In the nationwide public opinion poll conducted by the Yomiuri Shimbun on Dec. 2–4, a full 57% of respondents said that they oppose legalizing casinos, a bill for which the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Nippon Ishin (Japan Innovation Party), et al. aim to pass during the current Diet session. Some 34% indicated they are in favor of the bill.
When the same question was asked in the October 2014 poll, 63% were opposed and 24% were in favor of legalizing casinos.
By gender, men in the current survey were split with 46% in favor and 49% opposed. In contrast, women opposed to the bill vastly outnumbered women in favor, 65% to 24%. LDP supporters opposed to the bill surpassed those in favor, 50% to 44%. In the 40-or-over age group, those opposed to the legislation exceeded those in favor.
Turning to the pension reform bill, which calls for the review of the rules for revising disbursement amounts with an eye to ensuring disbursement levels in the future, 57% were opposed while 33% were in favor. Some 70% of those in the 60-and-over age group were against the bill.
Some 49% approved of the government’s decision to assign “rush to the rescue” missions (kaketsuke keigo) to Ground Self-Defense Forces dispatched to UN peacekeeping operations (PKO) in South Sudan, while 42% did not.
When asked how abdication should be handled, 66% said “the system should be revised to permit abdication for all emperors from now on.” A full 76% of respondents said that it is okay to permit the establishment of a regency because Emperor Akihito is of advanced age.
The Abe cabinet support rate was 59%, almost equivalent to the 61% found in the previous poll (Nov. 12–13). The nonsupport rate was 30% (previous poll: 29%). The political party support rates were as follows: Liberal Democratic Party, 42%, and Democratic Party, 7%.
[Polling methodology: The nationwide survey was conducted Dec. 2–4 on a computer-aided random digit dialing (RDD) basis and targeted voters age 18 or over with calls placed to landline and mobile phone numbers. Valid responses were received from a total of 1,073 persons, including 529 persons (out of the 865 households with one or more eligible voters) for landline numbers and 544 persons (out of the 1,306 persons who answered) for mobile numbers. The valid response rates were 61% for landline numbers and 42% for mobile numbers.]
