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Viewing cable 06TOKYO1085, JAPANESE MORNING PRESS HIGHLIGHTS 03/01/06

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
06TOKYO1085 2006-03-01 06:03 2011-08-25 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Tokyo
VZCZCXRO2552
PP RUEHFK RUEHKSO RUEHNAG RUEHNH
DE RUEHKO #1085/01 0600603
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 010603Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9187
INFO RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEAWJA/USDOJ WASHDC PRIORITY
RULSDMK/USDOT WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J5//
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RHHMHBA/COMPACFLT PEARL HARBOR HI
RHMFIUU/HQ PACAF HICKAM AFB HI//CC/PA//
RHMFIUU/COMUSJAPAN YOKOTA AB JA//J5/JO21//
RUYNAAC/COMNAVFORJAPAN YOKOSUKA JA
RUAYJAA/COMPATWING ONE KAMI SEYA JA
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 7501
RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 4864
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 7964
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 4913
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 6055
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0851
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 7046
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 9065
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 10 TOKYO 001085 
 
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 03/01/06 
 
 
Index: 
 
1)   Top headlines 
2)   Editorials 
3)   Prime Minister's daily schedule 
 
4)   Iranian Foreign Minister Mottaki's talks with Prime Minister 
  Koizumi see no meeting of minds on nuclear issue; Sanctions now 
  loom on horizon 
 
5)   Tokyo district court orders Foreign Minister to disclose 
  secret slush fund 
 
6)   More leaks revealed of MSDF data through the Internet 
 
Economic issues: 
7)   In Diet debate over income disparity issue, Koizumi stresses 
  "light" at end of reform tunnel, while opposition sees "dark" 
  results of economic reforms 
8)   Agriculture Minister Nakagawa ready to address BSE issue at 
WTO 6-party ministerial meeting 
9)   ODA will have control tower in the cabinet; JBIC will keep 
its identity 
 
Minshuto's (Democratic Party of Japan) public shaming: 
10)  Minshuto's Nagata makes apology of sorts for fake e-mail; 
  Noda quits as Diet affairs chairman 
11)  Prime Minister Koizumi: I don't understand what he was 
apologizing for? 
12)  It will be a long time before Minshuto head Maehara recovers 
trust in his leadership after e-mail fiasco 
13)  Minshuto members blast party leadership for e-mail fiasco 
14)  Ruling camp raps apology as insufficient, vows further 
action in Diet 
 
Articles: 
 
1) TOP HEADLINES 
 
Asahi, Mainichi, Yomiuri, Sankei & Tokyo Shimbun: 
Minshuto (DPJ) apologizes for e-mail; Diet affairs chief Noda 
resigns but President Maehara stays on; Six-month suspension of 
party membership for Nagata 
 
Nihon Keizai: 
BOJ mulling adoption of policy of holding down interest rates 
before removing easy money policy, aiming to cap overnight 
interest rate at 0.1% and maintain the long-term government bond 
purchase framework 
 
2) EDITORIALS 
 
Asahi: 
(1)  Minshuto: Can it survive under the current leadership? 
(2)  Regional system (reorganization of prefectures into larger 
regional blocs with devolution of central government power): No 
prospects without decentralization 
 
Mainichi: 
(1)  Minshuto: This does not put an end to the e-mail fiasco 
(2)  Iran's nuclear ambitions: Japan should strive to avoid 
sanctions 
 
TOKYO 00001085  002 OF 010 
 
 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1)  Lawmaker Nagata's apology: More explanation needed 
(2)  ODA reform: Can this change the vertically divided 
bureaucracy? 
 
Nihon Keizai: 
(1)  Lamentable lawmaker Nagata and Minshuto 
(2) Decentralization is necessary for regional system 
 
Sankei: 
(1)  Minshuto: Poor press conference did not put an end to the e- 
mail mess 
(2)  Society of disparity: Need to verify before labeling 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1)  Minshuto's apology: Delay deepens the wound 
(2)  ODA reform: Responsibility of cabinet members will increase 
 
3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, February 28 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Full) 
March 1, 2006 
 
08:00 
Met Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Nagase at Kantei. 
 
08:31 
Attended a cabinet meeting. Foreign Minister Aso stayed on. 
 
09:00 
Attended a Lower House Budget Committee session. 
 
12:08 
Returned to Kantei. 
 
14:14 
Met Aso, Deputy Foreign Minister Nishida, Middle Eastern and 
African Affairs Bureau Director General Yoshikawa and others, 
followed by Iranian Foreign Minister Mottaki. 
 
15:30 
Met LDP Secretary General Takebe, Doshu System Research Council 
Secretary General Ishizaki and others. 
 
SIPDIS 
 
17:18 
Attended a Council for Science and Technology Policy meeting. 
 
18:17 
Received recommendations from Local System Research Council 
Chairman Moroi. 
 
19:38 
Returned to his residence. 
 
4) Government begins to look into ways to secure crude oil with 
eye on economic sanctions: Talks between prime minister and 
Iranian foreign minister fail 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (Full) 
 
TOKYO 00001085  003 OF 010 
 
 
March 1, 2006 
 
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi yesterday met with visiting 
Iranian Foreign Minister Mottaki at the Prime Minister's Official 
Residence (Kantei). During the talks, he called on Iran's 
government to once again suspend its uranium enrichment 
activities. However, the meeting ended in failure with Mottaki 
claiming Iran's right to the peaceful use of nuclear power. Since 
Iran stands firm on its stance of carrying on with its nuclear 
development program, the government has concluded that economic 
sanctions against Iran are becoming more likely. The Foreign 
Ministry (MOFA) and the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry 
(METI) have started looking into ways to secure crude oil in 
readiness for possible economic sanctions. 
 
During the meeting, Koizumi asked Iran to suspend its uranium 
enrichment activities, noting: "I would like Iran to win the 
trust of the international community by all means. The world is 
watching Iran's moves." Mottaki, however, simply said, "I would 
like Japan to cooperate with Iran so that it will not receive 
discriminatory treatment over its right to the peaceful use of 
nuclear power." 
 
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has already 
referred Iran's nuclear development issue to the UN Security 
Council. The UNSC will then decide whether to take concrete 
actions, including economic sanctions against Iran, after the 
IAEA board meeting on Mar. 6. 
 
In the meantime, the government is determined to watch the fate 
of talks between Russia and Iran, because it has presented along 
with Russia a plan for Iran to pursue uranium enrichment 
activities in Russia. 
 
The US has started examining the possible impact on the global 
economy of overall sanctions against Iran, including an embargo 
on its oil exports. Secretary of State Rice has visited Middle 
East nations, such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt, in a bid to tighten 
the noose, as a senior MOFA official noted. 
 
Some government officials are calling for a cautious approach to 
economic sanctions, as Japan relies on Iran for 15% of its oil 
imports and is involved in the Azadegan oil field development, in 
which it has 75% stake. Chief Cabinet Secretary Abe told 
reporters yesterday that Japan would make every effort for stable 
procurement of energy in the event crude oil imports from Iran 
become difficult. 
 
During the 1979 American Embassy siege in Iran, the US called on 
various countries to impose economic embargos on Iran, but some 
Japanese companies bought a large quantity of crude oil from it, 
leading to fierce criticism of Japan in the US. 
 
For this reason, other government officials take the position 
that Prime Minister Koizumi and Foreign Minister Aso tried to 
directly persuade Iran, so Japan did what it should do, and it is 
better to consider ways to secure crude oil based on the 
assumption that Japan will support economic sanctions. 
 
5) Tokyo District Court orders Foreign Ministry to disclose how 
discretionary diplomatic funds were spent 
 
 
TOKYO 00001085  004 OF 010 
 
 
YOMIURI (Page 1) (Full) 
March 1, 2006 
 
The Tokyo District Court handed down a decision yesterday on a 
lawsuit filed by the Joho Kokai Shimin Center, a Tokyo-based 
nonprofit organization, demanding that the Foreign Ministry 
rescind its earlier decision and disclose discretionary 
diplomatic funds spent by the Ministry's Secretariat and Japanese 
embassies in the United States, France, and others countries. 
Presiding Judge Tasuku Daimon ordered the ministry to totally 
disclose documents on 1,017 cases excluding those already 
disclosed, stating, "Discretionary diplomatic funds were used on 
liquors and Japanese paintings outside the original purposes. 
Ambiguity remains about how such funds were used." It was the 
first time for a court to make a decision on the disclosure of 
classified diplomatic funds. 
 
The ministry has not disclosed any data saying that classified 
diplomatic funds were for collecting information and that 
disclosing how the money was spent might have an adverse effect 
on the country's relations and talks with other countries. The 
court concluded: "The ministry is not allowed to conceal all 
information from the public without studying individual cases to 
find out if disclose would have an adverse effect. Grounds for 
not disclosing information have not been established fully." 
 
In April 2001, the center requested the Foreign Ministry to 
disclose documents on the classified funds spent between February 
and March 2000. The minister turned down the request. Following 
the lawsuit, the ministry disclosed in April 2004 documents on 52 
cases relating to reception expenses, the purchase of Japanese 
paintings, and other matters. The court ruled the ministry to 
disclose information to include additional 45 cases. 
 
An official of the Foreign Ministry Information Disclosure Office 
commented, "It is regrettable that the state's opinion was turned 
down. We would like to determine future measures through talks 
with relevant organs." 
 
6) MSDF data also leaked via computers belonging to five members, 
including an ensign; Too much confidence in their computers due 
to anti-virus software 
 
MAINICHI (Page 30) (Full) 
March 1, 2006 
 
Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) data, including confidential 
information, have also leaked out to the Internet via personal 
computers owned by five MSDF officers, including an ensign, 
sources revealed yesterday. The MSDF has prohibited its personnel 
from bringing memory devices, such as personal computers and CD- 
ROMs, into the workplace. 
 
The new leaks occurred through personal computers belonging to 
five MSDF personnel, including an ensign, a petty officer 3rd 
class, and a signal operator. The five members stored MSDF 
information, including confidential data, on CD-ROMs and other 
media and took them home to download to their personal computers 
using file-sharing software, such as Winny. As a result, their 
computers became infected with a virus. The leaked confidential 
information included secret cables between destroyers and bases, 
call signs, and personal data, 
 
TOKYO 00001085  005 OF 010 
 
 
 
The MSDF trained its personnel in December and January to raise 
their awareness against Winny and other computer programs. 
Despite that, the MSDF confirmed Jan. 21 that vast amounts of 
information had leaked to the Internet via a personal computer 
owned by a 41-year-old chief petty officer aboard the destroyer 
Asayuki based at the Sasebo base. The chief petty officer and 
other MSDF members reportedly said, "I thought my computer was 
safe because anti-virus software was installed," or "I was 
collecting data for the promotion examination and my studies." 
 
7) Equality gap: Prime minister stresses bright side of reforms 
during intensive deliberations at Budget Committee meeting 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Excerpts) 
March 1, 2006 
 
The Lower House Budget Committee yesterday held intensive 
deliberations with the focus on social or income disparity as a 
result of structural reforms promoted by Prime Minister Koizumi. 
The opposition camp urged the government to take countermeasures, 
by citing actual cases of the widening gap and the "dark side" of 
excessive reform initiatives. The prime minister rejected the 
criticism, "Social gaps are not always a bad thing." 
 
Ritsuo Hosokawa of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ = Minshuto) 
brought up the taxi industry as the dark side of reforms. He 
pointed out, "Due the easing of the Road Transport Law, the 
number of taxis has increased by about 14,000 over the past three 
years, but the number of passengers has declined. The income of 
taxi drivers is 3.08 million yen a year. This is less than half 
the average income of workers in industries across the board. 
 
Koizumi rebutted, "Some customers are pleased at improved 
services and reduced fares." He continued, "Working conditions 
are set by executive officers. It is not possible to make a 
sweeping judgment whether the deregulation was good or bad." 
 
Hosokawa remained unyielding and pointed out, "Traffic accidents 
involving taxies have also increased." He thus succeeded in 
making Land, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Kitagawa 
reply, "We will conduct a follow-up survey of deregulation 
without fail." 
 
Interpellators thus made efforts to be persuasive, by citing 
specific examples of the dark side of reforms. 
 
Yorihisa Matsuno of the DPJ called for balanced city planning, 
noting, "The bright side is that large-size shopping malls were 
built under a free economy. On the other hand, traditional 
shopping districts are in desperate shape." Kitagawa pledged to 
take measures. 
 
8) Nakagawa reveals plan of holding WTO 6-party ministerial, with 
BSE on agenda 
 
ASAHI (Page 12) (full) 
March 1, 2006 
 
In a press conference held after a cabinet meeting yesterday, 
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Nakagawa said that 
cabinet ministers from six economies with influence in World 
 
TOKYO 00001085  006 OF 010 
 
 
Trade Organization (WTO) talks would meet in London in mid-March. 
The six economies, including Japan, the US, and the European 
Union (EU), will meet in an effort to forge ahead with the 
stagnant WTO multilateral trade negotiations (Doha Round). 
Nakagawa added: "I would like to attend the meeting without fail 
in order to guard Japan's position in agriculture and other 
sectors, as well as to promote global trade and economy." 
 
In reference to Japan's re-imposition of a ban on US beef 
imports, Nakagawa stated: "It is important for the two countries 
to exchange frank views." He implied that he would meet 
separately with US Agriculture Secretary Johanns and the US Trade 
Representative (USTR) on the sidelines of the ministerial in 
London. 
 
9) Final report on ODA reform suggests setting up control tower 
in Cabinet Office, keeping JBIC name 
 
ASAHI (Page 3) (Excerpts) 
March 1, 2006 
 
The government's Study Group on Overseas Economic Cooperation, 
chaired by former Attorney General Akio Harada, compiled its 
final report and submitted it to Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo 
Abe yesterday. Under the current system, 13 government ministries 
and agencies engage in implementing their own official 
development assistance (ODA) projects separately. But the report 
proposes creating in the Cabinet Office an Overseas Economic 
Cooperation Council (tentative name) composed of five responsible 
cabinet ministers as the control tower for ODA policy. The report 
also suggests integrating the international financing section in 
the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) into a 
government-affiliated financial institution to be newly 
established and also its yen-loan section into the Japan 
International Cooperation Agency (JICA). 
 
Based on this report, the government will hurriedly set up the 
new body. 
 
The report stipulates that three ODA functions - yen loans, 
technical cooperation, and grant aid - should be centralized at 
JICA. The study group also decided to make the international 
financing section independent as an institute while retaining the 
name "JBIC." The panel thus gave consideration to those against a 
plan to dissolve the JBIC, but its specific systematic designing 
will be discussed in the government. 
 
On the yen-loan business, the report specifies: (1) The current 
consultations and cooperation system involving various government 
agencies should be retained; and (2) the possibility of 
establishing a liaison consultation involving both the 
international financing and yen-loan sections in JBIC should be 
studied. Under this plan, the Foreign Ministry, the Finance 
Ministry, and the Economy, Trade, and Industry Ministry will 
jointly take charge of the yen-loan business. 
 
10) Minshuto (DPJ) apologizes for fake e-mail; Diet affairs chief 
Noda resigns but President Maehara stays on; Six-month suspension 
of party membership for Nagata 
 
ASAHI (Top play) (Lead paragraph) 
March 1, 2006 
 
TOKYO 00001085  007 OF 010 
 
 
 
Meeting the press yesterday, Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan) 
President Maehara apologized for the controversial e-mail in 
terms of its authenticity: "We've concluded that (the e-mail) was 
fake. I sincerely apologize for having brought it up in the Diet 
questioning." He backtracked on all his party's explanations made 
in pursuing the e-mail, stating he had believed the e-mail was 
highly reliable. Although Maehara had been considering stepping 
down as party head, he decided to stay on for now. The party 
leadership accepted resignations from Yoshihiko Noda, chairman of 
the Diet Affairs Committee, and Osamu Fujimura, vice chairman of 
the committee, and it suspended House of Representatives member 
Hisayasu Nagata's party membership for six months as a 
disciplinary action. Maehara wants no other party executives to 
resign to take the responsibility for the e-mail fiasco, but he 
will be certain to control over the party rank and file, given 
that Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama intends to resign at an 
appropriate time. 
 
11) Koizumi on Minshuto Nagata's apology in press conference over 
e-mail fiasco: I don't understand for what he was apologizing? 
 
MAINICHI (Page 3) (Full) 
March 1, 2006 
 
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi harshly criticized Democratic 
Party of Japan (Minshuto) member Hisayasu Nagata last night over 
the press conference he held to apologize for a charge against 
the LDP that was later found to be incorrect. Koizumi said: 
 
"I really don't understand for what he was apologizing and for 
what he is sorry. Minshuto and its leader (Seiji) Maehara must be 
held more responsible." 
 
Asked about Maehara's decision to stay on, Koizumi said: "That is 
what Minshuto decided." He replied to questions by reporters at 
the Prime Minister's Official residence. 
 
Liberal Democratic Party Secretary General Tsutomu Takebe 
revealed last night that his second son was looking into the 
possibility of filing both criminal and civil lawsuits against 
Nagata. 
 
12) Long way to go for Maehara-led Minshuto (DPJ) to restore 
public trust 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 3) (Excerpts) 
March 1, 2006 
 
The alleged e-mail that had sent the Diet into a frenzy was found 
to be fake. To take responsibility for this fiasco, Minshuto 
(Democratic Party of Japan) held a press conference to offer an 
apology and accepted its Diet Affairs Committee Chairman 
Yoshihiko Noda's resignation. But Minshuto is unsure whether 
these measures will be enough to put an end to the e-mail issue. 
In fact, the ruling parties are raising objections to what 
Minshuto said in the press conference. In addition, it is not an 
easy task to read how the public will respond. Yesterday, 
Minshuto President Seiji Maehara again declared his intention to 
stay on, but he is likely to have difficulty in keeping the party 
from losing its cohesiveness. It will not be easy for the party 
to regain public trust. 
 
TOKYO 00001085  008 OF 010 
 
 
 
"I was seriously looking into the option of resigning," Maehara 
said at the outset of a press briefing late yesterday, bowing 
deeply. But the question of who should take the responsibility 
for the e-mail fiasco was rocking the party harder than it was 
Maehara. Yesterday morning, Maehara met with Secretary General 
Yukio Hatoyama, who had been trying to settle this e-mail mess. 
Hatoyama told Maehara he intended to step down. 
 
Maehara persuaded Hatoyama to stay on, telling him, "If you 
resign, I will have to resign, too." Both leaders insisted on 
resigning. Hatoyama then said, "If that is the case, the 
leadership would resign en masse, wouldn't it?" Even in the party 
executive meeting held after their one-on-one meeting, Maehara 
and Hatoyama both continued to express their intention to resign, 
whether they really intended to or this was just a ploy. Hatoyama 
gave in at last. But Noda, who had also indicated his intention 
to resign from his post, was firm. 
 
The party leadership had made extra efforts to avoid a domino 
effect of resignations on Maehara and other leaders immediately 
after House of Representatives member Hisayasu Nagata revealed 
his intention to resign as a Diet member. The party executives 
solidified the party position of not allowing Nagata to resign as 
a Diet member and keeping the present leadership lineup. But the 
mood inside and outside of the party was severe. 
 
The tide of opinion in the party is not that Maehara should 
resign. One reason for that is there is no one to replace him. 
Even if someone replaces Maehara, the tenure of the party 
president expires at the end of September. There are few 
advantages for a replacement. Hatoyama has indicated his 
intention to resign. This, too, is analyzed as a signal that he 
will distance himself from Maehara sooner or later. 
 
13) Livedoor e-mail uproar: Criticism arises in Minshuto general 
meeting 
 
MAINICHI (Page 5) (Excerpts) 
March 1, 2006 
 
The largest opposition party Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan) 
yesterday evening held a meeting of its all Diet members. In the 
meeting, party President Seiji Maehara explained the development 
of the e-mail issue lawmaker Hisayasu Nagata raised in the Diet 
when he claimed that Livedoor Co. founder Takafumi Horie ordered 
a payment to Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Secretary General 
Tsutomu Takebe's son. Maehara also announced the party's punitive 
 
SIPDIS 
measures, including the resignation of Diet Affairs Committee 
Chairman Yoshihiko Noda. He then offered an apology for causing 
the uproar. During the 90-minute meeting, many members raised 
views criticizing not only the credibility of the e-mail but also 
Maehara's remarks. Following are major views raised in the 
meeting: 
 
Maehara: The e-mail was not sent by Takafumi Horie, who has been 
arrested for violating securities law. We cannot assess (its 
authenticity). Citing the copy of the e-mail without conclusive 
evidence, (Nagata) posed questions and accused LDP Secretary 
General Takebe and his son. I sincerely apologize to Mr. Takebe 
and his son, as well as the public. We will withdraw the request 
to exercise the right of a Diet member to investigate state 
 
TOKYO 00001085  009 OF 010 
 
 
affairs. I have decided to remain in the presidential post to 
examine my responsibility. I then will make a fresh start. I 
accepted the resignation of Diet Affairs Committee Chairman Noda. 
I'm torn up inside. 
 
Takeo Nishioka: It is not necessary for the party head and the 
Diet affairs chief to quit their posts. But in taking up an issue 
that is not really connected to politics, you should have secured 
proof. President Maehara, you should be careful about your 
remarks. You have said that no party members have criticized the 
executive, just the media, but you lack awareness. Everybody has 
offered an apology in their own constituency on your behalf. I 
want you to realize this and apologize for it. 
 
Tetsundo Iwakuni: I want the party head and secretary general to 
realize that your remarks influenced Nagata. 
 
Yoshinori Suematsu: It is important to take responsibility. If we 
put an end to the matter without taking responsibility, the 
public will say that we are behaving like children. (The remarks 
by the party head) damaged the party further. I want you to do 
your best. 
 
Yoko Komiya: In order to shed light on the issue, we should set 
up a project team. 
 
Koichi Haraguchi: We should not shrink back, but let us fulfill 
our duties. 
 
Toshio Ogawa: The fundamental problem is that our party has no 
crisis management capabilities. The public will not entrust us 
with the reins of government. We should overcome the situation 
with one mind. 
 
14) Livedoor e-mail fiasco: Ruling camp dissatisfied with 
Minshuto lawmaker Nagata's apology: Plans to use it to attack the 
main opposition party 
 
MAINICHI (Page 5) (Excerpts) 
March 1, 2006 
 
There is a growing backlash in the government and ruling parties 
over the way Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan) lawmaker 
Hisayasu Nagata apologized for failing to prove his allegation in 
the Diet when he cited an e-mail charging Liberal Democratic 
Party (LDP) Secretary General Tsutomu Takebe's son with taking a 
payment from former Livedoor President Takafumi Horie. Chief 
Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe stormed, "Although Nagata made an 
apology It is highly regrettable that he made remarks indicating 
there still remain suspicions about flows of money." 
 
In addition to the submission of a punitive motion against 
Nagata, the ruling coalition intends to pursue the responsibility 
of the largest opposition party's executive, including President 
Seiji Maehara. Some ruling camp members think that it would be 
better to drag out debate on the e-mail issue at the Diet with an 
eye on the second half of the ongoing regular Diet session. They 
are considering using Nagata's apology to attack Minshuto. 
 
Minshuto Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama last night asked LDP 
Deputy Secretary General Hiromichi Watanabe to arrange for him a 
meeting with Takebe. Watanabe, however, turned down the request, 
 
TOKYO 00001085  010 OF 010 
 
 
by saying, "Mr. Nagata did not really apologize. He should have 
made an apology in a public appearance." 
 
Minshuto released a statement last night that the e-mail in 
question was fake. With this regard, a senior LDP member made a 
cynical comment: "If they said so half a day before, they would 
not have been attacked. They have taken only follow-up measures. 
They lack a crisis management awareness." 
 
Prior to the press conferences by Minshuto members, the LDP make 
such requests as explanation on whether the e-mail is real or 
fake, apologies for Takebe's son, Takebe and those accused. 
However, Nagata said in the press briefing as to the authenticity 
of the e-mail, "I have obtained certain facts but I'm still 
investigating it." Nagata's remarks have created a stir even 
among LDP moderates. General Council Chairman Fumio Kyuma 
commented: "He should have made an apology that would satisfy the 
public." 
 
SCHIEFFER