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RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 4930

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 08 TOKYO 003123 
 
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 07/09/07-1 
 
 
(1) 3rd in a series of polls on House of Councillors election 
 
(2) Pre-election serial polling on Abe cabinet, political parties, 
upper house election 
 
ARTICLES: 
 
(1) 3rd in a series of polls on House of Councillors election 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) 
July 6, 2007 
 
Questions & Answers 
(Figures shown in %age) 
 
Q: Do you support the Abe cabinet? 
 
Yes 32.0 
No 53.9 
Other answers (O/A) 3.7 
No answer (N/A) 10.4 
 
Q: Which political party's candidate are you thinking of voting for 
in the House of Councillors election this time in your electoral 
district? 
 
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) 24.2 
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) 22.8 
New Komeito (NK) 4.2 
Japanese Communist Party (JCP) 3.5 
Social Democratic Party (SDP or Shaminto) 1.7 
People's New Party (PNP or Kokumin Shinto) 0.2 
New Party Nippon (NPN or Shinto Nippon) --- 
Other political parties --- 
Independent candidate 0.5 
Undecided 35.9 
None in particular (NIP) 
N/A 7.0 
 
Q: Which political party's candidate or which political party are 
you thinking of voting for in your proportional representation 
bloc? 
 
LDP 22.0 
DPJ 25.0 
NK 4.6 
JCP 3.5 
SDP 2.5 
PNP 0.2 
NPN 0.2 
Other political parties --- 
Independent candidate 
Undecided 34.6 
NIP 
N/A 7.5 
 
Q: Which political party do you not want to see increase the number 
of seats it has in the election this time? Pick as many as you like, 
if any. 
 
LDP 39.5 
DPJ 9.1 
 
TOKYO 00003123  002 OF 008 
 
 
NK 13.8 
JCP 15.2 
SDP 5.8 
PNP 2.5 
NPN 1.6 
Other political parties --- 
Independent candidate 
Undecided 
NIP 26.2 
N/A 11.5 
 
Q: The LDP and New Komeito, which are the ruling parties, hold a 
majority of the seats in the House of Councillors. Would you like 
the ruling coalition to retain a majority of the seats, or would you 
otherwise like it to lose its majority? 
 
Retain its majority 32.7 
Lose its majority 48.9 
Can't say which 11.4 
N/A 7.0 
 
Q: Do you go to the polls in the House of Councillors election this 
time? Pick only one from among those listed below. 
 
Yes for sure (including early voting) 65.9 
Yes if possible 26.0 
Maybe no 4.4 
No (abstain from voting) 3.0 
N/A 0.7 
 
Q: What would you like to consider in particular when you choose a 
candidate or a political party to vote for in the election this 
time? Pick as many as you like from among those listed below. 
 
Economy 31.4 
Pensions 68.8 
Education 40.8 
Civil service reform 27.8 
Social divide 28.7 
Foreign, security policies 25.8 
Constitutional revision 25.1 
Politics and money 39.0 
O/A 0.8 
NIP 2.7 
N/A 1.6 
 
Q: Which political party do you support now? 
 
LDP 32.1 
DPJ 21.3 
NK 5.0 
JCP 3.4 
SDP 1.8 
PNP 0.4 
NPN 0.1 
Other political parties --- 
None 31.8 
N/A 4.1 
 
Q: Do you appreciate the government's announced measures for the 
issue of its pension record-keeping flaws? 
 
 
TOKYO 00003123  003 OF 008 
 
 
Appreciate very much 7.1 
Appreciate somewhat 20.4 
Don't appreciate very much 30.1 
Don't appreciate at all 31.6 
N/A 10.8 
 
Q: Prime Minister Abe has now explained the government's action to 
deal with the issue of its pension record-keeping flaws. How is your 
anxiety now? 
 
Weak 9.4 
Strong 27.4 
No change 47.5 
No anxiety from the beginning 10.6 
N/A 5.0 
 
Q: Defense Minister Kyuma has resigned as minister to take 
responsibility for his remarks in which he said the United States' 
atomic bombings of Japan "couldn't be helped." Do you take it for 
granted? 
 
Yes 81.7 
He didn't have to resign 11.8 
N/A 6.5 
 
Polling methodology: The survey was conducted across the nation from 
July 3 through July 5 on a computer-aided random digit dialing (RDD) 
basis. A total of 1,664 households were found to have one or more 
eligible voters. Valid answers were obtained from 1,050 persons (63 
% ). 
 
(2) Pre-election serial polling on Abe cabinet, political parties, 
upper house election 
 
ASAHI (Page 2) (Full) 
July 5, 2007 
 
Questions & Answers 
(Figures shown in %age, rounded off.) 
 
Q: Do you support the Abe cabinet? 
 
5th pre-election serial poll (June 9-10) 
Yes 34 
No 48 
 
6th pre-election serial poll (June 16-17) 
Yes 32 
No 51 
 
7th pre-election serial poll (June 23-24) 
Yes 31 
No 48 
 
8th pre-election serial poll (June 30-July 1) 
Yes 28 
No 48 
 
Q: Which political party do you support now? 
 
5th pre-election serial poll (June 9-10) 
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) 28 
 
TOKYO 00003123  004 OF 008 
 
 
Democratic Part of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) 19 
New Komeito (NK) 3 
Japanese Communist Party (JCP) 3 
Social Democratic Party (SDP or Shaminto) 1 
People's New Party (PNP or Kokumin Shinto) 0 
New Party Nippon (NPN or Shinto Nippon) 0 
Other political parties 0 
None 39 
No answer (N/A) + don't know (D/K) 7 
 
6th pre-election serial poll (June 16-17) 
LDP 27 
DPJ 17 
NK 2 
JCP 3 
SDP 1 
PNP 1 
NPN 0 
Other political parties 1 
None 40 
N/A+D/K 8 
 
7th pre-election serial poll (June 23-24) 
LDP 27 
DPJ 15 
NK 4 
JCP 2 
SDP 1 
PNP 0 
NPN 0 
Other political parties 0 
None 44 
N/A+D/K 7 
 
8th pre-election serial poll (June 30-July 1) 
LDP 25 
DPJ 16 
NK 3 
JCP 2 
SDP 1 
PNP 0 
NPN 0 
Other political parties 0 
None 39 
N/A+D/K 14 
 
Q: To what extent are you interested in the upcoming election for 
the House of Councillors? (One choice only) 
 
5th pre-election serial poll (June 9-10) 
Very interested 33 
Somewhat interested 41 
Not very interested 21 
Not interested at all 5 
 
6th pre-election serial poll (June 16-17) 
Very interested 33 
Somewhat interested 42 
Not very interested 20 
Not interested at all 5 
 
7th pre-election serial poll (June 23-24) 
 
TOKYO 00003123  005 OF 008 
 
 
Very interested 33 
Somewhat interested 42 
Not very interested 19 
Not interested at all 5 
 
8th pre-election serial poll (June 30-July 1) 
Very interested 34 
Somewhat interested 40 
Not very interested 21 
Not interested at all 4 
 
Q: Do you have a political party's candidate in mind to vote for in 
your electoral district? 
 
5th pre-election serial poll (June 9-10) 
Yes 40 
No 59 
 
6th pre-election serial poll (June 16-17) 
Yes 36 
No 62 
 
7th pre-election serial poll (June 23-24) 
Yes 40 
No 58 
 
8th pre-election serial poll (June 30-July 1) 
Yes 41 
No 56 
 
Q: Do you have a political party's candidate in mind to vote for in 
your proportional representation bloc? 
 
5th pre-election serial poll (June 9-10) 
Yes 36 
No 62 
 
6th pre-election serial poll (June 16-17) 
Yes 34 
No 64 
 
7th pre-election serial poll (June 23-24) 
Yes 36 
No 61 
 
8th pre-election serial poll (June 30-July 1) 
Yes 33 
No 63 
 
Q: If you were to vote now, which political party's candidate would 
you vote for in your electoral district? 
 
5th pre-election serial poll (June 9-10) 
LDP 27 
DPJ 28 
NK 4 
JCP 5 
SDP 1 
PNP 0 
NPN 0 
Other political parties 0 
Independent 1 
 
TOKYO 00003123  006 OF 008 
 
 
N/A+D/K 34 
 
6th pre-election serial poll (June 16-17) 
LDP 27 
DPJ 28 
NK 3 
JCP 4 
SDP 2 
PNP 1 
NPN 0 
Other political parties 0 
Independent 1 
N/A+D/K 34 
 
7th pre-election serial poll (June 23-24) 
LDP 26 
DPJ 26 
NK 5 
JCP 3 
SDP 2 
PNP 0 
NPN 0 
Other political parties 0 
Independent 1 
N/A+D/K 37 
 
8th pre-election serial poll (June 30-July 1) 
LDP 26 
DPJ 25 
NK 4 
JCP 3 
SDP 1 
PNP 0 
NPN 0 
Other political parties 0 
Independent 1 
N/A+D/K 40 
 
 
Q: If you were to vote now, which political party or which political 
party's candidate would you vote for in your proportional 
representation bloc? 
 
5th pre-election serial poll (June 9-10) 
LDP 23 
DPJ 29 
NK 4 
JCP 4 
SDP 1 
PNP 0 
NPN 0 
Other political parties 1 
N/A+D/K 38 
 
6th pre-election serial poll (June 16-17) 
LDP 23 
DPJ 26 
NK 3 
JCP 4 
SDP 2 
PNP 1 
NPN 0 
 
TOKYO 00003123  007 OF 008 
 
 
Other political parties 1 
N/A+D/K 40 
 
7th pre-election serial poll (June 23-24) 
LDP 24 
DPJ 23 
NK 5 
JCP 3 
SDP 2 
PNP 1 
NPN 0 
Other political parties 1 
N/A+D/K 41 
 
8th pre-election serial poll (June 30-July 1) 
LDP 19 
DPJ 25 
NK 5 
JCP 3 
SDP 2 
PNP 0 
NPN 0 
Other political parties 1 
N/A+D/K 45 
 
Q: Would you like the LDP-led ruling coalition to hold a majority in 
the House of Councillors after its forthcoming election, or would 
you otherwise like the DPJ and other opposition parties to hold a 
majority? 
 
5th pre-election serial poll (June 9-10) 
Ruling camp 29 
Opposition camp 50 
 
6th pre-election serial poll (June 16-17) 
Ruling camp 27 
Opposition camp 50 
 
7th pre-election serial poll (June 23-24) 
Ruling camp 28 
Opposition camp 46 
 
8th pre-election serial poll (June 30-July 1) 
Ruling camp 25 
Opposition camp 48 
 
Q: Would you like the current LDP-led coalition government to 
continue, or would you otherwise like it to be replaced with a 
DPJ-led coalition government? 
 
5th pre-election serial poll (June 9-10) 
LDP-led coalition government 31 
DPJ-led coalition government 38 
 
6th pre-election serial poll (June 16-17) 
LDP-led coalition government 28 
DPJ-led coalition government 40 
 
7th pre-election serial poll (June 23-24) 
LDP-led coalition government 30 
DPJ-led coalition government 34 
 
 
TOKYO 00003123  008 OF 008 
 
 
8th pre-election serial poll (June 30-July 1) 
LDP-led coalition government 30 
DPJ-led coalition government 35 
 
Polling methodology: The survey was conducted over the telephone on 
a computer-aided random digit dialing (RDD) basis. Respondents were 
chosen from among the nation's voting population on a three-stage 
random-sampling basis. Valid answers were obtained from 1,038 
persons (60 % ) for the 5th serial survey, 1,041 persons (59 % ) for 
the 6th survey, 1,095 persons (64 % ) for the 7th survey, and 1,013 
persons (62 % ) for the 8th survey. 
 
SCHIEFFER