Asahi Shimbun Emergency Opinion Polls on the Inauguration of the Abe Cabinet

Dates Conducted

September 26 and 27, 2006

Methodology

The poll was conducted by telephone on September 26 and 27, 2006, of voters from across Japan who were selected by the three-stage random selection method (the “Asahi RDD” method). The number of people who answered all the questions in full is 996; the ratio of answers is 57%.

Link to Original Source

Data received directly from Asahi Shimbun

Disclaimer

The Mansfield Foundation is responsible for the translation of this Asahi Simbun poll, subject to the Mansfield Foundation Terms of Use

Survey:

(Numbers shown are %, and are rounded out at the decimal. Sentences and answers are in part abridged.)

Q1. Let us ask you about the newly inaugurated Abe Cabinet. Do you support the Abe Cabinet, or do you not?

Support	63
Do not support	18

Q1 (a). What is the reason for your answer? (Figures in parentheses are the percentage of total responses.)

	Out of 63% who support	Out of 18% who do not support
Mr. Abe is the prime minister	24 (15)	6 (1)
The cabinet is LDP-led	17 (11)	31 (6)
Policy reasons	28 (28)	47 (9)
For no particular reason	27 (17)	15 (3)

Q2. Which political parties do you support now? (Figures in parenthesis are results from the poll conducted on September 20 and 21.)

Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)	39 (38)
Democratic Party ofJapan(DPJ)	14 (14)
Komeito	3 (3)
JapanCommunist Party (JCP)	2 (2)
Social Democratic Party ofJapan(SDPJ)	1 (1)
The People's New Party	(0)
The New PartyJapan	(0)
The Free (Liberal) Coalition	(0)
Do not support any party	35 (35)
No answer/do not know	6 (7)

Q3. Do you think the line-up of the Abe Cabinet is refreshing, or do you not think so?

Refreshing	35
Do not think so	38

Q4. Do you think this cabinet is a strong cabinet, or do you think it is not so dependable?

Strong cabinet	23
Not so dependable cabinet	34

Q5. What is the issue that you want the Abe Cabinet to most focus on? Choose one from the following:

Economy/employment	17
Pension/welfare reform	43
Rebuilding the financial system	15
Constitutional reform	2
Education reform	11
Asian diplomacy	8

Q6. Prime Minister Abe intends to pass the Education Reform Bill by the end of the current Diet session. How do you think the revision of the Education Basic Law should be handled? Choose one from the following:

Should try to pass in the current Diet session	21
Should continue the debate without worrying about passing it before the end of the current Diet session	66
Revision is not necessary	6

Q7. Do you want Prime Minister Abe to proactively tackle the improvement of Japan’s relationships with China and South Korea, or do you not think so?

Want him to tackle it	83
Do not think so	10

Q8. Mr. Abe has not expressed his view on the issues regarding the war in which Japan fought with China, United States and other countries, including whether it was a war of aggression and where the war responsibility lies. Do you view such attitude by Mr. Abe favorably, or do you not?

Favorably view	24
Do not favorably view	52

Q9. Do you think the Japanese economy will improve under the new cabinet, or do you not think so?

Economy will improve	29
Do not think so	48

Q10. There will be an election for the House of Councillors (Upper House) next summer. Between the LDP and the DPJ, do you want to win in the upcoming Upper House election, the LDP, or the DPJ?

LDP	47
DPJ	36