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Viewing cable 07TOKYO2556, DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 06/07/07

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
07TOKYO2556 2007-06-07 08:58 2011-08-25 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Tokyo
VZCZCXRO8148
PP RUEHFK RUEHKSO RUEHNAG RUEHNH
DE RUEHKO #2556/01 1580858
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 070858Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4285
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//
RUALSFJ/COMUSJAPAN YOKOTA AB JA//J5/JO21//
RUYNAAC/COMNAVFORJAPAN YOKOSUKA JA
RUAYJAA/CTF 72
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 3863
RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 1435
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 4998
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 0605
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 2295
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 7325
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 3385
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 4522
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 11 TOKYO 002556 
 
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 06/07/07 
 
 
INDEX: 
(1) Shigeru Ishiba, LDP Constitution Deliberation Commission chief 
secretary, interviewed on collective self-defense 
 
SIPDIS 
 
(2) Interview with Tetsuo Saito, chairman of New Komeito Policy 
Research Council, on the right to collective defense 
 
(3) Tetsushi Sakamoto to run in Lower House by-election to fill 
Kumamoto No. 3 district seat held by former Agriculture Minister 
Matsuoka 
 
(4) Global warming gases: Japanese company expected to obtain 
emissions rights in ODA project 
 
(5) JBIC, leading Japanese banks to make major investment in 
southern Africa for construction of ports, harbors, social 
infrastructure: Resources development to be backed 
 
(6) Poll on Abe cabinet, political parties, upper house election, 
Matsuoka suicide, constitutional reform, pension fiasco 
 
(7) Poll on Abe cabinet, political parties, Matsuoka suicide, 
pension system 
 
ARTICLES: 
(1) Shigeru Ishiba, LDP Constitution Deliberation Commission chief 
secretary, interviewed on collective self-defense 
 
SIPDIS 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
June 6, 2007 
 
-- The Liberal Democratic Party has established a select commission 
to study the right to use collective self-defense. 
 
Ishiba: Prime Minister Abe has launched a blue-ribbon panel to study 
four scenarios, such as a response to a missile headed for the 
United States. The party will consider what the right to collective 
self-defense is rather than examine specific cases. The axis of 
Japan-US relations is the bilateral security treaty, which obligates 
the United States to defend Japan and Japan to offer bases to the 
United States in return. That's because Japan is not allowed to 
exercise the right to use collective self-defense. Japan thus is not 
on equal footing with the United States. I would like to see the 
select commission discuss even the question of whether Japan-US 
relations should be left as is. 
 
-- Are you aiming to make the Japan-US relationship into an equal 
one by allowing Japan the right to exercise collective 
self-defense? 
 
Ishiba: By allowing that, Japan can become America's true ally. Once 
Japan is allowed to use the right of collective self-defense, it no 
longer has to offer bases to the United States. Japan can tell the 
US armed forces here to leave, as they are no longer needed. That's 
what an independent country is. Lawmakers have never asked the 
people if Japan-US relations should be left as is. If the people 
want to leave things as is, that's fine, but I don't want to live in 
such a country. 
 
-- Will altering the government's interpretation of the Constitution 
be enough to allow Japan the right to use collective self-defense? 
 
Ishiba: That will not be enough. The government should allow the use 
 
TOKYO 00002556  002 OF 011 
 
 
of the right in light of the UN Charter, establish a basic security 
law spelling out criteria on use of the right, and revise the 
Self-Defense Forces Law in a way that would allow Japan to intercept 
selective targets, such as a missile fired toward the United States. 
We also need an individua-defense right law to deal with armed 
attacks. 
 
-- Agriculture Minister Toshikatsu Matsuoka's suicide and the 
pension debacle have dealt blows to the administration. Do you think 
they will take a toll on the study of the collective self-defense 
right as well? 
 
Ishiba: These are two separate matters. I think the outcome of the 
Upper House election could affect the speed of the discussion. If 
the prime minister wants to address such big issues as 
constitutional revision and collective defense, he must first 
properly respond to such everyday issues as political funds and 
pension and win the public's trust. 
 
-- Does that mean results require careful discussion? 
 
Ishiba: Yes. The revision of the US-Japan Security Treaty destroyed 
the Kishi cabinet. The public reacted more furiously to his 
high-handed approach rather than to the revision itself. I don't 
want to see Prime Minister Abe follow in Mr. Kishi's footsteps. Some 
Asian countries are still extremely alarmed at Japan. He will 
definitely fail if he pursues collective self-defense without 
properly reflecting on the prewar era. 
 
(2) Interview with Tetsuo Saito, chairman of New Komeito Policy 
Research Council, on the right to collective defense 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
June 7, 2007 
 
-- The New Komeito's position is that the country is not allowed to 
exercise the right to collective defense. 
 
Saito: It took Japan 60 years to earn international credibility as a 
peace-oriented country. Behind that lies Article 9 of the 
Constitution. It would be suicidal for the government to change its 
interpretation of Article 9. From the viewpoint that the 
Constitution is a set of rules allowing the public to restrain 
government power, we cannot allow the administration to change the 
traditional interpretation. Altering the interpretation won't 
benefit Japan in any way. 
 
-- A blue-ribbon panel launched by Prime Minister Abe has been set 
in motion. 
 
Saito: The prime minister has not told the panel to conduct 
discussions to open the door to collective defense. The four 
scenarios presented by the prime minister can be dealt with 
sufficiently by exercising the individual right to self-defense or 
the natural right instead of the collective defense right. As for 
missile defense, it is meaningless to discuss what is technically 
impossible at this point. 
 
-- What if the prime minister takes a step toward changing the 
interpretation? 
 
Saito: We will oppose it. There are some things about which we 
cannot argue with our coalition partner, but the right to collective 
 
TOKYO 00002556  003 OF 011 
 
 
defense is not one of them. 
 
-- Are you saying that the New Komeito might leave the coalition? 
 
Saito: The matter concerns the foundation of the coalition. We 
cannot do things with (the Liberal Democratic Party) that will not 
benefit Japan in the long run. The prime minister clearly told New 
Komeito Representative Ota that he would respect the traditional 
constitutional interpretation, and we take it seriously. 
 
-- The prime minister might put forward the questions of 
constitutional revision and the right to collective defense. Won't 
such a development affect campaign cooperation for the upcoming 
Upper House election? 
 
Saito: Those themes will make clear the presence of the New Komeito. 
Supporters have often told us to defend Article 9 and send out a 
message that the party will not allow the country to exercise the 
right to collective defense. Even if the New Komeito headquarters 
plans to support the LDP on the back of the prime minister's 
insistence, some supporters might say they don't share that view. 
 
-- As a coalition partner, do you have any requests about how to 
proceed with the debate? 
 
Saito: The Kantei's (Prime Minister's Official Residence) 
go-it-alone mentality has been exposed not only through the 
collective-defense debate but also through other key bills. They are 
all big themes, so we want the Kantei to have some flexibility to 
align with the ruling parties. 
 
(3) Tetsushi Sakamoto to run in Lower House by-election to fill 
Kumamoto No. 3 district seat held by former Agriculture Minister 
Matsuoka 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) 
June 7, 2007 
 
In order to fill a House of Representatives seat that fell vacant 
after Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Toshikatsu 
Matsuoka committed suicide, a by-election for the Kumamoto No. 3 
district will be conduced the same day with the House of Councillors 
election. Former Lower House member Tetsushi Sakamoto, 56, announced 
yesterday his intention to run in the by-election. He used to be a 
Kumamoto prefectural assembly member belonging to the Liberal 
Democratic Party (LDP). However, he said: "At present I have no 
intention of asking the LDP to endorse or recommend me." 
 
Sakamoto was first elected to the Lower House as an independent in 
the 2003 election, defeating Matsuoka, who was endorsed by the LDP. 
He was, however, defeated by Matsuoka in the 2005 Lower House 
election by a margin of about 8,000 votes. 
 
(4) Global warming gases: Japanese company expected to obtain 
emissions rights in ODA project 
 
SANKEI (Top Play) (Full) 
June 6, 2007 
 
It was learned on June 5 that a wind power plant under construction 
along the coast of the Red Sea in Egypt financed with Japan's 
official development assistance (ODA) was recognized as a clean 
development mechanism (CDM) project, awarding emissions rights to 
 
TOKYO 00002556  004 OF 011 
 
 
Japan for the first time among ODA projects. The government intends 
to use CDM projects in ODA in a strategic manner, following this 
case. 
 
The project eligible for the application of the CDM is a wind power 
plant project in Zafarana 220 kilometers southeast of Cairo. Japan 
signed a yen loan contract to extend up to 13.497 billion yen. The 
project will likely be formally recognized as a CDM project at a CDM 
board meeting under the United Nations Framework Convention on 
Climate Change (UNFCCC). 
 
The Marrakech agreement signed in Jan. 2001, which stipulates the 
concrete application of the Kyoto Protocol, noted that ODA projects 
couldn't be regarded as CDM projects. That is because developing 
countries, such as India and China, opposed the idea, noting that if 
such a system is approved, industrialized countries would 
concentrate on CDM projects with the aim of obtaining emissions 
rights, preventing funds from being used for other projects, such as 
the consolidation of social infrastructure. 
 
However, the Japanese government and the JBIC had then begun to call 
for the use of ODA for CDM projects. The Development Committee of 
the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 
April 2004 approved the use of ODA for CDM projects, attaching a 
condition that emissions rights should be given not directly to the 
ODA-sponsor countries but to private companies of those countries. 
Amid growing competition to obtain emissions rights expected to 
occur throughout the world, developing countries have begun to focus 
on the advantage of development in exchange for the sales of 
emissions rights, contributing to the outcome this time. 
 
The government is looking into the feasibility of establishing a new 
long-term fund mechanism on a considerable scale as a global warming 
measure for developing countries as part of a national strategy to 
deal with the global warming issue. The use of ODA is now regarded 
as a viable means. New ODA projects in China will end in fiscal 
ΒΆ2008. However, given the fact that 3.3 trillion yen worth of ODA 
projects carried out since 2000 have included many projects for 
global warming preventive measures, the government intends to obtain 
emissions rights in the future from China through CDM projects. 
 
(5) JBIC, leading Japanese banks to make major investment in 
southern Africa for construction of ports, harbors, social 
infrastructure: Resources development to be backed 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 1) (Full) 
June 6, 2007 Evening 
 
The Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and Japan's 
leading private-sector banks have decided to make major investment 
in the southern African region, including the Republic of South 
Africa. The envisaged investment is aimed for the construction of 
social infrastructure, such as an electric power supply system, 
ports and harbors. The aim is to assist production and resources 
development operations by Japanese companies operating in that 
region. Another aim is to highlight Japan's assistance to Africa 
coinciding with the G-8 summit (Heiligendamm Summit), whose agenda 
items include measures to help Africa reconstruct itself, as well as 
to bring about a rollback against China, whose has made marked 
advance into Africa in recent years. 
 
The JBIC will today sign a contract for loans worth 24 billion yen 
to be extended to Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) jointly 
 
TOKYO 00002556  005 OF 011 
 
 
with a group consisting of four private banks, including Mizuho 
Corporate Bank, with Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation as managing 
bank. 
 
The DBSA is a regional bank financed by the Republic of South 
Africa. It supplies funds for the modernization of ports and harbors 
in Cape Town and Durban in the southern part of the country, and the 
modernization of roads, railway systems and communications 
facilities in urban areas. Toyota Motors is operating in that 
nation, enjoying the number-one place in the sales of autos there. 
Durban is a base for auto exports bound for Europe and the Middle 
East. However, the consolidation of ports and harbors there still 
lags. 
 
Another group of four banks with Bank of Mitsubishi-Tokyo UFJ as 
managing bank will sign a contract to extend loans worth 17 billion 
yen to South African Electricity Supply Company (ESKOM). 
 
China in May held an annual plenary meeting of the African 
Development Bank, an international development bank, in Shanghai. It 
is deepening relations with African countries by supplying 
low-interest-rate funds to African nations. European countries, such 
as Britain, are strengthening relations with them, based on their 
historical connections. US companies are also advancing into Africa 
with for its resources. The Japanese government has begun moving to 
strengthen relations with Africa. 
 
(6) Poll on Abe cabinet, political parties, upper house election, 
Matsuoka suicide, constitutional reform, pension fiasco 
 
SANKEI (Page 6) (Full) 
June 6, 2007 
 
Questions & Answers 
(Figures shown in percentage, rounded off.) 
 
Q: Do you support the Abe cabinet? 
 
Yes         32.3(39.9) 
No         49.2(35.4) 
Don't know (D/K) + Can't say which (CSW) 18.6(24.7) 
 
Q: Which political party do you support? 
 
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)   29.7(30.3) 
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) 17.1(13.3) 
New Komeito (NK)      4.0(4.7) 
Japanese Communist Party (JCP)   3.0(2.5) 
Social Democratic Party (SDP or Shaminto) 1.7(1.9) 
People's New Party (PNP or Kokumin Shinto) 0.2(0.1) 
New Party Nippon (NPN or Shinto Nippon)  0(0.1) 
New Party Daichi (NPD or Shinto Daichi)  0.2(0) 
Other answers (O/A)      1.0(1.1) 
None         40.7(42.4) 
D/K + Can't say (C/S)     2.8(3.7) 
 
Q: Do you appreciate Prime Minister Abe and his cabinet on those 
listed below? 
 
His personal character 
Yes     61.3(65.8) 
No     24.3(17.8) 
D/K+CSW    14.5(16.5) 
 
TOKYO 00002556  006 OF 011 
 
 
 
Foreign policy 
Yes     30.2(27.2) 
No     46.2(46.3) 
D/K+CSW    23.7(26.6) 
 
Educational reform 
Yes     27.8(24.2) 
No     49.0(49.5) 
D/K+CSW    23.3(26.4) 
 
 
His leadership 
Yes     15.4(15.8) 
No     67.7(63.2) 
D/K+CSW    16.9(21.1) 
 
Economic policy 
Yes     17.6(17.7) 
No     57.6(51.1) 
D/K+CSW    24.9(31.3) 
 
Civil service reform 
Yes     25.5 
No     49.0 
D/K+CSW    25.6 
 
Response to lost pension records 
Yes     17.3 
No     68.6 
D/K+CSW    14.2 
 
Response to Agriculture-Forestry-Fisheries Minister Matsuoka's 
suicide 
Yes     10.5 
No     68.2 
D/K+CSW    21.4 
 
Approach to constitutional revision 
Yes     32.5 
No     44.4 
D/K+CSW    23.2 
 
Policy priority 
Yes     18.0(19.5) 
No     45.2(39.8) 
D/K+CSW    36.9(40.7) 
 
Q: How long do you think the Abe cabinet will continue? 
 
Until this summer's election for the House of Councillors 
23.1(15.6) 
Up to 3 years     60.2(65.6) 
Beyond 3 years     12.4(11.5) 
D/K+C/S      4.4(7.5) 
 
Q: Are you interested in this summer's election for the House of 
Councillors? 
 
Yes    74.6(68.5) 
No    21.9(26.4) 
D/K+C/S   3.6(5.2) 
 
 
TOKYO 00002556  007 OF 011 
 
 
Q: Which side between the ruling and opposition camps would you like 
to see gaining more seats in the House of Councillors as a result of 
its election scheduled for this summer? 
 
LDP-led ruling camp    31.9(35.0) 
DPJ-led opposition camp   51.7(47.2) 
D/K+CSW      16.5(17.9) 
 
Q: What do you think will be a major issue in campaigning for the 
upcoming House of Councillors election? 
 
Educational reform     7.1 
Economic disparity     18.2 
Pension       39.0 
Tax reform      4.8 
Civil service reform    2.1 
Politics and money     6.1 
Low birthrate      3.4 
Foreign, security policies   2.8 
Constitutional revision    9.4 
D/K+C/S       7.4 
 
Q: If an election were to be held now for the House of Councillors, 
which side's candidate would you like to vote for in your electoral 
district? 
 
Ruling-affiliated candidate    34.0 
Opposition-affiliated candidate   43.8 
D/K+C/S        22.3 
 
Q: If an election were to be held now for the House of Councillors, 
which political party would you like to vote for in your 
proportional representation bloc? 
 
LDP      28.8 
DPJ      30.3 
NK      4.7 
JCP      4.0 
SDP      2.2 
PNP      0.7 
NPN      0.2 
Other political parties  4.2 
D/K+C/S     25.2 
 
Q: Will you go to the polls for the House of Councillors election? 
 
Think of voting on election day  82.2 
Think of voting before election day 8.4 
Don't think of going to the polls  5.6 
D/K+C/S       3.9 
 
Q: Do you think the problem over former Agriculture, Forestry and 
Fisheries Minister Matsuoka will affect the House of Councillors 
election? 
 
Yes    70.0 
No    22.3 
D/K+CSW   7.8 
 
Q: Do you think Prime Minister Abe should shuffle his cabinet in 
response to the suicide of former Agriculture, Forestry and 
Fisheries Minister Matsuoka and other problems? 
 
 
TOKYO 00002556  008 OF 011 
 
 
Yes    34.4 
No    45.5 
D/K+CSW   20.2 
 
Q: What do you think about the suicide of former Agriculture, 
Forestry and Fisheries Minister Matsuoka? 
 
He should have fulfilled his duties as state minister 15.4 
He should have resigned as state minister   46.1 
Prime Minister Abe should have dismissed him   34.3 
D/K+C/S          4.3 
 
Q: The National Referendum Law has been enacted. Would you like the 
Constitution to be amended? 
 
Yes    44.3 
No    31.7 
D/K+CSW   24.1 
 
Q: Would you like Constitution Article 9 to be amended? 
 
Yes    37.6 
No    41.9 
D/K+CSW   20.6 
 
Q: Do you trust the current pension system? 
 
Yes    11.8 
No    80.2 
D/K+CSW   8.1 
 
Q: What do you think about the Diet debate over pensions? 
 
Hurry to enact a government-introduced package of legislative 
measures related to the Social Insurance Agency's reform 
      28.2 
Continue discussions on the pension system as asserted by the 
opposition parties         58.0 
D/K+C/S           13.9 
 
Q: Do you support the idea of allowing taxpayers to pay a portion of 
their taxes to their hometowns? 
 
Yes    47.6 
No    28.0 
D/K+CSW   24.5 
 
Q: Do you think you are a floating voter with no particular party 
affiliation? 
 
Yes    56.4(59.4) 
No    35.9(33.3) 
D/K+CSW   7.8(7.4) 
 
(Note) Parentheses denote the results of a previous survey conducted 
in April. 
 
Polling methodology: The survey was conducted June 2-3 by the Sankei 
Shimbun and Fuji News Network (FNN) over the telephone on a 
computer-aided random digit dialing (RDD) basis. For the survey, a 
total of 2,000 persons were sampled from among males and females, 
aged 20 and over, across the nation. The total percentage of answers 
to each question does not become 100 percent due to rounding. 
 
TOKYO 00002556  009 OF 011 
 
 
 
(7) Poll on Abe cabinet, political parties, Matsuoka suicide, 
pension system 
 
TOKYO (Page 2) (Full) 
March 13, 2007 
 
Questions & Answers 
(Figures shown in percentage. Parentheses denote the results of the 
last survey conducted May 12-13.) 
 
Q: Do you support the Abe cabinet? 
 
Yes        35.8(47.6) 
No        48.7(38.2) 
Don't know (D/K) + no answer (N/A)  15.5(14.2) 
 
Q: (Only for those who answered "yes" to the previous question) 
What's the primary reason for your approval of the Abe cabinet? Pick 
only one from among those listed below. 
 
The prime minister is trustworthy    21.2(23.1) 
Because it's a coalition cabinet of the Liberal Democratic Party and 
the New Komeito        9.4(7.2) 
The prime minister has leadership ability   3.3(3.0) 
Something can be expected of its economic policies 1.6(0.9) 
Something can be expected of its foreign policies  4.4(9.9) 
Something can be expected of its political reforms 6.5(7.1) 
Something can be expected of its tax reforms   1.4(1.5) 
Something can be expected of its administrative reforms 
2.3(4.3) 
There's no other appropriate person (for prime minister) 
49.1(40.6) 
Other answers (O/A)       0.3(0.1) 
D/K+N/A         0.5(2.3) 
 
Q: (Only for those who answered "no" to the first question) What's 
the primary reason for your disapproval of the Abe cabinet? Pick 
only one from among those listed below. 
 
The prime minister is untrustworthy   11.6(11.8) 
Because it's a coalition cabinet of the Liberal Democratic Party and 
the New Komeito       8.3(6.6) 
The prime minister lacks leadership ability  31.4(19.2) 
Nothing can be expected of its economic policies 12.7(18.3) 
Nothing can be expected of its foreign policies 3.6(4.8) 
Nothing can be expected of its political reforms 8.4(11.3) 
Nothing can be expected of its tax reforms  7.0(6.1) 
Nothing can be expected of its administrative reforms 
7.0(8.0) 
Don't like the prime minister's personal character 
3.7(9.6) 
O/A          4.4(2.5) 
D/K+N/A         1.9(1.8) 
 
Q: Which political party do you support? 
 
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)    31.5(36.3) 
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto)  22.2(18.8) 
New Komeito (NK)       5.0(3.4) 
Japanese Communist Party (JCP)    3.1(2.8) 
Social Democratic Party (SDP or Shaminto)  1.3(2.3) 
People's New Party (PNP or Kokumin Shinto)  0.6(0.1) 
 
TOKYO 00002556  010 OF 011 
 
 
New Party Nippon (NPN or Shinto Nippon)   0.5(---) 
Other political parties, groups    ---(---) 
None          35.5(35.1) 
D/K+N/A         0.3(1.2) 
 
Q: Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Toshikatsu Matsuoka, 
who had been pursued over his political funds and other issues, 
committed suicide. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe consistently defended 
him. Do you think Prime Minister Abe has fulfilled his 
accountability as the one who appointed Agriculture, Forestry and 
Fisheries Minister Matsuoka? 
 
Yes    19.9 
No    69.5 
D/K+N/A   10.6 
 
Q: Do you appreciate Prime Minister Abe's efforts to grapple with 
the issue of politics and money? 
 
Yes    17.0 
No    71.8 
D/K+N/A   11.2 
 
Q: A bill to revise the Political Funds Control Law for the clarity 
of political funds is now before the Diet. The legislation requires 
lawmakers to report their office spending and other outlays with 
receipts for the clarity of political funds. Do you think the law 
should be revised in the current Diet session? 
 
Yes    73.2 
No    18.7 
D/K+N/A   8.1 
 
Q: Do you think the death of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries 
Minister Matsuoka will affect Prime Minister Abe's political 
steering and the outcome of this summer's election for the House of 
Councillors? 
 
Yes    72.3 
No    23.4 
D/K+N/A   4.3 
 
Q: The House of Representatives approved two bills and sent them to 
the House of Councillors. One of the two bills is to scrap the time 
limit for pensioners to retroactively claim benefits they were not 
paid as a result of the Social Insurance Agency's record-keeping 
blunders. The other bill is to reform the Social Insurance Agency. 
Do you appreciate this as a positive move to reform the nation's 
pension system? 
 
Yes    38.6 
No    52.5 
D/K+N/A   8.9 
 
Q: Would you like the current LDP-led coalition government to stay 
on, or would you otherwise like it to be replaced with a DPJ-led 
one? 
 
LDP-led coalition government   35.7(41.6) 
DPJ-led coalition government   36.6(31.9) 
D/K+N/A       27.7(26.5) 
 
Q: If an election were to be held now for the House of Councillors, 
 
TOKYO 00002556  011 OF 011 
 
 
which political party or which political party's candidate would you 
like to vote for? 
 
LDP        26.5 
DPJ        28.8 
NK        5.2 
JCP        3.0 
SDP        1.8 
PNP        0.9 
NPN        --- 
Other political parties, groups  0.1 
Independent candidate    11.5 
Won't go to the polls    2.2 
D/K+N/A       20.0 
 
Polling methodology: The survey was conducted June 1-2 by Kyodo News 
Service on a computer-aided random digit dialing (RDD) basis. Among 
randomly generated telephone numbers, those actually for household 
use with one or more eligible voters totaled 1,486. Answers were 
obtained from 1,040 persons. 
 
SCHIEFFER