Cablegate: Daily Summary of Japanese Press 11/06/09

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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 13 TOKYO 002570

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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 11/06/09

INDEX:
(1) Editorial: Premier must make brave decision on Futenma
relocation (Sankei)

(2) PM Hatoyama in tight spot on delaying Futenma relocation
decision to after January 2010 (Nikkei)

(3) Interview with former Secretary of Defense James Schlesinger --
Nuclear umbrella and Japan-U.S. talks essential; nuclear deterrent
to stay for time being (Asahi)

(4) U.S. heliport in Azabu, Tokyo: What if a helicopter crashes into
the National Art Center? (Akahata)

(5) Geithner to visit Japan starting Nov. 10 (Nikkei)

(6) Idea floated for using 2.9 trillion yen frozen in fiscal 2009
extra budget for economic stimulus measures (Asahi)

(7) Projects to be reviewed by Government Revitalization Unit for
wasteful spending (Nikkei)

(8) Interview with the Dalai Lama: Okinawa advised to have a global
perspective (Ryukyu Shimpo)

(9) TOP HEADLINES (Nikkei)

(10) EDITORIALS (Nikkei)

ARTICLES:

(1) Editorial: Premier must make brave decision on Futenma
relocation

SANKEI (Page 2) (Full)
November 6, 2009

U.S. President Obama is coming to Japan on Nov. 12. The Hatoyama
administration probably wants to make his visit a success both in
name and reality and to strengthen the bilateral alliance between
Japan and the United States.

To do so, the Hatoyama administration will have to settle the
biggest pending issue of relocating the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma
Air Station in Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture. However, it looks like
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama is going to push back his decision
probably out of consideration for the prefecture's local communities
opposing the planned relocation of Futenma airfield within Okinawa
Prefecture.

Then the question becomes what will happen to Japan-U.S. relations
as a result. Prime Minister Hatoyama and President Obama will meet.
Their meeting, however, will be no better than a perfunctory
ceremony.

Japan has been unable to carry out its intergovernmental promise
with the United States to relocate Futenma airfield. What's more,
Japan will discontinue its refueling activities in the Indian Ocean.
President Obama will have to leave Japan for his next visit with a
sense of disappointment at and disillusion in Japan.

The bilateral alliance is about to become hollow. It is time for

TOKYO 00002570 002 OF 013

Prime Minister Hatoyama, as Japan's leader, to act to resolve the
crisis, fixing his eyes on Japan's national interest.

We strongly urge Prime Minister Hatoyama to make a decision to
accept the current plan to relocate the heliport functions of
Futenma airfield to a coastal area of Camp Schwab in Nago, Okinawa
Prefecture, in line with an intergovernmental agreement reached
between Japan and the United States three years ago.

On Nov. 5, Tokyo lost its last chance to have the Futenma issue
settled before the presidential visit. U.S. Assistant Secretary of
State Campbell, who arrived in Japan that day, met with Foreign
Minister Katsuya Okada at the Foreign Ministry. However, they parted
without resolving the issue. Their meeting went no farther than to
confirm that through diplomatic channels they will continue
coordinating the summit meeting, in addition to such matters as
Japan's new aid package for Afghanistan and climate change.

There is no policy direction on Futenma. Under such circumstances,
the crisis is apparently casting a shadow over the entire
relationship between Japan and the United States.

The Futenma relocation has been a pending issue over the 14 years
since Japan and the United States reached an intergovernmental
agreement in 1996. The Japanese and U.S. governments have finalized
their agreement on the current plan, included in their roadmap for
the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan, to relocate Futenma
airfield to Nago by 2014 and transfer Okinawa-based Marines and
their families, totaling 17,000, to Guam.

The current plan for relocating Futenma airfield, should it not be
translated into action, will fail to attain its objectives in terms
of mitigating the burden of Okinawa Prefecture's base-hosting
localities and stepping up the alliance's deterrence. Furthermore,
Japan's security and U.S. military strategies all over the
Asia-Pacific basin will be affected seriously.

Meanwhile, Okinawa's local residents have been calling for the
overall reversion of Futenma airfield and the return of U.S.
military bases and facilities located south of the U.S. Kadena Air
Base. However, the return of those bases and facilities will also be
called off.

We wonder if the Japanese government took seriously this warning
from U.S. Secretary of Defense Gates during his recent visit to
Japan. The Pentagon chief declined the salute of a guard of honor
from the Self-Defense Forces and a dinner party. They should not
have overlooked this unusual event.

However, the Hatoyama government seems to have made light of it. The
prime minister, foreign minister, and defense minister have said
different things. Prime Minister Hatoyama himself has not specified
when and how to settle the issue.

Therefore, the U.S. Department of State issued a warning about the
impact on the Japan-U.S. alliance, a spokesman saying the kind of
relationship Japan wants to build with the United States is up to
it.

U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye, a U.S.
Democratic Party legislator known for being knowledgeable about
Japan, also told Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima during his recent

TOKYO 00002570 003 OF 013

visit to the United States that some U.S. Congressmen might begin to
question the Japan-U.S. alliance if Japan remains in disarray. We,
too, are concerned about a growing sense of distrust in the U.S.
Congress and in the U.S. military.

The Department of State spokesman said the U.S. government will not
set a time limit to resolve the issue of Futenma relocation. This,
however, is only a consideration to avoid causing a decisive fissure
in the Japan-U.S. alliance.

Foreign Minister Okada, Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa, and other
Japanese government officials are now discussing a new package of
measures for Afghan aid before the presidential visit to Japan.
However, they have no plans to send SDF troops to the International
Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. The new package
will likely be limited to such measures as vocational training and
farmland development for former Taliban militants.

If that is the case, the Japan-U.S. summit, scheduled for Nov. 13,
is highly likely to end up an empty meeting, only focusing on such
issues as the global environment and Afghan aid without touching on
the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan as a symbol of the rocksolid
alliance.

What the Hatoyama administration's leaders should recognize is that
an intergovernmental agreement is an international commitment. Many
new administrations place value on continuity in foreign policy and
honor their predecessors' agreements; for they realize that
overturning policies could cost the credibility of their countries.
According to Foreign Ministry officials, Japan has never broken an
international commitment.

North Korea's Nodong Shinmun newspaper, dated Oct. 28, carried an
article with a caption reading: "Unpredictable U.S.-Japan
Relations." In this article, Pyongyang apparently looked forward to
a deepening of the fissure in the bilateral alliance between Japan
and the United States. "Public opinion anticipates that the discord
between Japan and the United States will become even more serious,"
it said. We must not forget that the hollowing out the Japan-U.S.
alliance will please China and some other countries.

(2) PM Hatoyama in tight spot on delaying Futenma relocation
decision to after January 2010

NIKKEI (Page 3) (Full)
November 6, 2009

The fact that the U.S. government has set the end of 2009 as the
deadline for making a decision on the relocation of the U.S. forces'
Futenma base in Okinawa is now the key issue facing the Japanese
government as it formulates a response. While Prime Minister Yukio
Hatoyama has talked about making a decision "after the Nago mayoral
election in January 2010," Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada has
indicated that he is "aiming at a decision before year end." There
is discord in the cabinet, even on the question of the relocation
site. While the two governments have decided to avoid any conflict
on the Futenma issue at the Japan-U.S. summit on Nov. 13, the
scenario after that remains unclear.

After his meeting with Okada on Nov. 5, U.S. Assistant Secretary of
State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell emphasized to
reporters that they were able to have a very good discussion. The

TOKYO 00002570 004 OF 013

meeting came on the day after the announcement that Okada will not
be going to the U.S. for a bilateral foreign ministerial meeting to
lay the groundwork for the summit. Although both sides refrained
from going into details, there is no doubt that Futenma was the main
topic of discussion.

"Conflict" to be avoided

The common understanding between the two governments is that the
Futenma issue will not be finalized at the summit meeting. The U.S.
side will not accept any other relocation proposal other than the
existing plan, while the Japanese government has not decided on a
policy, with Okada himself still advocating a plan to merge Futenma
with Kadena Air Base. If the summit goes into a full-fledged
discussion of this issue, the glaring differences between the two
positions will inevitably stand out.

U.S. President Barack Obama cannot afford to fail in his first visit
to Japan. Therefore, the two governments have decided to give
priority to staging a successful summit meeting and to defer a
decision for the moment.

The problem is what will happen after the summit. Within the
Japanese administration, Okada, like the U.S. side, takes the
position that the deadline for the Futenma issue is the end of 2009.
The budget bills for funding government policies will be formulated
before year end. It is believed that Okada is concerned that failure
to make a decision on the Futenma issue may hinder budget planning
for foreign and security policies.

Within the government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and
the Ministry of Defense are beginning to accept that the deadline is
the year end. However, this deadline is negated by Hatoyama's
statement that "a certain amount of time is necessary (to make a
decision on Futenma relocation), and there are the Nago mayor
election and Okinawa gubernatorial race." The Nago election will be
held in January, and the Okinawa election is scheduled for November.
His factoring the elections into the deadline puzzles not only the
U.S. government, but even Japanese government officials.

Nago has decided to accept the current relocation plan, but this
decision may be shaken by the outcome of the mayoral election in
January. If the Prime Minister has made his statement with the full
knowledge of the risk the election results may pose to Japan-U.S.
relations, what is his purpose?

According to a senior MOFA official, "It would not be surprising if
the U.S. government regards the Prime Minister's statement on
postponing a decision until after the Nago mayoral election as an
excuse to annul the existing agreement."

Eyeing House of Councillors election

On the other hand, the Prime Minister's statement seems to be
consistent with the political schedule for next year. The Upper
House election tops the political agenda for 2010. It would be
undesirable to alienate the Social Democratic Party, which demands
the relocation of the Futenma base out of Okinawa, before this
election. His scenario is to defer the Futenma decision and give
priority to unity of the ruling coalition at least until prospects
are certain for the enactment of the FY2010 budget, after which he
will resolve this issue.

TOKYO 00002570 005 OF 013

Both Japan and the U.S. will have to wait for the Prime Minister -
who insists that "I will be the one to decide in the end" and who is
not speaking his mind - to make a decision.

(3) Interview with former Secretary of Defense James Schlesinger --
Nuclear umbrella and Japan-U.S. talks essential; nuclear deterrent
to stay for time being

ASAHI (Page 3) (Full)
November 6, 2009

Hirotsugu Mochizuki, Washington

While the world is moving toward nuclear disarmament under U.S.
President Barack Obama, Japanese government officials expressed
concern over a possible decline in the reliability of the United
States's nuclear umbrella. This was revealed by former Secretary of
Defense James Schlesinger during an interview with the Asahi
Shimbun. Schlesinger is a pragmatic heavyweight skeptical of the
nuclear disarmament policy course. To underpin the argument that the
United States must maintain its massive nuclear deterrent even in
the post-cold war era, Schlesinger cited Japan's concern.

-- What opinions did Japanese government officials express before
the Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United
States?

Schlesinger: I don't want to go into the details, but they expressed
concern if the United States would maintain its extended deterrence
(nuclear umbrella) to defend Japan. We got the impression such a
view was held not only by high-ranking officials but also by
Japanese people in general.

-- Should Japan shift its stance of advocating nuclear disarmament
on one hand and relying on the nuclear umbrella on the other?

Schlesinger: Japan is not the only country that speaks with a forked
tongue. What is necessary is a forum for Japan and the United States
to discuss nuclear policy issues formally. There is what is called
the Nuclear Planning Group, which allows the North Atlantic Treaty
members to share information on nuclear policy issues with the
United States. It is also indispensable to have talks focused on
Japan's concerns and interests.

-- President Obama is aiming at a nuclear-free world. Is it possible
for all countries to abandon their nuclear weapons?

Schlesinger: Pakistan is inferior to India in terms of conventional
weapons, so it will not abandon its nuclear weapons, in order not to
upset the balance of power. Israel regards the possession of weapons
as an "amulet." North Korea also regards nuclear weapons as its only
diplomatic trump card, so it will not give them up. Even President
Obama said in his speech in Prague that a world without nuclear
weapons will probably not be realized in his lifetime. He is still
in his 40s, so he will be around for the next 40 years. The nuclear
deterrent will continue to exist in the "foreseeable future."

-- The United States and Russia have agreed to cut back their
stockpiles of nuclear weapons, and economic ties between the United
States and China are also growing stronger.

TOKYO 00002570 006 OF 013

Schlesinger: Both China and Russia might say that they have no
intention to launch an attack. But in the military area, what really
matters is not a country's intention but its capability. China has
steadily increased its nuclear capability. It is important for the
United States and Russia to keep their nuclear capabilities so that
China will not dare to compete with them.

-- Is the Obama administration going to announce a dramatic policy
shift through a new Nuclear Posture Review?

Schlesinger: That's doubtful. The Obama administration doesn't seem
to have tried to shift to the course the Department of Defense has
charted. The United States and Russia have agreed on the goal of
cutting deployed nuclear warheads to 1,500 - 1,675. The aim is just
a little lower than the target specified in the Treaty of Moscow
concluded during the Bush administration.

-- The Obama administration is aiming to ratify the Comprehensive
Test Ban Treaty.

Schlesinger: The United States has not produced new nuclear weapons
since the 1980s, so they have become old. I think the nuclear
weapons are still operational at this point, but there are some
matters of concern. It is dangerous to prohibit tests permanently.

-- Do you think there is any chance for President Obama to visit
Hiroshima?

Schlesinger: The matter was settled with the conclusion of the San
Francisco Peace Treaty between Japan and the United States in 1951.
If President Obama wants to visit the historical site, he should do
so.

(4) U.S. heliport in Azabu, Tokyo: What if a helicopter crashes into
the National Art Center?

AKAHATA (Page 13) (Full)
November 6, 2009

There is a U.S. military heliport (31,670 square meters) located in
Azabu, Minato Ward, central Tokyo. The heliport is located across
the loop highway No. 3 just near the National Art Center. Residents
in the Azabu district have been suffering from the noise caused by
helicopters taking off and landing, and they have in constant fear
of a helicopter crashing into their town. An executive committee
formed by labor unions and civic groups, which have called for the
removal of the heliport, has sent letters notifying the danger of
the heliport to museums in Japan and abroad. The committee is
chaired by Satoru Kawasaki.

The letters were sent to world-famous museums such as the Tokyo
National Museum, the National Museum of Western Art, the Tokyo
National Museum of Modern Art, in Tokyo; the National Gallery of Art
and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the United States; the Muse?e
du Louvre and the Muse?e d'Orsay in France; the British Museum; and
the Hermitage Museum in Russia.

The letters underscored that the residents have been suffering from
noise, vibrations, and wind caused by helicopters flying from
Atsugi, Yokota, Yokosuka and other bases to the heliport, an
important connection point and operation base for the U.S. military
in the capital of Japan.

TOKYO 00002570 007 OF 013

A U.S. military helicopter crashed onto the campus of the Okinawa
International University in August 2004. The letters call for
sufficient careful examinations and consideration of the danger of
the heliport, citing that if a heliport crashes into the National
Art Center, works of art could be reduced to ashes, resulting in a
loss of international confidence in Japan's cultural administration.
The executive committee asked the National Art Center and the
Education Ministry and the Agency for Cultural Affairs, which holds
jurisdiction over the art center, to stop the helicopters from
flying over the museum.

According to research conducted by Minato Ward in February in areas
surrounding the heliport, the noise reached a maximum level of 89 dB
during the period between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., causing anxiety
for local residents. The U.S. side began using part of the
metropolitan Aoyama Park as a temporary heliport due to the
construction of a tunnel for the loop highway No. 3. Following the
completion of construction, the U.S. military has continued to
illegally occupy the land for 16 years.

(5) Geithner to visit Japan starting Nov. 10

NIKKEI (Online)
Nov. 6, 2009

(Masakuni Oshirabe in Washington)

The U.S Department of the Treasury announced on Nov. 4 that Treasury
Secretary Timothy Geithner will visit Japan on Nov. 10-11. This will
be his first visit to Japan since the administration of President
Barack Obama was launched this January and he assumed the post of
Treasury Secretary. While in Japan, he will meet senior government
officials and "discuss policies to bring about well-balanced and
strong global economic growth," the Treasury Department said.

Geithner will visit Tokyo prior to participating in a finance
ministerial meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
forum in Singapore on the 12th. This spring, he visited China, which
holds the largest amount of U.S. government bonds, and discussed
ways to reduce the U.S. fiscal deficit and other issues with Chinese
government officials, but he did not visit Japan at that time.

After the administration of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama was
launched, Geithner held a meeting with Finance Minister Hirohisa
Fujii in Pittsburgh in late September. During the meeting, they
reaffirmed the need for the U.S. to maintain a strong dollar and for
Japan to not take a weak yen policy. Global economic growth has
greatly depended on the weak dollar that has continued since the
Geithner-Fujii meeting and excessive consumer spending in the U.S.
Geithner is expected to discuss with Japanese officials in Japan
measures to correct this imbalance of the global economy and other
problems.

(6) Idea floated for using 2.9 trillion yen frozen in fiscal 2009
extra budget for economic stimulus measures

ASAHI (Page 4) (Full)
November 6, 2009

Judging that 2.9 trillion yen worth of projects allocated in the
fiscal 2009 supplementary budget lacks urgency and effectiveness,

TOKYO 00002570 008 OF 013

the Hatoyama government decided to freeze the disbursement. But some
government officials have begun to call for putting the amount in
this fiscal year's second supplementary budget. The government
intended to use most of the amount to finance new measures for next
fiscal year, such as the child allowance. The officials, however,
think it is necessary to implement measures to stimulate the job
market and the economy within this fiscal year.

This information was revealed by a major cabinet minister. However,
Finance Minister Hirohisa Fujii and others remains cautious about
disbursing about 3 trillion yen in government funds, given a large
drop in tax revenues. Cabinet ministers will soon start coordinating
views to make a policy decision by the end of this month.

To implement measures pledged in the Democratic Party of Japan's
manifesto for the last House of Representatives election within the
framework of a fiscal 2010 budget, 7.1 trillion yen will be needed.
If the government allocates the 2.9 trillion yen frozen by a cabinet
meeting on Oct. 16 to the second supplementary budget, it will
become necessary to secure new financial resources by resorting to
such means as reducing the requested amount totaling approximately
95 trillion yen for next fiscal year's budget or by issuing
government bonds.

The Hatoyama cabinet plans to submit a second supplementary budget
in the ordinary session to be convened early next year. Deputy Prime
Minister and National Policy Unit Minister Naoto Kan has indicated
that the government would draft a budget, focusing on measures to
create jobs, protect the environment, and buoy up the economy.
Financial Affairs Minister Shizuka Kamei has insisted that the
government should compile an extra budget worth more than 10
trillion yen.

(7) Projects to be reviewed by Government Revitalization Unit for
wasteful spending

NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full)
Evening, November 2, 2009

Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare
Q Measures to increase doctors, subsidies for emergency treatment,
and prenatal care
Q Expenses for health promotion
Q Maintenance of equipment for the introduction of computerized
systems to process itemized billing statements for medical expenses
Q Expenses for training, testing, and research at National Institute
of Public Health
Q Programs to promote work-life balance
Q Subsidies to enhance support for the balancing of work and family,
etc.
Q Programs to support part-time workers in becoming permanent
workers, etc.
Q Programs to assist employment agencies for elderly people with
special talents or skills
Q Programs for regional cooperation among young people
Q Computerized system to process itemized billing statements for
medical expenses covered by work-related accident compensation
Q Promotion of measures to resolve individual labor disputes
Q Expenses for managing vocational bureaus for elderly people
Q Youth independence support centers
Q Global personnel training assistance project
Q Programs to support middle-aged and older persons seeking

TOKYO 00002570 009 OF 013

employment
Q Job skills development system implementation programs
Q After-hours childcare project, etc.
Q Excellent child drama touring performance programs
Q Measures to support people who receive welfare benefits but are
capable of working
Q Financial support for livelihood protection system (measures to
prevent fraudulent claims for medical expenses)
Q Financial support for livelihood protection system (measures to
prevent false claims for housing benefits)
Q Expenses for programs to promote health welfare for the disabled
(research study program to support the disabled)
Q Expenses for management and consignment of facility for 10th
anniversary of UN World Program of Action concerning disabled
persons
Q Programs to minimize need for nursing care (part of regional
support programs)
Q Programs to support hobby groups for the elderly (programs to
promote regional welfare for the elderly)
Q Children's future fund, Welfare And Medical Service Agency
Q Independent administrative agencies
Q Corporate pension promotion expenses, expenditures for publicity
activities for pensions

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
Q Oil reserve (expenditures for government-stockpiled oil
commissions)
Q Streamlining of oil and natural gas distribution (oil refining,
gasoline stations, natural gas, LP gas, etc.)
Q Subsidies for promoting the introduction of energy-efficient
products and new energies (for businesses) (subsidies for the
introduction of residential solar power generation equipment,
high-efficiency water heaters, and high-efficiency industrial
furnaces)
Q Subsidies for the promotion of introducing energy-efficient
products and new energies (for consumers) (subsidies for the
introduction of residential solar power generation equipment and
high-efficiency water heaters)
Q Subsidies for measures for areas hosting electric power
facilities
Q Research and development programs (1) (100 PERCENT
government-financed programs)
Q Model programs (1) (international energy-efficiency programs,
etc.)
Q Model programs (2) smart grid-related programs, secure Japan
project
Q Support for contents, industries related to the people's daily
lives, and service industry
Q Subsidies for independent administrative agencies

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Q Budget for official development assistance (ODA) (grant aid
projects)
Q Technical cooperation by Japan International Cooperation Agency
(JICA): subsidies for operating expenses
Q Expenses for publicity activities
Q Expenses for requested projects
Q Japan Foundation (including operational funds)
Q Voluntary donations to international organizations
Q Technical cooperation by JICA: labor costs, travel expenses,
office expenses, and business consignment fees
Q JICA's technical cooperation: operating expenses for JICA

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facilities in Japan
Q Subsidies for Japan Institute for International Affairs
Q Expenditures for large-scale international conferences

Projects related to medical service systems
Q Government-financed labor costs for doctors (expenditures for
medicine and medical equipment excluded)
Q Government-financed medical expenditures (measures to strictly
assess system to process itemized billing statements of medical
expenses)
Q Government-financed medical expenses (meal expenses served during
hospitalization and charges for hospital beds)
Q Government-financed expenditures for medicine and medical
equipment (measures to promote use of generic drugs)
Q Government-financed expenses for Japan Health Insurance
Association (financial adjustment among insurers)
Q Government-financed expenses for judo physiotherapists
Q Subsidies for All-Japan Federation of National Health Insurance
Organizations and federation of prefectural health insurance
organizations

Other projects to be reviewed

Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare
Q Project to promote 8020 special campaign (to keep 20 teeth until
age of 80)
Q Health and welfare promotion project for the disabled
Q Project for appropriate implementation guidance for nursing care
services

Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry
Q Support for revitalizing shopping streets/city centers
Q Support for small- and medium-sized businesses
Q Subsidies for product development by small to medium
manufacturers

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Q Expenses for overseas diplomatic facilities abroad, etc.
Q Grant aid cooperation, etc.

(8) Interview with the Dalai Lama: Okinawa advised to have a global
perspective

RYUKYU SHIMPO (Page 3) (Full)
November 6, 2009

We interviewed Dalai Lama XIV, who is on his first visit to Okinawa,
on his impression of Okinawa and how to achieve an island of peace
with no military bases. (Interview conducted by Junichi Tomita,
director and chief editor of Ryukyu Shimpo)

Tomita: What is your impression of Okinawa?

Dalai Lama: My first impression is that it is really beautiful. The
structure of the houses is different from those on the Japanese
mainland. I understand that the people of Okinawa have their own
unique language, so I think the unique Okinawan cultural legacy has,
no doubt, been preserved. I am very pleased.

Tomita: Okinawa suffered greatly during the Pacific War. The people
of Okinawa hope for an island of peace but 75 percent of U.S.
military bases in Japan are still concentrated in Okinawa. Okinawa

TOKYO 00002570 011 OF 013

is in a very difficult situation because of the occasional serious
crimes and accidents originating from the bases, and the Japan-U.S.
security treaty continues to be a serious hindrance. What should the
Okinawan people do to achieve an island of peace with no military
bases and to influence the governments of Japan and the United
States?

Dalai Lama: Basically, it is anachronistic to use force. I embrace
the position of absolute opposition to military force. There used to
be a wall between East and West Europe during the Cold War era, but
the wall no longer exists. North Korea has the nuclear arms issues
and it is a country ruled by military power. Such a situation exists
whether we like it or not. China is a country that has the largest
population in the world and a long history, and I have a lot of
respect for China. I think a superpower like China should play a
more constructive role in the world. Yet, in reality, it is ruled by
secretism, and only the leaders decide and move everything.

The world is one body, and there should be one single world. The
Okinawan people's wish to get rid of U.S. military bases should be
realized in recognition of the fact that Okinawa is a part of the
world.

At the same time, Okinawa is also a part of the world and of Asia.
The United States is a superpower and a free democratic country.
From a broader perspective, the fact that military bases still exist
in Okinawa, in a sense, means that the bases are here because they
are necessary.

I think it is very important to understand the interests of the
world from a global perspective.

I think totalitarian thinking and the worship of military power has
disappeared in Asia. Democracy should spread more widely and the
world should become more open and transparent. When this is
realized, it goes without saying that all military bases should be
withdrawn from Okinawa.

I think there are aspects of Okinawa that are extremely unhealthy
due to the existence of the U.S. military bases both in the past and
at present. Crimes, such as rape, and accidents occur, but these
should be eradicated with the laws of your country. The American
political leaders should also pay more attention to this problem. I
hope that the media will report on this sad situation more widely
among the people. The situation where offenses are committed
blatantly should be eliminated through such a process.

Twenty years have passed since I received the Nobel Peace Prize, but
the notion of suppressing disputes with military force is still
dominant in the international community. What should people do to
achieve peace without using military force?

Recently, the Middle East, Iran, and Pakistan are in crisis.
Military force is always used in these regions. They should know
that using military force as a means to resolve problems is wrong.

Former President George Bush is a close friend but it is really sad
that he chose the exercise of military force as the means to resolve
the Iraq issue even though the U.S. advocates democracy and
freedom.

People should know that problems should be resolved by peaceful

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means, that is, dialogue. Dialogue should be promoted instead of
military force and violence.

I think the United States should use the billions that it spends for
military policies for education, health, and other economic aspects.
If that was the case, the world situation today would have been very
different.

The root of many problems is the suspicion, distrust, and feeling of
alienation in people's hearts. By minimizing and eliminating such
distrust, good relations can finally be built in this world.

Tomita: What is your message for the people of Okinawa? Tell us the
secret of your good health.

Dalai Lama: I understand that the Okinawan people live long lives
because of the weather and fresh air from the sea. I would love to
stay longer so that I can also live a long life.

I would think that the Okinawan people live comfortably in material
terms. However, to live meaningful lives as human beings, it is
wrong to rely completely on material things. I hope that you will
pay attention to the values of the spiritual aspect of human
beings.

Basically, love is the foundation upon which we can build happy
lives.
In addition to obtaining knowledge and education, it is important
for young people not to let go of the love from they received from
their mothers and other people close to them, and rather to expand
upon that love. By focusing our attention to the love that is
inherent in human beings, it will be possible to live happier and
healthier lives.

(9) TOP HEADLINES

Asahi:
Number of suspicious deaths in Tottori rises to five; Prefectural
police investigating circumstances surrounding acquaintances and
boyfriends of woman under arrest for fraud

Mainichi:
Matsui named World Series MVP; God of baseball smiles on him

Yomiuri:
Government to accept all employee claims to correct falsified
pension records; Health and Welfare Ministry plan not to seek
evidence

Nikkei:
Japan, U.S., Europe to tighten bank capital rules; Framework
expected to be produced within the year likely to apply pressure to
Japanese banks to increase capital

Sankei:
Plutonium-thermal power generation plant gets underway (Part 1):
Kyushu Electric Power Co.'s Genkai nuclear plant reaches
criticality

Tokyo Shimbun:
Minister at embassy in U.S. used secret funds for dinner with Board
of Audit officials in 2000

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Akahata:
Chairman Shii in a press conference raises four questions about DPJ
administration -- bases in Okinawa, medical insurance system for
people 75 and older, politics and money, and prohibition of Diet
replies by bureaucrats

(10) EDITORIALS

Asahi:
(1) Plutonium-thermal power generation requires strict supervision
(2) Financial policy: Block vicious deflationary cycle

Mainichi:
(1) Daycare center establishment criteria: Empower local regions
(2) "Pluthermal" power generation: Safety comes first with
challenges in mind

Yomiuri:
(1) Diet reform: Power of Cabinet Legislation Bureau chief must be
reduced
(2) Matsui named MVP: New York Yankees win World Series
championship

Nikkei:
(1) 20th anniversary of fall of Berlin Wall: Japan cannot keep up
with change

Sankei:
(1) Futenma relocation: Prime Minister must make bold decision;
hollowing out of Japan-U.S. alliance undermines national interests

Tokyo Shimbun:
(1) Hatoyama donation scandal: Nip distrust in administration in the
bud
(2) Matsui named MVP: Indomitable hitter deserves applause

Akahata:
(1) Futenma Air Station: Government must not turn deaf ear to voices
calling for removal of air station

ROOS

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