Asahi Shimbun Emergency Opinion Polls after the announcement of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) presidential election

Dates conducted

September 8 and 9, 2006

Methodology

The poll was conducted by telephone on September 8 and 9, 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 1055; the ratio of answers is 60%.

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. Which political parties do you support now? (Figures in parenthesis are results from the poll conducted on August 26 and 27.)

Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)	40 (38)
Democratic Party ofJapan(DPJ)	14 (13)
Komeito	3 (3)
JapanCommunist Party (JCP)	1 (3)
Social Democratic Party ofJapan(SDPJ)	2 (2)
The People's New Party	0 (0)
The New PartyJapan	0 (0)
The Free (Liberal) Coalition	0 (0)
Other political parties	1 (0)
Do not support any party	36 (37)
No answer/do not know	3 (4)

Q2. The election for LDP president was announced. A new LDP president will effectively become the next prime minister. Are you or are you not interested in the LDP presidential election? (Figures in parenthesis are results from the poll conducted on January 28 and 29.)

Interested	63 (71)
Not interested	35 (26)

Q3. Mr. Shinzo Abe, Mr. Sadakazu Tanigaki, and Mr. Taro Aso have entered the race. Among these three, who do you think is most appropriate to become the next prime minister after Prime Minister Koizumi? Choose one from the following.

ShinzoAbe	54
SadakazuTanigaki	11
TaroAso	10

Q4. Do you think you can expect policy debates in this year’s LDP presidential election, or do you not think so? (Figures in parenthesis are results from the poll conducted on August 21 and 22.)

Can expect policy debates	25 (24)
Cannot expect policy debates	58 (60)

Q5. What is the issue that you would most like the next prime minister to tackle? Choose one from the following:

Pension and welfare reform	48
Correction of economic discrepancy	10
Vitalization of localities	9
Rebuilding the financial system	17
Constitutional reform	2
Improvement in Asian diplomacy	9

Q6. It has been said that Mr. Abe is attracting popularity among the public as the candidate for the next prime minister. What do you think is the reason? Choose one from the following:

His policies and conviction	5
Ability to implement policy	10
Youth	11
Personality and image	44
No other good candidate	25

Q7. As Mr. Abe enters the LDP presidential race, he announced his policy platform called “A beautiful country Japan.” Do you know Mr. Abe’s policy platform? Choose one from the following:

Know the content of his platform	11
Know that he announced it	61
Do not know about it	27

Q8. Do you think the LDP-centered government should continue? Or, do you think it will be better to have a change to a DPJ-centered government? (Figures in parenthesis are results from the poll conducted on August 21 and 22.)

LDP-centered government	44 (38)
DPJ-centered government	34 (29)