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NIKKEI MARCH 2007 OPINION POLLS (P07-8)

March 2007 Nikkei Telephone Interview Polls

Dates Conducted
March 16-18, 2007

Released
Publishing date not available

Copyright
Nikkei Shimbun

Methodology
Nationwide poll. See below for age and gender breakdown.

Key Issues

Support for the Abe Cabinet
Public interest in the local election
Readmission of the Diet Member of the LDP
Issues over the utility costs at the office of the Agricultural Minister

Background

Former House of Representatives member Seiichi Eto, who was expelled from the party after the September 2005 election and lost his seat in the Diet, was readmitted to the LDP. He was the first postal rebel without a Diet seat who was readmitted to the LDP. In addition, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishers Toshikatsu Matsuoka faced a scandal involving his failure to account for the expenditures for running his office. The Minister’s fund management entity booked a large sum of utility costs as expenses for his free-of-charge office in the Diet Member’s Hall, which are to be covered by public money. Minister Matsuoka committed suicide on May 29, after this poll was conducted.

Link to Original Source

http://www.nikkei-r.co.jp/nikkeipoll/qandres/y200703a.html

Disclaimer

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

Survey:

Q1: Do you support or not support the Abe Cabinet? (N=901)

Support	43%
Do not support	45
Can not say; do not know	12

Q1SQ1: For those who answered “support” in Q1: What is the reason for your support? Please select as many as apply from the following seven. (N=383)

Because it is a LDP Cabinet	26%
Its policies are good	5
It has an international sense	15
It has leadership	4
It is stable	13
Can trust its members' personalities	50
Politically clean	19
Other	5
Can not say; do not know	5

Q1SQ2: For those who answered “do not support” in Q1: What is the reason for your lack of support? Please select as many as apply from the following seven. (N=407)

Because it is an LDP Cabinet	19%
Its policies are bad	30
Do not have an international sense	11
Does not have a sense of leadership	57
It is not stable	35
Cannot trust its members' personalities	12
Politically it is not clean	6
Other	6
Can not say; do not know	1

Q2: Which political party do you support right now? Please select one. (N=901)

Liberal Democratic Party	32%
Democratic Party ofJapan	11
NewKomeitoParty	3
JapanCommunist Party	2
Social Democratic Party ofJapan	1
The People's New Party	0
The New PartyNippon	0
Others	1
Do not support any party	48
Can not say; do not know	2

Q2SQ: For those who answered “do not support any party” or “Can not say/do not know” in Q2: If you had to select one, which party do you feel most preferable? Please select one only. (N=901)

Liberal Democratic Party	19%
Democratic Party ofJapan	14
NewKomeitoParty	1
JapanCommunist Party	6
Social Democratic Party ofJapan	1
The People's New Party	0
The New PartyNippon	0
Others	1
Do not support any party	50
Can not say; do not know	7

[Support + preferable parties (N=901)]

Liberal Democratic Party	41
Democratic Party ofJapan	18
NewKomeitoParty	4
JapanCommunist Party	5
Social Democratic Party ofJapan	2
The People's New Party	0
The New PartyNippon	0
Others	1
Do not support any party	25
Can not say; do not know	4

Q3. Do you support or not support the performance of the Abe Cabinet for the past half year after it was inaugurated? (N=901)

Support	29%
Not Support	56
Neither support nor not support	8
Can not say; Do not know	7

Q3SQ1: For those who answered “support” in Q3: What is the primary reason for your support of the Abe Cabinet? (N=261)

Efforts toward fiscal reconstruction	6%
Efforts toward educational reform	26
Restoration of party membership to opponents of the postal privatization	3
Confronting problems associated with politics and money	5
Confronting problems with cabinet members' statements	3
Evaluation of the Japan Defense Agency to the Ministry of Defense	7
Posture towardKoreaandChina	13
Response toNorth Koreaissues	30
Other	1
Can not say; do not know	6

Q3SQ2: For those who answered “do not support” in Q3: What is the primary reason for not supporting the Abe Cabinet? (N=502)

Efforts toward fiscal reconstruction	10%
Efforts toward educational reform	6
Restoration of party membership to opponents of the postal privatization	15
Confronting problems associated with politics and money	25
Confronting problems with cabinet members' statements	21
Evaluation of the Japan Defense Agency to the Ministry of Defense	2
Posture towardKoreaandChina	3
Response toNorth Koreaissues	12
Other	3
Can not say; do not know	3

Q4. How do you evaluate the attitudes of the Abe Cabinet toward reforms as compared with the Koizumi Cabinet? (N=901)

Positively evaluate	3%
Negatively evaluate	50
Not have a big difference between the two	38
Can not say; do not know	9

Q5. LDP has readmitted to the party Diet Member Seiichi Eto, who was expelled from the LDP because of his opposition to postal privatization and lost his seat in the election. What do you think of this? (N=901)

It was appropriate	16%
It was not appropriate	67
Ca not say; do not know	17

Q6. In regards to the issue of the management of funds by the fund management entity of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries Minister Matsuoka, which reported large costs for utilities for the Minister’s office in the Diet Member’s Hall, Minister Matsuoka explained that he has reported appropriately by observing the law. What do you think about this? (N=901)

That is not a problem	3%
Needs more detailed explanation	86
Can not say; do not know	11

Q7. What do you think about NHK’s reception fee charge system? (N=901)

Reception fees has to be mandatory by revising the laws	23%
Should maintain the current reception fee charge system	16
Reception fee charge system has to be abolished and has to be privatized	50
Can not say; do not know	11

Q8. There has been a voice in LDP asking for the Cabinet reshuffle. What do you think about this? (N=901)

Has to be reshuffled before the Upper House election in July	32%
Has to be reshuffled after the Upper House election	33
There is no need to reshuffle for the moment	20
Can not say; do not know	15

Q9. How much are you interested in the general election in April? (N=901)

Very much interested	24%
Interested to some extent	45
Not interested very much	20
Not interested at all	4
Can not say; do not know	7

Q10. In terms of the local administration, what kinds of issues are you interested in most? Please select one out of the following (N=901):

Support for child care and counter-measures for declining birthrates	12%
Educational issues	12
Healthcare and the welfare issues	27
Job security	9
Regional financial reconstruction	12
Issues of regional disparities	5
City planning and environmental protection	2
Measurement for preventing disaster and securing peace and order	2
Confronting problems associated with politics and money	10
Can not say; do not know	9

Polling Information
F1. Gender (judged by interviewers; N=901)

Male	44%
Female	56
Unknown	0

F2. Age (N=901)

20s	6%
30s	17
40s	18
50s	23
60s	18
70s	17
Refused to answer	1

F3. What is your occupation? Please select one out of the following (N=901):

Agriculture, forestry and fishing	2%
Employed (corporate employee, civil servant, teacher, etc.)	44
Self-employed, freelance (including family business)	11
Housewife (without any outside jobs)	19
Student	1
Unemployed	20
Refused to answer	2