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OPINION POLL (P05-12)

Public Opinion Survey on Diplomacy by the Cabinet Office of Japan (Abridged)

Dates Conducted

October 2005

Released

December 26, 2005

Methodology

The Cabinet Office of Japan conducts annual public opinion polls on Japanese attitudes toward other countries. The poll surveys 1756 males and females over the age of 20.

Key Issues

• Japan’s attitudes toward the United States, China and South Korea (with age group breakdown and chronological trendlines)
• Economic cooperation
• Japan’s role in the United Nations

Background

The annual Cabinet Office survey was conducted from early to mid-October 2005, roughly coinciding with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s controversial visit to Yasukuni Shrine on October 17. The visit raised diplomatic tensions between Japan and its mainland neighbors, China and Korea, and may have set back recent improvements in Japanese attitudes toward South Korea. October also saw a marked slow-down in the Six-Party Talks over the North Korea nuclear crisis after a breakthrough agreement of principles was signed in Beijing on September 19. As a whole, 2005 was a difficult year for Japan’s diplomatic relations. Anti-Japanese demonstrations across China in the spring, as well as Chinese naval incursions in Japanese waters in the summer, continued to agitate Sino-Japan tensions. Otherwise stable U.S.-Japan ties were also shaken by bilateral differences over military base realignment plans and a Japanese ban on U.S. beef imports. Finally, Tokyo’s bid for a permanent UN Security Council seat fizzled in the summer, when Japan, Germany, India and Brazil failed to garner enough support for a comprehensive UN reform plan.

Link to Original Source

http://www8.cao.go.jp/survey/h17/h17-gaikou/3.html

Disclaimer

The Mansfield Foundation is responsible for the translation of this Cabinet Office poll, subject to the Mansfield Foundation Terms of Use.

1. Japan’s relations with foreign countries

Q1. Do you have an affinity toward the United States or not? (Same questions for Russia, China, South Korea, etc.) Please choose one of the following. (N=1756)

[Note: Click here for an age group breakdown of responses concerning the United States, China and South Korea. Click here for chronological trendlines (1978-2005) of attitudes toward the United States, China and South Korea.]

	A) Have an affinity	B) Tend to have an affinity	C) Tend not to have an affinity	D) Don't have an affinity	E) Don't know
United States	31.9%	41.3	12.9	9.2	4.7
Russia	2.4	13.8	43.0	34.6	6.2
China	6.5	25.9	33.2	30.2	4.2
South Korea	12.5	38.7	24.8	19.5	4.6
Southeast Asian countries (Thailand, Indonesia, etc.)	9.9	35.5	26.0	17.2	11.4
South Asian countries(India, Pakistan, etc.)	3.9	22.4	35.8	25.2	12.7
Western European countries (France, UK, etc.)	15.7	42.6	21.0	12.5	8.3
Australia, New Zealand	21.2	41.7	17.0	11.2	8.8
Middle Eastern countries	2.7	14.3	36.6	31.8	14.6
Central and Eastern European countries (Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, etc.)	3.5	19.5	34.6	26.7	15.7
Central and South American, and Caribbean countries (Mexico, Brazil, Jamaica, etc.)	6.6	30.5	28.2	21.5	13.2
African countries (Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, etc.)	4.0	18.0	33.7	28.7	15.6

Q2. Do you think the relationship between Japan and the United States is good, or not? (Same questions for Russia, China, South Korea, etc.) Please choose one of the following. (N=1756)

	A) Good	B) Somewhat good	C) Not so good	D) Not good	E) It depends	F) Don't know
United States	29.4%	51.4	10.1	2.7	2.7	3.6
Russia	2.5	25.7	41.6	15.2	5.0	9.9
China	1.8	17.9	42.1	29.0	3.2	5.9
South Korea	4.7	35.0	33.8	17.0	3.4	6.1
Southeast Asian countries (Thailand, Indonesia, etc.)	7.3	47.0	18.6	5.2	3.9	17.9
South Asian countries (India, Pakistan, etc.)	3.1	35.9	27.2	6.8	5.5	21.6
Western European countries (France, UK, etc.)	10.8	53.4	13.3	3.2	4.0	15.2
Australia, New Zealand	15.5	50.0	11.4	3.1	3.5	16.5
Middle Eastern countries	1.8	25.3	32.3	12.0	5.4	23.1
Central and Eastern European countries	2.3	31.8	26.3	7.9	4.8	26.9
Central and South American, and Caribbean countries (Mexico, Brazil, Jamaica, etc.)	4.6	43.7	19.0	5.8	3.7	23.2
African countries (Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, etc.)	3.0	33.0	23.6	8.4	4.8	27.3

Q3. Regarding North Korea, please choose as many items in which you are interested from the following list. (N=1756)

A) Political system	46.3%
B) North-South issues	22.2
C) Negotiations to normalize Japan-N.Korea diplomatic relations	33.0
D) Japanese abductee issues	87.6
E) Suspicious boat issues	38.7
F) Nuclear development issues	63.9
G) Missile issues	52.2
H) Illegal activities, including drug smuggling	36.3
I) So-called "settlement of the past"	21.0
J) Refugee issues	16.9
K) Food aid	41.2
L) Japanese spouses' visit to their home town	18.5
M) Sightseeing	5.2
N) Economic exchanges, including trade	9.2
O) Cultural exchanges	6.2
Q) Sports exchanges	7.6
R) Others	0.6
S) Nothing special	3.6
T) Don't know	0.6

Q4. How do you obtain information about foreign countries? Please choose as many as apply from the following. (N=1756)

A) Newspapers	74.4%
B) General magazines	15.3
C) Government publications	3.3
D) TV	92.7
E) Radio	18.5
F) Foreign films	7.6
G) Internet	16.3
H) Overseas travel	6.2
I) Interaction with foreigners in Japan	3.8
J) Other	0.3
K) Nothing in particular	1.9

SQ. For those who choose A)-J) in Q4, with the means you selected, what kind of information did you obtain? Select as many as apply from the following. (N=1723)

A) Politics	64.7%
B) International affairs	66.8
C) Economy, industry	47.4
D) Security	32.1
E) Geography, history	15.9
F) Science, technology	13.8
G) Society, living	36.1
H) Culture, art	29.1
I) Language	7.0
J) Others	0.7
K) Don't know	3.5

2. Economic cooperation

Q5. Developed countries provide economic cooperation, including financial aid and technical assistance, for developing countries. What do you think about Japan’s economic cooperation in the future? Please choose one of the following. (N=1756)

A) Should advance cooperation actively	22.0%
B) Current level of cooperation is sufficient	44.6
C) Should cut cooperation as much as possible	23.0
D) Should stop completely	3.0
E) Don't know	7.4

SQa. For those who answered A) in Q5, why do you think that way? Choose as many as apply from the following. (N=387)

A) It is developed countries' humanitarian obligation to help developing countries	60.2%
B) It can contribute to stability of developing countries and world peace	62.8
C) Japan as a country with a huge trade surplus has a responsibility to help developing countries that suffer from accumulated debts, etc.	22.0
D) Economic cooperation is an important tool for Japan's diplomacy	35.9
E) Without political stability and economic development in developing countries, the Japanese economy cannot advance	27.4
F) Economic cooperation for developing countries can help Japan secure stable energy resources	20.2
G) Japan will be isolated if only Japan does not provide economic cooperation	17.8
H) Japan should use its technology and experience to solve developing countries' environmental issues, etc.	43.7
I) Others	0.3
J) No specific reason	--
K) Don't know	0.3

SQb. For those who answered C) or D) in Q5, why do you think that way? Choose as many as apply from the following. (N=456)

A) Japan's domestic economic condition is not good	69.1%
B) Type of actual economic cooperation is not clear	38.8
C) There are many areas where Japan's current economic cooperation is ineffective due to lack of consideration for local situations and needs	26.5
D) Do not feel that Japan's economic cooperation is appreciated by developing countries	33.8
E) Economic cooperation is not fully utilized as Japan's diplomatic tool	21.3
F) Current economic assistance is inefficient, in such areas as coordination with related agencies, management and operation of donated equipment, etc.	13.2
G) Japan's financial situation is not good	43.4
H) Others	2.6
I) No specific reason	0.9
J) Don't know	0.4

Q6. On what region do you think Japan should focus its economic cooperation in the future? Choose one from the following. (N=1756)

A) Asia	51.2%
B) Middle East	4.0
C) Central and Eastern Europe	0.9
D) Africa	12.0
E) Central and South America and Caribbean region	0.7
F) Island countries in the Pacific	1.6
G) Equally in all regions	16.6
H) Don't know	13.0

SQ. For those who answered A) in Q6, where in Asia do you think Japan should focus its economic cooperation? Choose one from the following. (N=899)

A) Northeast Asia (China, Mongolia, etc.)	34.3%
B) Southeast Asia (Thailand, Indonesia, etc.)	41.3
C) South Asia (India, Pakistan, etc.)	16.9
D) Central Asia and Caucasus region (Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, etc.)	2.3
E) Others	0.1
F) Don't know	5.1

3. Japan’s role in the United Nations

Q7. Currently more than 100 countries send personnel for UN peacekeeping operations (PKOs). Japan has participated in international humanitarian assistance activities, such as PKOs in Cambodia, Golan Heights and East Timor; refugee relief activities in Rwanda, Afghanistan, Iraq and Sudan; and international election monitoring activities in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo and East Timor. Do you think Japan should participate in these activities, including PKOs, in the future? Choose one of the following. (N=1756)

A) Should participate more actively than before	24.4%
B) Should participate at the current level	49.5
C) Should participate but at a minimal level	15.4
D) Should not participate	2.8
E) Others	0.5
F) Don't know	7.3

Q8. At the United Nations, discussion is moving forward on expanding the Security Council in order to strengthen its functions and enhance the representation of each region at the council. What do you think about the possibility of Japan joining the permanent members of the Security Council? Choose one of the following. (N=1756)

A) Support	32.7%
B) Tend to support	35.6
C) Tend to oppose	9.3
D) Oppose	3.9
E) Others	0.1
F) Don't know	18.5

SQa. For those who answered A) or B) in Q8, why do you think that way? Choose one of the following. (N=1199)

A) Japan should actively contribute to world peace since it has become an economic superpower.	20.4%
B) It is wrong that Japan cannot be a part of important decision-making processes while it makes enormous financial contributions to the United Nations.	30.3
C) Helps world peace, as Japan does not have nuclear weapons and has pacifism as its basic principle	27.8
D) Japan can reflect its ideas on important UN decisions	11.4
E) Will allow Japan to help UN activities more actively	8.2
F) Others	0.7
G) Don't know	1.3

SQb. For those who answered C) or D) in Q8, why do you think that way? Choose one of the following. (N=231)

A) Will have to make even greater financial contributions to the UN than now once Japan becomes a permanent member of the Security Council.	32.0%
B) Will have to actively participate in the UN's military operations once Japan becomes a permanent member of the Security Council.	21.6
C) Can make enough international contributions in such non-military areas as economic, social and environmental areas without becoming a permanent member of the Security Council	30.7
D) Should revise the Constitution before Japan becomes a permanent member of the Security Council	3.5
E) Don't support the United Nations per se	6.9
F) Others	3.5
G) Don't know	1.7

Q9. As stipulated under the UN Charter, all member states must make financial contributions to core UN activities (including PKOs) based on each country’s scale of economy. As Japan is the second largest economy in the world after the United States, it contributes to about 19.5% of the total UN budget, or about 146 billion yen (in 2004), which is the second largest in the world. This represents a per capita contribution of about 1,140 yen. Considering these figures, what do you think about Japan’s financial contributions to the United Nations? Choose one of the following. (N=1756)

A) Should increase	2.3%
B) Current level is fine	32.3
C) Should change the amount of contributions in accordance with Japan's influence in the United Nations	37.5
D) Should decrease	20.0
E) Other	0.1
F) Don't know	7.7

Q10. What areas do you think are important when Japan actively promotes international cooperation through the United Nations? Choose as many as apply. (N=1756)

A) Maintenance of international peace and security	70.2%
B) Assistance for developing countries	34.1
C) Science, technology and space exploration	13.8
D) Human rights issues	34.5
E) Refugee relief	35.1
F) Disarmament and nonproliferation (prevent proliferation of nuclear weapons, missiles, etc.)	40.7
G) Small arm issues and anti-personnel land mine issues (removal of mines, assistance for victims, etc.)	15.9
H) Narcotics issues	26.2
I) Environmental issues	49.0
J) Population issues	11.7
K) Improvement of women's status	11.0
L) Crime prevention (firearms trafficking, etc.)	23.5
M) Anti-terrorism	54.7
N) Protection and promotion of children's rights	20.8
O) Measures for the disabled and elderly	20.4
P) Help for UN finance	5.1
Q) UN reform	9.0
R) Health issues such as infectious disease, etc. (AIDS, malaria, etc.)	34.6
S) Cooperation in cultural, educational and academic fields (preservation of World Heritages, etc.)	19.9
T) Disaster prevention/relief (tsunami, etc.)	36.7
U) Efforts toward legal settlement in major humanitarian crises	11.0
V) Others	0.2
W) Don't know	5.2

4. External economy

Q11. On which areas do you think Japan should focus when it promotes its economic relations with foreign countries? Choose as many as apply. (N=1756)

A) Promotion of liberalization of trade and investment, including utilization of such mechanisms as free trade agreements (FTAs), economic partnership agreements (EPAs) with specific countries and regions, and World Trade Organization (WTO) initiatives.	28.9%
B) Securing energy resources	60.8
C) Securing food	38.0
D) Promotion of direct investment to Japan	8.0
E) Support for Japanese corporations' overseas activities	23.5
F) Protection of intellectual property rights, including patents	14.0
G) Promotion of tourism to Japan	13.2
H) Promotion of understanding about Japanese economy among foreign countries (more active public relations)	21.6
I) Others	0.1
J) Don't know	11.3

Q12. On what regions in the world do you think Japan should focus when it promotes its economic relations with foreign countries? Please choose as many as apply. (N=1756)

A) Northeast Asia (Korea, China and Mongolia)	46.6%
B) Southeast Asia (Thailand, Indonesia, etc.)	27.9
C) South Asia (India, Pakistan, etc.)	19.8
D) Oceania (Australia, New Zealand, island nations in the Pacific)	15.4
E) Middle East	11.7
F) Africa (Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, etc.)	11.4
G) Russia	8.9
H) Central Asia and Caucasian countries (Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, etc.)	3.0
I) Central and Eastern Europe (Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, etc.)	3.9
J) Western Europe (France, UK, etc.)	13.3
K) North America (US and Canada)	27.0
L) Central and South America and Caribbean countries (Mexico, Brazil, Jamaica, etc.)	7.1
M) Should promote equally regardless of the region	12.5
N) Don't know	13.6

5. External public relations

Q13. Do you think that Japan conveys its posture, opinions and positions to foreign countries accurately, and do these countries understand these things accurately or not? (N=1756)

A) Think so	10.1%
B) Do not think so	69.6
C) Can't say either	14.0
D) Don't know	6.4

SQ. For those who answered B) in Q13, why do you not think so? Choose one of the following. (N=1222)

A) Because there are misunderstandings and insufficient knowledge about Japan in foreign countries	57.9%
B) Because foreign countries have little available information about Japan	12.3
C) Because Japan inadequately responds to foreign criticism	28.2
D) Other	1.1
E) Don't know	0.6

6. Protection of Japanese nationals

Q14. What do you think about protection of and support for Japanese nationals who have encountered such incidents as traffic accidents, crimes, and sickness overseas? Choose one of the following. (N=1756)

A) Individuals or home companies/organizations should be responsible for dealing with them on their own.	10.2%
B) Individuals or home companies/organizations should deal with them on their own as much as possible, but if they cannot, the government, embassies and consulates should provide protection and support.	40.6
C) Even if individuals or home companies/organizations can deal with them on their own, the government, embassies and consulates should actively provide protection and support.	21.1
D) Under any circumstance, the government, embassies and consulates should provide protection and support	23.4
E) Other	0.8
F) Don't know	3.9

7. Roles that Japan should play

Q15. Mainly, what roles do you think Japan should play in the international community? Please choose up to two of the following. (N=1756)

A) Contributions to maintaining world peace such as efforts toward peaceful solutions for regional conflicts, including physical support	49.3%
B) International efforts to protect internationally universal values, such as freedom, democracy and human rights.	15.3
C) Humanitarian support for refugees and displaced people (especially children and women)	25.1
D) Contributions to advancing a healthy world economy	19.7
E) Cooperation to advance developing countries	14.5
F) Contributions to solving global issues such as global environmental problems	42.8
G) Contributions to international cultural exchanges, such as cooperation in preserving cultural heritages throughout the world.	6.0
H) Others	0.1
I) Don't know	6.7

< Face sheet>
F1. Gender

Male	47.4%
Female	52.6

F2. Age. How old are you?

20-24	4.7%
25-29	5.0
30-34	6.8
35-39	8.7
40-44	8.3
45-49	8.0
50-54	10.0
55-59	11.3
60-64	10.5
65-69	10.3
70-	16.5

F3. Occupation. What is your occupation?

Self-employed
Agriculture, forestry and fishery	2.6%
Business, engineering and service	8.3
Freelance	0.9
Family business employee
Agriculture, forestry and fishery	1.4
Business, engineering and service	3.5
Freelance	0.1
Employee
Manager	3.0
Expert, technician	0.6
Clerical worker	17.5
Laborer	20.0
Unemployed
Housewife	23.4
Student	1.8
Others	16.9

F4. Overseas Experience. Have you been to a foreign country? Please choose one of the following.

A) Have lived in a foreign country for longer than three months	4.3%
B) Have been to a foreign country	51.4
C) Have never been to a foreign country	44.3

Age group breakdown for Q1

United States

	A) Have an affinity	B) Tend to have an affinity	C) Tend not to have an affinity	D) Don't have an affinity	E) Don't know
Total	31.9%	41.3	12.9	9.2	4.7
20-29	25.9	45.3	17.6	8.2	2.9
30-39	29.2	50.9	12.5	6.3	1.1
40-49	35.4	43.2	12.3	7.4	1.8
50-59	33.2	44.7	13.4	6.7	2.1
60-69	34.7	33.6	11.7	11.5	8.5
70-	29.7	33.4	11.7	14.8	10.3

China

	A) Have an affinity	B) Tend to have an affinity	C) Tend not to have an affinity	D) Don't have an affinity	E) Don't know
Total	6.5%	25.9	33.2	30.2	4.2
20-29	8.2	31.2	31.2	27.1	2.4
30-39	5.9	30.6	35.1	26.9	1.5
40-49	6.7	25.3	35.4	30.2	2.5
50-59	6.4	23.8	39.8	28.9	1.1
60-69	4.6	23.8	30.1	33.6	7.9
70-	8.3	24.5	25.9	32.4	9

South Korea

	A) Have an affinity	B) Tend to have an affinity	C) Tend not to have an affinity	D) Don't have an affinity	E) Don't know
Total	12.5%	38.7	24.8	19.5	4.6
20-29	18.2	42.9	22.4	13.5	2.9
30-39	14.0	44.6	25.1	14.4	1.8
40-49	15.1	39.6	26.0	16.8	2.5
50-59	9.9	38.5	28.1	21.1	2.4
60-69	10.4	35.2	25.1	21.3	7.9
70-	11.0	34.1	20.0	26.2	8.6

Chronological trendlines (1978-2005) of attitudes toward the United States, China and South Korea

Chronological trendlines (1978-2005) of affinity and lack of affinity toward the United States, China and South Korea

(This graph was compiled by the Mansfield Foundation based on data from the Cabinet Office of Japan.)