Maehara says gov't should take note of Okinawa's wishes

Jul 31 08:51 AM US/Eastern

NAHA, Japan, July 31 (AP) - (Kyodo) — Okinawa affairs minister Seiji Maehara said during his visit to the island prefecture on Saturday that the government should give due consideration to local authorities' wishes when it proceeds with the controversial relocation of a U.S. Marine base in the prefecture.

"We must have the flexibility to allow us to say we cannot move things forward without Okinawa's acceptance," Maehara told reporters in Nago, to which Japan and the United States are seeking to relocate the Futenma Air Station located elsewhere on the main Okinawa island.

Maehara apologized to the mayors of 12 municipalities in the northern part of Okinawa at a meeting earlier in the day, saying the government has forced the municipalities to shoulder "great" base-hosting burdens.

But he declined to give a clear answer when Nago Mayor Susumu Inamine said, "I'd like you to take my words seriously because I have said all along that we cannot accept (Futenma's relocation to Nago) either in the sea or on land."

In a joint statement issued in late May, Japan and the United States confirmed their "intention to locate the replacement facility at the Camp Schwab Henoko-saki (Cape Henoko) area and adjacent waters," an area located in Nago.

The statement said the two countries had also decided to complete a study by experts on the facility's "location, configuration and construction method...in any event no later than the end of August."

But with local opposition to the proposed relocation within the island prefecture unlikely to abate anytime soon, the completion of the study is expected to be postponed.

The relocation of the Futenma base to Nago constitutes a pillar of a larger 2006 bilateral agreement on realigning U.S. forces in Japan and is tied to the transfer of around 8,000 Marines from Okinawa to Guam.

Many in Okinawa are calling for the base to be relocated outside of the prefecture to reduce the heavy U.S. military presence on the island. Residents often complain about noise at military bases and crimes committed by U.S. service members.

Gov't seeks talks with Okinawa on base issues

July 31, 2010
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The Japanese government is planning to set up regular consultative meetings with the prefecture of Okinawa in the hope of resolving the stalemated relocation of a US base on the island.

The Japanese and US governments agreed in May to relocate the functions of US Marine Corps Futenma Air Station within Okinawa after Japan failed to find an alternative site outside Okinawa.

However, the people of Okinawa are demanding the base be moved off the island and remain strongly opposed to the plan.

Last week, at a meeting in Vietnam, Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton acknowledged that support of the Okinawan people is indispensable for a successful relocation of the base.

The Japanese government hopes that the regular meetings would mend the lack of communication between the government and Okinawa.

In response, Okinawa Prefecture is asking that promotion of the local economy be included on the agenda for the talks.

In the hope of starting pragmatic talks, the government will send an official to Okinawa as early as the middle of August to negotiate conditions which would reflect the thoughts of the Okinawan side.

2010/07/31 13:38(JST)
(JST: UTC+9hrs.)

Perspectives :: Gov't urged to take steps toward reducing Okinawa's U.S. base burden

July 31, 2010

The prospects for reducing Okinawa Prefecture's burden of hosting U.S. bases are growing uncertain. The process of relocating U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Okinawa is deadlocked, and the shift of part of the Marine presence in the prefecture to Guam will likely be delayed beyond the original 2014 timeline.

The Naha branch of the Fukuoka High Court stated in a ruling on the Futenma noise pollution lawsuit that local residents' fear of a possible accident is realistic, pointing to the danger the base poses to the local community.

The Cabinet of Prime Minister Naoto Kan's influence has declined sharply since the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) suffered defeat in the July 11 House of Councillors election. However, his administration should take the first step toward reducing the U.S. bases' burden on the southernmost prefecture because the prime minister has repeatedly pledged to do so.

In late May, Tokyo and Washington agreed that Futenma base in Ginowan will be relocated to an area off the Henoko district of the prefectural city of Nago, and that experts will decide on the specific construction method and exact location of a substitute facility for Futenma base by the end of August. The foreign and defense ministers from the Japanese and U.S. governments were supposed to confirm the details of the plan before the leaders of the two countries meet in November to make a final decision on the matter.

However, Japan decided not to narrow down locations or runway construction methods for the Futenma substitute facility during experts' studies in response to opposition from the prefectural government to the relocation to Henoko, and instead will work out multiple plans. Furthermore, the government reportedly intends not make a final decision on the relocation until the Okinawa gubernatorial race scheduled for late November.

To relocate Futenma base, the national government needs cooperation from Okinawa and is required to build mutual trust with the prefectural government and local residents. We have urged that measures to reduce the U.S. bases' burden on Okinawa, which are incorporated in the late May bilateral agreement, be implemented ahead of the relocation in a bid to restore Okinawa's trust in the national government. For example, if the site for U.S. Marine drills, currently conducted at Futenma, is moved out of Okinawa, it will lessen the danger that Futenma poses to the local community.

However, the government has so far failed to take concrete steps toward that end, such as holding consultations with Okinawa Prefectural Government officials, even though it convened a meeting of Cabinet ministers concerned.

An anticipated delay in the relocation of part of the Marine presence to Guam beyond 2014 -- the deadline set under a bilateral agreement reached in 2006 -- has worsened the situation. The delay is because infrastructure construction on Guam cannot keep pace with the expansion of U.S. bases on the island and the accompanying spike in population. It is feared the delay will adversely affect the Futenma relocation and increase the costs of infrastructure in Guam, requiring Japan to shoulder a greater financial burden.

If that becomes a reality, it will aggravate Okinawa's distrust in the Japanese and U.S. governments.

The deadlocked relocation of Air Station Futenma, coupled with a delay in the relocation of part of the Okinawa-based Marines to Guam, will make continued use of Futenma base increasingly realistic. It would mean nothing but a postponement of eliminating the danger that the base poses to local residents and noise pollution, which is the very purpose of relocating Futenma base.

The relocation of Futenma will undoubtedly be a focus of contention during the Okinawa gubernatorial race in November. Depending on its outcome, the situation surrounding the relocation could become more complicated. The Kan administration is urged to convince the U.S. government that implementing measures to lessen the burden on Okinawa is a quick way to solving the matter, and win understanding from Washington.

(Mainichi Japan) July 31, 2010

Mainichi :: Saturday, July 31, 2010

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Japan Times :: Saturday, July 31, 2010

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  Kan proposes to slash Diet ranks
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  By MICHAEL RICHARDSON
  China's economic and military might has grown in recent years along with its overseas trade and investment. China is becoming an oceanic power with growing clout in the Asia-Pacific region.
  It demonstrated naval, air and amphibious strength this year by holding exercises in the South and East China seas, where it has unresolved territorial and maritime boundary disputes with several Southeast Asian countries and with Japan.
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Korean girls 'enslaved' in wartime Japan

BY IZUMI SAKURAI AND YOSHIHIRO MAKINO THE ASAHI SHIMBUN

2010/07/31

SEOUL -- Kim Jong-ju was barely a teenager when she came to Japan in 1945 thinking she could make a difference as a member of a "volunteer corps." But what she encountered, after being put to work as a forced laborer at a Japanese factory, and not sent to school as she had been promised, was the "life of a slave."

Kim, now 78, said she, along with her sister who suffered the same fate, was "duped."

Like many other young Korean girls, Kim ended up making parts for aircraft at a Nachi-Fujikoshi Corp. factory in Toyama.

Moreover, when she returned to her homeland, Kim confronted prejudice. Her fellow countrymen assumed those girls had provided sex for soldiers as a so-called comfort women in Japan.

Until seven years ago, Kim had concealed her past.

In Japan, Kim subsisted on meager meals. The dormitory she shared with the other girls was enclosed by barbed-wire fences to prevent their escape. Guards followed them, even to the toilet. No wages were paid.

Kim was forced to work until October 1945, even though Japan surrendered on Aug. 15 of that year.

"I went to Japan under the slogan of 'Japan and Korea as one,' and then was treated coldly after returning," she said. "What am I guilty of? There are no words to describe my chagrin."

Kim's elder sister, Kim Song-ju, 80, had similar experiences at a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) factory in Nagoya.

The Kim sisters, along with other former members of the "Korean women's volunteer labor corps," or kinro teishintai, conscripted to work in Japan, have spent years fighting an uphill battle to seek compensation from Japan and the companies that exploited them.

The sisters' plight all started with the words of a Japanese teacher at the elementary school in Suncheon, in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula, in May 1944.

Japan's colonization of the peninsula lasted from 1910 to 1945.

The teacher asked Kim Jong-ju, then a sixth-grader, to tell her sister Song-ju that if she went to work in Japan, she would be able to attend a junior high school while earning wages.

The elder sister went to Nagoya, where she was forced to work at the aircraft parts factory. She severed a finger during the course of her work but her younger sister didn't find out about it.

In spring 1945, just before her graduation, the same teacher encouraged Kim to join her sister in Japan. "You can study there and meet your sister, too," she told her.

What awaited Kim was the "life of a slave" in Toyama, with no schooling. "So both of us were duped," Kim says.

Japan conscripted Korean teenage girls to work at factories churning out military equipment because of a severe labor shortage: Most young Japanese men had been sent off to war.

About 300 Korean girls were made to work at the MHI factory in Nagoya, and more than 1,000 were assigned to work at machinery maker Nachi-Fujikoshi.

Those "volunteer corps" members faced many difficulties, even after they managed to return home. There was a widespread notion in Korea that teishintai meant "comfort women."

Kim never spoke of her experiences in Japan and got married at 19. Her husband eventually learned the truth, however, and the "teishintai" misconception led to her divorce. She was 35.

Kim raised her only son while peddling apples and rice cakes.

Seven years ago, Kim for the first time agreed to be interviewed by a Korean TV station and testified about her factory experiences.

Behind her back, people still whispered that she had been a "comfort woman."

Many former forced laborers conceal their past because of this misconception.

In March, Kim and 22 other plaintiffs lost their lawsuit for compensation at the Kanazawa branch of the Nagoya High Court.

Kim Song-ju and six other Korean plaintiffs also lost a suit against the Japanese government and MHI.

After their defeat was finalized by a Supreme Court decision in 2008, the plaintiffs and their supporters continued their fight, demanding negotiations.

One of the plaintiffs, Yang Gum-dok, 79, protests by spending an hour each weekday standing in front of a showroom for Mitsubishi Motors Corp. in Gwangju.

Last December, Japan's Social Insurance Agency refunded former Korean laborers for their withdrawal from the pension program. The amount--99 yen ($1.14) each--just added salt to their wounds.

In mid-July, MHI finally said it was ready to talk to the plaintiffs and others.

Kim Jong-ju took it as encouraging news. "If Mitsubishi paid some compensation, then Fujikoshi would be compelled to do so, too," she said.

MHI officials remained cautious, however, saying they had only agreed to set up a table for negotiation, not on what to discuss.

It was still a welcome move for other Koreans, who were conscripted as soldiers or laborers during the war, as well as their relatives, who are seeking compensation from the Pohang Iron and Steel Corp. (POSCO).

They made their demand to the Korean company because its first furnace was built with economic cooperation funds from Japan under the 1965 treaty to normalize bilateral relations.

They regard the funds as "blood money," the price paid for those who perished in the cause of imperial Japan.

POSCO has proposed the Korean government set up a fund for the welfare of the victims, but it has stopped short of extending direct support.

The South Korean government in 2008 started its own relief program for the victims. But 44 lawsuits have been filed since autumn 2008 by those who became frustrated with the program.

Roos visit symbolizes U.S. nuke policy shift

BY HIROTSUGU MOCHIZUKI AND HIROSHI ITO THE ASAHI SHIMBUN

2010/07/31

WASHINGTON -- A U.S. apology is not expected. Nor is a change in Washington's stance concerning its nuclear attacks against Japan in World War II.

But the attendance of John Roos, the U.S. ambassador to Japan, at the Aug. 6 memorial ceremony for atomic bomb victims in Hiroshima underscores the shift in U.S. policy toward nuclear weapons. And the planned attendance has raised hopes that it could lead to a visit by U.S. President Barack Obama to either Hiroshima or Nagasaki.

Assistant Secretary of State Philip Crowley told a news conference Wednesday that Roos would represent the United States in Hiroshima "to express respect for all of the victims of World War II."

The first U.S. representation at the Hiroshima peace ceremony, which Japan has long sought, could also be intended to improve relations strained by the impasse over the U.S. Futenma air station.

But Roos is not expected to apologize for the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, a senior State Department official said.

The ambassador's visit does not represent a change in the U.S. argument that the atomic bombings were needed to accelerate the end of World War II and prevent a prolonged ground battle in Japan.

Behind the visit is the U.S. intention to spur international moves in line with Obama's statement in April last year to push for "a world without nuclear weapons."

Obama's speech in Prague fueled expectations that he would become the first U.S. leader to visit Hiroshima or Nagasaki. In January, Obama responded to the Hiroshima mayor's invitation by saying, "I would like to come."

According to a senior White House official, some in the U.S. government, even conservatives, support the idea of Obama visiting Hiroshima for memorial purposes.

Obama is expected to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Yokohama in November. But he will probably not have time to visit Hiroshima because the Group of 20 conference in Seoul is also on his agenda.

Asahi :: Saturday, July 31, 2010

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• Korean girls 'enslaved' in wartime Japan (07/31) [teishintai "volunteer corps"]


• DPJ does officials' bidding on key jobs (07/31)


• Roos visit symbolizes U.S. nuke policy shift (07/31)


• Kan calls for reducing Diet members by 120 (07/31)


• China says will respect south seas navigation freedom (07/31) [Reuters]


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Daily Yomiuri Online :: Saturday, July 31, 2010

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• Editorial :: Yahoo Japan-Google tie-up must be monitored (Jul.31)

Film about Swiss doctor who treated A-bomb victims

July 31, 2010
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A preview of an animated film about a Swiss doctor who treated survivors of the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima was held in Tokyo on Friday.

"Anime Junod" was produced by a Hiroshima-based peace organization. It depicts Dr Marcel Junod, who convinced allied forces in post-war Japan to transport 15 tons of medical supplies to Hiroshima so survivors could be treated.

In the film, his activities are seen from the viewpoint of junior high school girls who go back in time.

A short live-action film on Junod was made years ago. But the peace organization made an animated version so he will be known to a wider range of age groups.

Production committee head Shizuko Tsuya says she hopes that many people watching the film will think about peace and the courage needed to overcome difficulties.

Screenings will start at the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography in September. The committee will work to show the film in Switzerland and other countries.

2010/07/31 06:45(JST)
(JST: UTC+9hrs.)

Task force finds US records of Ioto burial sites

July 31, 2010
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A Japanese government task force says it has found US documents about burial sites of Japanese soldiers who died in World War Two battles on the Pacific island of Ioto, also known as Iwojima. The team will analyze the records to identify the sites.

In the final stages of the war in 1945, about 21,900 Japanese were killed during intense fighting with US forces on the island. The burial sites of 13,000 of them have not yet been found.

To locate their remains, the task force examined documents at the US National Archives and the US Department of Defense this week.

An advisor to the Prime Minister, Yukihiko Akutsu, heads the task force. He said on Friday that the team has found a document indicating there was a mass burial site for Japanese soldiers on the southern tip of the island.

The team also found records saying there were burial sites ranging in size from 200 to 2,000 bodies.

2010/07/31 06:45(JST)
(JST: UTC+9hrs.)

Futenma Replacement Facility - Sankei Update

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【普天間移設】修正原案の全容判明　Ａ案〜Ｖ字を南西移動　Ｂ案〜滑走路１本を５０メートル沖合に　日米協議で詰めの調整 (1/2ページ)

2010.7.31 01:23

日本政府が作成した修正２案日本政府が作成した修正２案

　米軍普天間飛行場（沖縄県宜野湾（ぎのわん）市）移設問題で、日本政府が作成した代替施設に関する修正原案の全容が３０日、明らかになった。Ｖ字形滑走路の現行案を南西方向に移動して環境に配慮するＡ案、滑走路を１本に

して約５０メートル沖合に移動するＢ案−の２つに絞り込んだ。日米事務レベルの専門家協議が８月末に２案を外務・防衛担当閣僚に提示し、年内にも最終案を政治決着させる方針。

　米側は運用の柔軟性と安全性の両面からＶ字形修正案で合意したい意向を示しているが、１１月の沖縄県知事選の行方次第では、２案とも地元の同意を得ることは困難となる。

　このため、政府は代替施設に関する最終決着を知事選後に先送りする意向を米側に伝えているが、逆に普天間問題が知事選の争点となる可能性も否定できない。代替施設が宙に浮けば、普天間飛行場の固定化につながりかねず、政府はますます厳しい立場に追い込まれる。

　修正案はそれぞれ埋め立てが環境に与える影響に配慮し、米軍機が住宅上空付近を飛行するのを避けることを重視した。

　名護市辺野古沿岸部に滑走路２本をＶ字形に配置する現行案を南西方向に移動させるＡ案は、大浦湾の埋め立て面積を減らすことができる。大浦湾はサンゴ礁が豊富でウミガメの産卵場所もあり、環境や生態系の破壊につながるとの地元の反発を考慮した。

政府内では、自公政権下で合意した現行案をそのまま踏襲することに抵抗感が強く、これもＶ字形を移動させる一因となっている。ただ、南西に移動させれば名護市の辺野古、豊原両区に近づき、騒音が大きくなることが懸念される。

　滑走路を１本に減らすＢ案は、Ｖ字形の上方の滑走路を現行案の環境影響評価（アセスメント）を適用できる５５メートルの範囲内で最大限沖合に移動させる。以前は辺野古移設を条件付きで容認していた沖縄県の仲井真弘多（なかいま・ひろかず）知事が、可能な限りの沖合移動を求めていたことを踏まえた修正だ。

　埋め立て面積を減らし、工期も短縮できる。ただ、平成１８年にＶ字形で名護市と合意したのは、着陸と離陸で滑走路を使い分けることで辺野古、豊原、安部の３区上空の飛行を避けるためだった。１本にすれば安部の上空に飛行ルートがかかる。このため、滑走路の角度をずらすことも検討されている。

Okada hopes for Obama's future visit to Hiroshima

July 30, 2010

Japan's Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada has expressed hope that US President Barack Obama will attend a memorial service in Hiroshima next year or later.

Okada was responding to the US government's decision to have US Ambassador to Japan John Roos attend a ceremony in Hiroshima on August 6th marking the 1945 atomic bombing of the city. Roos will be the first US government official to attend the annual event.

Okada said he's very grateful that the US government made the decision even though opinions within the administration may differ.

Okada said the visit will mark a significant step, and that he will calmly wait for the next step, suggesting that Obama may someday make a similar visit.

2010/07/30 19:53(JST)
(JST: UTC+9hrs.)

Okada hopes U.S. envoy's Hiroshima visit will lead to Obama trip

Jul 30 06:14 AM US/Eastern

TOKYO, July 30 (AP) - (Kyodo) — Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada expressed hope Friday that the participation by U.S. Ambassador to Japan John Roos in an annual ceremony in Hiroshima on Aug. 6 to commemorate the 1945 atomic bombing of the city will lead to a visit there by President Barack Obama.

Okada told a news conference it is up to the U.S. government to decide on the president's trip, but said the envoy's attendance, the first by a U.S. ambassador, signals "a major step forward."

"I'd like to quietly anticipate" a trip to Hiroshima by Obama, the minister said.

There are expectations in Japan that Obama, an advocate of a world without nuclear weapons, may visit the atom-bombed city when he travels to the country in November to attend a summit of the Asia- Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Yokohama, southwest of Tokyo.

Obama sounded positive about visiting the city when he met with Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba at the White House in January and was quoted by Akiba as telling him, "I would like to come."

Okada also welcomed the participation of U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon as well as representatives of Britain and France, both nuclear powers, in the Aug. 6 ceremony, saying it will support global movements seeking nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation and highlight the importance of aiming for a nuclear-free world.

US panel calls for Navy buildup in Asia-Pacific

July 30, 2010
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A panel of US defense experts has proposed boosting the US Navy's presence in the Asia-Pacific, in the face of China's military buildup.

The independent panel released a report on Thursday after reviewing the Defense Department's Quadrennial Defense Review issued in February.

The panel comprised 20 members appointed by Congress, including former defense secretary William Perry and former deputy secretary of state Richard Armitage.

The report says the panel is concerned that the US force level outlined in the quadrennial review might not be sufficient in the face of China's strengthening of its military.

The report calls for building up the Navy's presence in the Asia-Pacific, saying the United States must be fully present in the region to maintain stability and defend US allies in the area.

The US Defense Department is already shifting some Navy submarines and aircraft carriers from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

The report calls for facilitating such efforts in light of the Chinese navy's stepped-up activities in the East and South China Seas.

2010/07/30 17:33(JST)
(JST: UTC+9hrs.)




---


NOTE: Click to download a pdf copy of "The QDR in Perspective: Meeting America's National Security Needs in the 21st Century" by the Quadrennial Defense Review Independent Panel

Click for background information on the bipartisan congressional panel prepared by the United States Institute of Peace.

DPJ suffers new blow after LDP secures chairman's post for key panel

July 30, 2010

The ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), which suffered a defeat in the July 11 House of Councillors race, lost its initiative in the chamber after the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) captured the post of the chairman of the house's steering panel.

The 175th extraordinary Diet session was convened on July 30, marking the opening of the so-called "twisted Diet," in which the ruling coalition has an overwhelming majority in the powerful House of Representatives while the upper house is controlled by opposition parties.

The upper house elected DPJ member Takeo Nishioka and the LDP's Hidehisa Otsuji as president and vice president, respectively, at a plenary session.

LDP legislator Seiji Suzuki was named to chair the upper house Rules and Administration Committee that is responsible for steering the chamber, allowing the largest opposition party to control the group.

The results of the election of the chamber's president also herald a fierce battle between the ruling coalition and opposition forces in the twisted Diet.

Nishioka won only 139 of the 239 votes cast at the July 30 plenary session, while Your Party's Katsuhiko Eguchi garnered 11 votes and Otsuji got one while 88 were blank votes. When the DPJ's Satsuki Eda was elected president after the DPJ emerged as the largest bloc in the chamber following the 2007 election, all members present voted for him.

In the vice presidential race, however, Otsuji won 235 of the 240 votes cast, while there were only five blank votes.

The results show that the DPJ fully cooperated with the LDP in the vice presidential election in the chamber in a bid to seek help from the main opposition party in Diet sessions while opposition parties were divided over the presidential race, resulting in a massive number of blank votes.

It has been a customary practice for the president and vice president of the chamber to be elected from among members of the largest and second largest blocs in the chamber, respectively.

(Mainichi Japan) July 30, 2010

Editorial :: U.S. ambassador's attendance at Hiroshima A-bomb ceremony a welcome move

July 30, 2010

The "world without nuclear weapons" that U.S. President Barack Obama has referred to may still be far away, but we believe that by mourning the victims of past nuclear attacks, mankind can start its journey toward such a world.

U.S. Ambassador to Japan John Roos has stated that he will attend the annual ceremony in Hiroshima on Aug. 6 to commemorate the 1945 atomic bombing of the city, becoming the first U.S. ambassador to do so. Britain and France are also expected to send representatives for the first time. In addition, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is preparing to visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki. These moves are encouraging and we welcome the representatives' decisions.

In the past the United States, Britain and France, which are on good terms with Japan, refrained from participating in ceremonies to commemorate the atomic bombings on account of their position as Allies during World War II. Attitudes including the stance that dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during the war forced Japan to surrender and "saved 1 million lives" remain deeply rooted within the U.S. government. There is also anger in U.S. society over the attack on Pearl Harbor, which is described as "dirty." Furthermore, as nuclear powers, the United States, Britain and France differ from Japan in their stance on nuclear weapons.

However, the speech in April 2009 in which Obama referred to a world without nuclear weapons turned the tide. Obama stated that the U.S., as the only nuclear power to have used a nuclear weapon, had a "moral responsibility" to act. His speech turned people's eyes toward an ultimate goal for the future, and, in particular, eased emotional discord between Japan and the United States. This probably paved the way for the U.S., Britain and France to participate in the ceremony. An early step was seen from Roos in October last year, when he placed flowers at a memorial to commemorate the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

The nuclear powers of Russia, China, India and Pakistan have sent representatives to past ceremonies to mark the Hiroshima bombing. Israel, which is also believed to have nuclear weapons, sent a representative for the first time last year. Following similar moves by the United States, Britain and France, all nuclear nations that have diplomatic ties with Japan will have participated. We would like President Obama to seriously consider visiting Hiroshima and Nagasaki during his visit to Japan in September.

This is no longer a time for countries to waver over participation in ceremonies on atomic bombings. Such ceremonies should serve as a milestone in changing attitudes. In April the United States and Russia signed a new nuclear arms reduction treaty, and in May the Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons was held. The age that saw countries squaring off and heavily arming themselves with nuclear weapons has ended. Now is the time for countries to put their heads together to prevent the self-destruction of humanity through nuclear weapons, whether such destruction comes from terrorist acts or unforeseen nuclear wars.

However, simply shouting for the elimination of nuclear weapons will not remove the threats. North Korea, which has objected to joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea, has threatened "retaliation" based on its nuclear deterrence. It is believed by some that North Korea is in the process of developing nuclear missiles that could reach Japan, and Japan is not necessarily in a safe position. Amid these circumstances it would not be strange to recall the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 in which the Soviet Union brought nuclear missiles into Cuba under the nose of the United States.

To achieve a world without nuclear weapons, it is important that we face the threats in front of us and devise realistic measures to counter the development of nuclear weapons by North Korea and Iran.

(Mainichi Japan) July 30, 2010

Mainichi :: Friday, July 30, 2010

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• Kan to seek reelection as DPJ chief amid some intraparty opposition   (Kyodo News)


• Perspectives :: U.S. ambassador's attendance at Hiroshima A-bomb ceremony a welcome move

Japan Times :: Friday, July 30, 2010

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• [NATIONAL NEWS]
  Court ups Futenma noise damages
  ¥369 million awarded on appeal but residents' demands for flights to be limited rejected
  NAHA, Okinawa Pref. (Kyodo) The Fukuoka High Court awarded damages totaling about ¥369 million Thursday to plaintiffs over noise caused by flights at U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Okinawa, a 2.5-fold increase from the amount awarded by a lower court.
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• [NATIONAL NEWS]
  Tax miscue caused poll loss, Kan admits
  DPJ chief tries to rally troops for re-election bid
  By JUN HONGO, Staff writer
  Prime Minister Naoto Kan on Thursday admitted his push to open debate on hiking the consumption tax cost his Democratic Party of Japan seats in the July 11 Upper House election but called on his colleagues to support his Cabinet and unite for the tough road ahead.
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• [NATIONAL NEWS]
  Fukushima pressured to quit
  Kyodo News
  Social Democratic Party leader Mizuho Fukushima came under pressure from within the party Thursday to step down and take responsibility for the SDP's setback in the Upper House election on July 11.
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• [NATIONAL NEWS]
  Transfer outlay boosted
  Kyodo News
  Japan has told the United States that it is ready to negotiate on a possible increase in its outlays for moving U.S. Marines from Okinawa to Guam, government sources said Thursday.
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• [NATIONAL NEWS]
  Marines' move to Guam could be delayed to 2017
  WASHINGTON (Kyodo) The planned transfer of 8,000 U.S. Marines from Okinawa to Guam could be delayed until 2017 from the current target of 2014, the Pentagon suggested in its final environmental assessment report on the U.S. territory, released Wednesday.
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• [NATIONAL NEWS]
  Ban to push antinuke goal at Hiroshima, Nagasaki
  By SEANA K. MAGEE, Kyodo News
  NEW YORK — U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon said Wednesday he hopes to utilize his upcoming visits to Hiroshima and Nagasaki on the 65th anniversary of the atomic bombings to push forward his goal of realizing a world free of nuclear arms.
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• [NATIONAL NEWS]
  ASDF sex assault victim wins redress
  SAPPORO (Kyodo) The Sapporo District Court ordered the state Thursday to pay ¥5.8 million in damages to a female former Air Self-Defense Force member who was sexually assaulted by a serviceman at a base in Hokkaido and later mustered out of the service against her will.
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• [NATIONAL NEWS]
  Atom bomb exhibition to be held in London
  HIROSHIMA (Kyodo) Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum will hold an exhibition in London in August to show the suffering of the city and Nagasaki after the atomic bombings, the museum said.
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• [JT EDITORIAL]
  Mr. Kan and the DPJ under watch
  The Kan administration and the Democratic Party of Japan, which was beaten in the July 11 Upper House election, will be on the defensive during an extraordinary Diet session from Friday. Opposition forces, which now have 132 seats against the ruling coalition's 110 seats, control the Upper House in the divided Diet.
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• [JT EDITORIAL]
  Ferment within the SDP
  Ms. Kiyomi Tsujimoto, a Social Democratic Party stalwart and a star politician as much as party chief Mizuho Fukushima is, announced her departure from the party Tuesday. This could seriously damage the SDP unless it makes strenuous efforts to pursue idealism based on political realism — a difficult endeavor.
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War's aging victims still wait for apology

BY IZUMI SAKURAI THE ASAHI SHIMBUN

2010/07/30

Some seven decades on, South Korean former "comfort women" who were forced to provide sex for Japanese soldiers during World War II are still waiting for an official apology and compensation from Japan.

Year by year, however, fewer of these aging women are left to protest.

So far this year, five former "comfort women" have died. According to the South Korean government, of the 234 women who said they were forced to provide sexual services to Japanese soldiers during the war, only 83 survive. Most of those women are in their late 80s.

In Gwangju, south of Seoul, is a nursing home for former comfort women. Known as Nanum no Ie, or the House of Sharing, the facility now is home to eight women between the ages of 83 and 92.

Kim Hwa-seon, 84, was born in Pyongyang when it was still under Japanese colonial domination. She was sent to Singapore when she was 16 to work as a "comfort woman."

"Japan is waiting for us to die," said Kim, who still speaks Japanese. "What will happen when we die? I cry every day. I feel so lonely."

Her legs have been bothering her recently, making it impossible for her to walk any great distance.

The House of Sharing was established in 1992 through donations raised mainly by Buddhist organizations. The first facility was constructed in Seoul, but it moved to Gwangju three years later.

Its staff of six include a Japanese, Ippei Murayama, 29, who has been working there for four years.

"Many residents suffer from broken bones or have cataracts and dementia," Murayama said. "Pushing wheelchairs has become a part of my everyday life."

The House of Sharing also has a museum with exhibit and meeting rooms. It receives about 5,000 visitors a year, with about half from Japan. Those from Japan are mainly senior high school students on school trips, university students researching a thesis or members of labor unions and citizens groups.

Many of the women's memories have faded, and now some have difficulty conveying the suffering they experienced decades ago.

On July 21, one resident, Park Ok-seon, 86, was spotted in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul. She was taking part in a protest held every Wednesday at noon involving former "comfort women" and their supporters.

The protests began in January 1992. The one on July 21 was the 927th.

The protesters demanded the Japanese government offer a formal apology and pay compensation.

Despite temperatures near 30 degrees, Park and five other former "comfort women" raised their voices.

Park was born in Miryang in the southern part of South Korea. When she was 18, she was tricked into working as a "comfort woman" in China's Heilongjiang province. She spent four years there until the war ended.

On weekdays, she was forced to have sex with several soldiers. On weekends, she was required to service dozens of soldiers.

"When you return to Japan, tell the Japanese people one thing," Park said. "I want you to resolve this problem quickly before I die."

Because of the cold winters in Seoul, the residents of the House of Sharing have not been taken to the protest demonstrations during winter months.

"The ones who can come here are the most healthy, but there are many who live alone or who are bedridden in a facility and cannot get out," said Yang Lo-ja, an official with the group that organizes the weekly protests.

In the past, it was not unusual for the protesters to tangle with police.

However, the July 21 protest ended without incident after about an hour.

The gates of the embassy remained tightly closed throughout.

A number of former and current Democratic Party of Japan lawmakers have taken up the cause of the former "comfort women" and submitted bills that would clarify the state's responsibility and resolve the issue.

However, after the DPJ took over control of government last September, no such legislation has been submitted, and there is no indication of when such bills will become law.

Court ups redress over U.S. base noise, rejects demand to suspend flights

THE ASAHI SHIMBUN

2010/07/30

NAHA -- The Fukuoka High Court's Naha branch on Thursday ordered the central government to pay 369 million yen ($4.22 million) in damages to residents in Ginowan over aircraft noise from the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma.

Presiding Judge Yoshinori Kawabe recognized a causal relationship between levels of low-frequency noise emanating from the base and the suffering of local residents. It is the first time this has been recognized in a lawsuit over noise pollution in Japan.

The court, however, rejected calls to restrict flight operations at the facility in Okinawa Prefecture. The plaintiffs plan to appeal over the flight suspensions.

The amount of damages exceeds a lower court decision in June 2008 that awarded the plaintiffs a total of 146.7 million yen. Both the plaintiffs--369 residents whose homes abut the air base--and the government appealed that ruling.

The plaintiffs had sought increased compensation, a suspension of night and early morning flights at the base and continued measuring of noise levels. The government sought to have the appeal rejected, claiming that the noise levels around the base were actually decreasing.

The court upheld the lower court decision, which ruled that noise from the base exceeded "tolerable limits" for residents and was causing sleep and health problems.

Based on international aircraft noise standards set by the Weighted Equivalent Continuous Perceived Noise Level (WECPNL) formula, the court counted the three years prior to its decision as the time basis for the redress. A WECPNL level of 75 or over was considered to be beyond tolerable limits.

The court ordered the government to pay 400 yen for each day the plaintiffs lived in an area where the WECPNL equalled 80 or more. It awarded 200 yen per day for residents living in areas with levels between 75 and 79.

The per-day damage payments are twice the amount awarded by the lower court.

In rejecting the plaintiff's demands to suspend nighttime and early morning flights at the base, Kawabe said, "The state is not in a position to restrict the activities of the U.S. military."

Henoko runway decision to be postponed

THE ASAHI SHIMBUN

2010/07/30

A decision on the construction method, design and location of the new U.S. Marine Corps airfield to be built off Henoko in Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, will be delayed, according to Japanese government sources.

When Japan and the United States agreed in late May to move the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Ginowan, also in Okinawa, to Nago, officials said the details of the new airstrip would be decided by the end of August.

But, with two key local elections slated for autumn and fierce local opposition, Washington appears to have acceded to Tokyo's plan to delay announcing specifics of the airfield.

The sources said they were likely to list more than one alternative for the location and number of runways at the new base. The Japanese side is thought to want to avoid even announcing those alternatives in August.

A Nago city assembly election will be held in September, to be followed by the Okinawa prefectural gubernatorial race in November.

"(Drafting) multiple plans will do for the United States," said a senior Foreign Ministry official on Wednesday.

A high-ranking official of the prime minister's office agreed: "The United States has a certain understanding. It would not go ahead forcibly."

The two sides have already agreed to reclaim land to build an airstrip, as originally agreed to in a 2006 deal, rather than constructing the pile-supported pier-type runway studied by the Hatoyama administration.

The 2006 deal called for construction of two runways in a V-shape, but the possibility of reducing the base to a single runway is being considered.

Asahi :: Friday, July 30, 2010

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• Decades on, hibakusha explains the horrors of Nagasaki (07/30)
• More A-bomb survivors breaking their silence (07/30)
• War's aging victims still wait for apology (07/30) ["comfort women"]
  
• Court ups redress over U.S. base noise, rejects demand to suspend flights (07/30)
• Henoko runway decision to be postponed (07/30)
• Representatives from France, Israel to attend Nagasaki peace ceremony(07/30)
• Mitsui O.S.K. hires military expert for tanker checks (07/30)
• Kan vows to make new start after election loss (07/30)
• China conducts naval drill in disputed southern seas (07/30) [Reuters]
  
• VOX POPULI: Lawmakers should be worth what they earn (07/31)
• VOX POPULI: Road for Kan is uphill, full of budget potholes (07/30)

Editorial :: Defense report delay unnecessary

The government's decision to put off the release of this year's defense white paper is nothing but an attempt not to disturb the Japan-South Korea relationship. But a retreat to safe ground on this issue is an ill-thought-out move to turn a blind eye to future trouble that could arise between Tokyo and Seoul.

The administration of Prime Minister Naoto Kan has postponed giving cabinet approval to the "Defense of Japan 2010" white paper until September, despite an earlier plan to finalize the annual report Friday.

In explaining the government's decision, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku cited recent actions taken by the United Nations in connection with the sinking of a South Korean naval ship in March. He added the government wanted the white paper to address some issues that will be taken up in a report to be issued in August by a government panel tasked with reviewing the current National Defense Program Guidelines. Sengoku's reasoning is far from convincing.

In the first place, the government does not have to write about the developments cited by Sengoku in the white paper. His account does little to convince the public of the need to postpone the release of the report, more than 14,000 copies of which have already been printed at a cost of about 9.4 million yen.

The real reason behind the decision, according to government sources, is that Tokyo does not want to antagonize Seoul. Previous defense white papers described the disputed Takeshima islets as "an inherent part of our nation's territory."

The sources said the government did not want to stir up anti-Japanese sentiment among South Koreans as this year marks the centennial of the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty of 1910. On Aug. 29 that year, the treaty took effect, starting 35 years of Japanese rule over the Korean Peninsula.

Takeshima belongs to Japan

However, the government has every reason to incorporate into the white paper its assertion that Takeshima inherently belongs to Japan.

Admittedly, South Korea has protested the Japanese government's view every year, claiming sovereignty over the islet group. However, Seoul's reaction has not been so strong as to undermine bilateral relations. Some people fear anti-Japanese feelings could grow among South Koreans as Aug. 29 marks the 100th anniversary of the treaty. So far, however, no such hostility has surfaced.

We think the government should have adhered to its practice of publishing a defense white paper at this time of year.

Postponing the paper's release and then scrambling for an explanation as to why has proved of no avail. Doing so has only drawn public attention to the Takeshima controversy. We feel all this could adversely affect the Japan-South Korea relationship. The Kan administration made the wrong decision about the release of the report.

The Defense Ministry and the Foreign Ministry had insisted the defense report should be released as initially scheduled. Last week, Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Minister Seiji Maehara and Parliamentary Vice Defense Minister Akihisa Nagashima visited South Korea, where some officials reportedly asked them to reconsider the timing of the white paper's release. After being briefed by Maehara and Naga-shima, the prime minster and the chief cabinet secretary decided to delay the report's release, according to informed sources.

Not the DPJ's first blunder

This episode is yet another perfect example of an ill-advised initiative taken by political leaders--that is, members of the Democratic Party of Japan-led administration--in formulating key policies. Political confusion has erupted frequently since the DPJ came into power, as best exemplified by the turmoil created by the government's ham-handed handling of the dispute over the transfer of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station in Okinawa Prefecture.

In December, the DPJ government decided not to include a reference to the Takeshima issue in a teacher's manual for high school geography lessons to be given under the education ministry's new course of study. Failure to say what Japan needs to say could be interpreted as a willingness by our government to make concessions on issues that could affect the foundation of the country.

Takeshima belongs to Japan, both historically and under international law. South Korea is an important neighbor, but our government should not easily buckle to Seoul when dealing with territorial issues.

It is entirely possible for Japan to maintain proper relations with other countries despite a conflict over territorial problems. The government should pursue such a diplomatic approach.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, July 29, 2010)
(Jul. 30, 2010)

Daily Yomiuri Online :: Friday, July 30, 2010

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A-bomb epitaph's original documents with English translation found

Jul 29 07:03 PM US/Eastern

HIROSHIMA, July 30 (AP) - (Kyodo) — Documents containing the original of the famous epitaph composed by a Hiroshima University professor for the atomic bomb monument in the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima City have been found and donated to the city's archives office.

The brush-stroke writings, both in Japanese and English, by Tadayoshi Saika (1894-1961), are contained on a sheet of "washi" Japanese paper and three "shikishi" paper boards.

Just like on the monument itself, the epitaph is written in three separate lines, with English translations given underneath. The writings are signed by Saika without a date.

The documents show two different English translations, indicating Saika rewrote and refined the expression before the finalization of the official translation, which reads, "Let all the souls here rest in peace, for we shall not repeat the evil."

In the "washi" paper document, the translation for the latter part of the epitaph is "for to repeat the fault we shall cease." This version was used in around July 1952 when the city announced the epitaph.

The translations on all three paper boards are the same as the city's official translation being currently used.

The documents were found in April when Tsuneo Sato, 76, a hospital director in Nishi Ward in the city, was sorting through the personal belongings of his late mother, who was acquainted with the professor.

The documents are believed to be from the 1950s, based on the address and other information on their back.

"I would imagine that professor Saika, who was an expert on English literature, was refining the expression so that Hiroshima's prayers would be conveyed to as many people as possible around the world," said Kazuhiko Takano, head of the Hiroshima Prefectural Archives.

The epitaph was unveiled Aug. 6, 1952. As the subject of the epitaph is not made clear, it spurred a controversy in the months after the unveiling with critics saying it failed to question who was responsible for the war.

In 1983, the city set up a board near the monument saying that the epitaph is a prayer from all the people for those who died in the bombing and that it expresses their vows not to repeat the mistake of war.

Environmental review of Guam buildup released

By Dionesis Tamondong - Pacific Daily News
Posted : Wednesday Jul 28, 2010 19:31:35 EDT

HAGATNA, Guam — Residents can read for themselves what facilities the military plans to build on Guam, how it may improve or adversely affect the island and what will be done to mitigate those potential impacts.

The final Environmental Impact Statement, which details Department of Defense buildup plans, was released Tuesday to senators and other local officials. The massive, multivolume document was made available Wednesday online and at local public libraries.

The Final EIS was initially scheduled to be made available to the public Friday. Instead, its release coincided with a visit by Deputy Secretary of Defense William Lynn, who pledged Tuesday to help preserve the Chamorro culture as the island undergoes significant changes and challenges over the next several years during the buildup.

Lynn, during a public lecture at the University of Guam, made commitments to ensure the buildup will benefit Guam and the adverse impacts will be managed.

“The Department of Defense is committed to respecting and preserving the Chamorro culture and the spirit of the Guam community,” said Lynn, who noted that he is the senior Defense Department official directly overseeing the buildup.

“We will not exceed the capacity of Guam’s infrastructure as we construct the new military facilities. The Environmental Impact Statement makes clear that we have many ways of controlling the pace of this endeavor,” he said before a conference room filled with senators, mayors, education officials, private sector representatives and the general public.

Lynn’s visit to Guam follows visits and presentations by other high-ranking federal officials over the past week, including Assistant Secretary of the Navy Jackalyne Pfannenstiel, Deputy Undersecretary of Defense Dorothy Robyn and White House Council on Environmental Quality Director Nancy Sutley.

The pledges he made come a few days after about 250 protesters made known to visiting officials their opposition to the planned Marine Corps firing range that would be closely located to Pågat, an ancient Chamorro village and recreational site.

The decision to locate a firing range in that area, which stretches hundreds of acres from Mangilao to Yigo along Guam’s eastern coast, has been the most contentious buildup issue.

Although military officials have reiterated that limited access will be granted to that site, protesters have argued the firing range shouldn’t be there at all. Rather, the military should build a range on current federal and military property, which encompasses about a third of the island.

Military officials have said the Pågat location was chosen for safety reasons, including small nearby populations and relatively low traffic congestion.

Although the firing range is a key component of the buildup, it’s just one piece of the large puzzle.

* The military buildup includes the relocation of about 8,600 Marines and their 9,000 dependents from Okinawa to Guam, and the development of base facilities in Dededo to house them.

* About 600 Army personnel and their 900 dependents will also relocate to Guam as part of an Army Missile Defense Task Force.

Lynn and other visiting officials have said they are confident there will be adequate financial support — from the Japan government, from various federal agencies and from Congress — to improve and expand the roads and utilities needed for the anticipated spike in the island’s population.

Among the biggest concerns raised through some of the 10,000 comments submitted during the public comment period were the impact of construction projects and the population surge to the island’s already-burdened infrastructure.

In response, federal officials have said they will commit to regularly adjusting the pace and sequencing of buildup projects so that it stays within the limitations of Guam’s utilities, port, roads and other public infrastructure.