Asahi Shimbun July 2007 Opinion Polls

Dates Conducted

June 9 and 10, 2007; June 16 and 17, 2007; June 23 and 24, 2007; and June 30 and July 1, 2007

Released

July 5, 2007

Methodology

The poll was conducted by telephone on June 9 and 10, 2007; June 16 and 17, 2007; June 23 and 24, 2007; and June 30 and July 1, 2007, of voters from across Japan using a three-stage random sampling method (the Asahi RDD). The total number of those polled was 1038 on June 9-10, with a 60% response rate; 1041 on June 16-17, with a 59% response rate; 1095 on June 23-24, with a 64% response rate; and 1013 on June 30-July 1, with a 62% response rate.

Key Issues

July Upper House Election

Disclaimer

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

Survey:

Q1. Do you support the Abe cabinet?

	June 9-10	June 16-17	June 23-24	June 30-July 1
Support	34	32	31	28
Do Not Support	48	51	48	48

Q2. Which political party do you currently support?

	June 9-10	June 16-17	June 23-24	June 30-July 1
Liberal Democratic Party	28	27	27	25
Democratic Party of Japan	19	17	15	16
Komeito	3	2	4	3
Japan Communist Party	3	3	2	2
Social Democratic Party	1	1	1	1
The People's New Party	0	1	0	0
The New Party of Japan	0	0	0	0
Others	0	1	0	0
Do not support any party	39	40	44	39
No answer/do not know	7	8	7	14

Q3. There will be an election for the House of Councilors in July. How interested are you in this House of Councilors election? (Choose one.)

	June 9-10	June 16-17	June 23-24	June 30-July 1
Very interested	33	33	33	34
Somewhat interested	41	42	42	40
Not very interested	21	20	19	21
Not at all interested	5	5	5	4

Q4. During the House of Councilors election, votes will be cast in electoral districts and proportional-representational blocks. Have you decided which party’s candidate you will vote for in your electoral district?

	June 9-10	June 16-17	June 23-24	June 30-July 1
Have decided	40	36	40	41
Have not decided	59	62	58	56

Q5. Next, have you decided for the proportional-representation block?

	June 9-10	June 16-17	June 23-24	June 30-July 1
Have decided	36	34	36	33
Have not decided	62	64	61	63

Q6. If the election were held today, which party’s candidate would you vote for in your electoral district? Please answer with the party’s name.

	June 9-10	June 16-17	June 23-24	June 30-July 1
Liberal Democratic Party	27	27	26	26
Democratic Party of Japan	28	28	26	25
Komeito	4	3	5	4
Japan Communist Party	5	4	3	3
Social Democratic Party	1	2	2	1
The People's New Party	0	1	0	0
The New Party of Japan	0	0	0	0
Others	0	0	0	0
Independent candidate	1	1	1	1
No answer/do not know	34	34	37	40

Q7. If the election were held today, which party or party’s candidate would you vote for in your proportional-representation block? Please answer with the party’s name.

	June 9-10	June 16-17	June 23-24	June 30-July 1
Liberal Democratic Party	23	23	24	19
Democratic Party of Japan	29	26	23	25
Komeito	4	3	5	5
Japan Communist Party	4	4	3	3
Social Democratic Party	1	2	2	2
The People's New Party	0	1	1	0
The New Party of Japan	0	0	0	0
Others	1	1	1	1
No answer/do not know	38	40	41	45

Q8. Would you like the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partners to hold a majority of seats in the House of Councilors as a result of the election? Or would you like the Democratic Party of Japan and other opposition parties will hold a majority of seats?

	June 9-10	June 16-17	June 23-24	June 30-July 1
LDP and coalition parties	29	27	28	25
DPJ and other opposition parties	50	50	46	48

Q9. Do you prefer a continuation of the administration [in power], composed primarily of the Liberal Democratic Party? Or do you prefer a change, to an administration composed primarily of the Democratic Party of Japan?

	June 9-10	June 16-17	June 23-24	June 30-July 1
Administration composed of LDP	31	28	30	30
Administration composed of DPJ	38	40	34	35