(Sankei: January 26, 2016 – p. 5)
Main Questions & Answers of the Sankei-FNN Joint Opinion Poll (%)
Q: Do you support Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his cabinet?
Yes |
48.5 |
(47.8) |
No |
40.1 |
(41.2) |
Other answers (O/A) |
11.4 |
(11.0) |
Q: Which political party do you support?
Liberal Democratic Party of Japan (LDP or Jiminto) |
35.5 |
(37.9) |
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) |
8.4 |
(9.4) |
Komeito (K or Komeito) |
5.8 |
(4.5) |
Japanese Communist Party (JCP or Kyosanto) |
5.3 |
(5.3) |
Japan Innovation Party (JIP or Ishinnoto) |
1.6 |
(1.1) |
Initiatives from Osaka (Osaka Ishin no Kai) |
5.3 |
(4.4) |
Kaikaku Kesshu no Kai (Assembly of Reform) |
0 |
(–) |
Social Democratic Party (SDP or Shaminto) |
1.0 |
(0.9) |
People’s Life Party & Taro Yamamoto and Friends (PLP/TYF or Seikatsunoto to Yamamoto Taro to Nakamatachi) |
0.7 |
(0.6) |
Party for Japanese Kokoro (Nihon no Kokoro wo Taisetsu ni suru To) |
0.2 |
(–) |
New Renaissance Party (NRP or Shinto Kaikaku) |
0 |
(0) |
Other political parties |
0.5 |
(0.8) |
None of the above (NOTA) |
35.5 |
(34.6) |
O/A |
0.2 |
(0.3) |
Q: Do you approve of the Abe cabinet on the following points?
Prime Minister Abe’s personal character
Yes |
58.5 |
(58.6) |
No |
33.4 |
(34.5) |
O/A |
8.1 |
(6.9) |
Prime Minister Abe’s leadership
Yes |
56.5 |
(56.7) |
No |
35.1 |
(37.9) |
O/A |
8.4 |
(5.4) |
Economic policy measures
Yes |
35.5 |
(36.7) |
No |
54.5 |
(54.7) |
O/A |
10.0 |
(8.6) |
Social security policy
Yes |
25.8 |
(26.3) |
No |
63.5 |
(62.0) |
O/A |
10.7 |
(11.7) |
Foreign, security policies
Yes |
46.4 |
(43.6) |
No |
43.6 |
(48.3) |
O/A |
10.0 |
(8.1) |
Constitutional amendment
Yes |
32.4 |
|
No |
58.8 |
|
O/A |
8.8 |
|
Q: Do you think the way the bribery allegations against Minister in Charge of Economic Revitalization Akira Amari are being handled is acceptable?
Yes |
21.6 |
|
No |
71.6 |
|
O/A |
6.8 |
|
Q: When the consumption tax rate is raised to 10%, reduced tax rates for food will be introduced. Do you approve of the decision to limit the items to be subject to the reduced rates to “foods and beverages, excluding alcoholic beverages and restaurants”?
Yes |
44.7 |
|
No |
46.9 |
|
O/A |
8.4 |
|
Q: The government and ruling parties have said they will decide how to finance the reduced tax rates by the end of FY2016. Do you think it is acceptable to postpone this decision?
Yes |
30.3 |
|
No |
60.1 |
|
O/A |
9.6 |
|
Q: Do you approve of the “final and irreversible resolution” to the comfort women issue agreed on by the Japanese and South Korean governments last December?
Yes |
59.7 |
|
No |
30.5 |
|
O/A |
9.8 |
|
Q: The South Korean government plans to set up a foundation to provide support to former comfort women, and the Japanese government intends to contribute 1 billion yen to it. What are your views on the financial contribution in relation to the removal of the comfort woman statue, which is erected in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul?
The 1 billion yen contribution should be made after the statue has been removed |
64.1 |
|
The 1 billion yen contribution should be made regardless of the timing of the removal of the statue |
24.1 |
|
O/A |
11.8 |
|
Q: Do you think that the comfort women matter will resurface as an issue between Japan and South Korea?
Yes |
81.2 |
|
No |
12.6 |
|
O/A |
6.2 |
|
Q: Prime Minister Abe has indicated that he “aims to have Diet members in favor of revising the Constitution make up a majority of two-thirds or more, which is needed to initiate a constitutional amendment. Do you think that a political situation where constitutional revisionists hold a two-thirds majority of all seats is desirable?
Yes |
32.7 |
|
No |
58.3 |
|
O/A |
9.0 |
|
Q: Do you approve of the move by the Democratic Party of Japan, the Japanese Communist Party, and others to put up “unified candidates [backed] by opposition parties” with an eye on this summer’s Upper House elections?
Yes |
49.0 |
|
No |
37.2 |
|
O/A |
13.8 |
|
Q: The voting age will be lowered to “18 and over” starting from this summer’s Upper House elections. Do you think that the political situation will improve, not improve, or not change with this broadening of the electorate?
Will improve |
32.3 |
|
Will not improve |
54.1 |
|
Will not change |
8.5 |
|
O/A |
5.1 |
|
Q: When do you think the next House of Representatives elections should be held?
The elections should be held on the same day as this summer’s House of Councillors elections |
31.7 |
|
The elections should not be held on the same day as the House of Councillors elections but should be held this year |
28.1 |
|
The elections should be held next year or thereafter |
33.6 |
|
O/A |
6.6 |
|
Q: LDP Lower House member Kensuke Miyazaki has announced that he intends to take “paternity leave” while the Diet is in session. Do you approve of male Diet members taking paternity leave?
Yes |
53.8 |
|
No |
40.1 |
|
O/A |
6.1 |
|
Q: The Japanese government intends to relocate the U.S. military’s Futenma Air Station (Ginowan City, Okinawa Prefecture) to an area off the coast of Henoko in Nago City. Do you think that the results of the Ginowan mayoral election and other elections in Okinawa Prefecture will impact the relocation of the air station?
Yes |
72.0 |
|
No |
22.2 |
|
O/A |
5.8 |
|
Q: Do you approve of the security legislation which permits limited exercise of the right to collective self-defense and increases the role of the Self-Defense Forces?
Yes |
46.5 |
|
No |
46.2 |
|
O/A |
7.3 |
|
Q: What will you factor in when voting in this summer’s elections for the House of Councillors? (Respond yes or no to each.)
Yes |
No |
|
Economic policy measures |
86.5
(88.3) |
13.5
(11.7) |
Consumption tax, reduced tax rates |
69.5 (70.8) |
30.5
(29.2) |
Security legislation |
73.6
(76.2) |
26.4
(23.8) |
Social security, such as child rearing and nursing care |
84.4
(85.5) |
15.6
(14.5) |
TPP |
53.8
(52.4) |
46.2
(47.6) |
Constitutional amendment |
64.6 |
35.4 |
Other policies |
31.9
(40.0) |
68.1
(60.0) |
Q: The retail electricity market will be liberalized starting from this April. Will you consider changing your electricity provider?
Yes |
39.1 |
|
No |
51.7 |
|
O/A |
9.2 |
|
Q: Do you approve of the announcement by popular Japanese pop group SMAP that it will continue as a group?
Yes |
63.4 |
|
No |
20.3 |
|
O/A |
16.3 |
|
(Note) Parenthesized figures denote the results of the last survey conducted by the Sankei Shimbun and Fuji News Network on Dec. 12–13, 2015. “O/A” for “other answers” denotes “don’t know,” “can’t say,” etc.
Polling methodology: The survey was conducted until the calculated number of responses was obtained, by placing telephone calls on a random digit dialing (RDD) basis adjusted to the gender and age composition of each survey area. A total of 1,000 men and women, aged 20 and over, across the nation were surveyed.