Cablegate: Daily Summary of Japanese Press 10/05/09

VZCZCXRO1478

PP RUEHFK RUEHKSO RUEHNAG RUEHNH

DE RUEHKO #2286/01 2780641

ZNR UUUUU ZZH

P 050641Z OCT 09

FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO

TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6558

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//

RHMFIUU/USFJ //J5/JO21//

RUYNAAC/COMNAVFORJAPAN YOKOSUKA JA

RUAYJAA/CTF 72

RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 9090

RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 6743

RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 0559

RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 4043

RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 7259

RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1238

RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 7899

RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 7462

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 15 TOKYO 002286

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 10/05/09

TOKYO 00002286 001.3 OF 015

INDEX:

(1) Ambassador Roos visits Hiroshima (Yomiuri)

(2) Ambassador Roos makes first visit to Osaka, participates in

walk-a-thon with citizens (Mainichi)

(3) Bumpy road to realizing "East Asian community," centerpiece of

Hatoyama diplomacy (Tokyo Shimbun)

(4) Interview with Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa - "New

contribution" a future challenge (Mainichi)

(5) Ministerial committee to be established for revision of NDPG

(Yomiuri)

(6) Coordination into full swing for review of Futenma relocation

plan: Defense parliamentary secretary to be sent to U.S. (Yomiuri)

(7) Futenma Air Station relocation: Premier, defense minister,

foreign minister showing signs of disagreement (Tokyo Shimbun)

(8) Minister Maehara's statement on reviewing Futenma relocation

plan creates stir in Okinawa (Okinawa Times)

(9) Editorial: Review of Henoko relocation plan: Discuss base issues

comprehensively (Okinawa Times)

(10) Editorial: Relocation of Futenma Air Station to Henoko

impossible (Okinawa Times)

(11) FCLP conducted on Iwojima for 19 years; Long distance of 1,200

km from mainland Japan a challenge; Permanent facility not yet in

sight (Asahi)

(12) National strategy office, administrative reform council: Two

axles of support for budget compilation get underway (Nikkei)

(13)Poll on Hatoyama cabinet, political parties (Yomiuri) 12

ARTICLES:

(1) Ambassador Roos visits Hiroshima

YOMIURI (Page 34) (Full)

October 5, 2009

On October 4 U.S. Ambassador to Japan John Roos visited the

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum in Hiroshima City, where in the

visitors' book he wrote, "Hiroshima is a powerful reminder of the

importance of cooperating to realize a world without nuclear

weapons." He made the following comment on the visit: "I was deeply

moved by the exhibits." Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba made a

request to the Ambassador for President Barack Obama to visit

Hiroshima. Roos responded, "I will convey my experience in Hiroshima

to the President."

(2) Ambassador Roos makes first visit to Osaka, participates in

walk-a-thon with citizens

MAINICHI (Osaka edition) (Page 21) (Full)

October 4, 2009

TOKYO 00002286 002.3 OF 015

U.S. Ambassador to Japan John Roos, who took up his post in August,

made his first visit to Osaka on October 3. He joined around 2,000

local citizens in a walk-a-thon in the area around the Nakanoshima

Park.

This was a charity event organized by the Kansai chapter of the

American Chamber of Commerce to "increase the number of working

women and enhance vitality in the business sector." After doing

warming up exercises with popular American workout instructor Billy

Blanks, a resident of Ibaraki City, the Ambassador walked about 1.5

kilometers with the local residents, chatting amiably with them

along the way.

(3) Bumpy road to realizing "East Asian community," centerpiece of

Hatoyama diplomacy

TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Full)

October 5, 2009

Kei Sato

Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama is devoting his efforts to promoting

the concept of "East Asian community," which is the pillar of his

Asian diplomacy. He intends to flesh out the concept ahead of the

Japan-PRC-ROK summit to be held in Beijing from October 10. However,

rivalry with China for leadership has already started, while the

U.S., which is excluded from this framework, remains suspicious.

Numerous obstacles lie in the way of realizing this concept amid the

cross purposes of the involved countries.

The East Asian community concept and an "equal Japan-US. alliance" -

aiming at a review of the U.S. Forces Japan realignment plans, among

other things - constitute the core of the Hatoyama administration's

foreign policy. Using the European Union as a model, Hatoyama is

aiming at a permanent security framework in Asia and the realization

of a "common Asian currency," although he will be groping for ways

to form the community by promoting a comprehensive economic

partnership agreement (EPA) for now.

However, history has shown how difficult this process might be. The

"prototype" of the community is the East Asian Economic Caucus

(EAEC) proposed by then Prime Minister Mahathir of Malaysia in the

early 1990s. While the EAEC failed to materialize due to the United

States' opposition, the ASEAN + 3 (Japan, China, South Korea)

framework, which has the same membership, has taken root since then.

In 2005, an East Asian summit aiming at creating the community was

finally organized.

However, discussions have come to an impasse not only due to the

differences in political systems and levels of economic development

in East Asia, but also because of the rivalry between Japan and

China for leadership. The two countries could not even agree on the

composition of the community, with China trying to limit membership

to the ASEAN + 3 nations - since it will be easier to assert its

position under this framework - while Japan is insisting on the East

Asian summit model, which takes in India and other countries from

outside the region, so the concept itself is fizzling out.

The prime minister has now re-launched the concept, but there is a

sense of "history repeating itself." While China approves of the

concept per se, it has no intention to hand over leadership to

TOKYO 00002286 003.3 OF 015

Japan. At the Japan-China foreign ministerial talks in late

September, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi deliberately emphasized

that, "We were the first one to support creating (the community)."

The U.S. interpreted Hatoyama's article advocating the creation of

the community to be "anti-U.S.," and this forced him to explain at a

news conference that "we do not intend to exclude the U.S."

While the Japan-PRC-ROK summit is expected to agree on promoting the

community, it is uncertain whether the leaders can go as far as

taking concrete steps, such as setting up working teams. If efforts

to put the concept on track at the APEC summit in November and other

venues of international diplomacy fail, it is possible that the

concept may be shelved once again.

(4) Interview with Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa - "New

contribution" a future challenge

MAINICHI (Page 2) (Full)

October 2, 2009

-- Are you going to extend the Maritime Self-Defense Force's

refueling mission in the Indian Ocean whose term will expire next

January?

Kitazawa: My understanding is that it cannot be extended without new

legislation. Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and Foreign Minister

Katsuya Okada held talks with top leaders of other countries on the

sidelines of the recent United Nations General Assembly, so I want

to discuss how we can contribute to the international community

after learning what was discussed there.

-- In the event (the refueling mission) is not extended, do you have

any intention to come up with an alternative plan using the SDF?

Kitazawa: Use of the SDF is not a foregone conclusion, but then the

Defense Ministry's thinking should not stand out, so I want to deal

with the matter carefully.

-- Are you going to review what was agreed upon between Japan and

the United States on the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps'

Futenma Air Station?

Kitazawa: The agreement was reached after many years of talks with

the United States, and it carries great significance. Meanwhile,

people in Okinawa want to move (Futenma) out of the

prefecture/country, and that, too, is also of great importance. The

question is how to strike a balance between the two.

-- What is the direction of reform of the Defense Ministry?

Kitazawa: I want to have one of the parliamentary secretaries

closely examine the matter swiftly so that we can study options,

including whether or not the Democratic Party of Japan can come up

with a new plan to reform the ministry. I was impressed by the fact

that the defense minister can have up to three aides. This fits well

the DPJ administration's thinking. We will preserve what is good.

-- What is your view of former Air Self-Defense Force Chief of Staff

Toshio Tamogami, who was dismissed from his post for publishing in a

contest an essay at variance with the government's position?

TOKYO 00002286 004.3 OF 015

Kitazawa: (The right to express) one's belief must be guaranteed,

but if one does not appreciate the position in which he has been

placed, he makes a serious mistake. What Mr. Tamogami did is

regrettable.

-- Bureaucrats did not attend the first meeting of parliamentarians

holding the top three posts: the minister, senior vice minister, and

parliamentary secretary. How are you going operate the three

parliamentarians' meetings?

Kitazawa: Ministry officials did join (the opening part of the

meeting). We later discussed matters with ministry officials. I want

to finalize basic elements among ourselves (the parliamentarians

holding the three top posts). I have no intention to keep

(bureaucrats) at a distance. A host of challenges require our

unified efforts.

-- Are you going to revise the National Defense Program Guidelines

and formulate the new Midterm Defense Buildup Program in December,

as planned?

Kitazawa: Personally I do not want to postpone them. I think the

absence of Japan's defense guidelines on the part of Japan would

have a tremendous impact on the world.

-- In operating the Self-Defense Forces, which are armed forces, how

are you going to deal with advice and assistance from the chiefs of

staff and other defense experts?

Kitazawa: The international situation is far more complex than ever

before, and experts' views are extremely important. But relying

excessively on experts carries the risk of making biased decisions.

Lawmakers must make a constant effort to grasp the global situation

and keep their senses sharpened so they can properly respond to

things.

(Interview by Tetsuya Higuchi, Yasushi Sengoku)

(5) Ministerial committee to be established for revision of NDPG

YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full)

October 3, 2009

At a press conference on Oct. 2, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi

Hirano announced a plan to set up a ministerial committee shortly

for the revision of the National Defense Program Guidelines (NDPG),

which specify the modalities of Japan's defense capabilities, and

the formulation of a new Midterm Defense Buildup Program.

(6) Coordination into full swing for review of Futenma relocation

plan: Defense parliamentary secretary to be sent to U.S.

YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full)

October 3, 2009

The government on Oct. 2 started full coordination among cabinet

ministers on the propriety of reviewing the planned relocation of

the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station in Ginowan City, Okinawa

Prefecture, so as to reach a decision at an early date. Prime

Minister Hatoyama has shown an eagerness to take a second look at

the present relocation, which mentions the U.S. forces' Camp Schwab

in Nago City, Okinawa as the relocation site, based on the

TOKYO 00002286 005 OF 015

Democratic Party of Japan's (DPJ) conventional stance. However,

base-hosting municipalities have already conditionally accepted the

current plan. Washington is also cold on the idea of revising the

Futenma relocation plan. Will the government make a policy switch

just before U.S. President Obama visits Japan in mid-November? The

prime minister is pressed to make a difficult decision.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirano told the Yomiuri Shimbun and other

dailies in an interview yesterday, "The government must form some

comprehensive idea before the President visits Japan." Defense

Minister Kitazawa on the same day said, "We have to look well into

the U.S. stance." Then, he has decided to send Defense Parliamentary

Secretary Akihisa Nagashima to Washington early next week.

When Hirano and Kitazawa held a meeting with Foreign Minister Okada

and State Minister for Okinawa at the Prime Minister's Official

Residence (Kantei), they just confirmed a policy of aiming for an

early settlement. However, they did not pursue an in-depth

discussion of whether the relocation plan should be reviewed or not,

sources said. Kitazawa has already indicated that it would be

difficult to move the Futenma functions out of the prefecture.

However, the prime minister on Sept. 24 told reporters, "I have no

intention of changing the government's basic stance of reviewing the

relocation plan."

Concerning the Futenma relocation, Okinawa's prefectural and

municipal governments, including Nago City, announced that it would

be unavoidable to relocate Futenma airfield within the prefecture,

as Governor Hirokazu Nakaima said. The idea is to give priority to

removing the danger of Futenma airfield to the neighborhood as early

as possible. Chances are that in the event the plan is reviewed,

there will be a significant delay in the planned relocation of

Futenma airfield by 2014.

(7) Futenma Air Station relocation: Premier, defense minister,

foreign minister showing signs of disagreement

TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Full)

October 3, 2009

Government officials are in disagreement on the issue of relocating

the U.S. forces' Futenma Air Station in Ginowan City, Okinawa

Prefecture. Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama is adhering to the

Democratic Party of Japan's (DPJ) principle of aiming to move the

facilities out of the prefecture. On the other hand, Defense

Minister Toshimi Kitazawa takes the position that it would be

difficult to move them out of the prefecture. Foreign Minister

Katsuya Okada takes a flexible stance without adhering to any policy

direction so that he can take any approach.

The DPJ advocates a plan to move the Futenma functions out of the

prefecture by taking a second look at the present program, which

stipulates the relocation of the air station near the coast of Camp

Schwab in Nago City, Okinawa Prefecture, based on "Okinawa Vision,"

which the DPJ compiled when it was an opposition party. The prime

minister has not changed his principle of aiming to move the Futenma

facilities out of the prefecture, noting during his U.S. visit last

month, "We have no intention of changing our stance toward the U.S.

bases."

However, the positions of the related cabinet ministers responsible

for the actual work differ subtly. After inspecting Okinawa as the

TOKYO 00002286 006 OF 015

person responsible for defense policy, Defense Minister Kitazawa at

a press conference held in Naha City on Sept. 26 noted, "Moving the

Futenma factions out of the prefecture would be very difficult." He

made that comment because local residents conveyed their anxieties

to him that if the present program, which has been decided after

many twists and turns for many years, is reviewed, the return of the

air station will be put off further into the future.

Okada does not commit himself to either option - moving the

facilities within the prefecture or out of the prefecture. That is

because if he, as the person responsible for talks with the U.S.,

firmly commits to one option and rejects all other possibilities,

talks cannot be pursued, as he said.

As a matter of fact, the manifesto, which the DPJ released before

the Lower House election, does not carry the words "out of the

prefecture." This is because the party has to broaden its outlook

and use many different approaches when pursuing talks, as Okada

said. He made this comment with an awareness of the possibility of a

power transfer. He took a harsh position toward Kitazawa, saying,

"It is better for him not to say this and that at the present

stage."

Apparently cautioned by Okada, Kitazawa at a meeting of four related

cabinet ministers held at the Prime Minister's Official Residence

(Kantei) on Oct. 2, explained, "I just mentioned my candid

impression at the meeting. I did not mean to indicate any specific

policy direction."

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano during an interview with the

Tokyo Shimbun indicated his stance of finalizing the government

position before the U.S. President visits Japan in November.

The time limit is drawing near amid disarray among the related

cabinet ministers on the Futenma relocation issue.

(8) Minister Maehara's statement on reviewing Futenma relocation

plan creates stir in Okinawa

OKINAWA TIMES (Page 2) (Full)

October 4, 2009

Shin Yoshida , Shinsaku Shimabukuro, political, economic reporters;

Kenya Fukumoto, Central Okinawa Bureau; Shogo Nishie, Tokyo Bureau)

State Minister for Okinawa Affairs Seiji Maehara, who is on a visit

to Okinawa, mentioned a review of the Japan-U.S. agreement on the

relocation of the U.S. forces' Futenma Air Station on Oct. 3, and

this has created a stir in the prefectural and municipal

governments. In light of the recent series of visits by senior U.S.

officials to Japan and the vigorous negotiations with the U.S.

currently taking place, the reaction is a mixture of bewilderment

and expectation. Since the statement was also made one day after the

informal consultations by four cabinet ministers, concerns have been

voiced over the apparent discord in the government, while there is

also a cool-headed observation that Maehara had merely reiterated a

principle contained in the "Okinawa Vision" of the Democratic Party

of Japan.

At his meeting with Maehara, Naha Mayor Takeshi Onaga, who is also

chairman of the association of mayors in Okinawa, reminded him:

"Unless the relocation (of Futenma) out of Okinawa is executed with

TOKYO 00002286 007 OF 015

unwavering determination, the people of Okinawa will be confused."

Maehara replied: "I apologize for causing trouble. We would like to

reach a conclusion at an early date," indicating that he understands

that the decision to accept Futenma's relocation within the

prefecture was a "bitter" one on the part of the Okinawa Prefectural

Government (OPG) and Nago City.

Maehara did not mention a review of the Henoko relocation plan at

this meeting. Mayor Yoshikazu Shimbukuro of Nago City, the proposed

relocation site under the current plan, said: "(Maehara) said that

economic development measures for Okinawa are important and that he

will study such measures without fail." Shimabukuro also made the

following demand: "We hope that the government comes up with a clear

policy direction, since it appears to favor relocation out of

Okinawa."

Kadena Mayor Tokujitsu Miyagi revealed that he told Maehara that,

"There are moves behind the scenes to promote the plan to merge

(Futenma) with Kadena Air Base, and this is unacceptable." Maehara

reportedly only listened and kept quiet. After the meeting, Miyagi

stressed the local government's position. He said: "I argued

strongly that it is unacceptable (for the government) to simply come

up with a conclusion and tell us what it will do."

Governor Hirokazu Nakaima and the top OPG executives also learned

about Maehara's statement on the evening of October 3. One senior

OPG official was astonished that "he went that far." He said: "We

will certainly welcome a feasible and concrete plan for relocation

out of Okinawa," but he remained cautious, since no concrete plan

had been presented.

At his meeting with Nakaima, Maehara had emphasized that he would

serve as the "intermediary between the government and Okinawa." The

above OPG official was unsure about "whether this was a message from

the administration or in which capacity he was speaking." He stated

in a harsh tone: "We will have to closely watch what sort of

proposals they have with great interest."

Ginowan Mayor Yoichi Iha, who briefed Maehara at the Kakazu Takadai

Park (overlooking the Futenma base), welcomed the fact that

"(Maehara) was able to confirm the danger posed by Futenma." He

urged the government to change its policy, claiming: "Providing

another military base without a clear perception of the actual

situation will create another Futenma. The plan to relocate to

Henoko will fall through."

A ruling party official frowned that: "It is not easy (to review the

current plan). I hope he refrains from making careless remarks. He

has overstepped the competence of the Okinawa affairs minister." One

senior Ministry of Defense official observed that, "This will give

rise to criticism of discord within the cabinet. What has happened

to their coordination process?"

A government official speculated that, "Since the government has not

made a decision, he might have thought that he should repeat what is

written in the Okinawa Vision as the minister in charge," making the

level-headed analysis that, "This is qualitatively different from

remarks by the defense minister, who is directly in charge of the

Futenma relocation project, or the foreign minister, who is in

charge of foreign policy."

(9) Editorial: Review of Henoko relocation plan: Discuss base issues

TOKYO 00002286 008 OF 015

comprehensively

OKINAWA TIMES (Page 5) (Full)

October 5, 2009

We feel as though we have been at the mercy of the remarks of the

new cabinet ministers who have been coming to Okinawa every week.

In connection with the relocation of the U.S. forces' Futenma Air

Station, Okinawa Affairs Minister Seiji Maehara (minister of Land,

infrastructure, transport, and tourism), who just made his first

visit after becoming a cabinet member, expressed doubts about the

2006 agreement between the Japanese and U.S. governments on the

relocation of the Futenma base to Henoko in Nago City and mentioned

the need to consider a new relocation site.

Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa, who came to Okinawa exactly one

week ago, had just said something to the effect that the "realistic

policy" of relocation within Okinawa might be inevitable. At that

time, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, who was making his diplomatic

debut in the U.S., was talking about upholding the basic policy of

relocation "out of Okinawa or out of Japan." Foreign Minister

Katsuya Okada, who accompanied him on the U.S. visit, also talked

about a reexamination of the Henoko relocation plan.

The Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) needs to sort out the Okinawa

issues both inside the cabinet and inside the party. While both the

Social Democratic Party and the People's New Party are opposed to

Henoko relocation, they differ on the other options.

It is natural that the DPJ is being careful before it engages in

full-fledged negotiations with the Obama administration, but the

party has repeatedly voiced its opposition to the construction of

new military bases in Okinawa.

At the time a helicopter crashed onto the campus of the Okinawa

International University in August 2004, then DPJ President Katsuya

Okada wrote a petition demanding the return of Futenma without a

replacement facility, among other things. Mr. Maehara, who was then

the foreign minister of the "Next Cabinet (shadow cabinet)," was the

one who presented this petition to the U.S. Embassy.

Now that the DPJ is in power, it should make efforts to implement

its basic policy.

It is necessary to consider if it is sensible to focus only on the

Futenma issue about whether the facility should be relocated within

Okinawa, out of Okinawa, or out of Japan.

We have asserted repeatedly that the Okinawa issues should not be

resolved by Okinawa alone. If the Japan-U.S. security alliance is

the linchpin of Japan's foreign policy, then let the whole of Japan

share the burden in maintaining the alliance.

The problem is that Okinawa's advantageous geographical position - a

proposition that is utterly meaningless in the 21st Century - is

cited as the reason for locating 75 percent of U.S. military bases

in Japan in the prefecture. The political authorities have refused

to face this fact, and negotiations under the Liberal Democratic

Party administration were conducted under the policy direction that

the status quo could not be changed.

TOKYO 00002286 009 OF 015

Many ministers have come to Okinawa and brought back "Okinawa's

message" to Tokyo. However, there has not been any answer to the

question of how to rectify the excessive burden on Okinawa, which is

clearly discriminatory.

Mr. Maehara, who is an expert on foreign policy and security issues,

pointed out in his questioning of the government at the Diet as an

opposition politician that the revolution in military technology

would bring changes to the U.S. forces' forward bases and argued

that Japan should negotiate actively with the U.S. on the

composition of U.S. Forces Japan, bearing in mind the Okinawa

issues.

Such a perspective should serve as the basis for projecting a

comprehensive solution to the Okinawa issues. The Futenma issue has

been drifting and 13 years have been wasted without ever going into

the essential issues.

At his meeting with Mr. Maehara, Governor Hirokazu Nakaima admitted

that "a majority of the people of Okinawa hope for relocation out of

the prefecture," but merely said that "relocation within the

prefecture is unavoidable" as a realistic option.

The governor appears to have become a force of resistance at a time

when politics is changing.

The change of administration should also be a transformation that

brings "change" to the thinking on the bases.

(10) Editorial: Relocation of Futenma Air Station to Henoko

impossible

OKINAWA TIMES (Page 5) (Full)

October 1, 2009

The sloppy process used by the Defense Ministry (Okinawa Defense

Bureau) in conducting its environmental impact assessment has been

revealed. This is probably because the ministry has already made a

final decision to construct (a new U.S. base). Important facilities

were added (to the original plan) after the views of the residents

had already been heard. The environmental assessment was supposed to

be a process for consensus-building through dialogue, but the

ministry has completely ignored that idea.

Regarding the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air

Station to the Henoko district in Nago City, Okinawa's Environmental

Impact Assessment Council compiled its draft report on the

environmental impact assessment preparatory documents, which the

ministry had sent to the prefectural government. Seiko Tsukayama,

chairman of the council, will submit it to Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima on

Oct. 2.

Pointing out that there is concern about the unforeseeable effects

of land reclamation in Oura Bay, the draft council report criticizes

the preparatory documents and calls for them to be rewritten,

saying, "The analysis, projection, and evaluation are not

sufficient. The necessary examination, projection, and valid

evaluation should be carried out once again. Appropriate measures to

preserve the environment must be devised." The draft council report

also seeks multiple-year surveys of dugongs.

Referring to the ministry's preparatory documents that say the

TOKYO 00002286 010 OF 015

impact on the environment will be avoided/reduced, the draft council

report includes a more specific phrase that if the environmental

impact cannot be fully reduced, options for halting the project,

changing the site, and reducing the project in size should be

considered.

The ministry has reiterated that environmental preservation measures

will be taken "within the scope feasible." This phrase can be

interpreted in various ways. Moreover, the new base will be used by

the U.S. military, which is not covered by any Japanese law.

Okinawa Times and the Asahi Shimbun leaned from their joint survey

conducted in May that about 80 PERCENT of Okinawa residents said

they were dissatisfied with the ministry's explanation that there

will be only a minor impact on the environment, clearly rejecting

the ministry's environmental impact assessment.

The ocean area off the Henoko district is endowed with a wide range

of marine living species such as endangered dugongs, regenerated

coral reefs, and various types of seaweed.

The ministry's environmental impact assessment method was fraught

with a variety of problems. The assessment methodology report

including the initial procedure is a sort of "environmental

assessment blueprint" to narrow down the outcomes of the

environmental impact assessment by making the outline of the project

to the public. However, the ministry damaged coral by going ahead

with the environmental survey before drafting the methodology

report. It also added an ammunition-loading area and the gathering

of a massive amount of sea sand, which had not been included in the

initial plan, to the assessment methodology report.

At the stage of compiling the preparatory documents, such new

facilities as four helipad sites were added. If this is the way the

ministry plans to carry out the relocation, the only way to describe

it is utterly arrogant.

Following the draft council report, the governor will submit his

opinion (to the Okinawa Defense Bureau) by Oct. 13. This will be

Nakaima's first official comment since the change of government.

Seven ruling camp Diet members hailing from Okinawa, who have

opposed the relocation of the Futenma facility to the Henoko

district, will discuss the issue with Defense Minister Toshimi

Kitazawa, calling for the suspension of the implementation of the

budget for the relocation project. Since Kitazawa is negative about

suspending the environmental assessment, the situation is still

uncertain. However, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has said, "Out of

the prefecture at the minimum." If the governor and Nago Mayor

Yoshikazu Shimabukuro continue to take the stance of accepting the

relocation plan conditioned on moving the relocation site offshore,

an odd situation will develop. The government policy has undergone a

complete about-face. It is obvious that relocating the Futenma

facility to the Henoko district will be impossible. The governor

should keep this in mind.

(11) FCLP conducted on Iwojima for 19 years; Long distance of 1,200

km from mainland Japan a challenge; Permanent facility not yet in

sight

ASAHI Kanagawa Edition (Page 33) (Abridged slightly)

October 4, 2009

TOKYO 00002286 011 OF 015

Hirotaka Kawakami

The U.S. military has been conducting its field carrier landing

practice (FCLP) on Iwojima over the past 19 years. Part of the FCLP

conducted for the seven days up to Sept. 30 has been opened to the

press. During the Pacific War (during WWII), U.S. forces and the

Imperial Japanese Army conducted a fierce battle on Iwojima, which

is 1,200 kilometers south of U.S. Naval Air Facility Atsugi.

On the night in late September, a blue beam pointing to the

2,650-meter runway on Iwojima was standing out under the star-filled

night sky. And U.S. carrier-based fighter jets were continuously

conducting night-landing practice (NLP) as part of the FCLP.

Yokosuka became the homeport of a U.S. naval aircraft carrier in

1973. U.S. Navy fighter jets began NLP at the Atsugi base in 1982.

Receiving protests from local governments and residents, the U.S.

Navy began shifting the touch-and-go training in stages to Iwojima

starting in 1991, conducting the practice at the Atsugi base only

under certain conditions, such as bad weather on Iwojima. NLP has

not been carried out at the Atsugi base since May 2007.

Practice at the Atsugi base, which is situated in a residential

area, is allowed only up to 10 p.m. Meanwhile on Iwojima, conditions

close to the aircraft carrier at sea can be created. On the island,

fighter jets can continue flying at an altitude of 180 meters (600

feet) without worrying about making noise.

Lt. Cmdr. Ray Owens, who is responsible for planning and policy at

the headquarters of U.S. Naval Forces Japan, indicated that the U.S.

Navy's desires are in line with those of local residents. "We are

working very hard to strike a balance between our efforts to

minimize the risk of accidents and to reduce noise for local

residents," Owens said. "It is best to complete FCLP on Iwojima."

Nevertheless, the U.S. side accepted Iwojima in 1989 as a site to

conduct FCLP only as a temporary step. For this reason, the U.S.

side is seeing a permanent training facility.

The biggest reason is that Iwojima is 1,200 km away from mainland

Japan and that there is no place to make an emergency landing. Japan

and the United States were to plan a relocation of the training in

the process of realigning U.S. forces in Japan and to select a

permanent training facility as early as July. No candidate sites

have been determined.

(12) National strategy office, administrative reform council: Two

axles of support for budget compilation get underway

NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full)

October 1, 2009

The national strategy office and the administrative reform council

have at last gotten underway. They are viewed as the two axles of

support for the Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei), when

the Hatoyama administration compiles the fiscal 2010 budget. The

national strategy office, which is tasked with drafting a budget

outline, is set to determine the upper limit of expenditures, after

estimating revenues, including the amount of government bonds to be

issued. The administrative reform council, which is responsible for

identifying the wasteful spending of budgetary funds, will start

drafting guidelines for various government agencies to eliminate

TOKYO 00002286 012 OF 015

wasteful spending once its lineup is fixed. The Hatoyama

administration will aim to compile the budget under political

leadership before year's end. Whether the administration can achieve

that goal will depend on to what extent the two organizations can

function.

Deputy Prime Minister and State Minister for the National Strategy

Bureau Naoto Kan and State Minister for Administrative Reform

Council Yoshito Sengoku on Sept. 30 respectively held their first

meetings with the three top officers responsible for state affairs

at each government office. Prior to the Oct. 10 deadline for the

submission of budgetary requests by each government agency, they

discussed the future management of the national strategy office and

the administrative reform council.

Senior Vice Minister Motohisa Furukawa of the Cabinet Office, who

attended both meetings, said at a press conference: "The national

strategy office will set general conditions concerning the total

amount of government bonds to be issued. With a view to revenues,

including tax revenues, expenditures will be decided within that

framework." However, Finance Minister Hirohisa Fujii held a press

conference on the 30th and said, "It is the Finance Ministry that

knows the most about the outlook for tax revenues," even though he

stressed cooperation with the national strategy office. As such,

there still remains an unclear aspect about role-sharing.

The key personnel for the administrative reform council have been

selected at last. The council has adopted a system in which it will

conduct budgetary assessments in cooperation with the administrative

reform council, by appointing Kan as a council member. However,

given the fact that the council has yet to take shape, it appears to

be limited in what it can do when it comes to identifying wasteful

spending of budgetary funds. A bureaucrat-turned DPJ lawmaker said,

"Nothing can be accomplished before year's end unless the Finance

Ministry Budget Bureau does almost everything."

Sengoku intends to map out guidelines for eliminating wasteful

spending before the end of October and issue orders to each

minister. Chances are high the assessment of budgetary

appropriations will be left to each government agency and the Budget

Bureau to work out. It was thought that the review of the extra

budget for the current fiscal year would serve as a model case for

the administrative reform council to make drastic cuts. However, the

work will likely be carried with very little involvement from the

administrative reform council.

When asked about the council's involvement in the revision of the

extra budget, Sengoku did not conceal his frustration from

reporters, saying, "We have not decided to get involved in that

work. Since we don't have any staff yet, we cannot possibly do that

job."

(13)Poll on Hatoyama cabinet, political parties

YOMIURI (Page 6) (Full)

October 5, 2009

Questions & Answers

(Figures shown in percentage)

Q: Do you support the Hatoyama cabinet?

TOKYO 00002286 013 OF 015

Yes 71

No 21