Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary (Excerpt)

Opening Statement by Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: I would like to give an overview of the Cabinet meeting. The meeting approved 12 general and other measures, the promulgation of legislation, and personnel decisions.

In ministerial discussions following the Cabinet meeting, the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications made a statement concerning the implementation of the 2015 Census.

I have an announcement regarding a personnel decision that was made at the Cabinet meeting today. Effective today, Mr. Ichiro Komatsu, Director-General of the Cabinet Legislation Bureau, will retire from office, and Mr. Yusuke Yokobatake, Deputy Director-General of the Cabinet Legislation Bureau, will be appointed as Mr. Komatsu’s replacement. A short while ago, the Prime Minister gave letters of dismissal and appointment to Mr. Komatsu and Mr. Yokobatake, respectively. When Mr. Komatsu, the previous Director-General of the Cabinet Legislation Bureau, was hospitalized and received a checkup this January, a tumor was found in his abdomen. Since then, Mr. Komatsu has been carrying out his regular work while receiving chemotherapy. However, yesterday, Mr. Komatsu expressed the desire to focus on his treatment. Mr. Komatsu consulted the Prime Minister on the matter. As a result, the Prime Minister judged that as full-fledged discussions regarding the modality of the right of collective self-defense are expected to start at the Diet, following yesterday’s compilation of the report of the Advisory Panel on Reconstruction of the Legal Basis for Security, it would be too demanding to ask Mr. Komatsu to continue to undertake the highly taxing job of Director-General of the Cabinet Legislation Bureau, which would include answering questions at the Diet. The Prime Minister therefore determined that it was proper for Mr. Komatsu to give priority to his treatment and approved his resignation. Mr. Komatsu, the previous Director-General of the Cabinet Legislation Bureau, will be appointed as Special Advisor to the Cabinet effective today. While he continues his treatment, to the extent possible, we will be hearing his opinions regarding legal issues involving the Cabinet.

I have an announcement regarding the visit to Japan by H.E. Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh and the treatment of her visit as an Official Visit. Prime Minister Hasina of Bangladesh will be visiting Japan from May 25 to 28. During today’s Cabinet meeting, the Cabinet approved the treatment of the Prime Minister’s visit as an Official Visit. During her stay in Japan, on May 26, His Majesty the Emperor of Japan will hold an audience with Prime Minister Hasina. On the same day, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will hold a Japan-Bangladesh summit meeting and dinner, and is expected to discuss the strengthening of bilateral relations in areas such as politics and security, economy and economic cooperation, and people-to-people exchanges, among other matters. Bangladesh, with a population of approximately 160 million people, is a moderate Islamic nation that continues to achieve stable growth, and has traditionally been friendly towards Japan. Japan therefore attaches importance to Bangladesh. Japan expects that the visit to Japan by Prime Minister Hasina will serve as an opportunity for advancing bilateral relations through the development of a comprehensive partnership between the two countries.

Today, prior to the Cabinet meeting, there was a meeting of the Electricity Supply-Demand Review Meeting, and the electricity supply-demand measures in summer 2014 were decided. With regard to this summer’s electricity supply and demand, it is expected that the reserve margin in central and western Japan will fall below the reserve margin of at least 3%, which is deemed necessary for stable supply of electricity, unless additional supply is received from eastern Japan. In light of this situation, the Government requests all of Japan excluding Okinawa to undertake general power conservation efforts without setting numerical targets. In central and western Japan, the Government will take measures, including strengthening the comprehensive inspection of thermal power plants, power conservation efforts, and the power-saving campaign. Furthermore, the Government will consider additional supply-demand measures according to the circumstances, such as supply-demand trends and the situation of power plants. We ask for the cooperation of the people, in particular, the people in central and western Japan, towards the power conservation and power-saving measures. For more information regarding this matter, please ask the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

Q&As

• The director –general level talks between Japan and ROK
• The Government view of the right of collective self-defense

 (Abridged)

REPORTER: I have a question regarding the director-general level talks between the Japanese and ROK foreign ministries that were held yesterday. The Japanese Government takes the position that the comfort women issue was resolved fully and definitively with the signing of the Agreement Between Japan and the Republic of Korea Concerning the Settlement of Problems in Regard to Property and Claims and Economic Cooperation. However, I understand that the comfort women issue, among other matters, were included in the agenda of the talks. What is the meaning and objective of having dialogue with the ROK regarding the comfort women issue that has already been resolved?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: Director-general level talks were conducted not only on the comfort women issue but also on a variety of Japan-ROK issues. As I see it, a variety of issues were discussed to promote mutual understanding.

REPORTER: With regard to the comfort women issue that has already been resolved, do you view that new measures of some kind need to be taken out of consideration for the feelings of the former comfort women?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: Japan’s position regarding this matter has been consistent. During the Japan-ROK consultations, we will deal with this matter sincerely in explaining Japan’s position.  

REPORTER: In connection with the comfort women issue, I recall you saying before the holiday period in early May that the Government would like to begin the work of ascertaining the background of the compilation of the Kono Statement. Has this work started?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: As I stated, this work will be carried out in a quiet environment.

REPORTER: So you are saying that you will continue to not disclose whether or not the work has started?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: As I stated before, once the work is completed, we, including the members, will inform you of it.

REPORTER: Are you thinking of reporting the results of this work to the Diet by the end of the current session?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: That is something we will consider if the work is completed by the end of the current session and there is a request from the Diet.

REPORTER: Concerning the right of collective self-defense, the Advisory Panel issued a report yesterday, and the Prime Minister appealed to the people during his press conference. Can you please share your views, including your expectations for the upcoming ruling parties’ consultations?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: With regard to the consultations among the ruling parties, the Government will of course coordinate with the ruling parties as to how exactly the consultations should be carried out. During the consultations among the ruling parties, I hope that sufficient discussions will take place regarding the cases that are necessary for examining the development of legislation that will allow for watertight responses. 

REPORTER: Regarding this matter, Chief Representative Yamaguchi of New Komeito expressed the view that the responses discussed by the Prime Minister could be adequately dealt with under the existing domestic legislation. I imagine that a variety of interpretations are possible. Chief Cabinet Secretary, what is your reaction to Mr. Yamaguchi’s comment?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: New Komeito Chief Representative Yamaguchi’s comments imply that he also does not deem that the existing legislation is sufficient for protecting the lives and property of the people and ensuring national security. Yesterday, the Prime Minister described two cases. I believe that Chief Representative Yamaguchi is saying that legislation needs to be developed for these two cases.

REPORTER: In that case, did the Chief Representative’s comments make you quite hopeful about the upcoming consultations?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: The bottom line is that the consultations among the ruling parties will start next week. During the consultations, both sides will provide sincere and careful explanations. The goal is to determine how to protect the lives and property of the people and ensure national security.

REPORTER: The topic of providing explanations to China and the ROK came up earlier. If I may confirm, has Japan already provided explanations to China and the ROK? If not, when and how do you intend to provide explanations?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: Japan’s views will be explained through diplomatic channels.

(Abridged)

REPORTER: The U.S. Government has expressed high expectations. Can you please comment on this?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: We consider that the exercise of the right of collective self-defense will further strengthen the Japan-U.S. Alliance and that this will in turn increase deterrence. We believe this will allow us to realize our goal, that is, to protect the lives and property of the people and ensure national security. We imagine that the United States welcomes it for the same reasons.

REPORTER: I have a question regarding the Prime Minister’s press conference yesterday. Using two panels, the Prime Minister presented two cases: 1) defending a U.S. vessel that is transporting Japanese nationals; and 2) “kaketsuke-keigo” or removing obstructive attempts against the missions of the Japan Self-Defense Force. Are there no other cases that the Government is examining?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: The ruling parties requested that the Government present specific cases. Therefore, the Government will submit cases to the consultations among the ruling parties.

REPORTER: Will the cases be described to us, the media, at the consultations among the ruling parties?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: I believe so.

REPORTER: Although a number of cases were identified, the report underscores the fact that the Government should not necessarily limit its considerations only to certain cases. How will you keep the exercise of the right of collective self-defense in check? There is a slight lack of transparency regarding the extent to which the interpretation would be expanded depending on the decision of the Government at a particular moment in time. Does the Government intend to give detailed cases and limit the scope of interpretation as much as possible? Or will the Government be making decisions flexibly from one moment in time to the next depending on the situation at hand? What is the margin of interpretation you have in mind?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: The report is merely a report. We received a report regarding what the members of the Advisory Panel considers to be necessary for the current situation. The report contained two views, and the Prime Minister adopted one of those views. Yesterday, the Prime Minister explained that responses will in fact be limited to the minimum extent necessary. Of course, the break for this issue will become important. We are entrusting the upcoming ruling parties’ consultations to review this issue. Based on the outcome of the consultations, bills will be submitted to the Diet. The exercise of the right of collective self-defense will only become possible for the first time when the bills are approved by the Diet. Therefore, thorough discussions will take place on this issue.

REPORTER: Then will the laws of the Government go into detail about the responses to concrete cases? Or will the laws be written a little more abstractly to leave margin for responses to be taken depending on specific moments in time? To what extent will flexibility be narrowed down by the cases? 

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: The Government will first present its view to the ruling parties, and a variety of laws will of course be discussed during the consultations among the ruling parties. In any case, I anticipate that limits will be put into place in Japan, such that only with legislation the exercise of the right of collective self-defense will become possible.

REPORTER: During yesterday’s press conference by the Prime Minister, the Prime Minister stated that the Government would proceed with further studies of the Advisory Panel’s recommendation regarding the theory of permitting the exercise of the right of collective self-defense to the minimum extent necessary. What do you mean by studies? Will you be conducting studies of the cases identified earlier? Or will you be studying the content of the legislation to be developed?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: During the consultations among the ruling parties, examples of such situations will be identified, and we will be finalizing how legislation will be developed for responses to which existing legislation cannot be applied.

REPORTER: Yesterday, the Prime Minister stated that neither the consultations among the ruling parties nor the Government’s study have any predetermined deadline. He said that a deadline has not been set. However, Vice-President Komura of the Liberal Democratic Party stated that a conclusion should be reached by the review of the Guidelines for Japan-U.S. Defense Cooperation at the end of the year. Does the Government also consider this review of the Japan-U.S. Guidelines as a deadline?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: This does not have anything to do with the review of the Guidelines and so forth. During the consultations among the ruling parties, we hope agreement can be reached regarding the basic view on the development of legislation. We are not starting with any predetermined deadlines.

(Abridged)

REPORTER: I have another question regarding the right of collective self-defense. During yesterday’s press conference by the Prime Minister, he stated that the view presented in the report, which is that the Constitution permits the limited exercise of the right of collective self-defense, bears in mind the existing basic position of the Government. The 1972 interpretation of the Constitution defines the measures of self-defense necessary to maintain Japan’s peace and security and to ensure its survival, which the Prime Minister referred to in his press conference, and concludes that the Constitution does not permit the exercise of the right of collective self-defense. You interpret on the basis of the 1972 constitutional interpretation that the right of collective self-defense is included in measures limited to the minimum extent necessary. Can it not be said that in making this interpretation, the Government extracted and cited only one part of the 1972 constitutional interpretation?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: Yesterday, the Prime Minister stated that according to this view of the report, if the purpose of the Preamble and Article 13 of the Constitution is considered, the Constitution does not prohibit the Government from taking measures of self-defense necessary to maintain Japan’s peace and security, and to ensure its survival. The Constitution permits the use of force to the minimum extent necessary to this end. The Prime Minister stated yesterday that this view bears in mind the existing basic position of the Government and that the Government would study this view. I gather that in connection to this view, the Prime Minister was saying that the Government would study what kinds of responses may be taken in this case.

REPORTER: The conclusion of the 1972 constitutional interpretation was that the Constitution does not permit the exercise of the right of collective self-defense. Am I right to understand that based on Article 13 you will be ignoring this conclusion in your considerations?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: To cite what the Prime Minister said, yesterday’s report contained two sets of views. One of the views was that the Constitution permits the limited exercise of the right of collective self-defense if a situation could pose a serious impact on the security of Japan. It was based on this view that the Prime Minister made his comments yesterday.