The Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation

The Mansfield Asian Opinion Poll Database

View list of polls

View list of commentary

Return to Asian polls home page

YOMIURI SHIMBUN AUGUST 2007 OPINION POLLS (P07-35)

Yomiuri Shimbun August 2007 Opinion Polls

Dates Conducted

August 4-5, 2007

Released

Publishing date not available

Copyright

Yomiuri Shimbun

Methodology

Yomiuri conducted the poll in individual interviews on August 4 and 5, 2007, using a stratified two-stage random sample of 3,000 voters in 250 different locations. 1,784 people, or 59.5% of those selected, responded.

Key Issues

Evaluation of the Abe administration/Cabinet
House of Councillors election results
Reasons for voting/abstaining in House of Councillor's election
Voter behavior/decisions
Japanese peoples' manners

Disclaimer

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

Q1. Do you support or not support the Abe cabinet?

Support	27.2% (38.3)
Do not support	63.7% (50.6)
Other	3.1% (2.8)
Do not know; No answer	5.9% (8.3)

Figures in parentheses are results from polls conducted in June 2007

SQ1. [For those who answered “Support” to Q1]

Please select up to two reasons from the following list for why you support the Abe cabinet.

Positively evaluate its political stance	27.6% (30.8)
Feel that it is stable	8.8% (11.8)
Can trust the Prime Minister	22.0% (23.2)
Have a fresh image of the Prime Minister	29.4% (34.8)
Positively evaluate its economic policies	7.4 % (4.8)
Positively evaluate its foreign policy	11.3% (15.2)
It is a coalition between the Liberal Democratic Party and the Komeito Party	19.8% (14.8)
It is better than previous cabinets	8.6% (11.9)
Other; Do not know; No answer	11.1% (7.2)

Figures in parentheses are results from polls conducted in June 2007

SQ2. [Those who answered “Do not support” to Q1 only]

Please select up to two reasons from the following list for why you do not support the Abe cabinet.

Cannot positively evaluate its political stance	47.1% (45.9)
Do not feel that the cabinet is stable	34.1% (34.4)
Cannot trust the Prime Minister	26.3% (25.3)
The Prime Minister’s political experience is lacking	18.2% (14.4)
Cannot support the administration’s economic policies	18.8% (22.9)
Cannot support the administration’s foreign policy	3.4% (6.8)
It is a coalition between the Liberal Democratic Party and the Komeito Party	8.7% (11.3)
It is worse than previous cabinets	12.8% (10.0)
Other; Do not know; No answer	4.5% (3.9)

Figures in parentheses are results from polls conducted in June 2007

Q2. From list below, please select all applicable issues you would like the Abe cabinet to prioritize and address.

Economic conditions/job security	51.7% (51.1)
Fiscal reconstruction	22.1% (19.2)
Tax reform and the issue of the consumption tax	33.9% (27.4)
Social security reform, including pensions and healthcare	65.1% (59.5)
Support for child care and countermeasures for declining birthrates	24.9% (29.0)
Education reform	20.9% (24.8)
Administrative reform, such as cutting back the number of government employees	20.8% (17.6)
Problems of income disparities	32.7% (27.2)
YasukuniShrine issue	4.3% (8.4)
Foreign policy toward Asia, including China and South Korea	11.4% (15.0)
Issues with North Korea	20.6% (29.4)
National defense and security	9.8% (13.9)
Constitutionalrevision	7.4% (11.5)
Disaster prevention and crisis management	11.2% (11.0)
Public safety and crime prevention	15.1% (26.6)
Environmental protection	18.6% (21.9)
Food safety	23.7% (15.0)
Other; Nothing special; Do not know; No answer	4.0% (2.8)

Figures in parentheses are results from polls conducted in May 2007

Q3. Which political party do you currently support? Please select one.

Liberal Democratic Party	25.8% (32.9)
Democratic Party of Japan	26.9% (14.3)
Komeito Party	3.6% ( 4.0)
Japan Communist Party	2.2% ( 2.4)
Social Democratic Party of Japan	1.0% ( 1.2)
The New People’s Party	0.2%(0.2)
The New Party Nippon	0.4% (-----)
Other	0.1%(-----)
Do not support any party	38.7% (44.4)
Do not know; No answer	1.1% ( 0.7)

Figures in parentheses are results from polls conducted in June 2007

SQ. [For those who answered “do not support any party” to Q3]

Please select one reason from the following list why you do not support any party.

Do not want to support a political party	7.8%
There is no particular party I want to support now	69.2%
Not interested in politics in the first place	16.1%
Other	3.8%
Do not know; No answer	3.2%

Q4. Do you positively evaluate or not the steps taken by the government on the issue of the misplaced pension record?

Evaluate very positively	7.7%
Evaluate somewhat positively	29.5%
Do not really evaluate positively	31.9%
Do not evaluate positively at all	27.5%
Do not know; No answer	3.4%

Q5. In the House of Councilors election held on July 29, the LDP and Komeito ruling coalition parties faced a landslide defeat while the opposition parties, including the DJP, gained a majority of seats in the upper house. Overall, do you find this to be a desirable result or not?

Desirable	33.9%
Somewhat desirable	27.2%
Somewhat undesirable	19.2%
Undesirable	12.3%
Do not know; No answer	7.4%

Q6. Overall, do you positively evaluate or not the performance of the Abe cabinet to date?

Evaluate very positively	3.7%(6.3)
Evaluate somewhat positively	25.8%(36.3)
Do not really evaluate positively	41.3%(37.2)
Do not evaluate positively at all	25.3%(16.7)
Do not know; No answer	3.9%(3.4)

Figures in parentheses are results from polls conducted in June 2007

Q7. [Despite the poor July Upper House election results] Prime Minister Abe has chosen to remain in power, saying he wants to continue the reform process and fulfill his duties as prime minister. Do you think Prime Minister Abe will be able to achieve satisfactory results?

Yes	17.8%
No	54.4%
Cannot say one way or the other	25.2%
Do not know; No answer	2.6%

Q8. Prime Minister Abe is planning to reshuffle the Cabinet and change the minister lineup. Do you have high expectations for this Cabinet reshuffle?

Have expectations	21.9%
Generally have expectations	20.0%
Generally do not have expectations	24.4%
Do not have expectations	30.8%
Do not know; No answer	3.0%

Q9. How long do you want the Abe Cabinet to continue? Please select one from the list of responses.

As long as possible	13.8%
About 2 years	11.9%
About 1 year	21.0%
About half a year	9.0%
Want resignation as soon as possible	37.2%
Other	0.9%
Do not know; No answer	6.3%

Q10. Seeing the results from this past [House of Councilors] election, when do you think the next dissolution of the lower house/general election should be held? Please select one from the list of responses.

As soon as possible	31.8%
Within the year	21.4%
In spring of next year, after the budget for next fiscal year has been decided	10.3%
Sometime next year	12.6%
Anytime before Sept. 9, 2009, when the term ends	16.2%
Do not know; No answer	7.7%

Q11. In the next House of Representatives election, do you want the Liberal Democratic Parry or the Democratic Party of Japan to win?

LDP	31.6%
DPJ	36.4%
Can't say either one	30.5%
Do not know; No answer	1.5%

Q12. What arrangement of political parties do you think is ideal in an administration right now? Please choose one from the following list of responses.

The current LDP/Komeito coalition	21.1%
LDP one-party rule	9.9%
Opposition-party coalition centered on DPJ	27.3%
DPJ one-party rule	8.1%
Realign ruling and opposition parties and create administration under new framework	20.5%
Other	0.9%
Do not know; No answer	12.3%

Q13. Do you think Japanese politics are likely to proceed in a positive direction or a negative direction?

Proceed in a positive direction	14.1% (19.5)
Generally proceed in a positive direction	39.4% (39.0)
Generally proceed in a negative direction	26.6% (19.9)
Proceed in a negative direction	7.8% (10.1)
Do not know; No answer	12.2% (11.5)

Figures in parentheses are results from polls conducted in September 2005

Q14. The voter turnout for this past House of Councilors election was 58%; it appears as though many did not go to vote. Did you vote or abstain?

Voted	79.3%
Abstained	20.5%
Do not know; No answer	0.3%

[SQ1. to SQ8. are only for those who answered “Voted” to Q14]

SQ1. Please choose one reason from the following list as to why you voted this time.

There was a candidate I wanted to vote for	15.6%
There was a party I wanted to vote for	26.1%
There was an issue I wanted to express my opinion on	23.0%
Did not want to throw away my vote	28.9%
Simply felt like voting	4.2%
Other	1.5%
Do not know; No answer	0.8%

SQ2. About what time of day did you go to vote? Please select one from the following.

AM	50.0%
Noon to 6PM	29.2%
After 6PM	9.4%
Voted early (absentee ballot)	11.1%
Do not know; No answer	0.3%

SQ3. [In Japan, the House of Coucillors employs a two-vote system where the voter fills in a candidate name (prefecture level with 47 districts) and a party name (nationwide, proportional representation) on the ballot.] In the prefectural candidate part of the ballot, what party was the candidate you voted for from? Please select one from the following..

Liberal Democratic Party	34.4%
Democratic Party of Japan	47.8%
Komeito Party	3.9%
Japan Communist Party	4.2%
Social Democratic Party of Japan	1.6%
The New People’s Party	0.8%
Other party	0.1 %
Independent	3.6%
Do not know; No answer	3.5%

SQ4. In the proportional representation part of the ballot, what party was the candidate you voted for from or what party did you vote for? Please select one from the following..

Liberal Democratic Party	31.3%
Democratic Party of Japan	46.7%
Komeito Party	8.0%
Japan Communist Party	4.0%
Social Democratic Party of Japan	3.0%
The New People’s Party	1.4%
New Party Nippon	1.1%
Ishin Seito Shimpu	---
9-jonetto	0.2%
Kyosei Shinto	0.1%
Joseito	0.7%
Do not know; No answer	3.5%

[For those who answered “Liberal Democratic Party” to SQ4, continue on to SQ5, SQ7, SQ8]

[For those who answered “Democratic Party of Japan” to SQ4, continue on to SQ6, SQ7, SQ8]

[For those who answered anything besides “Liberal Democratic Party” or “Democratic Party of Japan” to SQ4, continue on to SQ7, SQ8]

SQ5. [For those who answered “Liberal Democratic Party” to SQ4 only]

In the proportional representation part of the ballot, why did you vote for the Liberal Democratic Party or an LDP candidate? Please choose as many reasons from the following as apply.

Positively evaluated LDP policy	19.2%
Positively evaluated the Abe Cabinet’s performance	5.4%
Had expectations for Prime Minister Abe	27.6%
Thought the opposition party(ies) were inadequate	30.1%
Wanted political stability	24.7%
Have always voted for the LDP	30.3%
There was a candidate I liked	9.0%
Other	2.7%
Do not know; No answer	1.4%

SQ6. [For those who answered “Democratic Party of Japan” to SQ4 only]

In the proportional representation part of the ballot, why did you vote for the Democratic Party of Japan or a DPJ candidate? Please choose as many reasons from the following as apply

Positively evaluated DPJ policy	17.1%
Was disappointed with Prime Minster Abe’s political stance	43.9%
Had expectations for [DPJ president] Ozawa	20.2%
Did not want to let the LDP to win	31.8%
Wanted political change	43.8%
Have always voted for the DPJ	5.5%
There was a candidate I liked	5.5%
Other	1.1%
Do not know; No answer	0.6%

SQ7. When you selected a candidate/party to vote for in the proportional representation part of the ballot, what did you place importance on? Select as many as apply from the following responses.

Policies of party/candidate	29.3%
Party/candidate’s eagerness for reform	29.2%
The makeup of and/or way party is run	13.0%
Candidate’s character/competence	18.6%
Party head’s competence	8.0%
Party I always vote for	18.2%
Party with governmental responsibility	6.6%
Critical stance on current administration	18.6%
Other; Nothing in particular;Do not know; No answer	8.2%

SQ8. Roughly when did you make your final decision on which candidate/party to vote for? Please choose one from the following.

Before the official announcement	47.0%
Around July 12, the time of the official announcement	6.9%
In the first half of campaign	12.4%
In the last half of campaign	18.9%
The day before the election	7.4%
July 29, election day	5.6%
Do not know; No answer	1.8%

[SQ9. is for those who answered “did not vote” in Q14 only]

SQ9. Please choose as many reasons as apply from the following list as to why you did not vote this time.

Was turned off by the current political situation	14.8%
There was no candidate/party I wanted to vote for	21.9%
The political issues were vague and I was not interested	9.0%
There is no distinction between parties and I thought my vote would not matter	13.2%
Thought whether I vote or not there is no effect on the election results	14.5%
Wanted to vote but circumstances prevented it	37.8%
Have no interest in politics in the first place	17.8%
Other	3.3%
Do not know; No answer	4.1%

Q15. In this past election, what kind of issues did you place importance on? Please choose as many as apply from the following list.

Economy/employment	42.7%
Fiscal reconstruction	20.4%
Tax reform and the consumption tax	26.8%
Social security, including pensions	61.3%
Support for child care and countermeasures for declining birthrates	17.3%
Education reform	14.7%
Administrative reform, including the civilservice system	15.4%
Politics and money	32.4%
Income gap and other disparities	23.9%
Issues with North Korea	12.3%
Foreign policy and national security	8.8%
Amendment of the Constitution	9.2%
Crisis management, including disaster prevention	6.2%
Public safety/crime prevention	8.9%
Environmental measures	10.0%
Foodsafety measures	14.7%
Agricultural policy	5.8%
Other; Nothing in particular; Do not know; No answer	8.9%

Q16. What do you think was evaluated in this past House of Councillor’s election? Please choose as many as apply from the following list.

Performance of the Abe Cabinet	27.0%
Whether to continue to leave the administration to the Abe Cabinet	38.1%
Prime Minster Abe’s political stance	36.8%
Resolution of the pension issue	58.4%
Resolution of (wealth) disparity issues	20.3%
Necessity of constitutional revision	9.2%
Functioning of the House of Councillors	8.7%
Other	0.8%
Nothing in particular	4.1%
Do not know; No answer	1.9%

Q17. From the things you saw/heard in this election, what in particular helped you to decide on a candidate/party to vote for? Please select up to two from the following.

Campaign broadcasts	16.9%
Election bulletins	15.1%
Newspaper advertisements	14.0%
Party TV commercials	10.2%
Stump speech	6.6%
Party campaign pledges/manifests	15.6%
Bill, flyer, poster	8.2%
TV/newspaper election reporting	42. 3%
Party homepage/internet advertisement	2.4%
Other; Nothing in particular;Do not know; No answer	20.0%

Q18. Before election day, on TV and in newspapers it was predicted that “the LDP might lose its majority” and “the DPJ could become the dominant party.” With reference to this coverage, how did you vote? Please select one from the following.

I had planned to vote for the ruling party/candidate, and did so	15.6%
I had planned to vote for the ruling party/candidate, but changed it to the opposition party	2.4%
I had planned to vote for the opposition party/candidate, and did so	17.9%
I had planned to vote for the opposition party/candidate, but changed it to the ruling party	0.8%
I was not particularly influenced	53.3%
I did not hear/see such coverage	4.4%
Do not know; No answer	5.5%

Q19. In the House of Representatives election that took place under the Koizumi Cabinet in September 2005, called as the “Japan Post privatization election,” which party did you vote for in the proportional-representation bloc? Please choose one from the following list.

Liberal Democratic Party	48.3%(44.5)
Democratic Party of Japan	20.6%(20.3)
Komeito Party	4.7 %(4.6)
Japan Communist Party	2.8%(2.9)
Social Democratic Party of Japan	1.9%(1.6)
The New People’s Party	0.6 %(0.5)
The New Party Nippon	0.1 %(0.1)
New Party Daichi	0.1%(0.1)
Abstained	8.9%(10.6)
Forgot; Did not have the right to vote; Do not know; No answer	12.0%(15.0)

Figures in parentheses are results from polls conducted in June 2007

The following questions are related to manners.

Q20. Do you ever feel that Japanese people’s manners have gotten worse lately or not?

Often	53.5% (54.2)
Sometimes	34.4% (36.2)
Not really	10.1 % ( 7.4)
Not at all	1.1% ( 1.2)
Do not know; No answer	0.9 % ( 1.0)

Figures in parentheses are results from polls conducted in May 2002

SQ. [For those who answered “Often/Sometimes” to Q20 only]

What do you think the underlying reason is that Japanese people’s manners have gotten worse? Please select as many as apply from the following list.

Problems with discipline at home	76.8%
Problems with education at school	30.2%
Adults no longer pay attention to children around them	53.6%
Adults no longer observe proper manners	60.1%
Increase in people who are unconcerned about others’ behavior	36.7%
Loss of sense of shame	28.6%
Increase in people who do not think about others’ feelings	48.2%
Increase in people who do not think of themselves as a member of society	32.1%
Other;Do not know; No answer	1.3%

Q21. In what generation do you think there are particularly a lot of people with bad manners? Please select as many as apply from the following list.

Children up to elementary school	13.8% (13.6)
Middle/high school students	48.5% (59.7)
Young men	53.8% (57.2)
Young women	59.2% (60.3)
Middle-aged men	30.2% (23.2)
Middle-aged women	33.7% (27.5)
Older men	10.0% ( 8.7)
Older women	9.2% ( 8.7)
None in particular	7.8% ( 5.7)
Do not know; No answer	1.8% ( 0.9)

Figures in parentheses are results from polls conducted in May 2002

Q22. Are there any actions other people take that you find particularly irritating? Please select as many as apply from the following list.

Littering cigarettes, gum, cans, etc.	58.9%
Parking one’s bike on sidewalk/walkway	16.8%
A non-handicapped person parking in a space for handicapped people	29.3%
Not cleaning up after one’s pet	43.1%
Letting one’s dog run free in parks, etc.	12.8%
Not following rules for putting out trash	30.9%
Smoking while walking/outside of smoking areas	31.1%
Spitting in the street	28.4%
Cutting in line	26.3%
Not apologizing after stepping on another’s foot/brushing against another’s body	20.5%
Speaking on one’s cell phone in the train/bus	38.1%
Listening to music at a loud volume in the train/bus	22.0%
Not giving up one’s seat to elderly/disabled people	28.5%
Sitting on the floor of trains/buses or on the ground in front of convenience stores, etc.	30.9%
Parents who do not reprimand their children even if they are acting up	57.8%
Applying one’s make up in front of others	22.6%
Other	0.8%
Nothing in particular;Do not know; No answer	3.0%

Q23. Out of the following five actions, which can you pass off as just a trivial matter? Select as many as apply.

Crossing even if the light is red, once having ensured no cars are coming	30.2%
Throwing away household trash at trash cans in parks, stations, or convenience stores	10.1%
Returning a book to the library after the due date	20.5%
A fit person sitting in open priority seating on trains/buses	25.9%
Answering one’s cell phone in a quiet voice in the bus/train if a call comes	38.5
Cannot approve any of the above	21.6%
Do not know; No answer	3.3%

Q24. Do you think you have the necessary public manners to live in society or not?

I do	72.6%
I do not	20.1%
Do not know; No answer	7.3%

Q25. Lately, “the manners of old Edo,” or the public manners of townspeople in the Edo period, have gained attention as a way to show consideration or kindness toward other people. From the next five “gestures of Edo,” please select any you would like to learn.

Tilting one’s umbrella—when two people pass by on a narrow road, they each hold their umbrellas to the side so they do not touch each other	47.8%
Pulling in one’s shoulder—whentwo people pass by on a narrow road, they each pull in their shoulder so they do not brush each other	45.7%
Sitting one fisthigh—sitting in such a way that a fist could fit under you when riding on vehicles(to allow more people to sit)	32.0%
Apology for carelessness—when one’s foot is stepped on, not only the perpetrator but the injured party also apologizes for “carelessness”	40.1%
Glance in greeting—casually greetingevena person one does not know with a friendly glance	43.2%
None	11.0%
Do not know; No answer	3.5%

Q26. When you see people littering cigarettes or gum, or parents who do not reprimand their children even when they are acting up, etc., do you say something to that person or not?

Always say something	3.6%
Sometimes say something	19.3%
Do not usually say something	38.4%
Never say anything	37.6%
Do not know; No answer	1.1%

SQ. [For those who answered “Do not usually say something”/“Never say anything” to Q26 only]

From the following list, please choose any many reasons as apply as to why you do not say anything.

Am not particularly bothered	3.5%
It has nothing to do with me	8.7%
One should mind their own business	26.1%
If I can tolerate it,that is the end of it	19.2%
Someone else will probably say something	7.4%
I might be subject to criticism/violence	64.5%
Others might think I am strange	6.9%
Am not confident whether my saying something is appropriate or not	12.5%
Other; Do not know; No answer	2.9%

Q27. What kinds of things do you think are particularly necessary to improve public manners? Please choose as many from the following as apply.

Paying attention to whether you are inconveniencing someone or not	51.5%
Everyone having consideration for each other	63.3%
Creating an environment where residents look out for each other through residents’ and neighborhood association activities, etc.	24.1%
Strengthening government appeals in newspapers, TV, public transport broadcasts, etc.	10.4%
Improving public manner education at schools	43.4%
Improving public manner discipline at home	66.9%
Setting up government-sponsored opportunities for parents to learn about public manners	17.2%
Governmentprohibition ofbad manners, such as littering, andimposition ofa penalty	17.7%
Other	0.2%
Do not know; No answer	1.7%

Q28. If someone is violating public manners in a public place, do you think the surrounding people should caution that person or not?

Yes	79.0%
No	13.5%
Do not know; No answer	7.6%

Q29. Hypothetically speaking, if you were to be cautioned in a public space on your manners, how do you think you would feel? Please select one from the following.

Like I did something wrong	40.2%
Embarrassed	53.4%
Would get angry at the person who said something	2.8%
Other	0.2%
Would not feel anything in particular	2.0%
Do not know; No answer	1.3%

Q29. The government is now reviewing the current state of moral education and is considering reinforcing education wherein children acquire societal norms. Do you support or are you against this policy?

Support	69.1%
Generally support	22.4%
Generally against	3.8%
Against	2.2%
Do not know; No answer	2.5%

Fundamental Characteristics of the Survey Sample:

Regional Distribution

Hokkaido, Tohoku	11.5%
Kanto	28.5%
Chubu	20.0%
Kinki	18.3%
Chugoku, Shikoku	9.6%
Kyushu	11.9%

City Scale

Large metropolitan areas (Tokyo’s 23 wards and ordinance-designated cities)	20.2%
Large mid-sized cities (cities with population over 300,000)	18.7%
Mid-sized cities (cities with population over 100,000)	25.0%
Small cities (cities with population under 100,000)	23.8%
Towns and villages	12.3%

The scale is based on the established standards as of March 12, 2007

Gender Distribution

Male	45.0%
Female	55.0%

Age Distribution (in years)

20-24	5.0%
25-29	5.3%
30-34	5.7%
35-39	7.6%
40-44	8.4%
45-49	8.5%
50-54	10.9%
55-59	12.7%
60-69	20.6%
Over 70 years old	15.4%

Educational Background

Elementary/middle-school graduate	15.0%
High-school student or graduate	49.9%
College/junior-college student or graduate	34.4%
Do not know; No answer	0.7%

Occupational Background

[Self-employed]	13.8%
[Salaried worker]	45.0%
[Other]	41.3%
Agriculture/Forestry/Fishing	3.4%
Business/Industry/Service	9.0%
Freelance Professional	1.4%
Management/Professional	5.1%
Office worker/Skill industry	17.4%
Labor/Service	22.5%
Housewife	22.1%
Domestic woman other than a housewife	4.5%
Student	2.1%
Other; Unemployed; No answer	12.5%

Household Annual Income (in Japanese yen)

Below 2 million	10.8%
In between 2 and 4 million	20.7%
In between 4 and 6 million	21.9%
In between 6 and 8 million	15.1%
In between 8 and 10 million	7.0%
Over 10 million	5.0%
Do not know; No answer	19.6%