JPRS ID: 10442 JAPAN REPORT

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• Collection: JPRS
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00850R000500050018-2
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• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 67
• Document Creation Date: November 1, 2016
• Sequence Number: 18
• Content Type: REPORTS

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~ JPR~ L/10442
9 April 1982 .
~
Ja an Re ort
p p
cFO~o 21 is2~
~
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JPRS L/10442
9 April 1982
~
i
JAPAN REPORT
~FOUO ai/sa~
CONTENTS
POLITICAL AND SOCIOI,OGICAL
~ Conflicting Opinions on Trade Friction
(Tsuneo Kita; THE JAPAN ECONONiIC JOURNAI~, 9 Mar 82) 1
Impact of Electoral I7istrict Apportionment on Trade I}ispute
(Hideo Matsuoka; MAINICHI DAIZY NEWS, 2!~ Mar 82)........ 3
Komoto~s Political Future
(Takuo Hayashi; MAINICHI DAILY NEWS,.21 Mar u2) .......e 6
~ Suz~lki~s Reelection Move
(Ken~i Kitahaxa; THE DAILY YaMIURI, 19 Max 92).......... 8
Editorial on Suz~~ki~s Popularity
(Editorial; ASAHI EVENING NEWS, 19 riar 82) 9
Editorial on Adm:~nistrative Reform
(Editorial; MAINICHI DAII,Y NEWS, 18 Mar 82) 11
Tanaka Showing Signs of Fatigue
(Takehiko Takahashi; MAINICHI DAI:i.Y NEWS, 10 Max 82) 11~
Poli~tical Impact of Sato Verdict
(Takehiko Taka~'~ashi; MAINICHI DAILY NEWS, 17 Mar 82) , 1~
Editorial: Advance of Military Skill
~ (MAINICHI DAILY NEWS, 15 Mar 82) 18
Editorial on Tax Cut Tangle
(THE DAILY YfIMIURI, 8 Mar 82) 21
ECONOMIC
Automabile parts Industry~~ 3truggle for Existence Repo~~ted
(NIKKEI SANGYO SHIl~UN, various da'ces) 23
- a - [III - ASIA - 111 FOUO]
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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Recent Trade Activlties With Soviet Union Reported
~V'dY'lOL1S SOl1Y'CBS~ V8Y'lOL1S ClSf+@S~ 38
- Special Steel Exports -
Synzhetic F`iber Payment
I,arge-I}iameter Pipe
Agricultural Equipmer:c Drive V Belt
NC Lathe Order
Ilifficulties in Pipelayer Export
Pipelayer Exports Underway
- Crude Oil Recovery Agent
Recent Robot Sales Activities Reported
(~.isao Tanaka; 5HUKAN TOYO KEIZpiI, 13 Feb 82) 47
Development in Robot R&D Activities Reported
(NIHON KEIZAI SHINIDUN, 31 Dec 81, NIKKAN KOGYO SHINIDUN,
~.l~, 15 Jan 82) 53
- Intelligent Assembly Robot
IC Assembly Robot
Coal Mini.ng Robot
- Semiconductor R&D of NTT~s Musashino Laboratory Described .
(Kenichi Komabashi; SHUKAN TOYO KEIZAI, 30 Jan 82) 57
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POLITICAL AND SOCIOLOGICAI, JApAN
- CONFLICTING OPINIONS ON TRADE FRICTION
~ Tokyo THE JAPAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL in English 9 Diar 82 p 10
[ArticlE by Tsuneo Kita]
[ Text ] Whi)e signs that tne Japan-U.S. trade fric- products should not be shiftEd to focus onto
tion is going further to escalate now confront farm products.
the Government and its party with ~~rgency Government quart~rs felt ~ that Tazawa's
to work unitedly for its solution, rumblings aE remark was~ intended to counter the opinion
a discord already have begun to emerge made known earlier by International Trade
within the Government on how to handle the & Industry Minister Shintaro Abe to the ef-
pro~lem of further widening Japan's market fect that he favored a review of Japan's
ThP Government last week held a meeting residual import restrictions and felt that the
of cabinet ministers concerned with eco- Government should enter into talks with the
nomic problems to listen to a report on the U.S. on the farm products import issue. ~
situatio~~ in the U.S. made by a special mis- Tazawa wgs not the only cabinet minister
sion of the ruling Liberal Democratic Pariy with a worry. Finance Minister 1Vii~hio Wata-
which just returned from a visit to that nabe had to stick up for the Japan Tobacco &
country. Salt Public Corporation which comes under
- Esaki reported that the U.S. reaction was his jurisdiction and is the target of American
extremely severe and critical, and the cabi- eriticisms overits handling of foreign tobacco.
net m;nisters' meeting was devoted only to "I have, no intention further to reduce the
hearing Esaki's report Whether it was be- tariff rat$ on ci~arettes and tobacco. I feel
cause its nature was far moce bitter than ex- that the tobacco and salt cocpora2ion and the
pected or whether administrative afficials American tobacco industry should solve this
had done spadework in advance, the only problem by undertaking negotiations on a
one who opened his mouth when Toshio commercial basis," he said.
Komoto, director-general of the Economic ~The Government at the end of last month.
Planning Agency and chairman of th~e meet- held a meeting of ministries and agencies
ing, asked whether anyone had any remarks concerned to study the problem of decontrol-
was Foreign Ministe~ Yoshio Sakurauchi. ling servic~ industries - an easiag which is
At a press conference after this meeting~ s~ted to follow the Government's earlier
Agriculture, Forestry d~ Fisheries Minlster relaxation of import inspection ;vles. The
Tazawa, whose fate is being concerned coe- Foreign Ministry is said to be the one which
stantly with the controversiel farm products urged holding af such a meeting.
import problem, declareci firmly, "I feel that One government infor.mant had this to say:
the present restraint on auto ~xport~ is still "You see, the Economic Planning Agency
too mild, and something more dramatie m~t ~came the channel for easing ianport in-
be done." spection niles. That meant that the Foreign
He advocated curtailing the number of Min~stry this time just had to gra5 the initia-
Japanese cars to be exported to the U.S. in tive. However, it remains to be ~een whether
the second year - 1882 - af the voluntary aU of the others smoottily will f.aU in line with
export curb by a larger margin. Hls view the Minlstry."
was that the blame for Japen's big trad~ sur- It is said that in this case, too, an "under-
plus arising from export af manufactured the-surface" struggle is now going on.
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Even without this, there are troubles
enough in resolving remaining problems in
further liberalizing Japan's market. A~d
there is also ttie time-limit af only slightly
more than thres montt~ unti~ the holding of
the next Summit meeting in Paris in June.
Furthermore, signs point strongly that
- with the approach of the Summit, dapan nat
oniy wiU be pre.~.sed to widen its market by
the industrially-advanced nations but also to
increase its domestic demand.
As to expanding domestic demand, it is o~
vio~s that the fiscal authorities are going to
come up with u5jections. ~
~ Tsuneo Kita is a Nihon Keizai economic
correspondent.f
COPYRIGHT: Mainichi Baily News 1982
cso: 4i2o/2o2~
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rOLITICa?, AND SOCIOLOGICAL
1.~Il'~CT OF ELGCTORAL DISTRICT APPORTIONMENT ON TRADE DISPUTE
"f~ir,~o ifAINICHI DAILY NEWS in English 24 ~1ar 82 p 2
~~rticle ~y Hideo ~Ia.tsuoka~
[~r~Yr? ~
A Listof Japanese Barriers to areas. This demographic�
Trade, pr~sented by the U.S. distribution gave power to a
Commerce Degartment to a political party that successfully
Senate committee hearing is an corralled the (arm vote. But the
~ irferesting document - in- demographic picture un-
teresting in several contexts. It derwent a complete cha~ge in
_ typically shows how Americans these 30 years. Industrialization
view Japan. It is ait American siphoned the population off the
analysis of Japan apd the farms into cities. Due to the
Japanese. you might say. delay of the start of surveys on
= Not aq ot the document is so, the migration, the farcn-tacity
because it is largely an analysis population movement began on
ot Japan in the economic phase. statistics only in 1963. During
Wby does Japan retaln the the 10 years that followed, more
trade barr3er ot import quota? than 500,000 persons lett the
The country keeps 22 tarm farm for~the cities every year.
products, tour leather.products In recent years, we are seeing
and even coal briquettes under the so-called U-turn or back-to-
the qnota system to thwart rural-areas shitt o[ population
nnrestricted import ot these from large cities. Stlll, some
goods. Why? The Commerce 300,000 workers are leaving the
Deparkment paper rates that, farm every year.
people engaged in these tields of Many farm villages across
industry torm the vital power~ the nation have become un-
base of the Liberal-Democratic; derpopulated. In a 1980 survey,
- Party, especially at electioe it was reported that, of the farm
time. families headed by persons ~
lapan's present constituency aged 60 and over, 970.000
system was formulated right� households are without a
a[ter the country's de[eat in member o[ the family ready to
World War II. and has not succeed the present head ot
changed tor 30 years since. family on the farm.
lmmediately aiter the defeat, Based on this analysis ot
[ood production had the top population redistribution, the
policy priority. There was labor Commerce Department paper
concentration of (arms, and it ventures a guess that, if elec-
produced many voters ia rural toral reapportionment were
made strictlv in nroaoction with
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. � .~..~u "Ja~ V:~L�
thc ~iistribution o( voters, the competition from iraports Therefore, farmers vote tor
number o[ Libera!-Democratic which are treely ehtering LI~P politicians. The iarm vote
seats in the Diet .may fall America. Likewise, if the puts the LDP in power, and the
ruu~hly by half to below 200, Japanese tarmers are put oul of party will not do anythin~ that
(~~rcing the party out of power. jobs for losing competition [rom may endanger its pow~er base.
The department is angry that imports when Japan liberalizes ,~5 long as the party keeps
~ the LDP has been blocking the rice import, the damage is g~~ing subsidy to farmers, they
import of tarm pro~uce to something that the Japanese are not anxious to modernize
protect Japanese [armers who farm industry has to accept as a their operation. Their back-
_ forrn its power base. natural consequence of free . wardness is more than made up
I am rather cha~rined by this economy. The relief of unem- for by the politically-motivated
~ bold ~uess about the loss of 200 ployed farmers is the respon- subsidy. In other words. the
L~P seats. I think the depart- sibility of Japanese politics and LDP is buying farm votes at
ment calculation puts to~ether economy, Americans must cost to the national treasury.
~ t)~e party's seats both in the think. Rice price support is one of
House of Councillors and House We may say that public lhe three major causes of the
ot Representatives. Stili, the assessment of the Japanese government deticit along with
luss ot 200 seats for one party electoral system by Americ~ns ~e health insurance and the
presupposes a revolutionary ~ an American intervention in Japanese National Railways.
change taking pla~e in the the domestic affairs of Japan. LDP politicians are being
Japanese politieal picture. Such gut such countering does not elected on the government
cY~ange is possibie if rice import deCicit. How long will this
is completely liberalized. A help soive the issue at all.
America's criticism may ~ continue'' Japan's trade friction
complete import liberalization with the U.S. has [orced the
disregard the reality ir. Japan.
can totally ruin Japanese rice gut, if that reality is not normal ~overnmenl to do somethin~
tarming which sub~ists on by the world's standard; it about this. Japan is being asked
Japanese rice prices which are means that the nation whieh by the U.S. to step up its defense
two to three times higher than ~kes that reality toc granted is . spending it it does not open up
the wurld average. Some ~16 ~mewhat out ot line with the the market for farm products.
million farmers and their rest~of the vmrld, and thus is E~en Yoshihiro [nayama,
families, rou=~hly 40 perrent of required to Iall in line. presideat of the Federation of
the Japanese population, would Economic Organiaations
be deprived of their means of Japanese industrial products ~ geidanren 1 has gone on record
earning a living. are dominating the world advocating liberalization of
market because Japanese iq jarm product import as soon as
Liberalization d~~'Y excels in pralwctivity possible. Forcing a radical
and its products pack a high change in the manner ot tarm �
if the liberalization does level of technology. Japanese management in Japan is an
materialize, Japanese [arming farming industry, by contrast, imperative for the LDP
w�iII shift to large-scale is second or even third rate by government, even if it means
operation to compete with the world standard. In food and ~oss of the party's Diet strength.
im orts. There(ore, the actua! animal teed, Japan s self-
P Another problem is reap-
sutficiency is a mere 4 petcent.
cnsualty should be smaller than portionment. The massive
~i~ ~nillion. Still, it woutd mean a The loss of international outtlow of farm population into
r~vululionary chan e in the competitive potential has
~ cities naturally requires
resulted in the import of 96
- rountry's political atmosphere. rcenl of the nation's needs in reallocation of Diet seats for
Th~~ resultin~ turbulence could ~ each constituency that is af-
cut the I.DP Diet stren h by these fields.
~ As far as competitive fected by the migration. 1~'e
�!~~e? a~ the L'.S. Commerce tential is concerned, the ~~d feel ashar~ed to be told
Uepartment surmises. p� by America that Japan has not
'Che loss of �?00 LDP seats is same can be said about had one reapportionment
tvpical American thinking Japanese cice farming. But t~e during the 30 postwar years,
rice farming is allowed to
~~~t~ich is too abrupt fur us to 5urvive on government subsidy. � ~d that if one is carried out the
cuncur w ith. In American The government is run by the LDP will lose 200 seats.
thinking, American steel and
auto industries are producing Liberal-Democratic Party.
much unemployment tor losing
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Four Verdicts ~
Already there bave b~en tomr therefore me'couatry's faDure
verdicts, including one by t6e ~ ~~~'Y out reapportionment
Surpeme Conrt. that tDt present may not be. blamed entirely on
state of legislative seat ap~ ~ t4.^., LDP: But the respoasibility .
portionment is nnconstitutional. ~ o~ ~ LDP, which has a
The number ot voters pet ap- tqajority iu the Diet, is [ar i
p a r t i o n e d H o u s e o t gi'ea~' ~0~ of opposition
Representadives seat in tbe , parties. Instead of endeavoring
ChIba Fourt6 Dlstt~ct i~ tougNg � to increase its supporters in
urban areas, t~e LDP is doing
fouc times t6at la tbe flyogo-, everything to retain tde present
Fifth Distric~ There ue many. ~ate of apportbnment, giving
oEber cases oi diaparity ~ aa~ inproportionatel~r large
amounting te t6n~e to three and numher ui seats tn spar~elY .
hali times. The rtiling by the populated far~t areas where it
Osal~a Hi~ Court in FeDruarq + k~ps, p~~~ money trom the
this year even aent so fu as ' t~ry . a~~vate
to decl~n: Theorettcal~r, ttk sqpport. Tb~s is the
entire apportionment ot.., ~ pkW~ oE the LDP's.
legislative seats ln the,~POblk : ~~majority."
Election Law i3 in itselC un- : ~e p~pte are ~payiug taxes
conatitutional and, accordi~gly, to finance the LDP's vote-'
t6e 1980 general efectioa ~ ~y~g ~~e seat�heavy voter= .
~rv~ ~ ~ ~ ' llght rural constituencies. The
void." � ~ resuit is to draw a harsh;
Although the ~ judkiary has crlticism from America to a'
unequfvocally termed the . degree that threatens tfie
present state of Diet seat ap~ : taundation of the triendly ties .
- portionment ~ tmobnstltutiovat, ; ~t~,~ the two camtrtes. '
the Llberal-Democratic Pa~~rtty ~ What. say you, Japaaese tai= ~
wonld not dare touch - the payers? . ~ .
problem. Reapportionment !s a~' (The Japanese origtaal is ~
matter that ~ attecta~ the ' o~ ~ carrled la the latesf issue of the~
positfon parties:, alRO, , and; ~yuSunuay9~ai~chl.")..,~_.:
' COPYRIGHT: Mainichi Daily News 1982
cSO: 4120/204
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rvec ~rri~tt?L u~t unLt
~ POLITICAL AND SOCIOL~'*ICAI,
KOMOTO~S POLITICAL FUTURE
Tokyo MAIDIICHI DAILY NEWS in English 21 Mar 82 p 2
LArticle by Takuo Hayashi~
- [TeXt]
'~'Oiie
ot'the~ eveuts Watched' members ot both housesof the
~vIth keea intcrest in JaP~~ Diet. In tbe forma! electioa,.the.
pQlitics thls year :is whether two tap candldates listed ~n�the
Prime Minister Zenko Suzuki: pceliipinary election wilt vie tor
wiA be n~elected without a hitch the poat and of the two the one,
in the election ot the Liberal= who earua the largest votes in
- Democratic Party president the tormal electioa wili be �
~scheduled for this November, or named LDP pttisident. ~
whether~ there:,..wi~ be . a big, Tbe oMglna! atrategy of ~
. . disturbance. It a~diadu~bance Is Komot~ rnd bls taction was to
to ocarc at all, its source wilI. be. ~~win an ~overw4elming victory~
Toshlo Komoto, now �the ~ ~e p~~~ry
dl~recCor-genera! ot �the a first~� step. Ia~ practice;?
Economic Plaauing Agency. hoa?ever; t~e ptimary was held:~
Under preKailing cir- only. oac~ _ in ~ electiag ; the ~
- cumstances. it appears to me president; that is.�~n November ~
tha6 there . is , a growing lg~g j~~ an~ ~
possibility of Komoto aban-. iatroduced. At that ~me.. then ~
doning his challeage to Pr'ime Party. Secretary ~ Geaeral ~
Minister 5u~uki. In other words. Masayoshi Ohlra pl~ped top aad ~
Prime b~itdster Suaukfi is most then Prime btlnister Takea ,
likely to be elected unopposed id Fuk~da ti~Ished second by a~
. th~ LDP presldent~al electioa~ large ma~Ority, rouch to the ~
t01s autumn. What then, is the coatrary of earller specula-
basis tor my prediction as � tbns. As a~ resuit, Fuki~da '
such? ' ' declfned bo run fer the torma: '
The flrst major point:' it is' electton and 9hira was elected
believe~ that Komoto, ~evea It he prestdent and subsequently
. runs tor Ne LDP presidency as became ~ prime minlster.
a rlval candidate against Thereupon. Komoto and Mis
Suzoki, will.have no chance ot taction'~ have erideavored to
winningit. ~ lncrease their ntunber ot at-� ~
� T6e LDP presidendal electlon filIated members belleeing that
is to~be.6eld 'w t~vo stages. The "an overwhelining victory in �
flrst stage is the prelLninary the pretiminary electioa will
- election bq alt LDP members assure him the post of party�
and the secodd ~ stage is Ehe president and that ot prime �
formal..election ,by .all I,UP miaister."�
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However, ot the Itve big LDP ~ FOTmaI EleCtioII . domestic demand aad stimulate
tactions the four others, alarm- . The LDP members now totat,, businecs. On the other hand,
~ed over t~e rapld expansion of 1,160,000. Those aftlliafed with P~e Minister Suzuki who
party members atfiliated wiW gave much importance to fiscal
the Komoto faction are believed ~ops~tion das sdowa oal
Komoto, joinedhaads 9ast year Y
in revising the LDP presideatial . to � D~ about 500.000, com- passive c~esponse to Homoto's
manc~iing the largest number in o inion. In this ~ connection,
etection rules and the pri?nary P
the five big- party factions. s ulations have been rife
election system came into ; P~
existence in name only: In However. at least tont persoae ~ the political arena that
concrete terms, the. folloaing: bave' to run in the race it a rKomoto will serve the prime
preliminary election is to be
two steps were taken. Firstly, in ~ minister a letter of resignatioa
held at ' all. Suc6 is most at an opportiine momenCon the ~
case there ' are onty three`~ ~~ely. Then, if Komoto runs ~d of l~c controntatiori~
Tandidates. the~ p,resident is to~, as sole rival against Suzuki, he ~ y
be dlrectly chosed tiy tornhal. . and embark upon challen8ing
, ha~ ~a ~~tit; dlcecttj? in t6e him.
election without fioldiag a.; ta~al. � election ~ withput a~
preliroinary electiort. Until t D~~. elec~oa.: In that' However, an atmosphere
- then, the primary was to be held ~ ~p~ ~ chance favoring. Komofu's view ha$
as � a~ matter. ~ o( ~ pr~ncfple of wimiag judging from the become dominant of late both ia~
regardless of the namber ,ot' the government and the
candidates, that is, whether " facti'oQ-rtddep political
~~o~~~p, Liberal-Democratic Party,.
there were three candtdates: or ~~~i~g evea~ Prime Mlnister
only two. 5ecoad~y, the numher T1~e second� major point: Suzuki. As far as t6is mattet is;
of recommeadations by the the polIcq disputes which would : concerned, it is a welcome si~n
LDP Diet members� as enable Komoto to Ilgbt ag8inst for Komoto. But, in t6e final
ualificatioas to run in the Prlme Mi6lster Suzukf in the
- q formal etection are bew lost. ~alYsis Komoto Is losing a just
presidential electioA was , g ~ cause to challenge Prime
changed trom 20 to 50. Koq3oto as Director Genexat Minist~r Suzuki. ~
~ ..,..,da:..~ . ~ . ~
of ~ Economic, Plannwt~
Age~., ~bas ' consfste tly ad- fTbe wNter is journallst-
lecturer at Musashi llaiversity
' in.Tokyol
COPYRIGHT: Mainichi Daily News 1982
_ CSO: 4120/204
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POLITICAZ AND SOCIOLOGICAI~
r
SUZURI ~S REELECTI013-.MOVE
Tokyu THE DAILY YOMIURI in English 19 Mar 82 p 3
~Article by Kenji Kitahara~
~T~~~ All indicationa seem to cbnSrm that ~ ing the summit, Suzuki's participation in
Prime Minlater Suzuki has begun his bid the iTN C~eneral Asspmbly meeting on dis-
for reel~ec2lon as Liberal-Democratic Party armament and hls visit to Brazil which
(LDP). president and premier which are he only recently added to his diplomatic
posts tormer premier Takeo Fukuda says schedule.
~he obtained through mere chance. Suzuki's pled3e to stake his political life
Tl~is 8rst evidence . of this bid is the on ada~inigtrative reform has begun to be
Diet sessioa. The current Diet session will an embarrassment for him.
laat uatil May 18, and SuauJd Ss expected In a reeent meeting between Suzuki and
tc~ gllde through the aession without ex- Yasuhiro Na}:asone, director-general oi the
tendiug it. Administrative Management Agency, the
' Of course, Suzuk3 glvea as resaona for two agreed that streamlining of the min-
not eztending the Diet sessioa the meet- istries and agencies would be omitled
ing with Chlnese Premier Zhao Ziyang lrom recommendations scY~eduled to be
- when hp vlsits Tokyo in late May and submitted in July. This apparently reflects
BuauJd's. attendance at the Versailles sum- his response to strong ~rguments against
mit and at the UN special general as- the reform program from within the LDP
aemhly meeting on disarmament. with the LDP election in mind.
In other~ words~ the diplomati~c schedule ~u~uki is taking a negative, defensive
is too tight to take the usual easygoing position on important issues to avoid
attitude toward extending the Diet session. stirring up the political world before the
- But LDP leaders close to Suzu}~i admit LDP presiden~ial election. Former premier
- it would be better ior the premier to t~e Kakuei Tanaka is employing tactics in �
abroad in Zune when the deScit in re- collusion with Snzuki to deluy the ver-
vei?ues from. 8sca1 1981 is expected to be d:ct in his Lockheed trial, the government
_ brou~ht to light, is backing away from administrative re-
The deflcit is predicted to be '1~1,000 2brm and the LDP is submitting no im-
billion-~E1,300 blllion. portant bills to the extraordinary Diet
Fulct~da is taldng a threatening attitude sesaion.
on the defldt isaue. He sa;~s the deticit As this writer said in his column last
will be a maior political problem and he week, the tenure in oftice for a Japanese
indicates he will call Suzuki to ac~sount for prime minister is too short. And as amply
this flscal trouble. illustrated by Suzuki, his Srst year in of-
Moat certainly it would be Frudent for Sce is taken up with studying foreign and
Suzuki Lo be out oi the country when the domestic problems and his second year
deSclt controversey�bursts on tbe political with eSorts to win reelection !or a second
scene, because it could inSuence the LDP term.
pre~idential election neat November. ii this is not changed, the duty oY
Alao, intereat in the deScit will be less governing will continue to be neglected by
in the media becauae oi the news involv- the premier.
COPYRIGHT: The Daily Yomiuri 1982
CSO: 4120/204
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POLTICIAT, AND SOCIOZOGICAL
EDITORIAL ON SUZUKI~S POPUTARITY
Tokyo ASAHI EVENING NEWS in English 19 Mar 82 p 5
~Editorial~
~Text~ '1'h~ie ~is"~~increaaing public coneern over~ the~ politicaI
maneuvers of the Suaulci Cabinet, and many people have
begun to take a. hard look at politics.
" An Asahi Shimbun pubHc opinion poll has shown� that
there is a profound lack of confideace in the Suzuki Cabinet.
One wonders how the Prime Minister will respond to this.
~~The support rate for t}ie Cabine~ has fatlen to 30 per- ~
ceat, the lowest level sia�e the inauguration of the Suzuki
Cabinet 24,,months ago. ~The aon-support rate, on the other ~
haed. is 49 pec~cent~ which is the highest rate for this Cabinet.
. ~4KouL ~halF of tlx� voters questioned gave a resounding "No!" :
whea ..asksd whether the Suzuki Catiinet should iemain in '
office. The reawns for the higher aon-support rate aze very
revealiag; tbe ,per~CentaBe of those who expressed "a lack of �
confideac~' in,' the Covernmeat's policies" has risen dramaacally ;
from five percxnt at the start of the C~binet's tenure to 26 �
petcent now: = , , ~
Ttie Suzuki Cabinet dragged ita feet~ over ~the Opposition
demand that a tax reduction shoutd be incorporated into the
fiscal 1982 budget. Witlr businesa in a slump and real wages
�for workers tending ~:o fall, dissatisfacNon with the Govern-
meat's � economic 'policiea is .becoming stronger.
But t6ia is not th~ only reason for the sudden change
id' the support rates. There is also a lack of confidence in
' the way the Cabinet is executing � its policies, and this lack .
of confidence extends to the Cabinet's 6andling of such im-
pqrtanY issues, as the wocsening relatiom with the United States
and the defense buildup. In britf~ the general incapacity
shown by ous political leaders dvring their nearly , two years
in office has.resulted ia ~a drop ia support.
In giving the ~.iboral-Democratic Party an absolute ma-
jority i~n the electiona for both Houses of the Diet two years
ago. the voters seem to have trusted the LDP's public promises
that it would correct its polidcal attitudes. The voters eacpected
the smooth execution of policies iQ rogard to the host of
difficnit iasues that ]apan faces in this low-growth era: But,
under Suzuki; politjca aa a ahole has only moved retrograde.
'The grawing factionalism within the LDP, the swelling
of the ranks of the Tanaka faction and the increased-influence
oa the party of former Prime Minister Kakuei T,anaka-
these are clear manifestations of political corruption. Mean-
while~ the. special Diet committee for the investigation of.
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r~K urr?a.?HL LJ~. Utvl~Y
political aorrupEion has beea abolished, and~'a "gray afficial"
ia the Lockheed c3se has been giVen an important post. Even
the ~ once. unthinkable, ideu. of `Tanaka's. restoratioa" caa now
be heard in~ political circle~ '
, With regaCd to defer,se, the Prime Minister is far from'
being, a hawk. Ht previously said that . national poticy should
rest on the three non-nucIear principles and tbat Japan should
strivt to 6uild peace in the worid by encouraging nuclear
disarmament. ' ~ '
But, in ~fact, the defense budget has begun to be incnased
within special limits, and there is a more pronounced tendeucy,
on� the part of the Governmertt and the party in power, to
move ~to the right. The right wii~g cf the LDP has. been
ia.~,~qd�spiri~,t,.~iipce Suzuki took office: ~t
~ Te~ten. together,' tbeae two issues of ~ politicai ~�ediics and;
defe~e givs� an idea of the shape LDP politics has come w~
take:~ . we . ha'va; a leader who dces not spealc, or if ht � does,;
De tells the, peopde what they waat � to hear ~ bnt . does aot'
folbw~ throngh with nal efforts. ~i
The same critirism can be made with nspect � to admiua
�i~tradve rcform: '~~"hough ba asserted that he would stalce~ hisf.
political � life � o~r�refo~inrj this ass~rtion hes ~hardly~ b~ea becked=
up witb . actioA~: 'ILe reoent" confosion~:.` in ckbato . in the;
Special Admiuistrative: ~tesearch ~Council ia ~ due to the fact `
tttad the' Priaae Miriiater, a+ilt aot' let the council do~ its~ worA=
8MY }ISS',DOL' 9hOWII l~y. l~Ct8111~ 16 it1C matter. ~ .
,.'T6e ~~.DP's. resistance- to the propo3al f~r a tax reduction ~
wau3d have been unnecegsary if Siizuki had takea somG steps~~
toorard. reforming th4 administration anc~ reducing~ eapenditurGi
at ~ tbe tiroc tlie.~-fis~ar I98I" budget~ was drawn up.' But wl~tetea;
one'a b9siC, ptiinciple i~ , to lcf . things take car~ of ' themselv+e~,~!
, propex :administcati've ietorms, cannot be m~ade; and ne�;her
,
. cac. anyihing else. A� ~ ~ . ~ � .
; 4~ ~ Pt~blia conoen~ "about 'polides msy not always be justified, `
' bnt ~tbe iricfesse in the non-support rate shovvn in the opinion
poII defimtelq retlects a senx of having been beuayed. The
i pablic are wet! awara of ~ things even ~ wHen they do . not seem
; to be watching~ and .they, should not be~ uaderestimated.
~ 'Though ladc ~ of confidenee ia the Suzuki Cabinet ia ~
~ growing, the LDP still ~(as a aupport rate of about, 50 pereent;'
but this ia not active support and sama rather to reflect ths
( helplessness of the OpposiNon partiea. It should be emphasiud
that S`~zuki's problema are, at the same~ time, the problems
~ for the whole of the LDP. (March T8) .
. , ,
~
COPYRIGHT: Asahi Evening News 1982 .
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POLITICAL AND SOCIOZOGICAL

.
EDITORIAL ON ADMINISTRATIVE REFORM
Tokyo MAINICHI DiAILY NEWS in English 18 M~ar 82 p 2
~Editorial~
~Text~
The Second' Ad Hoc Council on~Administrative�
:
Reform which was inaugurated a year ago has
a'noth~er year to go~to finalize its recommendation t~
~t~ie ~overnment. It is now rushing ia order to submit a
~ ~xjasic recommendation around July. :
. Looking back on the achievements of the council,
we are placing higb expectations on it, while at the
~ ~same time calling on the government to meet the .
~enthusiasm of the council to pave the way for creating ~
"an effective and rational administration.
. The council was established fo~ the p~rpose of
�`.`contributing~ toward the realization oi a rational
~administration to match our ~hanging economic and
'social circumstances." We cast serious doubts,
~however, on whether the basic policies of the council
~ave been put into practice during the~past one year.
.~he responsibility rests not with the councII but with
the government. ~ ,
Immediately after it was inaugurated, the council ~
was~ commissioned with the task to map out a plan for
'reducing expenditures, aside from its basic target of
realizing administrative reforni to create a simple
.but effective government. The f4rst-phase recom-
- inendation submitted to the government last July was
poles apart from the ideal of administrative reform.
Even this recommendation was watered down in the
cbnrse of legislation in the Diet. ~
In other words, the recommendation was simply
~~gnored by the government. Hence criticism ran high
that the Second Ad Hoc Council had downgraded itself
to itie role of maidservant to the gavernment.
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r~uK urN~ic:i~':L L'~~ U~iLY
It is still i-res.h in oar memory that when the
. guvernment was obiig~d to i~oaE cieficit-eovering
~ national bonds for fiscal 1981, Chsirman Toshiwo
~ : Doko of the Council bitterly critic~zed~'~,it=,s government
saying: "Things would not have come to such a pass i� ~
'the government had observed the council's recom-
~ mendation to the letter." '
The recommendation submitted this. Ir'ebruary
calling for rationalization and simplification of the
government's licensing and approval systems was
insufficient because it. was mapped out under heavy
pressure of various government ministries and
agencies. In ~short, the counciI was thrown into a
whirl~ool af politics from the very start, and the
government only selected those ite~bs in the
recommendation which served its purpos~~~. When the
situation turned unfavorable to the gove:nment, it
tried to hide behind the council. It is not too ir.uch to
say that the interests oE the governmeni and the
Liberal-Democratic Party have always prevailed
over the recommendations of the c~uncil.
The resistance of certain ministries and ageacies
as well as special corporations also became all the
more complex when the council began delving into .
~ their particular sectors. The. counc;l's tentative plan ~
contalned in the basic recon7raendation magped out
by Che secretariat was lukewarm ~n content as it ~
avoided including difticult items. It was reported that
Chalrman Doko turned down the tentative plan and.
asked the-secretariat to scrutinize ii. Thus, th~re is a
Iurking suspicion that the bureaucrats have not been~
cooperating with the council.. ~ . , . . ~ ;
The council should not listen to any political
hubbub. It is our sincere wish that it map ouC~ retorm :
plan with a broad and profound vision to tulfill its
. original ideal. It is now imm~ater3al wdether or not.
retor4n is plausible. It shouid submit a dynamic and;
bold blueprint that is most comprehensible to the,
nation. . ~ '
The most important questio~r now is the attitude
of the government in dealing. with the work of the
~council. The government should refrain from med-
dling with the council whIIe the latter is deliberating.
on the reform plan. Prime Minister Zenko Suzuki.
' himself earlier pledged that his government would
honor the reform plan and we call oa bim to keep that
promise. . .
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_ Tt must be made crystal-clear that administrative
reform is not aimed at fiscal reconstruction. It may
contribute~ toward fiscal reconstruction as an end-
result, b~t the reform is, in itself, a question to be
discussed in a d~fferent dimension tmm fiscal
reconstruction. ~
Chairman Doho declared that it 1S Prime Minister
Susuki aha has to tac~le reform to the best ot his
ability. We ~rge the prime niiaister to respond to that
.r.aU.
COPYRIGHT: Mainichi Daily News I982
CSO: 4120/204
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POLITICAL AND SOCIOZOGICAL J[~p~
TANAKA, SHOWING SIGNS OF FATIGUE
Tokyo MAINI~HI DAILY NEWS in English 10 Mar 82 p 2
[Article by Takehiko Takahashi]
[Text ] Criticisms have surtaced stitutes the core ot the anti� uncooperative in regard to the
over the fact that tormer Prime Tanaka influence in the LDP. (ormation ot the Fukuda ad-.
Minister Kakuei Tanaka con- Thls g(ves turther proo[ of how ministration. Fukuda, on hls
tinues to possess great in- strong "numbers" are in the part. did not cooperate and was
tluence in Japanese politics world of politics, cool toward a"Nakasone ad-
although he is a defendant in a 'Phe Suzuki administratlon Ls minlstratidn" ~appearing to
criminal trial over the recelving the suppoM ot the succeed tt~e Ohira ad-
Lockheed scandal. Tanaka taction. II this support mintstration. .
One is the statement made by Is lost, the Suzuki ad- Because ot such a Fukuda-
former Prlme Mlnister Takeo ministratlon will at once face N a k a s o n e r e 1 a t I o n s h f p,
Miki at a conierence of the the danger of collapsing. Jn Nakasone~ believes that lt will
Libecal-Democratic Party's particular, Prime Mlnister , be impossible to obtain
supreme advisers. Another Is Zenko Suzuki is hoping to be ~ Fukuda's cooperation to
the statement by Seiichi reelected as LDP president in assume the. reins ot ad-
Tagawa, representative of the the party election scheduled ministratton. Thus Nakasone fs
New Llberal Club~ at the party this autumn. Here again the . acting with the judgment that to
convention. support ot the.Tanaka tactton obtain the cooperation ot the
* ln his strong criticism, tor� will be necessary. This was why ~ Tanaka faction is the only way
- mer Prime, Minlster Miki Susumu Nikaido (Tanaka , ofobtalningthepremfership.
declared that the way in which tactionl, who has been On the other hand, Fukuda
the Tanaka tactlon is expanding criticlzed as "a gray oftlctal," has a feeling ot considerabie
1ts factional InAuence Is tan- has been placed in the im- goodwill toward Komoto. In his
tamount to creating "a party portant post ot LDP secretary case, t~o, Komoto iudges that It
within a party." general. ~ will ,x~ difticult to gain the
_ Tagawa sald that "it a verdict ~ pre:niership it~ the Tanaka
ot ~guilty' ls handed down in the SpeCial Atterition faction takes the lead ln op-
first trial, Tanaka should resign ~ posing a"Komoto ad-
as a Diet member." Both. Yasuhiro Nakasone and ministration" and 6e is thus
Criticisms ot the kind made Toshto Komoto, who are hoping endeavorfng tc wln the tavor ot
by Miki and Tagawa exlst not to aucceed Suiuki as prime the Tanaka faction.
only among the oppositlon minister~� are giving special , All this is making the position
parties but also within the LDP. attention and consideratfon to, ot the Tanaka taction more and
That lhese criticisms have not . the Tanaka taction. This is more advantageous within the
been made openly up to now especlally so in Nakasone's LDP. ,It the Tanaka faction
testlties to the strength . ot case. Nakasone's electoral were to decide to file a can-
Tanaka and ot the Tanaka district 1s the same as that of didate trom the tactlon in the
taction. Statements o[ this kind former Prime Minister Takeo next party presidential election,
havenotbeenmadeevenbythe F'ukuda. Possibly partly the situation would undergo a
Fukuda tactlon, which con- because ot that, Nakasone was big change, But the Tanaka
11~
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taction is smart and instead of pearance is almost abnormal."
doin~ that, it is endeavoring to This undoubtedly indicates
~rasp the leadership through how fatigued Tanaka is upon
the strength ot numbers. tacing the difflcultles caused by
(f the Tanaka faction were to being a detendant in the
lose this strength, it would be Lockheed trial. Most people
when Tanaka is judged guilty in ~onsider that the trial is
the Lockheed trial and the unity proceeding unfavorably for
of the'fanaka iaction crumbles. Tanaka. When. the verdic~. is
r1t present, tt~e Tanaka faction handed down and it it is
asscrts that even in the "guilty." there is a possibility
toregoing contingency, the that the view expressed by
solid:,rity oi the faction will not Tagawa of the New Liberal
be ;~ffected. There is a con- Club will spread among the
sicicr~hlc nutnber o[ people in people. It Is also bound to have
ou~~~r t.~ctions n~ho share a some ettect on the Liberal-
xnuilar bpinion. Is this correct Democratic Party.
or not'' Oniy time can tell. In such a case, changes are
Not so long ago an individual likely to occur involving not
wl~o is close to Tanaka visited only the Suzuki administration
the Tanaka residence and tound but also the "post-Suzuki ad-
'fanaka alone in a room. This ministration."
vi~itor said, "1~Vhen hc is alone, ~The writer is an adviser to
Tanaka looks extremely tired. the ]t~ainich! Newspapers and
One could say that his ap- lormerchieledilorial writerJ.
COPYRiGII~ : Mainichi Daily News 1982
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POLITICAL AND SOCIOLOGICAL
POLITICAL IMPACT OF SATO VERDICT
Tokyo MAINICHI DAILY NEWS in English 17 Mar 82 p 2
~e~rticle by Talcehiko Takahashi~
i'1 ex t ] �
The verdict in the first trial of The following alfernatives
detendants Tomisaburo' can be considered in regard to
Hashimoto and Takayuki Sato the judgment tor Sato:
in connection with the Lockheed 1. Not gullty.
scandal will be handed down In this case, the prosecutor
shortiy, lt was from the will most . likely appeal the
relationship of ~ these two that yerdict but Sato will continue to
the expa~ession gray otficlals be a Diet member as before.
emerged. Among those called 2. Guilty.
"gray officials" are Susurnu This can take the form of a
Nikaido, Mutsuki Kato, Hideo rison sentence or a sta of
Sasakl and Kazuomi Fukunaga. P Y
Among them, Sasakl and execution. The opinion is that if
Fukunaga retired from the there is a stay of execution, Sato
political world after being need not resign as a Diet
labeled "gray officials." member. There is . an even
~\'evertheless, Nikaido is at stronger view that if he gets a
presentthe secretary generalof prison sentence, he can ao
the Liberal-Democratic Party longer be a Diet member.
and Sato holds the important What Action?
post of chairman of the party's
nationai organization com- The problem is that if the
mittee. verdict is guilty but with a
Naving lost in the last elec- suspended sentence, what
� tion, l~ashimoto is not a Diet action will the opposition
member now bul Sato is a Diel parties take? And how will the
member. If a verdict of guilty is LDP cope with such action?
ha?ided doti~n for Sato in the Among the opposition parties,
(irst trial, how will he cope with Junya Yano, secretary general
this? This is the focus of at- ' oC the Komelto, says, "if the
- tention in the political world. verdict is quilty, won't Sato
This is because the action that resign? If he doesn't and if
Sato takes will have a close advice is given that he shouid
rE+lation with former Prime resign, the lC,~meito can only
biinister Kakuei Tanaka. support such advi:;e."
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~~~~~~ri t~elcss. Yano is am- is likely to be handed down in president of the LDP, will t3nd it
?,~i;~ious a~~ tn whether the April or May next ye~r. The necessary to clarify h1s
t�,o1111'ilU l5~i11 take the lead in prospect is that the prosecutor's position.
;:;iti isin~; tf~e resignation, For argument for punishment will If Prime Minister Suzuki
i:~~~ I