Cablegate: Japanese Morning Press Highlights 08/03/06
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 08 TOKYO 004356
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: JAPANESE MORNING PRESS HIGHLIGHTS 08/03/06
Index:
1) Top headlines
2) Editorials
3) Prime Minister's daily schedule
Defense and security issues:
4) MSDF sailor punished under info security code
5) MSDF case doesn't matter much: JDA chief
6) No info leaks in MSDF case: JDA report
7) Kadena AB's DU ammo storage under thoroughgoing control: CCS Abe
Japan-ROK issues:
8) Tokyo notifies Seoul of sea survey near Takeshima isles
9) ROK calls for Japan to cross out JDA white paper's wording of
disputed isles as part of "Japan's inherent territory"
DPRK, Iran problems:
10) Japan, Australia to team up against North Korea
11) Iran to continue nuclear development: vice president
Yasukuni Shrine:
12) Prime Minister Koizumi may visit Yasukuni on Aug. 15
13) War-bereaved association to discuss Yasukuni issue after LDP
presidential election
14) Japan-China joint poll shows 30% in China to accept Yasukuni
visits if war criminals unenshrined
Economic agenda:
15) Consumer group regrets US beef import resumption
16) GOJ to block moneylaundering with ATM cash transfer ceiling
Articles:
1) TOP HEADLINES
Asahi:
Financial Services Agency plans to limit cash remittances using ATMs
to 100,000 yen at a time starting early next year; Aim is to prevent
money laundering; Current limit is 2 million yen
Mainichi:
Israel resumes air strikes; Fierce battles with Hezbollah continue
Yomiuri:
Swimming pool accident: Fujimino City overlooks government
notification to take double safety measures; Failed to check
grid-shaped drain covers
Nihon Keizai:
Internet-connected televisions to be put on market next year; Five
companies, including Matsushita, Sony, to standardize specification
Sankei:
Echizen jellyfish proliferating fast in Sea of Ariake?
Tokyo Shimbun:
Israel resumes air strikes at 50 locations; 22 reportedly killed in
Lebanon
Akahata:
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World Conference for the Prohibition of Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs
starts
2) EDITORIALS
Asahi:
(1) Hostile TOB: Shareholders to decide on reorganization of Oji and
Hokuetsu paper companies
(2) Social security: Is there any room for more cuts?
Mainichi:
(1) Defense White Paper: Deepen understanding of the people for
strengthened alliance with the US
(2) Hostile TOB: Fight to enhance corporate value?
Yomiuri:
(1) Roadside land prices take upward turn: Speculation seen behind
sharp rise in urban areas
(2) ODA reform: Use resourcefulness to make most of diplomatic tool
Nihon Keizai:
(1) Concerned about expansive policy for "half-privatized" postal
services
(2) First election in Congo
Sankei:
(1) TOB by Oji Paper: Company should make effort to obtain
understanding of employees
(2) UNSC resolution warning Iran: Tehran should realize what refusal
will bring
Tokyo Shimbun:
(1) Will TOB by Oji Paper change corporate climate?
(2) Tax evasion by Mizutani Construction: How was off-the-book money
spent?
Akahata:
(1) High interest rates of consumer finance companies: Do not
hamstring move to lower interest rates
3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei)
Prime Minister's schedule, August 2
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Full)
August 3, 2006
08:00
Left his official residence.
09:18
Toured the Misaki fish market in Kanagawa Prefecture.
09:57
Toured the Misaki vegetable shipment center.
10:27
Toured the Kanagawa Fisheries Technology Institute. Afterwards, met
institute director Imai in the presence of MAFF Vice Minister
Kobayashi.
11:54
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Had lunch with Misaki Mayor Yoshida, city assemblyman Tsuchida, and
others.
12:40
Toured the Misaki Fisherina Wharf, a tourist spot.
14:06
Inspected a greenery road project in Yokosuka.
14:43
Returned to his private residence.
15:12
Left his private residence.
16:30
Met at Kantei with Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Futahashi,
followed by Cabinet Intelligence Director Mitani.
18:13
Returned to his official residence.
4) MSDF petty officer 1st class takes home internal data; Received
punishment for trips to Shanghai without authorization
SANKEI (Page 3) (Abridged slightly)
August 3, 2006
It became clear yesterday that a 45-year-old Maritime Self-Defense
Force petty officer first class stationed at the Kamitsushima Guard
Post has received a verbal warning for taking copied SDF materials
out of the office. The petty officer has repeatedly traveled to
Shanghai to see a Chinese woman without authorization. The Nagasaki
Prefectural Police have begun an investigation suspecting that the
officer might have leaked intelligence to China.
The woman is known to have worked at a karaoke bar frequented by a
staffer of the local Japanese Consulate General who killed himself
in May 2004 after leaving a memo saying he was forced to provide the
Chinese authorities with some information he had access to at the
consulate.
According to the Maritime Staff Office, another officer warned the
petty officer this February as he tried to copy "identification
reference materials" containing photos of foreign submarines and
vessels to a CD. A whistle-blower subsequently told the guard post
chief that the petty officer was copying internal materials and had
been going to China without authorization. This led to an
investigation by the Sasebo District Headquarters.
Officers from the Sasebo headquarters searched the petty officer's
room in a dormitory and found a CD containing identification
reference materials that require "caution" in handling, which is
lower in confidentiality than "top secret," "secret," and
"confidential." Taking such materials out of the office does not
constitute a violation of the SDF Law.
The petty officer made a total of eight trips to Shanghai between
January last year and March this year without authorization and sent
3.5 million yen to the Chinese woman.
The MSDF has continued its investigation by posting the officer to
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the Sasebo District Headquarters' administration department in April
this year. On June 13, the MSDF gave him a verbal warning for
copying materials without authorization and on July 4 a 10-day
suspension for making overseas trips without authorization. The MSDF
had made public the suspension but not the oral warning.
When the petty officer copied materials in February this year, he
asked another officer about how to do so. For this reason, the MSDF
believes that he has not taken copied materials out of the country
as there is no evidence suggesting that he made copies before then.
5) Nukaga: Not a serious problem
SANKEI (Page 3) (Full)
August 3, 2006
Touching on an MSDF data-copying incident, Defense Agency
Director-General Fukushiro Nukaga said last night:
"It's not a serious problem. To begin with, he (petty officer fist
class) was not in a position that had access to (top secrets). I
don't think it will escalate into a serious problem."
Nukaga made this comment in his conversation with reporters on
Chichijima in the Bonin Islands.
Meanwhile, Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe told a press
conference yesterday:
"A leakage of intelligence handled by the Defense Agency could
seriously affect national defense. The agency must do its utmost to
protect its intelligence."
6) Defense Agency report: No intelligence leaked by MSDF official
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full)
August 3, 2006
In regard to the fact that a Maritime Self-Defense Force petty
officer first class took internal data home in violation of internal
regulations and that he repeatedly traveled to China without
reporting the trips to his superiors, Defense Agency Defense Policy
Bureau Director-General Kazuo Ofuru yesterday reported to the Prime
Minister's Official Residence, including Chief Cabinet Secretary
Shinzo Abe, that the copied materials did not contain any
confidential data and that he did not leak any intelligence to
SIPDIS
China.
Receiving the report, a senior government official said yesterday:
"There is no evidence that (the petty officer first class) came in
contact with Chinese officials. He was not in a position that had
access to confidential materials." The government official ordered
the Defense Agency to review how it conducts investigations and
makes reports.
7) Abe: DU shells in Okinawa stored safely
MAINICHI (Page 2) (Full)
August 3, 2006
Touching on the fact that 400,000 depleted uranium shells were
stored at US Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Chief Cabinet Secretary
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Shinzo Abe said in a press conference yesterday:
"The government has asked the United States to be extremely careful
in keeping DU shells. We understand that the US has made every
effort to store them safely."
8) Japanese government notifies Seoul of planned maritime survey in
waters near disputed islets
SANKEI (Page 3) (Full)
August 3, 2006
The government will attempt to measure radioactive waste levels in
waters near the Takeshima (Dokdo) islets as early as late this
month, several government sources revealed yesterday. The Japan
Coast Guard has conducted research every year since 1994 to examine
the effects of radioactive waste dumped by the former Soviet Union
in waters near Vladivostok.
Although the government did not inform Seoul about its survey plans
in the past, it did do so in advance in line with its earlier
proposal that the two sides give each other advance notice before
conducting marine surveys near the islets, in addition to the
resumption in June of talks on the demarcation of the boundaries of
their exclusive economic zones (EEZs) in the Sea of Japan. Tokyo
informed Seoul of its plan through diplomatic channels. Seoul is
reportedly displeased.
The Takeshima islets, which are Japanese territory, are claimed by
South Korea, and the EEZs claimed by the two countries overlap. In
April this year when the Japan Coast Guard planned marine research
around the Takeshima islets to draw a sea-floor map, South Korea
deployed naval ships, drawing strong protest.
The two countries were able to avert a confrontation in a vice
ministerial meeting in Seoul. On July 5, South Korea conducted,
however, a maritime survey in the Japan-claimed EEZ around the
islets.
9) Seoul demands Japan cross out Defense White Paper's wording on
territory
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Full)
August 3, 2006
SEOUL-The South Korean National Defense Ministry revealed yesterday
that the ministry called in a defense attach from the Japanese
Embassy in Seoul on Aug. 1 to express regret over the 2006 version
of Japan's Defense White Paper, which described Takeshima-a group of
disputed islets called Dokdo in South Korea-as "part of Japan's
inherent territory." The ministry called for Japan to cross out the
description.
10) Japan, Australia to work together on North Korea
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Full)
August 3, 2006
Foreign Minister Taro Aso met with visiting Australian Foreign
Minister Downer yesterday at the Foreign Ministry's Iikura
Guesthouse in Tokyo. In the meeting, Aso and Downer agreed on the
need for the international community to cooperate and work on North
TOKYO 00004356 006 OF 008
Korea to accept the United Nations Security Council's resolution
condemning its recent missile launches. They also confirmed that
Japan, the United States, and Australia would hold a strategic
dialogue at an early date.
11) Iran's vice president in meeting with Foreign Minister Aso
stresses Iran will continue nuclear development
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full)
August 3, 2006
Foreign Minister Taro Aso met yesterday with visiting Iranian Vice
President Mashaee. In the meeting, the Iranian vice president
underscored that his country would continue its nuclear development,
stating: "Iran will never give up its right to use nuclear energy
for peaceful purposes. This is our people's consensus." In response
to this, Aso urged Mashaee to quickly respond to a comprehensive
proposal calling on Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment program.
12) "I visit Yasukuni Shrine every year," prime minister says in
email magazine; A visit on August 15?
ASAHI (Page 2) (Excerpt)
August 3, 2006
Prime Minister Koizumi will today send the Koizumi cabinet's email
magazine carrying a message titled "consolation of the souls of the
war dead." In the message, Koizumi notes, "I have visited Yasukuni
Shrine once a year since I took office as prime minister in order to
offer my sincere condolences to those who lost their lives against
their will in the war." He also says, "These are my thoughts." With
all eyes focused on whether the prime minister will visit the shrine
on August 15, the anniversary of the end of World War II, some may
regard the message as part of an effort to pave the way for his
visit to the shrine on that day.
13) Unenshrinement of Class-A criminals from Yasukuni Shrine
ASAHI (Page 2) (Excerpt)
August 3, 2006
The chairman and vice chairman of the Japan War-Bereaved Association
(chaired by former Liberal Democratic Party Secretary General Makoto
Koga) yesterday met at the LDP Headquarters and decided to put off
discussions on the separate enshrinement of Class-A war criminals
honored at Yasukuni Shrine until after late September when the LDP
presidential election is over. They reached this decision out of
concern that starting discussion on the issue before the
presidential election could incur criticism that they are using the
Yasukuni issue for partisan advantage. They also judged that they
should not go any further into the separate enshrinement issue, over
which the views of members of the Association are divided, around
the anniversary of the end of World War II.
14) Joint Japan-China survey: 30% of Chinese respondents say have no
problem with visits to Yasukuni Shrine by Japanese politicians if
war criminals are unenshrined; 50% opposed under any circumstances
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full)
August 3, 2006
The Japanese group called "Media NPO" composed of like-minded
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persons from business and academic circles and Beijing University
yesterday released the results of their joint survey conducted in
Japan and China. In China, some 51% of respondents said that they
were opposed to visits to Yasukuni Shrine by Japanese politicians
under any circumstances, while 30% said that Japanese politicians
should be able to visit if war criminals are unenshrined.
Beijing University conducted the survey this spring in five cities,
including Beijing and Shanghai, and 1,613 persons responded. The
Japanese side's survey was conducted around the same time, and 1,000
answered the questions.
The question about Yasukuni did not refer to the separate
enshrinement of war criminals. The survey has found that although
Chinese people strongly oppose visits to the shrine by Japanese
politicians, they have a certain level of understanding for them if
the Class-A war criminals are unenshrined.
Some 40% of Chinese respondents said that the Chinese government
should oppose Japan's bid for a permanent United Nations Security
Council seat, while 35% supported or conditionally supported it.
Asked about the present Japan-China relationship, 41% of Chinese
respondents and 69% of Japanese pollees said, "The relationship is
not good." On the question of which side is responsible for the
strained bilateral relations, 35% of Japanese respondents said,
"China" and 15% said "Japan," while 98% of Chinese respondents said,
"Japan." It is clear there is a big gap in the two countries'
people's views.
Some 77% of the Chinese said that it is important to hold summit
meetings by top Japanese and Chinese leaders.
Asked which country they felt a military threat from, 43% of the
Japanese said "China," following North Korea (72% ), citing China's
possession of nuclear weapons, its military buildup, and its
incursions into Japanese territorial waters.
15) Consumer organization submits letter of opinion on resumption of
US beef
MAINICHI (Page 3) (Full)
August 3, 2006
The National Liaison Committee of Consumers' Organizations yesterday
submitted a letter of opinion on the resumption of US beef imports
each to Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Jiro Kawasaki and
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Shoichi Nakagawa. The
letter criticized the government decision to import US beef before
conveying the results of prior inspections of US meat packers by
Japanese experts as extremely regrettable. It also sought an
immediate and total ban on imports in the event of a recurrence of a
violation of import conditions.
16) Financial Services Agency plans to limit cash remittances using
ATMs to 100,000 yen at a time starting early next year; Aim is to
prevent money laundering; Current limit is 2 million yen
ASAHI (Top Play) (Lead para.)
August 3, 2006
The limit on cash remittances using automatic teller machines (ATM)
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at banks will be lowered from the current 2 million yen per occasion
to 100,000 yen starting in January next year. The change is in
response to the Financial Services Agency's decision to adopt
stricter customer identification guidelines. The remittance of money
at ATMs using cash cards will be not be subject to this change.
However, under the new guidelines, it will not be possible to
transfer more than 100,000 yen at a time using an ATM. Tellers will
handle such transfers. The aim is to prevent illegal money
laundering. Customers will likely be inconvenienced.
SCHIEFFER