Yomiuri Shimbun December 2008 Japan-U.S. Joint Opinion Poll

*All numbers are percentages
* Words in parentheses were conducted in the U.S. only.

Q1.  I am going to read some various institutions in Japanese (American) society.  Would you say that you “do” or “do not” have a lot of confidence in:

	Japan	The U.S.
The Prime Minister (The President of the U.S.)	21.2	45.5
The Japanese Diet (The U.S. Congress)	16.8	34.9
Police department and public prosecutors offices	35.8	73.5
The courts	45.7	58.7
The Self-Defense Forces (military)	29.2	90.5
Temples, shrines, and churches (Churches)	36.9	73.7
Government agencies (Federal government agencies)	16.3	42.5
Local governments	32.2	60.2
Schools	37.2	67.1
Hospitals	48.2	79.5
Newspapers	52.7	52.2
TV stations	36.0	48.9
Major corporations	21.1	28.0
Labor unions	23.7	44.0
Other	0.4	17.6
None/No other	14.3	0.7
Do not know/No answer	2.8	--

 

Q2.  How would you rate relations between the U.S. and Japan at present?

	Japan	The U.S.
Very good	1.4	10.3
Good	32.4	42.9
Just fair	29.4	31.8
Poor	28.8	6.2
Very poor	3.1	2.3
Do not know/No answer	5.0	6.4

 

Q3. How much do you trust the U.S. (Japan)?

	Japan	The U.S.
Very much	5.7	18.2
Some	26.0	48.9
Not very much	39.0	18.8
Not at all	20.5	11.2
Do not know/No answer	8.8	2.9

 

Q4. During the eight years of the Bush administration, do you think the confidence in the U.S. internationally has heightened or lowered?

	Japan	The U.S.
Heightened	3.3	3.5
If I were to choose, has heightened	2.6	11.2
If I were to choose, has lessened	14.2	33.3
Lessened	69.0	50.7
Do not know/No answer	11.0	1.3

 

Q5.  Barack Obama has been elected as the next president of the U.S.  Do you think the U.S.-Japanese relationship under the Obama administration will improve, worsen, or stay the same?

	Japan	The U.S.
Improve	2.1	10.4
Somewhat improve	25.7	39.8
Stay the same	51.1	32.3
Get somewhat worse	10.7	8.6
Worsen	0.1	3.8
Do not know/No answer	10.3	5.1

 

Q6.  Iraq’s reconstruction and maintenance of peace and order efforts have been led by the U.S.  Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with these efforts?

	Japan	The U.S.
Very satisfied	1.1	11.0
Somewhat satisfied	6.8	33.2
Somewhat dissatisfied	35.9	25.9
Very dissatisfied	43.5	28.8
Do not know/No answer	12.8	1.1

 

Q7.  The U.S. fell into a financial crisis due to home loans [sub prime loans] issued to low-income earners.  Do you think trust in the U.S. economy due to the financial crisis has lessened or not lessened?
 

	Japan	The U.S.
Greatly lessened	63.9	53.1
Somewhat lessened	19.2	32.0
Did not lessen very much	5.4	11.5
Did not lessen	3.5	2.7
Do not know/No answer	8.1	0.7

 

Q8.  To what extent do you think the U.S. financial crisis will worsen the environment of the world economy?

	Japan	The U.S.
Greatly worsen	62.8	55.0
Somewhat worsen	20.3	35.4
Not worsen very much	3.1	6.4
Not worsen at all	1.0	1.8
Do not know/No answer	12.8	1.4

 

 
Q9.  Which countries or regions do you think will become a military threat to Japan (the U.S.)?

	Japan	The U.S.
The U.S. (Japan only)	25.2	--
Japan (the U.S. only)	--	28.4
Korea	19.9	30.5
China	58.8	63.1
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)	12.1	33.8
European Union (EU)	6.3	12.9
Russia	43.1	59.8
Taiwan	5.8	13.4
North Korea	74.1	65.2
India	12.2	11.9
Middle East	24.8	76.2
Central and South Pacific nations, such as Australia and New Zealand	2.7	5.6
Africa	4.1	16.5
Latin America	6.7	16.8
Other	0.2	21.3
None/No other	7.4	6.4
Do not know/No answer	5.2	--

 

Q10.  To what extent do you think the U.S.-Japan Security Agreement contributes to the security of the Asian-Pacific region?

	Japan	The U.S.
Contributes greatly	23.5	18.9
Contributes somewhat	36.2	58.3
Does not contribute very much	16.5	11.0
Does not contribute at all	7.0	3.4
Do not know/No answer	16.8	8.4

 

Q11.  Do you feel anxious that a terrorist attack such as the one in September 2001 in the U.S. will occur in Japan (the U.S. again)?

	Japan	The U.S.
Greatly anxious	19.3	26.1
Somewhat anxious	39.8	43.1
Not very anxious	22.1	17.7
Not anxious at all	16.0	12.7
Do not know/No answer	2.7	0.5

 

Q12.  Do you think Japan is contributing or not contributing to the worldwide “fight against terrorism?”

	Japan	The U.S.
Contributing greatly	13.4	5.1
Somewhat contributing	35.6	39.5
Does not contribute very much	27.4	35.6
Does not contribute at all	12.4	13.7
Do not know/No answer	11.1	6.1

 

Q13. Japan is currently providing fuel to ships of the allied forces in the Indian Ocean.  Are you for or against continuing refueling efforts?

	Japan	The U.S.
For	29.8	30.1
If I were to choose, for	13.7	28.8
If I were to choose, against	9.9	15.4
Against	33.7	18.1
Do not know/No answer	12.9	7.6

 

Q14.  Regarding North Korea, which issues should the U.S. and Japanese governments, working in cooperation, give priority to resolving?

	Japan	The U.S.
Getting North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program	89.1	89.9
Getting North Korea to end its missile program and its missile launch	85.0	85.9
Resolving the cases involving the abduction of Japanese citizens by North Korea	87.1	69.9
Normalizing diplomatic relations between Japan and North Korea (Japan only)	45.2	--
Normalizing diplomatic relations between the U.S. and North Korea (U.S. only)	--	80.3
Providing economic aid to North Korea	24.5	32.5
Changing North Korea’s political and economic systems	49.1	59.8
Other	0.6	6.7
None/No other	1.4	2.3
Do not know/No answer	2.1	--

 

Q15.  Regarding the North Korea, do you think the U.S. and Japan are successfully cooperating with each other or not cooperating?

	Japan	The U.S.
Fully cooperating	2.5	17.4
Somewhat cooperating	13.9	36.4
Not cooperating very much	46.7	28.8
Not cooperating at all	30.4	6.0
Do not know/No answer	6.5	11.5

 

Q16.  How would you rate relations between Japan (U.S.) and China at present?

	Japan	The U.S.
Very good	1.0	4.9
Good	25.2	28.0
Just fair	28.7	49.4
Poor	37.3	10.8
Very poor	3.4	4.6
Do not know/No answer	4.4	2.2

 

Q17.  How much do you trust China?

	Japan	The U.S.
Very much	1.6	3.6
Some	13.4	34.4
Not very much	37.9	32.9
Not at all	39.2	28.6
Do not know/No answer	7.9	0.5

 

Q18.  Which country, the U.S. (Japan) or China, do you feel will be more important to Japan (the U.S.) in the future for “political” matters?

	Japan	The U.S.
The U.S. (Japan only)	46.3	--
Japan (U.S. only)	--	42.8
China	30.1	50.8
Both equally	13.1	2.2
Do not know/No answer	10.6	4.3

 

Q19.  Which country, the U.S. (Japan) or China, do you feel will be more important to Japan (the U.S.) in the future for “economic” matters?

	Japan	The U.S.
The U.S. (Japan only)	32.6	--
Japan (U.S. only)	--	31.6
China	48.5	62.6
Both equally	10.3	1.8
Do not know/No answer	8.6	4.1

 

Q20.  Do you think the Japanese (the U.S.) government has been proactive in their efforts to prevent global warming?

	Japan	The U.S.
Have been proactive	24.6	13.2
If I had to choose, have been proactive	22.3	37.0
If I had to choose, have not been proactive	15.5	21.4
Have not been proactive	32.1	25.9
Do not know/No answer	5.4	2.5

 

Q21.  Do you think the U.S. (the Japanese) government has been proactive in their efforts to prevent global warming?

	Japan	The U.S.
Have been proactive	8.5	12.9
If I had to choose, have been proactive	7.4	32.7
If I had to choose, have not been proactive	12.9	18.7
Have not been proactive	60.1	20.5
Do not know/No answer	11.1	15.2