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OPINION POLL (P05-7)

November 2005 Nikkei Emergency Telephone Opinion Poll on “Cabinet Reshuffle”

Dates Conducted

October 31-November 1, 2005

Released

November 2, 2005

Methodology

The Nikkei Shimbun regularly conducts public opinion polls on attitudes toward the government and domestic policy issues. The telephone poll surveyed 839 males and females over the age of 20 throughout Japan.

Key Issues

• Support for Prime Minister Koizumi
• Post-Koizumi leadership
• Prime Minister Koizumi’s visit to Yasukuni Shrine

Link to Original Source

http://www.nikkei-r.co.jp/nikkeipoll/results.html

Disclaimer

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=839)

Support	56%
Don't support	30%
Can't say/don't know	14%

Q2. What political party do you currently support? Please choose only one. (N=839)

Liberal Democratic Party	43%
Democratic Party of Japan	18%
New Komeito	2%
Japanese Communist Party	2%
Social Democratic Party	2%
The People's New Party	0%
New Party Nippon	0%
Others	1%
Don't support any party	23%
Can't say/don't know	8%

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=262)

Liberal Democratic Party	16%
Democratic Party of Japan	15%
New Komeito	1%
Japanese Communist Party	3%
Social Democratic Party	1%
The People's New Party	0%
New Party Nippon	1%
Others	0%
Don't support any party	41%
Can't say/don't know	22%

[Support + preferable parties (N=839)]

Liberal Democratic Party	48%
Democratic Party of Japan	23%
New Komeito	3%
Japanese Communist Party	3%
Social Democratic Party	2%
The People's New Party	0%
New Party Nippon	0%
Others	1%
Don't support any party	13%
Can't say/don't know	7%

Q3. Prime Minister Koizumi reshuffled his cabinet on October 31. What do you think about the new cabinet? Please choose only one of the following two answers. (N=839)

Approve	49%
Don't approve	24%
Can't say/don't know	27%

Q4. Prime Minister Koizumi’s tenure as LDP president will end in next September. Who do you think is appropriate as the next prime minister? Please choose only one of the following. (N=839)

Taro Aso	5%
Shinzo Abe	41%
Sadakazu Tanigaki	3%
Yasuo Fukuda	8%
Ichiro Ozawa	6%
Naoto Kan	6%
Seiji Maehara	4%
Others	2%
Can't say/don't know	25%

Q5. Discussions on fiscal revitalization are becoming vigorous among the ruling parties. What do you think about raising the consumption tax rate? Please choose one from the following four answers. (N=839)

Acceptable under the current fiscal conditions	19%
Acceptable if the raised portion is spent for limited projects such as the government pension plans, etc.	29%
Should maintain the current rate	27%
Should abolish the consumption tax	11%
Others	1%
Don't know/can't say	13%

Q6. A council of advisors to the prime minister decided to support the idea of female emperors. What do you think about this? Please choose one from the following two answers. (N=839)

Support	77%
Oppose	6%
Don't know/can't say	16%

Q7. The council is considering the order of succession to the imperial throne in case the idea of female emperors is officially approved. Which of the following do you think is most appropriate? Please choose only one. (N=839)

Prioritize a first child regardless of gender	44%
Prioritize male children	42%
Don't know/can't say	14%

Q8. Prime Minister Koizumi continues his annual visit to the Yasukuni Shrine. What do you think about it? Please choose one from the following two answers. (N=839)

Support	47%
Oppose	37%
Don't know/can't say	16%

Q9. There is an opinion among the ruling parties that the government should build a secular national memorial for the war dead, separate from the Yasukuni Shrine. What do you think about that? Please choose one of the following two answers. (N=839)

Support	49%
Oppose	31%
Don't know/can't say	20%

Q10. Which baseball team in Japan do you support? Please choose only one. (N=839)

Hanshin Tigers	17%
Chunichi Dragons	5%
Yokohama BayStars	1%
Yakult Swallows	3%
Yomiuri Giants	23%
Hiroshima Toyo Carp	1%
Fukuoka Softbank Hawks	4%
Chiba Lotte Marines	3%
Seibu Lions	2%
Orix Buffaloes	0%
Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters	2%
Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles	1%
None	18%
Can't say/don't know	19%

Q11. The investment fund headed by Mr. Yoshiaki Murakami has gained a large volume of Hanshin Electric Railway’s stocks, and proposed to list the stocks of its subsidiary, Hanshin Tigers. What do you think about the listing of Hanshin’s baseball team? Please choose only one of the following three answers. (N=839)

Support	9%
Oppose	30%
No opinion	48%
Can't say/don't know	13%

F1. Gender (judged by interviewers, N=839)

Male	43%
Female	57%
Unknown	0%

F2. Age (N=839)

20s	8%
30s	16%
40s	16%
50s	21%
60s	20%
Over 70	16%
Refuse to answer	3%

F3. What is your occupation? Please choose one from the following. (N=839)

Agriculture, forestry, fishery	4%
Employed (corporate employee, bureaucrat, teacher, etc.)	40%
Self-employed (business, engineer), freelance (including family business)	12%
House wife (without any outside job)	23%
Student	1%
Unemployed	17%
Refuse to answer	3%