Asahi Shimbun October 2009 Emergency Public Opinion Poll

 

Q1.  Do you support or not support the Hatoyama cabinet? 

Support	65% (71)
Do not support	16% (14)

 

SQ1.  Why?  Please select one from the following four choices: (The results in the left column are from the 65% who answered “support,” and the results in the right column are from the 16% who answered “do not support.”) 

Mr. Hatoyama is the Prime Minister	5% [3]	3% [1]
The cabinet is primarily composed of DPJ members	18% [12]	15% [2]
Policies of the cabinet	47% [31]	58% [9]
Executive ability	25% [16]	19% [3]

 

Q2.  Which political party do you currently support? 

Democratic Party ofJapan	45% (46)
Liberal Democratic Party	15% (15)
New Komeito	3% (3)
JapanCommunist Party	2% (3)
Social Democratic Party	1% (1)
Your Party	1% (1)
The People’s New Party	0% (0)
The New Party ofJapan	0% (0)
Other party	0% (0)
Do not support any party	29% (29)
No Answer/Do not know	4% (2)

 

Q3.  It has been almost a month since the start of the Hatoyama cabinet.  How do you evaluate the work of the Hatoyama cabinet so far?  

Very positively	12%
Somewhat positively	63%
Not very positively	18%
Not at all positively	4%

 

Q4.  Now that the administration has changed and is centered around the DPJ, do you think politicians will take a stronger leadership role over the bureaucrats or not?  

Stronger leadership role	51% (49)
Will not take a stronger leadership role	33% (32)

 

Q5.  The Hatoyama cabinet has reviewed the former Aso Cabinet’s supplementary budget of about 14 billion yen for economic measures and has decided not to execute business that exceeds 2,500 billion yen.  How do you rate this decision? (Choose an alternative) 

Very positively	23%
Somewhat positively	50%
Not very positively	22%
Not at all positively	4%

 

Q6.  Prime Minister Hatoyama has pledged a 25% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2025.  Do you support or not support the prime minister’s pledge?   

Support	72%
Do not support	21%

 

Q7. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 25% will further burden family finances and will affect the activities of corporations and businesses.  Are you concerned or not concerned about this?   

Not concerned	40%
Concerned	51%

 

Q8.  Construction and Transport Minister Seiji Maehara announced the construction of the Yamba Dam in Gunma Prefecture will be discontinued.  Are you for or against the discontinuation of the construction of the Yamba Dam?  

For	44%
Against	31%

  

Q9.  If they desire, the separate surname system will allow a married couple to keep their respective surnames even after marriage.  Justice Minister [Keiko] Chiba has announced that she will propose legislation to bring this separate surname system into effect.  Are you for or against the separate surname system? 

For	48%
Against	41%

 

Q10. In regard to the false fund donation statements scandal, Prime Minister Hatoyama has said he will “avoid statements that would affect the investigation” and has not provided a detailed explanation.  Do you accept or not accept Prime Minister Hatoyama’s response? 

Accept	20%
Do not accept	70%

 

Q11.  Sadakazu Tanigaki has been elected as president of the Liberal Democratic Party.  Do you think it was good or not good for Mr. Tanigaki to be elected as president? 

Good	38%
Not good	28%

 

Q12.  Do you think the LDP will change or not change with President Tanigaki at the helm? 

Change	20%
Not change	66%

 

Q13.  Would you like to see the LDP recover and become a political party that can stand up against the DPJ? 

Would like the LDP to recover	80%
Do not want the LDP to recover	13%

 

Q14.  Tokyo was a candidate to host the 2016 summer Olympics, but lost.  Do you think this result was disappointing or not disappointing? 

Disappointing	43%
Not disappointing	53%

 

Q15.  Are you for or against Tokyo re-bidding to host the 2020 summer Olympics? 

For	40%
Against	47%