Newsletter No. 988
News-Analysis
April 22, 2008

 

MORE FALLOUT FROM THE NAGOYA RULING

A second round of interesting statements and counterstatements are being produced in the Japanese-language press in regard to the Nagoya High Court ruling. So far, the English-language press is saying very little about these matters.

Justice Minister Kunio Hatoyama jumped into the fray on the 20th when speaking in the city of Kurume, Fukuoka Prefecture. In a speech at a military ceremony, he stated, “The state won the case completely… all of the rest is just side talk.” While Hatoyama’s comments are not substantially different from what other LDP leaders are saying (and hardly surprising coming from him), it is surely unusual for a sitting Justice Minister to speak so dismissively of a High Court ruling.

However, one official has now gotten into some trouble for his comments. At a press conference, ASDF General Toshio Tamogami, the head of the service, when asked about the Nagoya ruling, replied, “my feeling is sonna no kankei nee (it doesn't matter at all).” The expression doesn’t translate perfectly into English, but it is very informal language associated with a certain Japanese comedian. In substance, it not only dismissed the significance of the ruling, but was even quite mocking in its tone.

Not surprisingly, SDP leader Mizuho Fukushima was outraged: “I must strongly protest that outburst. I’m having some doubts about whether the SDF recognizes that it is subject to the law. The ASDF chief’s comments were extremely arrogant. It’s a serious problem that they are turning a deaf ear to this historic ruling.”

Somewhat more surprisingly, even Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba indicated publicly that General Tamogami had gone too far. Today he told reporters, “I feel his choice of words was a bit awkward… but I can understand the [military’s] feelings.” Though subtle, in Japanese terms this was a pretty serious slapdown of the top ASDF officer. Though militarist in his political orientation, Ishiba is one of the real brains in the LDP leadership: He understands that having a uniformed military officer openly mocking the civilian judiciary is well over the line of what the public will accept.

Plaintiffs from the Nagoya case have sent letters of protest to both ASDF General Toshio Tamogami as well as former Minister of Education Nariaki Nakayama for their rather outlandish comments about Judge Aoyama or the significance of the verdict. The plaintiffs wrote: “Here we can see the real feelings of the government and the Ministry of Defense which only care to force through their Iraq deployment and ignore the Constitution... We seriously question their commitment to the separation of powers.” They have also requested a face-to-face meeting with General Tamogami.

Meanwhile, a batch of about a hundred ASDF personnel returning from Iraq to Komaki Air Base in Aichi Prefecture faced some antiwar protestors. The protestors demanded the immediate withdrawal of all of the ASDF from Iraq. The media reports did not indicate how many protestors were involved.

JAPANESE COMPANIES IN THE RUNNING FOR IRAQI OIL

On the 21st METI Minister Akira Amari met in Rome with Iraqi Oil Minister Husain al-Shahristani. Minister Amari requested that the Iraqi government allow Japanese companies to participate in Iraqi oil development. Al-Shahristani indicated that Iraq would welcome Japanese participation.

Inpex, Japex, Nippon Oil, and the Mitsubishi Corporation are said to be in the running among Japanese companies in Iraq.