August 2005 Nikkei Special Telephone Opinion Poll on “Postal
Dissolution”
Dates Conducted
August 9-10, 2005
Released
August 11, 2005
Copyright 2005 Nikkei Shimbun
Methodology
The Nikkei Shimbun regularly conducts public opinion
polls on attitudes toward the government and domestic policy issues.
The telephone poll surveyed 1,093 males and females over the age
of 20 throughout Japan.
Key Issues
• Support for Prime Minister Koizumi
• Support for postal privatization reform
The Mansfield Foundation is responsible for the translation of this
Nikkei Shimbun poll, subject to the Mansfield Foundation Terms
of Use.
Q1. Do you support the Koizumi cabinet or not? (N=1093)
Support
47%
Don't support
37%
Can't say/don't know
16%
Q1SQ1. For those who answered “support” in Q1, what
is the reason for your support? Please choose as many as apply
from
the following seven answers. (N=518)
Because it is an LDP cabinet
18%
Good policies
22%
Good sense in international affairs
13%
Leadership
32%
Stability
9%
Can trust personality
29%
Clean
17%
Others
7%
Can't say/don't know
3%
Q1SQ2. For those who answered “don’t support” in
Q1, what is the reason for your non-support? Please choose as many
as apply from the following seven answers. (N=404)
Because it is an LDP cabinet
20%
Bad policies
40%
Bad sense in international affairs
30%
Lack of leadership
22%
Instability
21%
Cannot trust personality
30%
Not clean
6%
Others
5%
Can't say/don't know
3%
Q2. What political party do you currently support? Please choose
only one. (N=1093)
Liberal Democratic Party
37%
Democratic Party of Japan
14%
New Komeito
3%
Japanese Communist Party
3%
Social Democratic Party
1%
Others
0%
Don't support any party
35%
Can't say/don't know
7%
Q2SQ. For those who answered “don’t support any party” or “can’t
say/don’t know” in Q2, if you have to choose one party,
which party do you feel is most preferable? Please choose only one.
(N=457)
Liberal Democratic Party
18%
Democratic Party of Japan
13%
New Komeito
1%
Japanese Communist Party
3%
Social Democratic Party
2%
Others
1%
Don't support any party
49%
Can't say/don't know
14%
[Support + preferable parties (N=1093)]
Liberal Democratic Party
45%
Democratic Party of Japan
20%
New Komeito
3%
Japanese Communist Party
4%
Social Democratic Party
2%
Others
0%
Don't support any party
20%
Can't say/don't know
6%
Q3. The Postal Privatization Bill was voted down after a neck-to-neck
battle. Which do you support, Prime Minister Koizumi who persisted
on enactment at this Diet session, or those opposition forces within
the LDP who worked hard to prevent the enactment? Please choose
one of the following two answers. (N=1093)
Prime Minister Koizumi
47%
Opposition forces within the LDP
35%
Can't say/don't know
17%
Q4. Prime Minister Koizumi dissolved the Lower House and called for
general elections right after the Postal Privatization Bill was
voted down. What do you think about that? Please choose one of
the following two answers. (N=1093)
Support the dissolution
53%
Oppose to the dissolution
33%
Can't say/don't know
14%
Q5. Which political party are you going to vote for in the upcoming
Lower House elections? Please choose only one. (N=1093)
Liberal Democratic Party
37%
Democratic Party of Japan
18%
New Komeito
3%
Japanese Communist Party
3%
Social Democratic Party
1%
Others
0%
Can't say/don't know
38%
Q6. What framework of administration do you think would be appropriate
as a post election administration? Please choose one from the following
four answers. (N=1093)
Continuation of LDP-Komeito coalition administration
31%
LDP single-party administration
17%
DPJ single-party administration
8%
Non-LDP coalition administration centered around DPJ
24%
Others
2%
Can't say/don't know
19%
Q7. Who do you think is appropriate as the next prime minister after
the Lower House elections? Please choose one of the following. (N=1093)
Prime Minister Koizumi
34%
Taro Aso
2%
Shinzo Abe
17%
Masahiko Komura
1%
Sadakazu Tanigaki
1%
Takeo Hiranuma
1%
Yasuo Fukuda
3%
Katsuya Okada
7%
Ichiro Ozawa
5%
Naoto Kan
5%
Others
1%
Can't say/don't know
24%
Q8. Prime Minister Koizumi has shown his philosophy that he visits
the Yasukuni Shrine every year. What do you think about that? Please
select one from the following two answers. (N=1093)
Support
46%
Oppose
38%
Can't say/don't know
16%
Q9. The Japanese government has been campaigning for gaining a permanent
membership at the United Nations Security Council. What do you
think about that? Please choose one of the following two answers.
(N=1093)
Support
58%
Oppose
22%
Can't say/don't know
21%
F1. Gender (judged by interviewers, N=1093)
Male
40%
Female
60%
Unknown
0%
F2. Age (N=1093)
20s
7%
30s
15%
40s
16%
50s
25%
60s
18%
Over 70
17%
Refuse to answer
2%
F3. What is your occupation? Please choose one from the following.
(N=1093)
