December 2010 Asahi Shimbun Interview Survey

Dates Conducted
December 4 and 5 , 2010

Date Released
December 24, 2010 (Morning edition of the Asahi Shimbun).

Methodology
[Japan]  From the national constituency three thousand names were picked from a list of voters. On both December 4th and 5th, they were individually interviewed for the survey. 1,995 people successfully responded, putting the response rate at 67%. The breakdown of people surveyed is 49% male and 51% female. The method of selection targets for the survey is random two ranked sampling method (the Asahi RDD).

[United States] The survey was conducted by Harris Interactive Company from December 2nd to 6th.. The survey targeted men and women over 18 years of age within the country. The survey was conducted in the RDD method of calling numbers randomly generated by a computer. 1,009 people responded to the survey.

*(J) Questions asked to Japanese voters
(US) Questions asked to U.S. voters
(J/US) Questions asked to both Japanese and U.S. voters

Key Issue

• U.S.-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security

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 or not support the Kan cabinet?

Support	24%
Do not support	60%

 

Q2.  Which political party do you currently support?

Democratic Party of Japan	22%
Liberal Democratic Party	22%
New Komeito	3%
Japan Communist Party	1%
Social Democratic Party	1%
Your Party	4%
The People’s New Party	0% (0)
The Sunrise Party of Japan	0% (0)
The New Party Nippon	0% (0)
New Renaissance Party	0% (0)
The Happiness Realization Party	0%
Other party	0% (0)
Do not support any party	39%
No answer/Do not know	8%

 

Q3. (J) Do you think Japan is currently moving in a direction of being friendly with foreign nations? Do you think it is moving towards isolation?

Japan is currently moving towards friendly relations	55%
Japan is currently moving towards isolation	32%

 

Q4. (J) Thinking about the U.S.- Japan Security Treaty, which do you think is more important: the military aspects or non-military aspects, such as diplomacy, economics, etc.

Military aspects are more important	22%
Non-military aspects are more important	64%

 

Q5. (J) Do you think Japan should move towards deepening its relationship with the United States? Do you think it is better to distance itself from the United States?

Japan should move toward deepening its relationship with the United States	72%
Japan should distance itself from the United States	15%

 

Q6. (US) Do you think the United States should move towards deepening its relationship with Japan? Do you think it would be better to distance itself from Japan?

The United States should move toward deepening its relationship with Japan	61%
The United States should distance itself from Japan	18%

 

Q7. (J) Do you think Japan should move towards deepening its relationship with China?  Do you think it is better to distance itself Japan from China?

Japan should move toward deepening its relationship with China	51%
Japan should distance itself from China	38%

 

Q8. (US) Do you think the United States should move towards deepening its relationship with China? Do you think it would be better to distance itself from China?

The United States should move toward deepening its relationship with China	55%
The United States should distance itself from China	34%

 

Q9. (J) For Japan, which country do you think it is more important to have a relationship with, the United States or China?

More important to have a relationship with the United States	68%
More important to have a relationship with China	15%

 

Q10. (US) For the United States, which country do you think it is more important to have a relationship with, Japan or China?

More important to have a relationship with Japan	33%
More important to have a relationship with China	50%

 

Q11. (J) When thinking about Japan and China relations, which of the following should be emphasized?

The strength of the U.S.-Japan alliance toward China	31%
The three countries of Japan,  the United States, and China deepening a mutually beneficial economic relationship	64%

 

Q12. (US) For the sake of a peaceful and stable East Asia region, including Japan and China. which of the following two should be emphasized?

The strength of the U.S.-Japan alliance toward China	18%
The three countries of Japan,  the United States, and China deepening a mutually beneficial economic relationship	70%

 

Q13. (J) After the defeat of Japan in the Pacific War in 1945 U.S. military forces as well as militaries from the Allied Nations occupied Japan. Have you learned or heard about this time period?

I have learned or heard about the time period	82%
I have not learned or heard about the time period	16%

 

Q14. (J) Do you think that the U.S.-Japan Defense Treaty is for the good of Japan? Is it not for the good of Japan?

Think that the U.S.-Japan Defense Treaty is for the good of Japan	70%
Think that the U.S.-Japan Defense Treaty is not for the good of Japan	16%

 

Q15. (US) Do you think that the U.S.-Japan Defense Treaty is for the good of the United States? Is it not for the good of the United States?

Think that the U.S.-Japan Defense Treaty is for the good of the United States	49%
Think that the U.S.-Japan Defense Treaty is not for the good of the United States	23%

 

Q16. (J/US) Do you agree with maintaining the U.S.-Japan Defense Treaty? Disagree?

Japan

Agree with maintaining the U.S.-Japan Defense Treaty	78%
Disagree with maintaining the U.S-Japan Defense Treaty	9%

United States

Agree with maintaining the U.S.-Japan Defense Treaty	68%
Disagree with maintaining the U.S.-Japan Defense Treaty	11%

 

Q17. (J/US) Based on the U.S.-Japan Defense Treaty there are around 47,000  American military personnel currently stationed in Japan. What do you think is the reason these soldiers are stationed in Japan? (Select one)

Japan

To defend Japan:	42%
For  the United States’s world strategy:	36%
To prevent Japan from becoming a large militarized country:	14%

United States

To defend Japan	9%
For  the United States’s world strategy	59%
To prevent Japan from becoming a large militarized country	42%

 

Q18. (J) To what degree do you think that the U.S.-Japan Defense Treaty helps create peace and security in Japan and East Asia? (Select one)

Very helpful	15%
Helpful to some degree	65%
Not very helpful	16%
Not at all helpful	1%

 

Q19. (J) Do you think that the United States would seriously protect Japan if it came down to a crucial moment? Do you not think so?

The United States would seriously protect Japan	41%
I don’t think the United States would seriously protect Japan	46%

 

Q20. (US) In the case of another country attacking Japan, do you think that  the United States should protect Japan with full force? Do you think this is not necessary?

The United States should protect Japan with its full force	66%
It is not necessary for the United States to protect Japan with its full force	26%

 

Q21. (J) For Japan, which are the countries that pose the biggest military threat? Please choose one. (Free answer)

Democratic People’s Republic of Korea	49%
China	32%
The United States	6%
Russia	3%
Republic of Korea	1%
Other countries	0%
No country	2%
Did not answer/ Don’t know	7%

 

Q22. (J) Do you or do you not feel uneasy about Japan’s current state of peace and security because of what is going on around Japan?

Feel uneasy	72%
Do not feel uneasy	24%

 

Q23. (J) Do you agree that in preparation for China’s military buildup, there should be a fresh deployment of Japan Self Defense Forces to the Sakishima Islands to the west of Okinawa as well as to the main Okinawa islands?

Agree that there should be a fresh deployment of JSDF	57%
Disagree that there should be a fresh deployment of JSDF	30%

 

Q24. (J) Do you think that in the event  there is a military collision between China and Taiwan and the U.S. military intervenes, the Japan Self Defense Forces should provide logistical support by providing supplies, etc.? Do you not think this is necessary?

I think that Japan should provide logistical support	57%
I don’t think this is necessary	30%

 

Q25. (US) Do you think that in the event there is a military collision between China and Taiwan and the U.S. military intervenes, the Japan Self Defense Forces should provide logistical support by providing supplies, etc.? Do you not think this is necessary?

I think that Japan should provide logistical support	65%
I don’t think this is necessary	23%

 

Q26. (J) About the United Nations, to what degree do you think the UN is effective in playing a part in promoting international peace and security?

Very effective	10%
Effective to some degree	62%
Not very effective	22%
Not at all effective	2%

 

Q27. (J) What do you think should be done from now on regarding the Japan Self Defense Forces’ overseas activities? (Select one)

Except for disaster relief, there is nothing they should be doing overseas	21%
Should be limited to UN-related activities	59%
Should accept UN activities and non-UN activities such as activities required by U.S.	15%

 

Q28. (J) In the event the United States requests the deployment of the Japan Self Defense Forces overseas and Japan doesn’t comply, do you think that U.S.-Japan relations will be greatly effected? Do you not think so?

I think that they will be greatly effected	65%
I do not think they will be greatly effected	28%

 

Q29. (J) As a part of the cost of stationing U.S. troops in Japan, the “Sympathy Budget” is around 1.8 billion yen. What do you think should be done with this budget? (Select one)

The budget should be increased	1%
The budget should continue at the current level	32%
The budget should be decreased	54%
The budget should be stopped	10%

 

Q30. (US) Currently the Japanese government provides a budget of 22 million dollars to station U.S. troops in the country. What do you think should be done with this budget?

The budget should be increased	16%
The budget should continue at the current level	44%
The budget should be decreased	21%
The budget should be stopped	9%

 

Q31. (J) The Japan Status of Forces Agreement(SOFA) is based on the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty. Under this agreement, there may be situations in which a U.S soldier in Japan gets in trouble, but the Japanese police cannot investigate it. Do you think that the agreement should be reformed? Do you think that it should not be reformed but its application should be improved?

The SOFA should be reformed	53%
The application of SOFA should be improved	15%

 

Q32. (J) Do you think that there is a large positive aspect for Japan of having U.S. military bases in the country? Do you think that there is a large negative aspect?

Large positive aspect	53%
Large negative aspect	28%

 

Q33. (J) Do you think that the U.S. military bases in Japan are a bothersome institution? Do you not think that they are bothersome?

I think they are bothersome institutions	32%
I do not think they are bothersome institutions	53%

 

Q34. (J) Have you heard anything about the U.S. military’s occupation of Okinawa up until 1973? Have you not heard about the occupation?

I have heard about the occupation	90%
I have not heard about the occupation	9%

 

Q35. (J) 74% of U.S. military bases and institutions in Japan are concentrated in Okinawa Prefecture. Compared to the mainland, do you think it is strange that Okinawa is bearing the burden of this? Do you think that it cannot be helped based on the history and geography of Okinawa?

It is strange	48%
It cannot be helped	45%

 

Q36. (J) In order to adjust or reduce the number of U.S. military bases in Okinawa, do you agree that some bases should be moved elsewhere in Japan?

Agree- they should be moved	57%
Disagree- they shouldn’t be moved	28%

 

Q37. (J) The Japanese government has agreed with the U.S. government to move the Futenma airfield to the Henoko district of Nago City in Okinawa. To what extent does the problem of moving the airfield concern you?

Concerns me very much	24%
Concerns me to some degree	51%
I am not very concerned	20%
Not at all concerned	4%

 

Q38. (J) What do you think should be done about the agreement between the Japanese and U.S. governments to create a replacement facility for U.S. Air Station Futenma in the Honoko district of Nago City? Would it be best to continue on this path? Would be it better to reconsider and renegotiate with the United States?

Would be best to continue	30%
Would be best to reconsider and renegotiate	59%

 

Q39. (J) Among  the 59% of people who answered “would be best to reconsider and renegotiate,” if the agreement were reconsidered what do you think should be done? (Select one)

Move the airfield to a different location within Okinawa	12% (7)
Move the airfield outside of Okinawa to a different location in Japan	32% (19)
Move the airfield somewhere outside of Japan	51% (31)