Cable from Japanese Embassy in Havana to Tokyo

Transmitting from Havana 10/26/1962 20:06

Received in Tokyo 10/27/14:21

To Foreign Minister Ohira from Chargés d’affaires ad interim Kataoka

Re: The Situation in Cuba facing the US blockade

1. The Cuban press harshly condemns the US naval blockade on a daily basis and highly appreciates Soviet support. It also reported how widespread the pro-Cuban demonstrations in the world have been and blamed the pro-US attitude by NATO and the Latin American governments as means of evidence showing that they were giving in to the US imperialists. They have not reported the Japanese policy on this issue and have only mentioned that the Japanese Communist Party was appealing to the nation that people should try to keep the [Hayato] Ikeda administration from taking a pro-US stance.

2. The existence of a mediation proposal by UN Secretariat U Thant was reported. But the Cuban government’s position on this has not been made public because it might have not yet received detailed information on the entire proposal. However, it is estimated that they are covertly expecting more hawkish measures from the Soviet side.

3. The domestic wartime alert system has been strengthened and the revolutionary armed militias are keeping close watch on crucial places in Havana. Street broadcasting and street demonstrations by communist youth groups are trying to boost the people’s morale.

This cable has been also sent out to [Japan’s] Embassies in the US and Mexico.