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YUMIURI SHIMBUN DECEMBER OPINION POLL (P06-15)

Yumiuri Shimbun December Opinion Poll

Dates Conducted

December 9-10, 2006

Released

Publishing date not available.

Methodology

Yomiuri conducted individual interviews of 3,000 voters in 250 different locations using a stratified two-stage random sample. Of those sampled 1,751 (58.4%) responded.

Key Issues

• Prime Minister Abe and the Abe Cabinet approval ratings
• Standard of living

Background

The poll provides an assessment of the Abe administration three months after its inauguration. Yomiuri indicates possible reasons for voter support or the lack thereof with a checklist diagnosing the roots of voters’ feelings towards the administration. Shinzo Abe, succeeding Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, has ushered in a new era of assertive diplomacy towards China and the Korean Peninsula. The new administration has also sought to develop policies affecting economic restructuring; and constitutional, security, and educational reform. The poll assesses these issues, as well as current standards of living, and compares current conditions to the previous year and projections for the upcoming year.

Link to Original Source

Data received directly from Yomiuri Shimbun.

Disclaimer

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

Survey:

Q1: Do you support, or do you not support the Abe Cabinet?

Support	55.9% (65.1)
Do not support	30.0% (21.7)
Other	3.5% (3.1)
NA	10.6% (10.1)

SQ1: [Those who answered “support” to Q1 only]
Please indicate from the list below up to two reasons why you support of the Abe Cabinet:

Can approve of the government's positions	26.4% (28.8)
Feel the nation is stable	13.4% (15.0)
Can trust the Prime Minister	25.2% (22.9)
Have a fresh image of the Prime Minister	47.0% (47.3)
Can support the administration's economic policies	7.1% (8.3)
Can support the administration's foreign policy	22.3% (21.8)
Because of the coalition between the Liberal Democratic Party and the New Komeito Party	7.3% (5.9)
The current cabinet is better than the previous ones	7.5% (8.1)
Other	4.4% (3.8)

SQ2: [Those who answered “do not support” to Q1 only]
Please indicate from the list below up to two reasons why you do not support the Abe Cabinet:

Cannot approve of the government's positions	40.6% (30.4)
Feel the nation is not stable	22.1% (16.0)
Cannot trust the Prime Minister	19.0% (24.9)
The Prime Minister's political experience is lacking	20.0% (28.5)
Cannot support the administration's economic policies	32.6% (23.6)
Cannot support the administration's foreign policy	11.0% (14.4)
Because of the coalition between the Liberal Democratic Party and the New Komeito Party	17.1% (16.8)
The current cabinet is worse than previous ones	4.8% (6.0)
Other	3.6% (4.7)

Figures in parentheses are results from polls conducted in November of 2006.
Q2: From the list below, if there are any issues that you would like the Abe Cabinet to address, please indicate as many of them as appropriate.

Economic conditions/job security	52.0% (50.8)
Finance reform	19.0% (18.8)
Tax reform/Consumption tax problem	31.8% (30.0)
Pension/Healthcare/Social security reform	59.3% (59.9)
Child raising support and counter-measures for declining birthrates	29.9% (27.1)
Education reform	26.7% (29.5)
Administrative reformsuch as government employee cutbacks and	18.6% (18.3)
Income disparity problem	21.1% (19.6)
The Yasukuni Shrine issue	6.2% (8.1)
Asia diplomacy such as toward China and Korea	16.5% (20.8)
TheNorth Koreaissue	33.6% (42.6)
Defense and security	10.7% (13.2)
Constitutional reform	5.8% (6.3)
Disaster prevention/Crisis management	8.9% (9.0)
Crime prevention	20.2% (20.6)
Environmental protection	14.1% (14.5)
Food safety	11.6% (12.7)
Other	2.7% (3.4)

Figures in parentheses are results from polls conducted in November of 2006.
Q3: Which political party do you support right now? (Select one.)

Liberal Democratic Party	40.8% (45.9)
Democratic Party	11.7% (11.2)
New Komeito Party	2.7% (2.2)
Communist Party	1.2% (1.8)
Social Democratic Party	1.0% (1.2)
People's New Party	--- (0.2)
New Party Nippon	--- (0.1)
Other	0.1% (0.1)
No Political Party	41.7% (36.8)
NA	0.9% (0.6)

Figures in parentheses are results from polls conducted in November of 2006.
Q4: It will soon be three months since Prime Minister Abe was inaugurated. Do you generally support the past three months of Prime Minister Abe and the Abe Cabinet’s achievements?

Strongly support	6.6%
Moderately support	38.1%
Do not really support	33.9%
Do not support at all	11.2%
NA	10.1%

Q5: Do you, or do you not support the past three months of the Abe Cabinet’s domestic policies?

Strongly support	5.4%
Moderately support	33.3%
Do not really support	37.2%
Do not support at all	13.3%
NA	10.8%

Q6: Do you, or do you not support the Abe administration’s diplomacy in the past three months?

Strongly support	10.9%
Moderately support	42.3%
Do not really support	25.9%
Do not support at all	10.4%
NA	10.5%

Q7: Do you support or oppose readmitting to the Liberal Democratic Party the “rebels” who seceded from the party during the conflict over postal privatization in last year’s House of Representatives election?

Support	11.0%
If I had to choose I support	14.5%
If I had to choose I oppose	23.2%
Oppose	43.6%
NA	7.7%

Q8: Do you think that the current readmission issue will be an advantage or a disadvantage to the Liberal Democratic Party in next year’s House of Councillor’s election?

Advantage	9.4%
If I had to choose, it is an advantage	16.4%
If I had to choose, it is a disadvantage	26.0%
Disadvantage	36.6%
NA	11.6%

Q9: Do you, or do you not support Prime Minister Abe?

Support	35.9%
If I had to choose, I support	29.1%
If I had to choose, I do not support	16.7%
Do not support	16.2%
NA	2.2%

Q10: The government claims that Japan’s economic conditions are improving at a steady rate. Do you feel that they are improving or are not?

Strongly feel that they are	2.0% (2.5)
Moderately feel that they are	19.0% (21.7)
Don't really feel that they are	41.9% (41.5)
Do not feel that they are at all	36.0% (32.7)
NA	1.0% (1.6)

Figures in parentheses are results from polls conducted in January of 2006.
Q11: Compared with last year, have your present circumstances become easier, more difficult, or have they not changed at all?

Much easier	0.7% (0.6)
A little bit easier	5.0% (6.9)
Have not changed	68.5% (64.1)
A little more difficult	19.8% (22.8)
Much more difficult	5.5% (5.2)
NA	0.5% (0.4)

Figures in parentheses are results from polls conducted in January of 2006.
Q12: Compared with the previous year, has your household income this year (along with taxes) increased, decreased, or not changed at all?

Increased greatly	0.9%
Increased slightly	11.2%
Not changed	56.4%
Decreased slightly	23.2%
Decreased greatly	6.5%
NA	1.8%

Q13: Compared with one year ago have your expenditures, like shopping, become more restricted?

Greatly restricted	12.1% (11.7)
Restricted to a certain degree	50.8% (45.8)
Have not really become restricted	27.9% (33.0)
Have not become restricted at all	6.4% (7.3)
NA	2.9% (2.2)

Figures in parentheses are results from polls conducted in November of 2004.

Q14: Compared with this time last year, do you or do you not think that you are less reluctant to buy high-priced goods?

I think so	8.4%
If I had to say, I think so	16.6%
If I had to say, I don't think so	30.6%
I don't think so	40.9%
NA	3.6%

Q15: In the following three areas please indicate whether your expenditures this year have increased or decreased compared to the previous one-year period.

S1: Clothing and Fashion

Increased	9.2%
Has not changed	61.3%
Decreased	29.0%
NA	0.5%

S2: Eating Out

Increased	13.5%
Has not changed	57.6%
Decreased	28.3%
NA	0.6%

S3: Travel and Leisure

Increased	11.7%
Has not changed	56.8%
Decreased	30.8%
NA	0.7%

Q16: From now on, do you plan to increase your spending or restrict it?

Plan to increase	11.3% (3.1)
Plan to restrict	79.2% (88.5)
NA	9.5% (8.4)

Figures in parentheses are results from polls conducted in December of 2003.
SQ: [Those who answered “plan to restrict” to Q16 only]

Please indicate, from the list below, the reasons for restricting your expenditures.

The future of the economy is insecure	30.8%
Can't rely on an increase in income and earnings	56.5%
You think tax increases are unavoidable	23.2%
Pension, healthcare, and nursing present anxieties in the future	49.3%
You don't have the means to make expenditures	35.3%
You're wanting to save for a future goal	34.7%
There isn't anything that you want to buy	9.9%
Just because	3.7%
Other	1.2%

Q17: If there is anything in your life that you would like to spend more money on from here on out please indicate those things from the list provided.

Health	43.5%
Eating	20.3%
Clothing/fashion	10.6%
Home/interior	15.8%
Television/appliances	11.4%
Personal Computer	5.5%
Car/motorcycle	6.8%
Travel/leisure	27.6%
Hobbies	27.5%
Skill acquisition/Self-development	9.1%
Education	15.8%
Entertaining	7.2%
Other	0.3%
Nothing	16.8%
NA	0.2%

Q18: Recently, as you have been shopping have you or have you not felt that prices have begun to rise again?

Often feel that they are rising	12.1%
Sometimes feel that they are rising	28.9%
Do not really feel that they are rising	44.8%
Do not feel that they are at all rising	11.4%
NA	2.8%

Q19: If present Japanese standards of living were divided into five classes, as listed below, what class do you feel you would fit into? (Pick just one)

Upper class	1.5% (1.8)
Upper-middle class	12.1% (13.7)
Middle-middle class	45.9% (51.4)
Lower-middle class	32.5% (26.9)
Lower class	6.5% (4.9)
NA	1.5% (1.3)

Figures in parentheses are results from polls conducted in December of 2005.
Q20: Do you feel that the disparity between those who are rich and those who are not rich— in other words, the gap between rich and poor—in present-day Japan has become greater, smaller, or has stayed the same?

Become greater	46.0% (31.1)
If I had to choose one I would say it has become greater	27.8% (24.3)
Has stayed the same	22.2% (33.8)
If I had to choose one I would say it has become smaller	2.0% (4.8)
Become smaller	0.5% (3.0)
NA	1.5% (2.9)

Figures in parentheses are results from polls conducted in November of 2004.
Q21: Do you feel that the economic disparity between urban and rural areas in Japan has become greater, become smaller, or stayed the same recently?

Become greater	40.9%
If I had to choose one I would say it has become greater	26.2%
Has stayed the same	24.4%
If I had to choose one I would say it has become smaller	1.6%
Become smaller	0.9%
NA	5.9%

Q22: Recently cases of corporations employing part-time or temporary employees in order to cutback on personnel costs have increased. Do you think that this is or is not a problem?

Think it is	50.1%
If I had to choose one I would say that it is	25.7%
If I had to choose one I would say that it is not	10.1%
Think that it is not	10.2%
NA	3.9%

Q23: Do you feel that after a year Japan’s economic conditions will have become better, worse, or will not change from where they are now?

Become better	16.8% (22.8)
Not change	61.7% (58.5)
Become worse	17.8% (14.8)
NA	3.7% (3.8)

Figures in parentheses are results from polls conducted in January of 2006.
Q24: Please describe your current family situation by choosing one of the options from the list of seven below.

Grandparents and grandchildren living together with extended family	20.1% (19.4)
Only parents and children	48.4% (49.6)
Live as a couple	23.4% (22.8)
Single (widow/widower, divorced)	3.7% (3.6)
Single (not yet married)	3.5% (3.5)
Other	0.3% (0.5)
NA	0.6% (0.6)

Figures in parentheses are results from polls conducted in November of 2006.

Fundamental Characteristics of Survey Sample:

Regional Distribution

Hokkaido/ Tohoku	11.7%
Kanto	29.2%
Chubu	19.4%
Kinki	18.2%
Chugoku/Shikoku	9.8%
Kyushu	11.8%

City Scale

Large Metropolitan areas (Tokyo's 23 wards and ordinance designated cities)	22.5%
Large mid-sized cities (cities with population over 300,000)	19.1%
Mid-sized cities (cities with population over 100,000)	24.0%
Small cities (cities with population under 100,000)	23.0%
Towns and villages	11.4%

Gender Distribution

Male	44.3%
Female	55.7%

Age Distribution (in years)

20-24	4.7%
25-29	5.5%
30-34	6.9%
35-39	8.1%
40-44	8.2%
49-45	7.8%
50-54	10.2%
55-59	12.0%

Educational Background

Middle School	13.9%
High School	49.3%
College/ Junior College	35.7%
NA	1.0%

Occupational Background

Agriculture/Forestry/Fishing	3.2%
Business/Industry/Service	8.4%
Self-employed	1.6%
Management/ Professional	6.5%
Office worker/Skill industry	16.8%
Labor/Service	19.9%
Housewife	24.0%
Domestic woman other than a housewife	4.9%
Student	1.8%
Other/unemployed/NA	12.8%

Household Annual Income (in Japanese yen)

Below 2 million	11.1%
In between 2 and 4 million	22.2%
In between 4 and 6 million	20.6%
In between 6 and 8 million	16.4%
In between 8 and 10 million	7.8%
Over 10 million	5.5%
NA	16.4%