medical care system for elderly people aged 75 or older should be
scrapped
2) EDITORIALS
Asahi:
(1) Launch of Hatoyama cabinet: The new prime minister should be
aware of his historic mission
TOKYO 00002154 002 OF 008
Mainichi:
(1) Largest number of female lawmakers in Diet - 11.3 percent of
Lower House members
(2) Are JAL's capital tie-up talks sufficient as fundamental measure
for it to climb out of deficit balance?
Yomiuri:
(1) Freshman-lawmakers should have sense of mission in participating
in affairs of state and sense of responsibility
(2) Irregular accounting in Chiba Prefectural government: Other
local governments should learn lesson from it
Nikkei:
(1) Appointment of Kamei as state minister for postal and financial
affairs is like winding the clock back
(2) Steel firm executives found guilty of price-fixing
Sankei:
(1) New DPJ structure: Eliminate unclear decision-making system
(2) Seventy years since Nomonhan incident (Battle of Khalkhyn Gol):
Reinvestigate unilateral interpretation of history
Tokyo Shimbun:
(1) Hatoyama cabinet to be launched today: We want to see results of
power transfer as soon as possible
Akahata:
(1) Launch campaign to eliminate discrimination against women
(09091604yk) Back to Top
Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei)
3) Prime Minister's schedule, September 15
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full)
September 16, 2009
09:32 Attended an executive meeting at the party headquarters.
10:01 Attended a cabinet meeting at the Kantei. Later met Election
Strategy Committee Vice Chairman Suga.
11:27 Met Lower House member Takeshi Iwaya, followed by Justice
Minister Mori.
14:29 Met Finance Ministry's Vice Minister Tango, Budget Bureau
Director General Katsu, Secretariat Director General Masago, and
others; followed by METI Vice Minister Mochizuki, Secretariat
Director General Adachi, Natural Resources and Energy Agency
Director General Ishida, and others.
16:11 Met Chief Cabinet Secretary Kawamura.
17:30 Met former environment minister Suzuki.
19:21 Dined with Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsumoto at a
tempura restaurant in Hirakawa-cho.
22:13 Returned to his private residence in Kamiyama-cho.
4) SOH President Hatoyama's schedule, September 15
08:18 Left home in Denenchofu.
09:35 Met at party headquarters with deputy presidents Ozawa and
Kan, Chairman Koshiishi of the DPJ Caucus in the Upper House, and
Secretary General Okada.
10:35 Attended an executive meeting.
11:00 Attended a standing executive meeting.
13:37 Met party executive office chief Hirano.
TOKYO 00002154 003 OF 008
15:23 Arrived at his private office in Nagata-cho.
16:42 Attended a meeting of party members of both houses of the Diet
at the Hotel New Otani.
18:02 Met Hirano at party headquarters.
20:17 Met Hirano and Upper House member Koji Matsui, joined by
former Policy Research Council chairman Sengoku.
21:04 Met Hirano.
22:28 Dropped in at a hamburger shop in Kamiikedai to make a
purchase.
22:37 Returned home.
5) Hatoyama administration to be launched today
NIKKEI (Top play) (Excerpt)
September 16, 2009
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) President Yukio Hatoyama is expected
to be voted in as the country's 93rd prime minister in the 172nd
special Diet session that will be convened today following the (Aug.
30) House of Representatives election. Hatoyama will then
immediately form his cabinet, and a coalition government composed of
the DPJ, the Social Democratic Party (SDP), and the People's New
Party (PNP) will be launched today. Hatoyama decided yesterday to
appoint PNP leader Shizuka Kamei as state minister responsible for
postal and financial affairs and SDP head Mizuho Fukushima as state
minister in charge of consumer affairs and the declining birthrate.
Hatoyama has also informally decided to appoint the DPJ's Masayuki
Naoshima as economy, trade and industry minister, and Toshimi
Kitazawa as defense minister. The new cabinet will also include such
DPJ lawmakers as Seiji Maehara, Hiroshi Nakai, Tatsuo Kawabata,
Hirotaka Akamatsu, Kazuhiro Haraguchi, and Akira Nagatsuma. The
lineup of the new cabinet consisting of 17 state ministers has now
taken shape.
Informal lineup of the new cabinet
National Strategy Minister Naoto Kan (62)
Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada (56)
Finance Minister Hirohisa Fujii (77)
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano (60)
Economy, Trade, and Industry Minister Masayuki Naoshima (63)
Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa (71)
Postal and Financial Affairs Minister Shizuka Kamei (72)
Consumer Affairs and Declining Birthrate Minister Mizuho Fukushima
(53)
Additional cabinet members:
Hirotaka Akamatsu (61), Hiroshi Nakai (67), Sakihito Ozawa (55),
Akira Nagatsuma (49), Tatsuo Kawabata (64), Kazuhiro Haraguchi (50),
Yoshito Sengoku (63), Seiji Maehara (47), and Keiko Chiba (61).
6) Informal lineup of the new cabinet
YOMIURI (Page 1) (Excerpt)
September 16, 2009
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, 62 (DPJ, House of Representatives,
8th term, Hokkaido Constituency No. 9)
Deputy Prime Minister, National Strategy Minister Naoto Kan, 62
(DPJ, House of Representatives, 10th term, Tokyo Constituency No.
18)
TOKYO 00002154 004 OF 008
Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada, 56 (DPJ, House of Representatives,
7th term, Mie Constituency No. 3)
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano, 60 (DPJ, House of
Representatives, 5th term, Osaka Constituency No. 11)
Financial and Postal Affairs Minister Shizuka Kamei, 72 (People's
New Party, House of Representatives, 11th term, Hiroshima
Constituency No. 6)
Consumer Affairs and Declining Birthrate Minister Mizuho Fukushima,
53 (Social Democratic Party, House of Councillors, 2nd term,
proportional representation)
Internal Affairs and Communications Minister (post is under final
adjustment) Kazuhiro Haraguchi, 50 (DPJ, House of Representatives,
5th term, Saga Constituency No. 1)
Justice Minister (post is under final adjustment) Keiko Chiba, 61
(DPJ, House of Councillors, 4th term, Kanagawa)
Finance Minister (post is under final adjustment) Hirohisa Fujii, 77
(DPJ, House of Representatives, 7th term, served two terms in House
of Councillors, proportional representation South Kanto bloc)
Education, Science and Technology Minister (post is under final
adjustment) Tatsuo Kawabata, 64 (DPJ, House of Representatives, 8th
term, Shiga Constituency No. 1)
Health, Labor, and Welfare Minister (post is under final adjustment)
Akira Nagatsuma, 49 (DPJ, House of Representatives, 4th term, Tokyo
Constituency No. 7)
Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Minister (post is under final
adjustment) Hirotaka Akamatsu, 61 (DPJ, House of Representatives,
7th term, Aichi Constituency No. 5)
Economy, Trade, and Industry Minister (post is under final
adjustment) Masayuki Naoshima, 63 (DPJ, House of Councillors, 3rd
term, proportional representation)
Land, Transport, Disaster Prevention, Okinawa, and Northern
Territories Affairs Minister (post is under final adjustment) Seiji
Maehara, 47 (DPJ, House of Representatives, 6th term, Kyoto
Constituency No. 2)
Environment Minister (post is under final adjustment) Sakihito
Ozawa, 55 (DPJ, House of Representatives, 6th term, Yamanashi
Constituency No. 1)
Defense Minister (post is under final adjustment) Toshimi Kitazawa,
71 (DPJ, House of Councillors, 3rd term, Nagano)
National Public Safety Commission Chairman (post is under final
adjustment) Hiroshi Nakai, 67 (DPJ, House of Representatives, 11th
term, Mie Constituency No. 1)
Administrative Reform Minister (post is under final adjustment)
Yoshito Sengoku, 63 (DPJ, House of Representatives, 6th term,
Tokushima Constituency No. 1)
7) DPJ plans to set up "policy councils" in ministries and agencies
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Full)
September 16, 2009
The Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) decided yesterday to establish
in each ministry and agency councils in which ruling coalition
lawmakers discuss policies with senior vice ministers, abolishing
the present party department meetings. The purpose of setting up of
the policy councils is to centralize policy-making in the new
administration.
DPJ Deputy President Naoto Kan revealed the plan in a meeting for
new Diet members yesterday in Tokyo.
Senior vice ministers will control the new councils, through which
TOKYO 00002154 005 OF 008
the ruling parties' views will be reflected in government policies.
8) New Komeito president: Party's withdrawal from constituencies
possible
SANKEI (Page 2) (Full)
September 16, 2009
Appearing on Prime News on BS Fuji yesterday, New Komeito President
Natsuo Yamaguchi said on the possibility of the New Komeito
withdrawing from constituencies, "That is one possible option." In
the last House of Representatives election, its candidates running
in eight constituencies were all defeated. Yamaguchi explained why
the party is considering this option: "In campaigning for the
constituency race, since candidates emphasize achievements made by
the ruling camp, it is difficult to convey the New Komeito's own
policy identity."
The New Komeito has decided to conduct an assessment of the Lower
House election by the end of this month, but a heated discussion is
expected on a possible withdrawal from the constituency race.
Yamaguchi, however, also expressed his concern: "If the New Komeito
fields candidates only in the proportional representation race, a
course might be set (for the two major political parties) to reduce
the number of seats for the proportional representation segment."
He reiterated that securing seats in constituencies will contribute
to expanding the party's sphere of influence, adding that
"establishing a foothold in both segments will enable a political
party to make its voice heard in discussions on the election
system."
9) Japan-China-ROK summit on Oct. 10
MAINICHI (Page 1) (Full)
September 16, 2009
Japan, China and South Korea began laying preparations for a meeting
of their top leaders on Oct. 10 in Beijing, China. A Japan-China
summit will be held between new Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and
President Hu Jintao. The three countries also plan to hold a
trilateral foreign ministerial on Sept. 28 in Shanghai as a
preparatory meeting for the Japan-China-ROK summit. Democratic Party
of Japan (DPJ) President Yukio Hatoyama will visit China for the
first time after his election as prime minister. He will play up his
administration's policy of attaching importance to Asia by visiting
China after his trip to the United States in late September to
attend the United Nations General Assembly. The expectation is that
Hatoyama and Hu will discuss North Korea and other key issues.
10) Coordination underway for Japan-China-ROK foreign ministerial on
Sept. 28
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full)
September 16, 2009
Ken Sato, Beijing
Japan, China, and the Republic of Korea started coordinating a plan
to hold a trilateral foreign ministerial meeting on Sept. 28 in
Shanghai. China proposed this plan to Japan and is now waiting for a
TOKYO 00002154 006 OF 008
formal reply from the Hatoyama administration, which is expected to
be inaugurated on Sept. 16. For Katsuya Okada, who will become the
new foreign minister, the trilateral foreign ministerial will be a
good opportunity to demonstrate the new administration's foreign
policy of placing importance on Asia.
11) South Korean President Lee hopes for emperor's visit next year
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full)
September 16, 2009
(Chiharu Mori, Seoul)
During an interview with the media, South Korean President Lee
Myung-bak yesterday expressed hope for the development (of
Japan-South Korea relations) under the incoming Japanese government
of Democratic Party of Japan. He also said that he hopes the
Japanese Emperor will visit South Korea next year as the year marks
a century since Japan's annexation of the Korean Peninsula, saying:
"A visit by the emperor next year will take on a great significance
for bilateral relations."
South Korean presidents, beginning with former president Roh Tae
Woo, have extended invitations to the Japanese emperor to visit, but
the Japanese government of the Liberal Democratic Party refrained
from accepting the offers. It is unprecedented for the South Korean
president to mention a specific year for the emperor's visit. The
Hatoyama administration will be under pressure to respond.
12) Midwest U.S.-Japan Association adopts joint statement
SANKEI (Page 5) (Full)
September 16, 2009
The Midwest U.S.-Japan Association consisting of business leaders
and governors of Japan and various states in the American Midwest on
September 15 held its 41st joint conference (chairman on Japanese
side: Yuzaburo Mogi, chairman of Kikkoman) at a Tokyo hotel. The
meeting adopted a joint statement vowing to further vitalize
economic exchange between the two countries.
During the panel discussion, Toyota Motors Vice Chairman Katsuaki
Watanabe introduced actual examples of efforts to deal with the
environment and energy issues. "U.S. participation is essential for
the adoption of a post-Kyoto Protocol framework," he noted.
Sankei Shimbun Chairman Takehiko Kiyohara appealed for the promotion
of industries targeting the elderly, pointing out that the low
birthrate and the aging society will have a major impact on the
global economy.
13) Kansai groups urge U.S. Army, GSDF to call off joint training
exercises
AKAHATA (Page 4) (Abridged)
September 16, 2009
U.S. Army Japan and the Ground Self-Defense Force's Middle District
Army are planning to conduct bilateral joint training exercises from
Oct. 9 through Oct. 18 at the GSDF's Aibano range and Imazu garrison
in Shiga Prefecture. Kansai-based peace groups yesterday filed a
joint petition with the director general of the Kinki Chubu Defense
TOKYO 00002154 007 OF 008
Bureau, a regional bureau of the Defense Ministry, calling for the
suspension of the planned training exercises.
The petition was filed by executive committees seeking to abrogate
the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty, peace committees in the Kansai
prefectures of Osaka, Kyoto, Hyogo, and Shiga, and two local groups,
the Shiga Prefectural Liaison Committee Against the U.S. Military's
Use of Hometowns and the Aibano Liaison Committee for the Peace
Movement. Representatives from these local groups delivered the
petition addressed to the defense minister, the GSDF Middle District
Army commanding general, and the GSDF 3rd Division head.
The petition cites three points as reasons for opposing the planned
joint training exercises: 1) the bilateral joint training exercises
conducted in the past included drills carried out in an urban
training area, expanded late last year, for the purpose of killing
people, and these joint training exercises are conducted in
anticipation of the Self-Defense Forces' overseas deployment; 2)
U.S. military training exercises, should they continue, will become
a serious impediment to local development; and 3) local people's
constitutional right to live in peace will be impeded, given such
facts as the deployment of the Patriot Advanced Capability 3
(PAC-3)-a new ground-based missile defense system-to the GSDF's
Aibano detachment since this April.
14) Rengo to approve construction of new nuclear power plants: DPJ
visibly shifting its policy stance
SANKEI (Page 1) (Excerpts)
September 16, 2009
It was learned on Sept. 15 that the Japanese Trade Union
Confederation (Rengo), the Democratic Party of Japan's largest
support organization, has decided to approve the construction of new
nuclear power plants. The decision will likely be adopted at its
central executive committee to be held on the 17th. The DPJ
stipulated in its election manifesto that it will steadily undertake
initiatives in nuclear energy.
However, the policy of the Social Democrat Party is to reduce
nuclear power plants. The SDP is supported by the All Japan
Prefectures and Municipal Workers' Union, which is under Rengo's
umbrella. Until now Rengo had not clarified its stance toward the
nuclear power plant issue.
Rengo's new nuclear power policy would seem to confirm the DPJ's
switch in nuclear power policy, which would widen the gap between it
and the SDP on the issue. DPJ President Hatoyama advocates a goal of
cutting greenhouse gas emissions to 25 PERCENT below the 1990 level
by 2020. The construction of new nuclear power plants, which do not
emit carbon dioxide, is believed to be an effective means of backing
environmental measures.
15) Keizai Doyukai chairman emphasizes need for policy talks with
DPJ
NIKKEI (Page 5) (Full)
September 16, 2009
In a press conference yesterday, Keizai Doyukai (Japan Association
of Corporate Executives) Chairman Masamitsu Sakurai said regarding
his group's relations with the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ),
TOKYO 00002154 008 OF 008
which will take over the reins of government: "It is important to
enhance our communications with the DPJ. It is necessary to set up a
new arena for policy talks." Sakurai also said, "If we are requested
to, we will explain our policies" to the DPJ. He added, "(The DPJ's)
administration-management scheme proposes setting up such
organizations as a national strategy bureau, an administrative
reform conference, and a tax research council. We will try to
explore ways to conduct dialogue with the party."
ROOS