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RUEAWJA/USDOJ WASHDC PRIORITY
RULSDMK/USDOT WASHDC PRIORITY
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RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RHHMHBA/COMPACFLT PEARL HARBOR HI
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RUYNAAC/COMNAVFORJAPAN YOKOSUKA JA
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RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 9664
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 9031
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 12 TOKYO 000249
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 (1) 02/08/10
INDEX:
(1) Poll: 74 PERCENT say Ozawa should quit party post; Hatoyama
cabinet's support rate at 44 PERCENT , nonsupport at 47 PERCENT
(Yomiuri)
(2) Poll: Hatoyama cabinet's nonsupport rate at 45 PERCENT , support
at 41 PERCENT ; 68 PERCENT urge Ozawa to resign from party post
(Asahi)
(3) Poll: 72 PERCENT call for Ozawa to quit party post; Hatoyama
cabinet's support rate remains flat (Tokyo Shimbun)
(4) Ozawa eyes a visit to U.S. (Nikkei)
(5) U.S. says Japan's reluctance to sign the Hague Convention "more
serious than Futenma issue" (Tokyo Shimbun)
(6) Cabinet makes formal decision on SDF dispatch for PKO in Haiti
(Yomiuri)
(7) GSDF team departs for Haiti to engage in PKO (Nikkei)
(8) Government acknowledges discretionary diplomatic funds paid to
Prime Minister's Official Residence (Mainichi)
(9) Interview: Nago mayor to resign if Futenma base is to be
relocated to Henoko, will not accept any compromise (Asahi)
(10) Major questions and answers from Feb. 5 House of
Representatives Budget Committee session - Prime Minister:
Government will not make light of the popular will expressed in
victory of anti-relocation candidate in Nago mayoral election
(Nikkei)
(11) Japan-U.S. finance ministerial: Agreement reached to ensure
both economic turnaround and fiscal reconstruction (Nikkei)
(12) Toyota president offers formal apology (Asahi)
(13) U.S. government seeks level playing field in response to
invitation for public opinions on review of postal privatization
(Nikkei)
(14) Kamei to reveal draft postal reform plan today (Asahi)
(15) METI minister announces plan to revise energy plan by June
(Asahi)
(16) Parliamentary secretary: Government taskforce eyes easing
conditions for issuing visas to Chinese tourists from July (Nikkei)
(17) Fisheries minister to propose scaling down research whaling on
condition of resumption of commercial whaling (Asahi)
ARTICLES:
(1) Poll: 74 PERCENT say Ozawa should quit party post; Hatoyama
cabinet's support rate at 44 PERCENT , nonsupport at 47 PERCENT
YOMIURI (Top play) (Abridged)
February 7, 2010
The Yomiuri Shimbun conducted a telephone-based public opinion
survey across the nation on Feb. 5-6, in which the public approval
rating for Prime Minister Hatoyama's cabinet was 44 PERCENT and the
disapproval rating was 47 PERCENT . Support leveled off from the 45
PERCENT rating in the last survey conducted Jan. 16-17. However,
nonsupport rose 5 percentage points and topped support for the first
time since the Hatoyama cabinet came into office last September. In
the survey, a total of 74 PERCENT said ruling Democratic Party of
Japan Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa should resign from his party
post following the indictment of his three former secretaries,
including Tomohiro Ishikawa, currently a DPJ lawmaker seated in the
House of Representatives, on the charge of violating the Political
Funds Control Law over a politics-and-money problem involving
Ozawa's fund management organization. The figure clearly shows a
TOKYO 00000249 002 OF 012
perception gap between the DPJ, which has decided to have Ozawa stay
in his post, and the public.
Meanwhile, respondents were also asked where to relocate the U.S.
Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station in Okinawa Prefecture. In response
to this question, 31 PERCENT said the Futenma airfield facility
should be relocated "as agreed on between Japan and the United
States," with 15 PERCENT saying it should be relocated "outside
Okinawa Prefecture" and 35 PERCENT saying it should be relocated
"outside Japan." Respondents were also asked if they were concerned
about Japan-U.S. relations under the Hatoyama administration. To
this question, 68 PERCENT answered "yes," with only 25 PERCENT
saying "no." When asked if they thought the Hatoyama cabinet could
turn the nation's economy around, 21 PERCENT answered "yes," while
66 PERCENT said "no." In the breakdown of public support for
political parties, the DPJ stood at 33 PERCENT (34 PERCENT in the
last survey), with the leading opposition Liberal Democratic Party
remaining flat at 20 PERCENT (20 PERCENT in the last survey).
(2) Poll: Hatoyama cabinet's nonsupport rate at 45 PERCENT , support
at 41 PERCENT ; 68 PERCENT urge Ozawa to resign from party post
ASAHI (Top play) (Abridged)
February 7, 2010
Following the prosecutors' decision not to indict ruling Democratic
Party of Japan Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa over his political
funds, the Asahi Shimbun conducted a telephone-based spot nationwide
public opinion survey on Feb. 5-6. According to its findings, the
rate of public support for Prime Minister Hatoyama's cabinet was 41
PERCENT and its nonsupport rate was 45 PERCENT . The Hatoyama
cabinet's approval rating topped its disapproval rating for the
first time since its inauguration. In the survey, a total of 68
PERCENT said Ozawa should resign as DPJ secretary general.
Meanwhile, there will be an election this summer for the House of
Councillors, and respondents were asked which political party they
would vote for in their proportional representation blocs. In this
popularity ranking of political parties, the DPJ scored 34 PERCENT ,
with the leading opposition Liberal Democratic Party closing in on
the DPJ with 27 PERCENT . The figures can be taken as reflecting the
politics-and-money problem of Ozawa.
In the previous survey, conducted Jan. 16-17, public opinion was
split over the Hatoyama cabinet, with its support rate at 42 PERCENT
and its nonsupport rate at 41 PERCENT . The Hatoyama's cabinet's
inaugural support and nonsupport ratings last September were
respectively at 71 PERCENT and 14 PERCENT . The gap between the
Hatoyama cabinet's approval and disapproval ratings gradually
narrowed thereafter and finally changed places in the latest
survey.
In the breakdown of public support for political parties, the DPJ
stood at 34 PERCENT (36 PERCENT in the last survey), with the LDP
at 18 PERCENT (16 PERCENT in the last survey).
(3) Poll: 72 PERCENT call for Ozawa to quit party post; Hatoyama
cabinet's support rate remains flat
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Top play) (Abridged)
February 7, 2010
Kyodo News conducted a telephone-based nationwide public opinion
TOKYO 00000249 003 OF 012
survey on Feb. 5-6, in which 72.7 PERCENT of respondents said
Ichiro Ozawa, secretary general of the ruling Democratic Party of
Japan, should resign from his party post, while the prosecutors have
dropped the case of his fund management organization's alleged
falsification of political fund reports over its land purchase. The
survey also showed that 22.8 PERCENT think Ozawa should be allowed
to remain in his current party post. In this case, Tomohiro
Ishikawa, one of Ozawa's former secretaries and currently a DPJ
lawmaker seated in the House of Representatives, has been indicted.
In this regard, respondents were asked what Ishikawa should do. To
this question, 69.1 PERCENT said he should resign from the Diet,
with 21.8 PERCENT saying he does not have to resign from the Diet.
The public's harsh view of the "politics-and-money" problem has been
revealed again.
The approval rating for Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and his
cabinet leveled off at 41.4 PERCENT , down 0.1 percentage points
from the last survey conducted Jan. 17-18. The disapproval rating
for the Hatoyama cabinet was 45.1 PERCENT , up 1.0 points. The
nonsupport rate continued to top the support rate from the last
survey.
In the breakdown of public support for political parties, the DPJ
stood at 33.6 PERCENT , up 1.5 points from the last survey. The
leading opposition Liberal Democratic Party was at 22.8 PERCENT , up
0.1 points. The Your Party ranked third at 3.9 PERCENT , followed by
the New Komeito at 3.7 PERCENT , the Japanese Communist Party at 2.3
PERCENT , the Social Democratic Party at 1.9 PERCENT , and the
People's New Party at 0.8 PERCENT . "None" accounted for 30.4
PERCENT .
In the popularity ranking of political parties for this summer's
House of Councillors election, the DPJ scored 33.6 PERCENT , up 5.2
points from the last survey, and the LDP was at 23.4 PERCENT , down
1.3 points. The gap between the two parties has widened.
(4) Ozawa eyes a visit to U.S.
NIKKEI (Page 3) (Full)
February 6, 2010
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa is
now considering a visit to the U.S. during the Golden Week holidays
starting from late April. Now that prosecutors dropped a case
against him over the alleged false reporting of political funds by
his fund-raising group Rikuzan-kai, Ozawa appears to want to recover
political ground by playing a key role in promoting relations with
the U.S. Some observers believe he holds the key in determining the
fate of the deadlocked issue of relocating the U.S. Marine Corps'
Futenma Air Station.
Aim to contain criticism
Ozawa began mulling a U.S. visit in response to a request by U.S.
Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs Kurt
Campbell and other U.S. officials during their meeting on Feb. 2.
Washington is considering even a meeting between Ozawa and President
Barack Obama if Ozawa decides to visit the U.S.
Ozawa is thought to be aiming to use a visit to the U.S. to put
behind him the land-deal case involving his political organization.
TOKYO 00000249 004 OF 012
Last year, Ozawa played up his political clout for both domestic and
international observers through a visit to China with a retinue of
DPJ lawmakers. Campbell has called for a U.S. visit by an Ozawa-led
group of DPJ members. If the tour is realized, several senior party
members will likely accompany Ozawa on the visit. A desire to
contain criticism of Ozawa within the party also seems to be part of
the calculus of a trip to the U.S.
The meeting between Campbell and Ozawa was decided on the evening of
Feb. 1. Just before the decision was made, Ozawa had met Chief
Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano. An official said: "Upon learning
that prosecutors decided to drop the case, Mr. Ozawa began arranging
a visit to the U.S.
The Futenma issue is expected to reach an important stage during the
Golden Week holidays as the Hatoyama cabinet has promised to decide
by the end of May a relocation site for the Futenma facility. The
government and the ruling parties have set up a panel tasked with
discussing potential relocation sites, but a high-ranking government
official said: "The panel has yet to explore a likely candidate
site." The government may try to break the impasse with a visit to
the U.S. by Ozawa, who holds enormous influence over ruling party
members.
Ozawa's recent meetings with U.S. Government and Congress members
Feb. 17, 2009 Secretary of State Clinton
April 10 Republican Senator McCain and others
April 14 Former Ambassador Mondale
Oct. 21 Ambassador to Japan Roos
Oct. 27 Former Ambassador Armacost
Feb. 2, 2010 Campbell
(5) U.S. says Japan's reluctance to sign the Hague Convention "more
serious than Futenma issue"
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 1) (Full)
Evening, February 6, 2010
Kei Sato, political reporter
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) is having difficulty dealing
with frequent cases of Japanese parents returning to Japan with
their children without the consent of the other parent after the
failure of international marriages. Western countries are turning up
the pressure on Japan, which is not a signatory to the Hague
Convention, an agreement stipulating the procedures for returning
children in such cases to their countries of residence. Japan was
also given a "yellow card" on this issue by the United States, with
which relations are strained over the issue of the relocation of the
U.S. forces' Futenma Air Station (in Ginowan City, Okinawa).
During his recent visit to Japan, Assistant Secretary of State Kurt
Campbell made what is called "child abduction" the focus of his Feb.
2 news conference. He said: "This has also become an issue in
Congress and may become a major concern in Japan-U.S. relations."
Among the G-7 advanced nations, Japan is the only one that is not a
signatory to the Hague Convention. Western countries have repeatedly
asked Japan to sign the treaty. Campbell's statement was a warning
to Japan, which remains reluctant to do so.
TOKYO 00000249 005 OF 012
Western countries have reported to MOFA many cases of "child
abduction" by Japanese parents: 77 from the U.S., 37 each from
Britain and Canada, and 35 from France. The U.S., which is involved
with the most number of cases, is frustrated with this situation. A
person connected to the U.S. Embassy in Japan said, "This is more
serious than the Futenma issue."
It is not that Japan has not taken any action at all. MOFA created a
new office on parental rights issues last December and began to
study the pros and cons of signing the Hague Treaty. It has met with
U.S. and French officials to discuss how to deal with specific
cases.
However, at this stage the government remains cautious on signing
the treaty at an early date. It has been pointed out that domestic
violence by foreign husbands is behind many cases of child
abduction. There is persistent opposition to signing the treaty
among parties involved with this issue. Legislative measures will
also be required to establish procedures for returning the children
to their countries of residence.
For now, MOFA intends to find solutions for each case on an
individual basis. It is hard pressed to handle the liaison for such
cases.
(6) Cabinet makes formal decision on SDF dispatch for PKO in Haiti
YOMIURI (Top play) (Excerpts)
February 6, 2010
At a cabinet meeting on Feb. 5, the government approved an
implementation plan and the related government ordinances relating
to the dispatch of around 350 members of the engineering and other
units of the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) for a reconstruction aid
mission in Haiti, which was hit by a devastating earthquake, based
on the UN Peacekeeping Operations (PKO) Cooperation law. This will
be the first PKO mission initiated under the Hatoyama
administration. The SDF contingent will operate under the UN
Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) and will engage in
clearing land for the construction of refugee facilities, removal of
rubble, road construction, and other activities. This will be the
seventh time for the SDF to participate in PKO, and the size of the
contingent will be third largest ever, following the Cambodia
mission in 1992-93 (approximately 600 members) and the East Timor
mission in 2002-04 (approximately 690 members).
After the formal cabinet decision was made, Defense Minister Toshimi
Kitazawa issued the dispatch orders on the evening of Feb. 5. The
first party of around 160 members, consisting of members of the
Ground SDF's (GSDF) Central Readiness Force (based in Utsunomiya)
and other units will depart Japan on Feb. 6 and arrive in Haiti
before dawn on Feb. 8 (morning of Feb. 7 local time) at the
earliest. The second party consisting of the GSDF's Fifth Brigade
(based in Obihiro City, Hokkaido) will leave for Haiti in late
February. Two SDF officers will also be sent to the MINUSTAH
headquarters.
Meanwhile, the Liberal Democratic Party began work on Feb. 5 to
draft a permanent (general) law on SDF overseas missions for
submission to the current Diet session, judging that this will be a
good opportunity, since the Social Democratic Party also supported
the PKO mission in Haiti.
TOKYO 00000249 006 OF 012
(7) GSDF team departs for Haiti to engage in PKO
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full)
February 7, 2010
The first group of about 160 members of the Self-Defense Force left
for Haiti on Feb. 6 to engage in UN peacekeeping operations and help
with reconstruction activities in the impoverished Caribbean nation
devastated by the Jan. 12 quake. This is the first SDF dispatch on a
UN peacekeeping mission under the administration of Prime Minister
Yukio Hatoyama. On the same day, the Maritime Self-Defense Forces's
fleet that was engaged in the refueling operations in the Indian
Ocean returned to Tokyo's Harumi pier after completing its mission.
The Hatoyama administration defines the PKO mission to Haiti as a
new way to contribute to the international community.
"Japan is going to play an active role in conducting UN peacekeeping
operations, antiterrorism measures, and humanitarian assistance,"
Prime Minister Hatoyama addressed the group during its send-off
ceremony held at the Defense Ministry. The unit will arrive in
Port-au-Prince on Feb. 8. In Haiti, the SDF team will engage in such
activities as clearing rubble and improving facilities for refugees
(8) Government acknowledges discretionary diplomatic funds paid to
Prime Minister's Official Residence
MAINICHI (Top play) (Lead paragraph)
February 6, 2010
The Hatoyama cabinet on Feb. 5 adopted a written response
acknowledging that the Foreign Ministry's remuneration expenses
(discretionary diplomatic funds) have been paid to the Prime
Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) in the past. This is the
first time for the government to acknowledge this practice. The
government adopted the response in reply to a written request
presented by House of Representatives member Muneo Suzuki (New Party
Daichi). Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada explained the reason for the
change in the government's view at a press conference later in the
day: "Since we have taken over the reins of government, I provided
the facts as facts."
(9) Interview: Nago mayor to resign if Futenma base is to be
relocated to Henoko, will not accept any compromise
ASAHI (Page 39) (Full)
February 7, 2010
Inteviewer: Atsushi Matsukawa
Susumu Inamine, 64, who will become the mayor of Nago City, Okinawa
on Feb. 8, gave an interview to Asahi Shimbun where he commented on
the relocation of the U.S. forces' Futenma Air Station to Henoko in
Nago City and said: "If I am unable to keep my promise, I will
resign." He thus stressed that he will put his job as mayor on the
line in upholding his pledge to oppose Futenma's relocation.
Matsukawa: What will happen to the Henoko relocation plan after you
become mayor?
Inamine: It will probably be scrapped.
TOKYO 00000249 007 OF 012
Matsukawa: In the past three mayoral elections, candidates accepting
the relocation won. Why do you think you won on a platform of
opposing the relocation?
Inamine: Although economic development measures linked to the
military bases have continued for 10 years and substantial funds
have been expended, the people's livelihoods have not improved. The
reason (I won the election) is probably because many citizens have
come to realize that.
Matsukawa: If the government says it wants to relocate the Futenma
base to Henoko after all, what will you do?
Inamine: I have made a commitment not to allow the construction of
any new base in Henoko. I will stand by that commitment to the end.
If the government makes such a proposal, I will have to lead the
citizens in taking action to express our opposition.
Matsukawa: Will you be able to persist in opposing the plan as
mayor? There are some doubts about that.
Inamine: If I am not able to keep my promise, I will resign (as
mayor). The way to win trust is by maintaining integrity.
Matsukawa: What if the government is hoping to find a point of
compromise?
Inamine: That would be a big mistake.
Matsukawa: What will you do if you are presented with an alternative
plan that imposes a lighter burden in terms of the environment and
noise than the current plan? For example, the relocation of some
Futenma functions to the land area of Camp Schwab in Henoko, Nago
City.
Inamine: Anything that would enhance the existing functions of the
base is unacceptable.
Matsukawa: When you first announced your candidacy, you did not take
such a tough stance against the relocation.
Inamine: We have personal experience of how Okinawa has had to live
with oppression under the political and historical situation. I have
been opposed to the construction of a new military base from the
beginning.
Matsukawa: You are saying that you will not rely on economic
measures linked to the bases. Do you have any concrete plans?
Inamine: In the past, the annual gross agricultural production of
Nago exceeded 9 billion yen, but it has dropped by approximately 4
billion yen. If we are able to recover this 4 billion yen, it will
be a source of income that we can gain through hard work. I would
also like to look into the potentials of experience-based and
long-stay tourism and tourism involving exchanges (with the local
people). I have no intention to spend time on the base issues. I
would like to work right away on developing agriculture and
tourism.
(10) Major questions and answers from Feb. 5 House of
Representatives Budget Committee session - Prime Minister:
Government will not make light of the popular will expressed in
TOKYO 00000249 008 OF 012
victory of anti-relocation candidate in Nago mayoral election
NIKKEI (Page 4) (Excerpts)
February 6, 2010
Futenma base issue
Kantoku Teruya (of the Social Democratic Party): In the recent
mayoral election in Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, a candidate opposed to
the plan to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station to
the Henoko district was elected.
Prime Minister: The popular will must not be taken lightly. If I had
opted to reach a conclusion at the end of last year in accordance
with a Japan-U.S. agreement, I would have decided to move the base
to Henoko. But I have postponed my decision until May, thinking such
was not possible.
Teruya: What about the possibility of the continued use of Futenma
Air Station and maintaining the status quo?
Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa: The base is scheduled to be
returned in 2014, but under the current situation, there is some
uncertainty about whether the plan can be implemented fully. The
base cannot be moved until the relocation site is completely
functional. Points such as whether the base should be moved in
stages or relocated all at once when the new base is completed have
not yet been studied in detail.
Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement
Teruya: The Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement is too unequal.
Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada: Some factors can be improved through
talks and the administration of the agreement, so we would like to
hold serious talks with the United States. We also have a revision
of the SOFA in mind. We are going to resolve the Futenma Air Station
relocation issue properly by the end of May. After that, we would
like to propose a revision of the SOFA.
Futenma base issue
Shigeru Ishiba (of the Liberal Democratic Party): Do you think the
United States will agree to revise the agreement to relocate U.S.
forces in Japan to Guam?
Prime Minister: We need to do everything we can until a new
relocation site is determined.
Ishiba: Is the end of May (the deadline) for everything, including
obtaining the United States' consent to revise the agreement?
Foreign Minister: We are discussing whether the contents of the
agreement should be left as is. If the United States is convinced,
making changes will be possible. But revising the agreement concerns
the Diet as well, so we cannot decide on our own whether that can be
done by the end of May.
North Korean issue
Ishiba: North Korea has increased its nuclear capabilities markedly
over the last several years. To deal with North Korea, it is
TOKYO 00000249 009 OF 012
essential for Japan, the United States, South Korea, and China to be
appropriately aware of the situation.
Foreign Minister: North Korea's current situation is of great
concern. It is essential that UN sanctions be implemented and
individual deals not be cut with that country. We are in complete
agreement with the approach of continuing the current sanctions
patiently until the North can be properly brought back to the
Six-Party Talks.
(11) Japan-U.S. finance ministerial: Agreement reached to ensure
both economic turnaround and fiscal reconstruction
NIKKEI (Top play) (Abridged slightly)
Evening, February 6, 2010
Yuji Kihara, Iqaluit (in northeastern Canada)
Finance Minister Naoto Kan on the evening of Feb. 5 (morning of the
6th, Japan time) held talks with U.S. Secretary of the Treasury
Timothy Geithner for about 40 minutes at a hotel in Iqaluit, Canada.
Concerning the management of policies after the global financial
crunch, they agreed on the need to balance economic turnaround with
fiscal reconstruction. They also reaffirmed a policy of taking a
concerted approach to reforming financial regulations.
The talks took place prior to the meeting of finance ministers and
central bank governors from the Group of Seven nations (G-7). It was
their first meeting since Kan took office as finance minister,
although they also met in November last year when Geithner visited
Japan. Senior Vice Finance Minister Kohei Otsuka was also present at
the meeting.
Emerging from the meeting, Kan told the press corps: "Both Japan and
the U.S. have the two policy challenges of turning around their
economy and reconstructing their public finances. We shared the
perception that we both have similar thorny issues." The two
apparently confirmed the need to press ahead with economic stimulus
measures while giving consideration to fiscal discipline in view of
concerns about growing budget deficits surfacing both in Japan and
the U.S. as a result of active public spending.
Geithner reportedly explained President Obama's new financial
regulatory policy, including a ban on investment in hedge funds by
banks. Kan told the press corps, "The issue will top the agenda at
the plenary session." He thus indicated the outlook that in-depth
discussions of the issue would be pursued at the G-7 meeting.
The Department of the Treasury after the meeting released a
statement, which read that the Japanese and U.S. finance ministers
reaffirmed a policy of discussing measures to correct the imbalance
of the global economy and shore up the economy from the financial
crisis, and addressing the financial regulation issue in cooperation
with 20 countries and regions, including G-7 member nations and
emerging countries, on a priority basis.
(12) Toyota president offers formal apology
ASAHI (Top play) (Lead paragraph)
February 6, 2010
Toyota Motor Co. President Akio Toyoda held on the night of Feb. 5
TOKYO 00000249 010 OF 012
the first press conference related to Toyota's series of
quality-control problems discovered since last fall, including
sticking accelerator pedals resulting in a recall. He said, "I
apologize from the bottom of my heart for causing our customers
trouble and concern." He then said: "I as the head of a
manufacturing company feel extreme regret that our company has
caused our customers concern about the quality of our cars. The
company's situation is critical," indicating that Toyota will
quickly come up with measures to improve safety.
(13) U.S. government seeks level playing field in response to
invitation for public opinions on review of postal privatization
NIKKEI (Page 5) (Full)
February 6, 2010
"The United States requests that (the Japanese government) not give
preferential treatment to the Japan Post Group in insurance,
banking, and express (postal and delivery) services" - (American
Embassy in Japan). It has been learned that the U.S. government
submitted an opinion seeking a level playing field with the private
sector in response to an invitation for opinions from the public on
a review of postal services by the government's postal reform
promotion office (PRPO) from last December through this January.
The postal reform promotion office on Feb. 5 announced the results
of the public opinions submitted. Two hundred and nineteen opinions
were submitted both from organizations and individuals. The Japanese
Bankers Association expressed its concern about the expansion of
postal services. The postal services industry labor union sought the
unified management of three businesses - postal services, postal
savings, and postal insurance.
(14) Kamei to reveal draft postal reform plan today
ASAHI (Page 5) (Full)
February 6, 2010
In an interview after a cabinet meeting yesterday, State Minister
for Postal Reform Shizuka Kamei said that he would reveal on Feb. 8
the draft of a postal reform bill, which he plans to submit to the
current Diet session. Since opinions are split over a proposal to
raise the maximum limit on the money deposited with Japan Post Bank
Co. and the rates of shares in integrated postal firms held by the
government, no conclusion is likely to be specified in the bill.
Kamei hopes to coordinate the views of ruling party members after
hearing them. Regarding the management structure of the group, the
bill is expected to propose a three-company system in which Japan
Post Bank and Japan Post Insurance Co. would be placed under a
holding company to be formed by integrating Japan Post Holdings Co.,
Japan Post Service Co., and Japan Post Network Co.
(15) METI minister announces plan to revise energy plan by June
ASAHI (Page 5) (Full)
February 6, 2010
Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) Minister Masayuki Naoshima on
Feb. 5 announced that the ministry will revise Japan's "Basic Energy
Plan," which stipulates the direction of the nation's energy policy
until 2030, by June. The revised plan will present a path toward
balancing economic growth with measures to curb global warming by
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incorporating expanded use of renewable energies and accelerated
development of environmental technologies. To be precise, the
government intends to include in the new plan measures to promote
the introduction of renewable energies, such as solar energy
generation and wind power generation, and steps to boost the
dissemination of next-generation vehicles.
The Hatoyama administration intends to cut greenhouse gas emissions
by 25 percent from the 1990 level by 2020. Naoshima, however,
steered clear of mentioning the share of reductions to be achieved
through domestic measures by 2020 that will be included in the
revision this time.
A basic plan committee will be set up under the resources and energy
research council, an advisory panel reporting to the METI minister.
The committee will launch discussions on Feb. 9. Panel members will
likely include academic experts, consumers, and representatives of
the labor sector. Industry circles will only participate in
hearings.
(16) Parliamentary secretary: Government taskforce eyes easing
conditions for issuing visas to Chinese tourists from July
NIKKEI (Page 5) (Full)
February 6, 2010
The government taskforce to promote tourists from overseas, headed
by Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Minister Seiji
Maehara, agreed at a meeting of its working group on Feb. 5 that the
taskforce will come up with a policy direction by March with regard
to the easing of conditions for issuing tourist visas to individual
Chinese.
Parliamentary Secretary Yuji Fujimoto told the press corps:
"Coinciding with the start of full-fledged issuance of visas in
July, we want to ease conditions."
In connection with tourist visas for Chinese individuals, it has
been noted that conditions such as that applicants must have an
annual income of 250,000 yuan are too strict. As a result, a review
of the conditions for visa issuance is now being discussed.
At present, Japan issues tourist visas at diplomatic posts in
Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. In July, it will begin issuing
visas at all of its diplomatic and consular offices in China,
including Qingdao, Shenyang, Chongqing, and Dalian. The government
taskforce is hoping to increase the number of Chinese tourists by
boosting the number of locations at which visas are issued and
easing the conditions for visa issuance.
(17) Fisheries minister to propose scaling down research whaling on
condition of resumption of commercial whaling
ASAHI (Page 5) (Excerpts)
February 6, 2010
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Hirotaka Akamatsu has
decided to present in the annual general meeting of the
International Whaling Commission (IWC) in Morocco in June Japan's
new proposal to review its research whaling program in the Southern
Ocean in exchange for the resumption of a commercial catch of minke
whales off Japan. Revealing this plan in a press conference
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yesterday, he said that the ministry is pushing ahead with
coordination with the U.S., which is opposed to whaling; Norway,
which has carried out commercial whaling; and other countries.
Japan has maintained that research whaling in the Southern Ocean is
a legitimate act under the International Convention for the
Regulation of Whaling. It has also called on the IWC to allow its
resumption of a commercial catch of minke whales off Japan. The
envisioned proposal would mark a major switch in the nation's
whaling policy as it would
represent an abandonment of the heretofore assertion of the goals of
conducting both research whaling and commercial whaling.
Details such as the size of the whale catch have yet to be revealed.
But Akamatsu seems to have no intention of immediately ceasing
research whaling, as he told his Australian counterpart in an
unofficial ministerial conference in late January under the World
Trade Organization (WTO): "Japan will also consider the possibility
of reducing (the number of whales to be hunted in its research
whaling program)."
ROOS