James B. Nicholson, Trustee vs. Harmon - Witness Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

David C. Farmer, Successor-Trustee vs. Harmon

(Formerly Woo vs. Harmon & Nicholson vs. Harmon)

CV05-00030 DAE KSC

U.S. District Court For the District of Hawaii

Judges: David A. Ezra; Kevin S. Chang

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DEFENDANT’S WITNESS

SHINZO ABE

Prime Minister of Japan.

April 27, 2007

Bush, Abe warn of tougher stance on North Korea

By Tabassum Zakaria

CAMP DAVID, Maryland (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe warned North Korea on Friday that they would take a tougher stance toward the communist nation if it does not honor its commitments on nuclear disarmament.

Bush and Abe expressed concern that North Korea missed an April 14 deadline to start shutting its Yongbyon nuclear reactor and warned of steps such as sanctions if it did not comply.

"Our partners in the six-party talks are patient but our patience is not unlimited," Bush said, referring to the six-way negotiations involving the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the United States.

In Abe's first visit to Washington since becoming prime minister in September, the two allies strove to match the friendly rapport that Bush had with Abe's predecessor Junichiro Koizumi.

A scheduled five-minute private meeting in Bush's study at the presidential retreat at Camp David, Maryland, lasted about 40 minutes. Bush also drove Abe to a news conference in a golf cart and repeatedly referred to him by his first name.

Standing next to each other in a hangar before reporters, they made a point of showing unity on sensitive issues such as Japanese abducted by North Korea and women who were pressed into sexual servitude by Japan during World War Two.

Abe and Bush said the United States and its allies would allow North Korea some leeway in shutting the reactor, which was part of a deal reached in February for it to take disarmament steps in return for aid and security assurances.

MORE SANCTIONS POSSIBLE

But Bush said that if it appeared North Korea was not going to follow through on its commitments, "We have the capability of more sanctions."

After talks at the mountain retreat that was cloaked in fog, Abe said he and Bush saw "eye-to-eye" on North Korea. "They need to respond properly on these issues, otherwise we will have to take a tougher response on our side," Abe said.

Abe wants to see Japan take a more assertive role in global security, revise its U.S.-drafted pacifist constitution and become an equal security partner with the United States.

Some Japanese officials have expressed concern that Washington is softening its stance toward Pyongyang. U.S. support for the February deal marked a shift for Bush, who labeled North Korea part of an "axis of evil" in 2002.

Bush and Abe also discussed ways to make progress in the Doha round of global trade negotiations, and Bush made a point of mentioning that he was serving American beef hamburgers to the Japanese delegation, in a hint that Japan should lift a ban on U.S. beef imports.

U.S. officials said the visit to Camp David was as much about building a personal rapport as it was about the security and economic issues they discussed.

Bush often mentions his jaunt with the charismatic Koizumi to Elvis Presley's Graceland home last year, where the Japanese leader donned sunglasses and belted out songs in an impersonation of the late singer.

Abe is more reserved and but the leaders hit it off well enough that Bush said he hoped the Japanese leader would come to his Texas ranch, an invitation he usually reserves for favored allies.

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July 30, 2007

Abe’s Debacle

By Clay Chandler, Fortune’s Asia Editor

When Japan’s prime minister Shinzo Abe met George W. Bush at last year’s Asia Pacific summit in Hanoi, he presented the U.S. president a small memento: a photograph of their grandfathers playing golf together outside Washington with then-president Dwight D. Eisenhower. Abe, keen to replicate the close personal relationship with the American leader enjoyed by his predecessor, Junichiro Koizumi, chose the image to underscore the things he and Bush have in common. Both men are the scions of political dynasties. Abe’s grandfather was prime minister and his father foreign minister; Bush’s grandfather was a senator and his father president.

Now, the crushing defeat of Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party in elections for the upper house of Japan’s parliament last weekend gives the two leaders something else to bond over. Both men have become huge liabilities to their political parties and lead democracies in which a majority of voters wish they would resign.

At least Bush, in refusing to abdicate, has the law and history on his side. The U.S. Constitution clearly stipulates that, short of impeachment, the president is entitled to serve out his four-year term. Indeed, there are many examples of unpopular American presidents – Truman, Johnson, Carter, Ford — who clung to power until the bitter end. In Japan, by contrast, there is no postwar precedent for a prime minister insisting on sticking around after leading his party to an electoral debacle as definitive as the one suffered by the LDP last Sunday.

Technically, Abe is no more obliged than Bush to atone for an electoral route by resigning. Under rules of the Japanese constitution, power to appoint the prime minister resides with the Lower House where the LDP, coasting on Koizumi’s popularity, still commands a large majority. Until his LDP colleagues rally behind someone else, Abe can keep his job. In 1998, however, then-prime minister Ryutaro Hashimoto resigned after the LDP won 44 seats in Upper House elections. In 1989, another prime minister, Sosuke Uno, decamped after the LDP was similarly humiliated in Upper House elections.

Abe, by contrast, has vowed to soldier on. “My effort to build a new nation has barely started,” he declared. “I want to fulfill my responsibility as prime minister.”

That statement belies astonishing hubris. The reality is that, as long as Abe insists on staying, the world’s second-largest economy is doomed to continued policy drift. If Abe felt genuine responsibility for the LDP’s defeat, he’d clean out his desk.

Japan’s constitution requires that legislation win approval in the Upper House to become law. Most analysts predict the LDP’s dreadful showing in the weekend election assures political gridlock for Japan until the next Lower House election.

“I very much doubt that Abe’s ‘gets it,’” argues veteran Japan economist Jesper Koll. “His character, style, education and very being make it unlikely he’ll change to meet the demands of the people.”

The reasons for Abe’s defeat are legion. His administration has been plagued by incompetence and scandal. His agricultural minister committed suicide in the wake of revelations about his misuse of campaign funds. A defense minister was forced to resign for endorsing Truman’s decision to drop nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. On Abe’s watch, a key government agency lost the files of 50 million Japanese pensioners. But Abe’s worst sin was to spurn voters’ desire that he strengthen Japan’s beleaguered economy and press forward with Koizumi’s reform agenda. Instead, Abe, 52, has emphasized ideology over policy, pushing controversial initiatives to bolster patriotism in schools and rewrite Japan’s pacifist Constitution. As voters worried about dwindling job opportunities, rising taxes and a shrinking labor force, Abe nattered on about the need for a strong defense and his desire to create a “beautiful country” in which citizens could take pride in their culture and traditions.

After 10 months of such pablum, voters delivered a resounding rebuke. With 121 seats in the House of Councillors up for grabs, the LDP won just 37, trailing its arch rival, the Democratic Party of Japan. This marks the first time the LDP has failed to win the largest number of seats in the Upper House since 1955, the year the party was founded. Even in rural districts, normally bastions of LDP support, the party took a drubbing.

It’s tempting to argue that, like Bush, Abe’s upbringing as the favorite son of a powerful political dynasty created a sense of entitlement, even arrogance, that bred disdain for voters. Koizumi was also the son of a prominent politician. But where Koizumi hailed from a marginal LDP faction that few expected to seize the reigns of power, Bush and Abe are descended from mainline political dynasties where power seemed to come almost as a birthright.

Whatever the reason, last weekend’s defeat assures that, within the LDP, the knives are out for Abe. In the months ahead, expect furious, intra-party scheming by potential successors. My own guess is that Abe will be forced out within a year. Depend on it: the man who campaigned under the banner of “A Beautiful Country” is headed for an ugly end.

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September 12, 2007

Japan PM steps down after
string of scandals

by Hiroshi Hiyama. Yahoo News

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe resigned on Wednesday after less than a year in power, falling victim to a string of scandals that hampered his reform agenda and sent his popularity plummeting.

The conservative 52-year-old, the youngest Japanese leader in modern times and the first to be born after World War II, came to office determined to roll back the legacy of defeat by the Allies and build "a beautiful nation".

But a series of gaffes and scandals cost his ruling party control of the upper house of parliament in July, and Abe conceded that the resurgent opposition had made it impossible for him to do his job.

Abe's position had looked increasingly precarious as the newly empowered opposition refused to back his proposed reforms and an extension of a controversial mission in support of US-led forces in Afghanistan.

"I have made my utmost efforts with my belief that we should not stop reforms. But unfortunately, the party cannot hold talks with the opposition party because I am the prime minister," a visibly emotional Abe said.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Kaoru Yosano, the government's top spokesman, also alluded to health concerns....

And a whiff of scandal surrounded the resignation as a Japanese weekly, the Shukan Gendai, announced that it would publish an article on Saturday on alleged inheritance tax evasion by Abe at the time of his father's death.

Abe said he had instructed his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to pick a successor "as soon as possible."

The party will likely hold an election on September 19, local media reported. Abe officially remains premier until that time....

Whoever replaces Abe will face a revitalised opposition determined to do its utmost to take the reins of power.

Ozawa said Abe's resignation would not soften his party's opposition to the Indian Ocean mission, which provides refuelling support for US-led forces in Afghanistan.

"Our thoughts will not change just because the head of the LDP changes," he told reporters.

The United States has warned that a Japanese withdrawal would damage relations between the long-standing allies, and analysts say Abe's resignation won't help matters....

Abe suffered an election drubbing in July when rural voters deserted the LDP in droves, failing to relate to the prime minister's ideological agenda, which focused on building Japan's global standing and rewriting the constitution.

The opposition instead campaigned on bread-and-butter concerns such as mismanagement of the pension system and income inequality, leading to its upper house victory.

The opposition blasted Abe's decision to battle on as prime minister for so long after the election defeat, only to step down just two days after pledging in parliament to remain in office.

"I have never seen anything like this in my 40 years in the world of politics," said Ozawa.

Abe's government was also dogged by incessant scandals involving his cabinet, with several ministers quitting and one committing suicide.

Abe first came to public prominence through his tough talk on North Korea, which continued throughout his time in office.

He also reached out to China and South Korea, whose ties with Japan were tense under Koizumi due to a dispute linked to war memories.

China on Wednesday praised Abe for helping to improve relations between the two countries, saying he had played an "active and constructive role."

Japanese share prices closed down 0.50 percent as Abe's resignation rattled investors, but the announcement had little impact on the yen.

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April, 2003

Japan Market Update

Aloha,

This past week I returned from a 12-day trip to Japan during which I met with business contacts and had an opportunity to get a "pulse" on the business environment and recovery potential for the travel market.

Now the SARS situation is affecting some of Japan's most popular and largest growth markets--China, Hong Kong, and other Asia. As "The Tropical Resort Destination" of choice, Hawaii is now in a very unique position with clean, healthy, relaxed, and stress free environment. With the Iraq war almost resolved, the good news is that Hawaii may be well positioned for a positive recovery....

Let us assist you with the efficiency of your marketing and positive recovery efforts.

Best Regards,

Dave Erdman

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March 31, 2004

Millions protest against Iraq war

http://english.aljazeera.net/English/

Anti-war protests swept across the world as millions demonstrated against the invasion of Iraq on its first anniversary.

From Sydney to Tokyo, London to New York and San Francisco and across hundreds of other cities and towns, millions of protesters poured into the streets to condemn what they believed was an "unjust, illegitimate" war.

Journalists estimated that at least a million people streamed through Rome, in probably the biggest single protest during the day....

Climbing Big Ben

In London, two anti-war demonstrators climbed up the landmark Big Ben clock tower at the House of Parliament, unfurling a banner reading "Time for Truth".

The troubling truth one year on has been that the weapons of mass destruction - the pretext on which the US and UK led the invasion - are still nowhere to be found.

About 25,000 demonstrators gathered in central London, many carrying 'Wanted" posters bearing images of US President George Bush and UK Prime Minister Tony Blair.

In New York, tens of thousands created a sea of signs in midtown Manhattan. Among the signs spotted in the crowd were, "Money for Jobs and Education and not for War and Occupation".

Texas protest

Anti-war activists gathered at a park in the small central Texas town of Crawford, but out of sight of Bush's ranch there.

"I hate George Bush and everything he stands for and this war of vanity," said Don Marshburn, a Navy veteran.

"I am sick of bombs. It didn't do anything over there and it didn't do anything over here," he said.

New York's crowd was the largest in the US, with organisers estimating up to 100,000 protesters.

"Hey Hey, Ho Ho, George Bush has got to go," marchers chanted.

Similar sentiments echoed through cities and towns on other continents.

In Tokyo, thousands of people marched through the centre of the city on Saturday to call for peace in Iraq.

Despite pouring rain, people gathered at Tokyo's Hibiya Park for an anti-war rally before the march, demanding the United States and Japan should immediately withdraw from Iraq.

Many carried banners and placards with slogans including "US, Get Out of Iraq Now!", "Stop the Occupation!" and "No to Japan's Dispatch of Ground Troops to Iraq."

Organisers claimed 30,000 people had turned out.

A middle-aged man held a large poster that showed Bush, Blair and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi under the headline: "The Worst Terrorists."

Another man in his early 20s carried a card that said: "Mr Bush, where are the weapons of mass destruction? You should get rid of your weapons of mass destruction in the US."

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January 18, 2007

POLITICS-JAPAN: Iraq War Gets Military More Teeth

By Suvendrini Kakuchi

TOKYO, Jan 18 (IPS) - Ignoring public unease, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has endorsed United States President George W. Bush's controversial new plan to increase the number of troops in war-torn Iraq.

''I strongly expect that the U.S. efforts to stabilise and rebuild Iraq will proceed in an effective manner and bring about positive results,'' Abe told the Japanese press while commenting on his decision in Berlin last week.

Abe also pledged to continue Japan's proactive support for Iraqi reconstruction along with the U.S., in line with its domestic Iraq policy that has, for the first time since the end of World War ll in 1945, seen Japan send its soldiers abroad during conflicts -- the Self Defence Forces were stationed in Samawah for two and half years for non-combat work till they returned in July 2006.

Additional support has also been pledged by Abe who has extended the activities of the Air-SDF in Iraq until the end of July this year, marking their third renewal since the military dispatch began in response to a request from Washington.

Analysts here point out that the Iraq war represents a watershed in Japan's postwar diplomacy which, after its World War II defeat, has followed a strictly pacifist interpretation of the nation's peace Constitution that prohibits the SDF from joining military expeditions abroad.

Japanese troops were also sent to Indonesia to assist with relief work after the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

''There is no doubt that the Iraq war has affected Japanese diplomacy dramatically. Japan is questioning the restrictions of its old peace mantle in a new era and believes it is ready to play a new assertive role in the global arena and why not?,'' explained Masashi Nishihara, analyst at the Research for Peace and Security, an independent think tank focusing on Asia.

Nishihara contends that the next big step in Japan's plans to be accepted as a global power will come when the country revises its postwar Constitution to support a military. This calls for careful consideration, given public resistance.

Earlier this month, Japan announced the creation of a full-fledged ministry of defence.

Abe's predecessor Junichiro Koizumi took the first bold step for the Japanese military during his leadership from April 2001 to September last year when he offered unstinting support for the ‘war on terror' launched by Bush.

Koizumi propelled new landmarks to cement the friendship such as boosting the strength of the 1965 U.S.-Japan Security Pact, establishing new bilateral missile defence capabilities and accepting new U.S. military bases in Okinawa despite public protests.

''Japan's support for wars led by the U.S. has come a long way from the time of the (first) Gulf War when the country was bitterly criticised by Washington for extending only monetary assistance,'' explained Nishihara , referring to the 13.5 billion dollar package provided by Tokyo at that time and its decision not to send Japanese personnel to the Middle East in accordance with the peace Constitution.

Indeed, a poignant symbol of the changing times has been the praise lavished by Bush on Japan -- that was defeated by the U.S. and later became its close ally -- as a shining example of how U.S. military intervention can bring democracy to the world.

''The analogy by Bush in reference to Japan and Iraq is awkward and embarrassing for most Japanese because it carries so many nuances of the difficult past as well as the deepening American dependence on Japanese support,'' explained Prof. Takeshi Inoguchi, international relations expert at Chuo University.

Inoguchi elaborated by saying Washington could use the past to put pressure on Japan to get more involved in Iraqi reconstruction, a strategy that is not viable for Japan at this time as the Middle East gets more chaotic.

Besides the fallout of the Iraq war for Japan, says Inoguchi, is the speeding up of the nuclear arms race in Asia under the guise of nuclear power development in countries such as Iran, India and Pakistan.

‘'There is a perception now in the world that the ability to possess nuclear weapons is a necessary security measure, which is very scary,'' Inoguchi said, referring to remarks by some politicians who say that Japan should be one of those countries.

Well-known conservative Hideaki Kase, a politically influential intellectual, supports the idea of Japan rearming itself again, quickly.

Kase argues: ‘'The rise of the military threat from North Korea and China has led Japan to beef-up military cooperation with the United States. There is no alternative.''

Kase advocates the idea that Japanese leaders should pay their respects at Yasukuni Shrine that glorifies the Japanese war in Asia, and also accuses the Tokyo Tribunals under the American Occupation that sentenced war prime minister Tojo to death and tried Abe's grandfather Nobusuke Kishi as a war criminal, was a kangaroo court.

On the other hand, Japan's peace activists point to the divide in the country over the Iraq war.

''International bitterness over the American failure in Iraq is shared by the Japanese public and they do not want their country embroiled in this fighting. Rather, there is support for Japan to work in reconstruction and leading peace through negotiation.. After all, as a nation that has experienced the horrors of war, we are acutely aware of the futility of fighting,'' said Takashi Ikagawa of the leading group ‘Peace Forum'. (END/2007)

http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=36214

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Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to testify regarding his business, professional, personal and political relationships with George W. Bush, Linda Lingle, Bob Awana, Colbert Matsumoto, Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii, Japan-American Society of Hawaii, George Ariyoshi, David Farmer, Mitsui Trust, Sumitomo, Goldman Sachs, American International Group, Prince Hotels, Marsh & McLennan, Admiral Thomas Fargo, Robert Kihune, Jean Rolles, Gensiro Kawamoto, Tokio Fire & Marine Insurance Co., and others to be named upon discovery.