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RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 4677

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 07 TOKYO 002784 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR E, P, EB, EAP/J, EAP/P, EAP/PD, PA 
WHITE HOUSE/NSC/NEC; JUSTICE FOR STU CHEMTOB IN ANTI-TRUST DIVISION; 
TREASURY/OASIA/IMI/JAPAN; DEPT PASS USTR/PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE; 
SECDEF FOR JCS-J-5/JAPAN, 
DASD/ISA/EAPR/JAPAN; DEPT PASS ELECTRONICALLY TO USDA 
FAS/ITP FOR SCHROETER; PACOM HONOLULU FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR; 
CINCPAC FLT/PA/ COMNAVFORJAPAN/PA. 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO PGOV PINR ECON ELAB JA
SUBJECT:  DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 06/20/07-1 
 
 
INDEX: 
 
(1) Poll on political attitude 2 
 
ARTICLE: 
 
(1) Poll on political attitude 
 
ASAHI (Page 18) (Full) 
June 19, 2007 
 
Questions & Answers 
(Figures shown in % age) 
 
Q: To what extent are you interested in Japan's politics now? 
 
Very interested 31 
Somewhat interested 51 
Not very interested 16 
Not interested at all 2 
 
Q: Do you trust Japan's politics? 
 
Trust very much 2 
Trust somewhat 39 
Don't trust very much 49 
Don't trust at all 9 
 
Q: Would you like Japan's politics to change? 
 
Would like it to change very much 44 
Would like it to change somewhat 48 
Wouldn't like it to change very much 6 
Wouldn't like to change at all 0 
 
Q: What's your view of politics now? 
 
It's inseparable from my daily life and job 62 
It's not very related to my daily life and job 34 
 
Q: Do you think politics must be interesting? 
 
Yes 27 
No 67 
 
Q: Do you think politics is a drama? 
 
Yes 18 
No 78 
 
Q: Do you think politics now is like a TV wide show? 
 
Yes 54 
No 39 
 
Q: Which one between national politics and local politics are you 
more interested in? 
 
National politics 55 
Local politics 37 
 
Q: Which one between national politics and local politics do you 
think affects your daily life greatly? 
 
TOKYO 00002784  002 OF 007 
 
 
 
National politics 52 
Local politics 38 
 
Q: Which election are you most interested in? 
 
Gubernatorial election 19 
Mayoral election 17 
House of Representatives election 34 
House of Councillors election 2 
Prefectural assembly election 4 
Municipal assembly election 14 
 
Q: Yubari City, now a failed entity saddled with a huge amount of 
debts, is trying to turn its finances around. Are you interested in 
this fact? 
 
Very interested 28 
Somewhat interested 52 
Not very interested 13 
Not interested at all 2 
 
Q: Do you think the financial failure of Yubari City is a peculiar 
case? 
 
Yes 10 
No 84 
 
 
Q: Are you concerned about your municipality's financial situation? 
 
Very concerned 24 
Somewhat concerned 43 
Not very concerned 26 
Not concerned at all 2 
 
Q: Would you like to do something so as not to worsen your 
municipality's financial situation? 
 
Would like to do something 28 
Would like to leave it to the mayor and assembly members 52 
 
Q: Which political party do you support now? 
 
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) 34 
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) 17 
New Komeito (NK) 4 
Japanese Communist Party (JCP) 3 
Social Democratic Party (SDP or Shaminto) 2 
People's New Party (PNP or Kokumin Shinto) 0 
New Party Nippon (NPN or Shinto Nippon) 0 
Other political parties 0 
None 39 
 
Q: (Only for those who picked a political party to support) Are you 
a consistent supporter of that political party? 
 
Yes 36 
No 23 
 
Q: (Only for those who picked a political party to support) Do you 
think you will continue to support that political party from now on 
as well? 
 
TOKYO 00002784  003 OF 007 
 
 
 
Yes 34 
No 24 
 
Q: Aside from the political party you gave now, if there is any 
political party you like, pick as many as you like. 
 
LDP 11 
DPJ 16 
NK 7 
JCP 5 
SDP 7 
PNP 4 
NPN 2 
Other political parties 1 
None 18 
 
Q: (Only for those who answered they do not support any political 
party) Have you ever supported a political party? 
 
Yes 16 
No 21 
 
Q: (Only for those who answered they do not support any political 
party) Do you think you will support a political party in the 
future? 
 
Yes 14 
No 19 
 
Q: Which political party do you like now? If any, pick as many as 
you like. 
 
LDP 7 
DPJ 9 
NK 1 
JCP 3 
SDP 2 
PNP 1 
NPN 0 
Other political parties 1 
None 21 
 
Q: Is there any political party you wouldn't like to support? Pick 
one or more, if any. 
 
LDP 22 
DPJ 15 
NK 41 
JCP 47 
SDP 25 
PNP 19 
NPN 19 
 
Q: Do you think the existence of political parties is important for 
Japan's politics? 
 
Yes 53 
No 40 
 
Q: Do you think the existing political parties have been playing 
their expected roles? 
 
 
TOKYO 00002784  004 OF 007 
 
 
Yes 10 
No 83 
 
Q: If there is a political party you support, would you like to 
become a member of that political party? 
 
Yes 17 
No 73 
Already a member 2 
 
Q: If there is a political party you support, would you like to 
contribute money to that political party? 
 
Yes 13 
No 81 
Already a contributor 1 
 
Q: If there is a political party you support, would you like to 
volunteer for that political party's political activities or 
election campaigns? 
 
Yes 30 
No 63 
Already a volunteer 2 
 
Q: If there is a political party you support, do you think you will 
vote for that political party's candidate for sure? 
 
Yes 51 
No 45 
 
Q: Do you think you are a floating voter with no particular party 
affiliation? 
 
Yes 47 
No 46 
 
Q: (Only for those who answered "yes") Why? 
 
Because I can't find out any political party I'd like to support 14 
Because I often change a political party I'd like to support 3 
Because I don't want to be bound up with any specific political 
party 9 
Because I don't like the existence of political parties 5 
Because I choose a political party to vote for in each election 10 
Because I'm not interested in politics itself 3 
 
Q: In the political world, the words "conservative" and "reformist" 
have been used for a long time. What's your image of the 
"conservatives"? 
 
Good image 17 
Bad image 24 
No image 51 
 
Q: What's your image of the "reformists"? 
 
Good image 29 
Bad image 11 
No image 50 
 
Q: Do you think it is appropriate to use the words "conservative" 
and "reformist" now as a yardstick to explain political stances? 
 
TOKYO 00002784  005 OF 007 
 
 
 
Yes 30 
No 58 
 
Q: Do you think it is appropriate to use the words "right wing" and 
"left wing" now? 
 
Yes 18 
No 71 
 
Q: Do you think it is appropriate to use the words "dovish" and 
"hawkish" now? 
 
Yes 19 
No 70 
 
Q: Do you think it is appropriate to use the words "antireformer" 
and "reformer" now? 
 
Yes 28 
No 61 
 
Q: What's your impression of words politicians use in the Diet or 
press conferences as you see them on TV? Which is closer to your 
feeling? 
 
Clear-cut 5 
Equivocal 87 
 
Q: Do the words politicians use get to your heart? 
 
Yes 5 
No 86 
 
Q: Do you think politicians now make much of "words"? 
 
Yes 11 
No 80 
 
Q: Do you think politicians these days do not make much of their 
words and they are apt to play up themselves with their behavior, 
fashion, and other factors? 
 
Yes 56 
No 36 
 
Q: Do you think voters are affected by the behavior and fashion of 
politicians and other factors rather than their words? 
 
Yes 50 
No 43 
 
Q: Do you look forward to the upcoming election for the House of 
Councillors? 
 
Very much 15 
Somewhat 35 
Not very much 32 
Not at all 13 
 
Q: When you choose a political party and a candidate to vote for in 
elections for the House of Representatives and the House of 
Councillors, how much do you weigh what they have actually done in 
 
TOKYO 00002784  006 OF 007 
 
 
the past? 
 
Very much 28 
Somewhat 53 
Not very much 13 
Not at all 2 
 
Q: How much do you weigh the policies and campaign pledges of 
political parties and candidates? 
 
Very much 30 
Somewhat 49 
Not very much 14 
Not at all 2 
 
Q: How much do you weigh the competence and attractiveness of 
political party heads? 
 
Very much 22 
Somewhat 48 
Not very much 22 
Not at all 4 
 
Q: How much do you weigh the competence and attractiveness of each 
candidate? 
 
Very much 30 
Somewhat 52 
Not very much 11 
Not at all 2 
 
 
Q: If you meet a candidate or shake hands with that candidate at the 
time of an election, do you think you would like to vote for that 
candidate? 
 
Yes 10 
No 83 
 
Q: If you are asked by someone you know to vote for a certain 
candidate or political party, do you think you would like to vote 
for that candidate or political party? 
 
Yes 7 
No 86 
 
Q: In recent elections, there were more manifesto-type campaign 
pledges. Do you think you would like to read them? 
 
Yes 59 
No 34 
 
Q: Do you think manifesto-type campaign pledges will change Japan's 
elections? 
 
Yes 39 
No 48 
 
Q: What do you think about voting in elections? 
 
It's a public obligation 41 
It's a public right 52 
 
 
TOKYO 00002784  007 OF 007 
 
 
Q: What do you think about abstaining from voting? 
 
It's not good 51 
Can't necessarily say so 44 
 
Q: What % age do you think is needed for the minimum turnout of 
voters so that those elected can be recognized to represent the 
voting population? 
 
10 %   or so 0 
20 %   or so 0 
30 %   or so 3 
40 %   or so 7 
50 %   or so 21 
60 %   or so 29 
70 %   or so 22 
80 %   or so 8 
90 %   or so 2 
 
Q: Do you support lowering the voting right to the age of 18 % 
 
Yes 38 
No 51 
 
Q: Do you think it would be better for Japan's politics to change 
government from time to time? 
 
Yes 52 
No 37 
 
Polling methodology 
 
The survey was conducted by mailing the questionnaire form to a 
total of 3,000 voters chosen across the nation on a stratified 
two-stage random sampling basis. A total of 339 voting blocs were 
selected so as to epitomize the nation's electorates at large, and 
nine persons were picked on average from each voting bloc's 
register. The questionnaire form was sent on April 5 and was sent 
back from a total of 2,223 persons before the final deadline set at 
May 14. Valid answers were from 2,166 persons, excluding answer 
sheets left blank or filled out by those not subject to the survey. 
The retrieval rate was 72 %  . In the breakdown of respondents, 
males accounted for 44 %  , with females at 53 %  . The total % age 
does not become 100 %   because those left unfilled accounted for 3 
%  . In the breakdown of age brackets, persons in their 20s 
accounted for 11 %  , 30s-16 %  , 40s-16 %  , 50s-20 %  , 60s-17 % 
, 70 and over-17 %  . 
 
DONOVAN