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Cablegate: Daily Summary of Japanese Press 06//06

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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 09 TOKYO 003552

SIPDIS

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 06//06

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INDEX:

(1) Poll of all lawmakers on history: 61% see Tokyo Trials as
unreasonable but unavoidable; 67% say war against US reckless
choice

(2) US Consul General Reich to leave post on July 12; Maher to
succeed him

(3) Ex-Pentagon Japan chief stresses Japan-US alliance

(4) Taepodong missile: Japan, US begin to eye possibility of
vigilance becoming protracted; US speeding up consolidation of MD
system to counter Pyongyang's intimidation

(5) LDP's spending cuts plan to become basis for budgetary request
guidelines for FY2007

(6) All eyes are on Koizumi, who may visit Yasukuni Shrine on August
15

(7) Post-Koizumi diplomatic strategy after end of honeymoon-like
Japan-US relations (Part 2): Koizumi's Asia strategy turns out
fruitless

(8) Editorial: Emissions trading system -- Do not lose sight of the
goal

ARTICLES:

(1) Poll of all lawmakers on history: 61% see Tokyo Trials as
unreasonable but unavoidable; 67% say war against US reckless
choice

MAINICHI (Top play) (Full)
June 25, 2006

The Mainichi Shimbun conducted a questionnaire survey of all
lawmakers in both Diet chambers to probe into their perceptions of
history. According to its findings tabulated yesterday, 61% of those
who responded to the survey said the International Military Tribunal
for the Far East, or the so-called Tokyo Trials, was unreasonable
but unavoidable because Japan was defeated in World War II. They
raised a question about the trial's legitimacy but indicated that
Japan had no choice but to accept the trials.

In the Diet survey, respondents were asked about the opening of war
with the United States. In response to this question, 67% answered
that it was a reckless choice. Meanwhile, 83% were positive about
Japan's postwar stance of arming itself lightly and setting store on
its economic growth. However, the survey also showed the differing
stances of political parties over the war.

In the survey, respondents were asked about the Tokyo Trials. In
response to this question, 61% answered that the Tokyo Trials were
unreasonable but unavoidable because Japan had no choice but to
accept them. Among other answers, 8% said the Tokyo Trials were
unreasonable, as the winners of World War II unilaterally tried the
losers, with 13% saying the Tokyo Trials were justifiable, because
those to blame for the war were tried. Broken down into major
political parties, about two-thirds of respondents in each of the
Liberal Democratic Party, the Democratic Party of Japan (Minshuto),
and the New Komeito said the Tokyo Trials were unreasonable but

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SUBJECT: DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 06//06

unavoidable. However, 61% of the Japanese Communist Party and 77% of
the Social Democratic Party (Shaminto) chose to answer that the
Tokyo trials were justifiable.

In addition, respondents were also asked about the opening of war
with the United States. In response to this question, 18% answered
that it was an unavoidable choice, with 67% saying it was a reckless
choice. Respondents were further asked if they thought Japan
conducted acts of aggression in its war with China. In response, 68%
answered "yes," with 3% saying "no" and 19% saying they "can't say
which."

Next, respondents were asked if they thought the Japanese government
has apologized and reflected enough over WWII. In response to this
question, "yes" accounted for 51%, with "no" reaching 33%.
Meanwhile, 26% were in favor of the prime minister's visits to
Yasukuni Shrine, with 55% raising objections.

Among those who were positive about Japan's postwar economy-oriented
posture, 66% said Japan should maintain this posture, with 27%
saying Japan should change it. In the LDP, 35% were in favor of
changing it.

In the meantime, respondents were asked if they thought Article 9 of
the Constitution of Japan should be amended. In response to this
question, 50% answered "yes," with 25% saying "no." Asked about the
right of collective self-defense, answers from respondents were
split, with 42% insisting that Japan should be allowed to exercise
the right and 41% saying Japan should not be allowed to use the
right, as it is currently prohibited from doing.

Asked about Japan's diplomacy, 73% said Japan should attach much
more importance to Asia in its foreign relations while keeping
bilateral relations with the United States as it basis, with 55%
insisting on the necessity of giving top priority to improving
Japan's relations with China and South Korea.

The questionnaire was sent to all 720 Dietmembers, broken down into
478 in the House of Representatives and 242 in the House of
Councillors. The retrieval rate was 53.3% (58% in the lower house,
45% in the upper house). In the breakdown of respondents, there were
163 persons (40% ) from the LDP, 120 persons (63% ) from the DPJ, 47
persons (85% ) from the New Komeito, 18 persons (100% ) from the
JCP, 13 persons (100% ) from the SDP, and 23 persons (59% ) from
other parties or independents.

(2) US Consul General Reich to leave post on July 12; Maher to
succeed him

Ryukyu Shimpo (Page 2) (Full)
June 27, 2007

The US Consulate General in Okinawa announced yesterday that Consul
General Thomas Reich would leave his post on July 12 and he would
assume a post in charge of congressional affairs in the East Asia
and Pacific Bureau of the State Department. Kevin Maher, chief of
the Security Policy Unit of the US Embassy, who was in charge of the
realignment of US forces in Japan, will succeed Reich.

Reich assumed his post in September 2003. He stressed that the US
Marines Futenma Air Station should be relocated to somewhere in
Okinawa. He stated in an interview: "In order to maintain
deterrence, the helicopter unit and combat force of US Marines

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SUBJECT: DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 06//06

should be stationed in Okinawa."

(3) Ex-Pentagon Japan chief stresses Japan-US alliance

OKINAWA TIMES (Page 2) (Full)
June 26, 2006

Robin Sakoda, former senior country director for Japan at the US
Department of Defense, spoke on his outlook for the Japan-US
alliance at a hotel in the city of Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, on June
23 under the co-sponsorship of the Okinawa Association of Corporate
Executives (Okinawa Keizai Doyukai) and the US Consul General in
Okinawa. In his speech, Sakoda stressed the importance of
strengthening the Japan-US alliance.

Touching on China's military modernization, Sakoda noted that China
has not given sufficient explanations about it. "That's a matter of
concern to Japan and the United States," Sakoda said.

Sakoda also played up high tensions between Japan, the United
States, and China in the economic area, particularly in exploring
energy resources.

In the meantime, Sakoda welcomed Japan's efforts over the past
several years to make the Japan-US alliance function in an effective
way. In addition, the former Pentagon official also referred to
challenges facing the alliance. He specified Japan's self-imposed
prohibition against the right of collective self-defense, saying it
is frustrating to the United States and is also difficult. He
remarked that it would be possible for Japan and the United States
to carry out defense cooperation in an easier way even without such
restrictions. He also indicated that the two countries could push
ahead with defense cooperation while setting specific conditions
according to circumstances.

Sakoda also said the United States respects Japan's present
inability to use the right of collective self-defense. "The strength
of our bilateral alliance does not depend on this constraint,
because we will find out what we should do in the present
situation," he added.

(4) Taepodong missile: Japan, US begin to eye possibility of
vigilance becoming protracted; US speeding up consolidation of MD
system to counter Pyongyang's intimidation

SANKEI (Page 2) (Excerpts)
June 26, 2006

Tokyo and Washington, which are now increasing their vigilance over
North Korea's preparations for the launch of a long-range ballistic
missile Taepodong-2, have begun considering that the standoff could
be protracted. In an effort to foil the North's preparations to
launch a Taepodong missile, Washington is now speeding up efforts to
establish a missile defense system around Japan, which is to become
the central front in defending its mainland.

The governments of Japan and the US are still maintaining the
highest level of vigilance a week after the tensions peaked. In
order to track a ballistic missile, two of the US Navy's Aegis ships
have been deployed around Japan in addition to two Maritime
Self-Defense Force's (MSDF) Aegis ships.

The US military's RC135S airborne intelligence platform (Cobra Ball)

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that collects signaling information and the Air Self-Defense Force's
YS11E intelligence aircraft are continuing monitoring to determine
whether North Korea has injected liquid fuel into the Taepodong-2.

Following the start of preparations for the launch of a Taepodong-2,
which has the US mainland within its range, the US military has
decided to speed up the building of the MD system around Japan.
According to a government source, the US is ready to take every
means in order to fill gaps in the defense of its mainland, which
will lead to enhancing Japan's deterrence capability against Nodong
missiles and medium-range ballistic missiles.

Though the US Army had originally intended to deploy the mobile
early warning X-band radar system around August, it has already
delivered it to the Air Self-Defense (ASDF) Shariki Detachment base
in Aomori Prefecture on June 23. Its test operations will start as
early as on the 26th. This radar is excellent for monitoring because
of its long range, which markedly enhances the MD system's
monitoring capability, by complementing Aegis ships' radar.

Coordination is also under way for the deployment before year's end
of ground-based Patriot missiles (PAC-3) that intercept ballistic
missiles. The first deployment will be at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa
Prefecture.

The USS Shiloh, which succeeded in an intercept test carried out
near Hawaii on the 22nd, will be deployed at Yokosuka Navy Base,
Kanagawa Prefecture, for the first time as a sea-based vessel
capable of using the SM3.

(5) LDP's spending cuts plan to become basis for budgetary request
guidelines for FY2007

NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Full)
June 27, 2006

The expectation is that spending cuts over the next five years
adopted under the leadership of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)
will become the basis for guidelines for fiscal 2007 budget
appropriation requests. It seems that the stage of drafting budget
request ceilings has now moved from the Finance Ministry to the LDP.
However, since the next government, which will be launched after the
September LDP presidential election, will be in charge of giving
shape to the spending cuts, it is uncertain whether the LDP will be
able continue to take the lead in drafting budgetary request
guidelines.

LDP Policy Research Council Chairman Hidenao Nakagawa underscored
the significance of the spending cuts plan in a joint meeting
yesterday of the spending reform project team and other groups. He
categorically said:

"It is the first time for our party to carry out a full-fledged
discussion on spending cuts on specific areas. Bureaucrats might
never have expected that we would be able to formulate such a neat
spending cuts plan."

It has been the practice for the Finance Ministry to draft before
the end of July budget request ceilings for expenditures for social
security, public works, and investments, among other things. Based
on the budget request ceilings, the ministries and agencies present
their own budgetary requests to the Finance Ministry in August and
the Finance Ministry assesses all budget requests.

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SUBJECT: DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 06//06


The LDP plan covers spending cuts over the next five years. It can
be said that the plan including such specific spending cuts as a 1%
-3% cut in public works is similar to budgetary request ceilings.
The Finance Ministry actually gave the LDP full support in drafting
the spending cuts. The ministry intends to draft budget ceilings
based on the LDP's spending cuts plan soon after the basic policy
for FY2006 is adopted in early July.

In a meeting yesterday of the LDP lawmakers from both Diet chambers,
the view was raised that the spending cuts plan should not be a
prerequisite for financial policy for the next five years. With an
eye on the post-Koizumi era, ministries and agencies, excluding the
Finance Ministry, stood apart from the work of drafting spending
cuts. Whether the LDP will be able to take charge of drafting
budgetary ceilings will be decided by the next government.

(6) All eyes are on Koizumi, who may visit Yasukuni Shrine on August
15

YOMIURI (Page 4) (Abridged)
June 27, 2006

Attention is focused on whether Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi
will visit Yasukuni Shrine on the August 15 end-of-the-war
anniversary this year. A visit that day would be certain to draw
outcries from China and South Korea and escalate into a campaign
issue in the Liberal Democratic Party's presidential election in
September. Although paying homage at the controversial shrine on
August 15 is Koizumi's public pledge, its negative aspects have been
mentioned quite often. Koizumi is expected to make up his mind by
weighing the gravity of his public pledge against possible negative
impacts on the country's foreign policy, the LDP presidential race,
and other matters.

Koizumi said to reporters at his official residence yesterday:

"At the June 23 memorial service held in Okinawa to commemorate the
end of the Battle of Okinawa, a representative of bereaved families
said in his speech: 'We appreciate the prime minister's annual
visits to Yasukuni Shrine. We hope the prime minister will continue
visiting the shrine.' There are all sorts of opinions, however."

Koizumi has always said: "I will make an appropriate decision."

He has avoided visiting the shrine on August 15 so as not to stir up
strong anti-Japanese sentiment in China and South Korea. That
strategy has proven unsuccessful. A Japan-China summit meeting has
not occurred since April 2005.

Speculation is afoot that given the situation, Koizumi will pay
homage at Yasukuni on August 15 this year, his last year as prime
minister, to fulfill his pubic pledge.

In anticipation of Koizumi's shrine visit on August 15, China has
tried to constrain Japan. Chinese State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan on
June 23 urged visiting LDP Upper House Secretary General Toranosuke
Katayama to prevent a shrine visit, saying: "We would like to see
the immediate political obstacle removed."

A shrine visit by Koizumi on August 15 is likely to have a
significant impact on the LDP presidential election in September.


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SUBJECT: DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 06//06

Many LDP members say that a visit would give an advantage to former
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda, who is critical of the shrine
visits. "Criticism of the prime minister's unbending approach will
give impetus to Fukuda's standpoint," a former cabinet minister
predicted. Lawmakers supporting Fukuda are eager to field him for
revamping Japan's Asia policy.

The matter is particularly taxing for Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo
Abe, who is supportive of Koizumi's visits.

Asked if he would visit the controversial shrine if he became prime
minister, Abe said: "I would rather not discuss where I stand so
that the matter will not escalate into a diplomatic issue." He
apparently wants to prevent anti-Abe forces from rallying together
under the anti-Yasukuni banner.

In the event Koizumi visits the shrine on August 15, Abe would be
pressed harder for a clear response to the matter as a leading
candidate to take over from Koizumi.

A former cabinet minister thinks Koizumi will give up on visiting
the shrine in consideration of Abe.

(7) Post-Koizumi diplomatic strategy after end of honeymoon-like
Japan-US relations (Part 2): Koizumi's Asia strategy turns out
fruitless

MAINICHI (Page 2) (Full)
June 27, 2006

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi was once eager to improve the
strained relations with China.

In a meeting at the Prime Minister's Official Resident on a visit by
the prime minister to Marco Polo Bridge in China planned for in
October 2001, Koizumi said regarding a visit to the Chinese People's
Anti-Japanese War Museum: "I will go. I am not right wing." Citing
that materials showing cruel deeds by the Imperial Japanese Army are
displayed in the museum, some voiced opposition to the visit to the
museum. Dismissing such opposition, however, the prime minister
added: 'I must also pay respect to those who died as a result of
cruel acts by Japanese soldiers."

With the aim of restoring Japan's strained relations with China and
South Korea in the wake of Koizumi's visit to Yasukuni Shrine on
August 13 of the same year, Koizumi visited the Chinese People's
Anti-Japanese War Museum and the Sotaemum Dongnimgongwon in Seoul,
where the prime minister offered his apology for Japan's past
aggression and colonial policy. Over the year from the visits in
October 2001 to China and South Korea through his surprise trip to
North Korea in September 2002, the prime minister conducted a
vigorous foreign policy toward East Asia.

In January 2002, Prime Minister Koizumi made a round of visits to
five ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) member
countries. In Singapore, he proposed a plan to establish an expanded
East Asian Community.

In a speech in Boao, China, in April, Koizumi said: "China's
economic development is not a threat but a good opportunity,"
pleasing the Chinese government.

Immediately after his China tour, though, the prime minister visited

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Yasukuni Shrine again, damaging relations between Japan and China
once again. In September, he made an epoch-making visit to North
Korea, but relations between Japan and North Korea also remained at
impasse over the abduction issue. In the latter half of his tenure
in office, Prime Minister Koizumi's policy toward Asia has been
labeled a "failure."

Then Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau Director
General Hitoshi Tanaka commented: "We aimed to conduct an active
policy toward East Asia, based on solid Japan-US relations. But
Prime Minister Koizumi's visits to Yasukuni Shrine destroyed this
strategy. I really regret it."

The Yasukuni issue blew up the possibility of improvement in the
strained relations between Japan and China. This stance will be also
reflected in the summit between Prime Minister Koizumi and US
President Bush on June 29.

The two leaders plan to issue a joint statement in which both sides
will stress that Japan and the US share such values as freedom,
democracy, the rule of law, and human rights. A senior Foreign
Ministry official said: "This must be a powerful message to China.
China has lashed out at Japan by playing the history card, but it
has been feared that Japan, in cooperation with the US, would use
the democracy card or the human-rights card."

The US is arranging to give the red-carpet treatment to the Japanese
prime minister, in contrast to Chinese President Hu Jintao's
official visit to the US this April. For Hu, President Bush held a
luncheon. For Koizumi, however, the president is arranging a
banquet. He is also planning to go with Koizumi to Memphis by his
personal plane, Air Force One, and take him to Graceland himself.

The US administration's evaluation of China, though, is not always
consistent. The "Quarterly Review of the Nation's Defense Policy"
released this February defined China as "a country at a strategic
crossroads."

When former Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda visited the US
recently and met with prominent US government officials, some,
including Vice President Cheney, reportedly voiced concern about the
current strained relations between Japan and China. Japan has yet to
completely read the real intentions of Washington.

"Japan and China are vying with each other in a beauty contest in
front of the US," a senior Foreign Ministry official said in a tone
of self-mockery. The remark implies that the two countries are
making an active pitch to the US in a bid to become the leader of
East Asia. With political tensions added to the contest, their
strife gives the impression to their neighbors that they are
fighting for superiority.

Only three months are left before Prime Minister steps down as prime
minister. The task of reconstructing an Asia strategy is likely to
be undertaken by the next prime minister.

(8) Editorial: Emissions trading system -- Do not lose sight of the
goal

TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 5) (Full)
June 27, 2006

It is the rainy season now, but the weather does not look like the

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rainy season, showing signs of climate change. The government will
start buying carbon-emissions-rights from July in order to comply
with the Kyoto Protocol. However, it is not easy to cut carbon
emissions by 14% from the level of the base year of 1990.

A report compiled by the Environment Ministry noted that the total
domestic emissions of global warming gasses in fiscal 2004 dropped
0.2% from the preceding year.

Emissions of carbon dioxide in fiscal 2004 stood on the same level
as that of the previous year at 1.279 billion tons. Among six kinds
of gasses subject to cuts under the Kyoto Protocol, emissions of a
freon gas substitute and other gasses dropped a total of 12%,
keeping Japan's emissions from increasing.

Compared with the base year of fiscal 1990, overall greenhouse gas
emissions increased 8% -- 31.5% in the household sector due to a
rise in power consumption and 52.6% in the auto sector.

Judging from those figures, it is apparently difficult for Japan to
meet its commitment of cutting emissions 6% from the 1990 level over
five years starting in 2007.

Given the situation, attention is being paid to the Kyoto Protocol
mechanisms designed to make up for portions of cuts that cannot be
attained through domestic measures with market principles, in
particular, the clean development mechanism (CDM).

Under the mechanism, industrialized countries, which are obligated
to cut greenhouse gas emissions under the Protocol, provide
developing countries, which have no such obligation,
state-of-the-art technologies and carry out projects that contribute
to cutting emissions. The industrialized countries can then credit
the amount of cuts achieved to themselves.

The Japanese government plans to cover 1.6% in cuts that cannot be
achieved by purchasing emissions rights through the CDM. The revised
Global Warming Countermeasures Promotion Law was enacted in the
previous Diet session, paving the way for purchases of such rights.

What should be kept in mind before actually purchasing such rights
is that the Kyoto mechanism is a supplement to domestic measures. It
should be a last resort.

Promoting the CDM will never stem greenhouse gas emissions by
industrialized countries.

It is fine for the government and companies to be motivated by the
CDM market. It is also important to transfer technologies to
developing countries. However, they should not neglect domestic
measures, blinded by projects that can be carried out in developing
countries at low cost, and give priority to cutting costs of
reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The market likes going its own way. The prices of emissions rights
are already showing signs of going up. There has also appeared a
move to integrate such rights into financial products.

No matter how such a market flourishes, it is just a means to
prevent global warming. We would like to aim for quality CDM
projects, reaffirming this major premise.

The figures shown at the outset clearly indicate that not only the

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state and companies but also the household sector have yet to take
more measures to meet the pledge under the Kyoto Protocol.

DONOVAN

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