Main questions & answers (%)
Q: Do you feel that you see more foreigners day to day recently?
|
Yes |
74 |
|
No |
19 |
|
No answer (N/A) |
7 |
Q: Do you have opportunities to interact with foreigners in your daily life?
|
Yes |
48 |
|
No |
51 |
|
N/A |
2 |
Q: (Only to those who responded “yes” to the previous question) What kind of foreigners do you interact with? Select as many as you wish.
|
Technical interns working in the agriculture industry or at construction sites, factories, and the like |
16 |
|
Convenience store and restaurant workers |
63 |
|
Social welfare facility and medical institution workers |
7 |
|
Business people working in business districts |
9 |
|
Colleagues at your workplace |
20 |
|
International students |
13 |
|
Children commuting to school |
11 |
|
Tourists |
39 |
|
Neighborhood residents |
17 |
|
Friends and acquaintances |
13 |
|
Other answers (O/A) |
10 |
|
N/A |
0 |
Q: Do you think it is good or bad that there are more foreigners living in Japan?
|
It is good |
13 |
|
It generally is good |
58 |
|
It generally is bad |
24 |
|
It is bad |
2 |
|
N/A |
3 |
Q: Have you ever sensed barriers when interacting with foreigners residing in Japan? If so, what are the barriers? Select as many as you wish.
|
Language barrier |
69 |
|
Differences in culture, religion, or values |
48 |
|
Differences in lifestyle |
45 |
|
Difficulty to approach them because they gather in groups |
19 |
|
The thought that I am inept with foreigners |
16 |
|
O/A |
2 |
|
Nothing in particular (NIP) |
9 |
|
N/A |
1 |
Q: Do you feel uncomfortable with the following? Give a separate answer to each question.
Having foreigners living in your neighborhood
|
Very uncomfortable |
7 |
|
Somewhat uncomfortable |
46 |
|
Not very uncomfortable |
36 |
|
Not uncomfortable at all |
11 |
|
N/A |
1 |
Working with foreigners
|
Very uncomfortable |
5 |
|
Somewhat uncomfortable |
35 |
|
Not very uncomfortable |
42 |
|
Not uncomfortable at all |
15 |
|
N/A |
2 |
Receiving nursing care from foreigners
|
Very uncomfortable |
18 |
|
Somewhat uncomfortable |
41 |
|
Not very uncomfortable |
30 |
|
Not uncomfortable at all |
10 |
|
N/A |
1 |
Q: Have you been following the issue of accepting more foreign workers in Japan?
|
Closely following |
23 |
|
Generally following |
48 |
|
Generally not following |
23 |
|
Not following |
4 |
|
N/A |
1 |
Q: Are you in favor of or opposed to Japan’s accepting more foreign workers?
|
In favor |
57 |
|
Opposed |
40 |
|
N/A |
3 |
Q: What positives do you think will arise from admitting more foreign workers? Select as many as you wish.
|
It will resolve the worker shortages and stimulate the economy |
68 |
|
My local economy will pick up with increased consumption |
16 |
|
It will rectify depopulation in regional areas |
27 |
|
There will be more people to participate in neighborhood associations and festivals |
7 |
|
Tax revenues can be expected to rise with the increase in workers |
18 |
|
It will lead to a population increase as more people settle in Japan |
16 |
|
There will be more international exchange, and intercultural understanding will improve |
47 |
|
Corporations will become more globalized |
23 |
|
O/A |
1 |
|
NIP |
12 |
|
N/A |
1 |
Q: What negatives do you think will arise from admitting more foreign workers? Select as many as you wish.
|
More Japanese will be unemployed, and wages will decrease |
39 |
|
Productivity will not improve because investment in robots and other labor-saving methods will not move forward |
5 |
|
Public safety will deteriorate |
57 |
|
Differences in lifestyle will lead to more problems in communities |
63 |
|
Social security outlays, including medical expenses, will increase |
25 |
|
The influx of foreigners will no longer be limited |
31 |
|
Japan’s traditional culture will be spoiled |
16 |
|
Prejudice and discrimination against foreigners will spread |
14 |
|
O/A |
1 |
|
NIP |
9 |
|
N/A |
1 |
Q: Do you think your local government has a system in place to support foreign workers in working and living in Japan?
|
Yes |
18 |
|
No |
76 |
|
N/A |
6 |
Q: What do you think the national and local governments should focus on in particular in admitting more foreigners into Japan? Select as many as you wish.
|
Enhance support for foreign workers in living in Japan, including interpreting and consultation services |
57 |
|
Develop the social security system with a focus on foreign workers, including healthcare and pensions |
38 |
|
Support foreign workers and their families in adapting to Japanese society, including offering Japanese language education and assistance in participating in community events |
46 |
|
Develop facilities so that foreign workers can maintain their religion, culture, and lifestyle, and conduct awareness-building activities for neighbors |
23 |
|
Monitor wrongdoing, such as nonpayment of wages |
41 |
|
Enhance collaboration with countries sending workers, including weeding out malicious brokers |
53 |
|
Rigorously screen candidates, including checking their Japanese language ability |
19 |
|
Control the number of foreign workers admitted so that increasing the number of foreign workers does not make it hard for Japanese to find jobs |
40 |
|
Enhance surveillance of visa overstays and crime |
63 |
|
O/A |
1 |
|
NIP |
4 |
|
N/A |
1 |
Q: Of industries identified as having a labor shortage, which do you think foreign workers will be particularly helpful in? Select as many as you wish.
|
Agriculture, forestry and fisheries |
53 |
|
Civil engineering and construction |
44 |
|
Manufacturing |
41 |
|
Transport industry, including cargo trucking |
15 |
|
Restaurant industry, including family restaurants |
16 |
|
Retail industry, including convenience stores and supermarkets |
23 |
|
Tourism and hotel industries |
17 |
|
Building cleaning industry |
17 |
|
Domestic help services industry |
5 |
|
Nursing care industry |
35 |
|
Medical institutions |
10 |
|
O/A |
1 |
|
NIP |
16 |
|
N/A |
2 |
Q: Are you in favor of or opposed to allowing” immigrants,” foreigners who immigrate to Japan with the intent of residing permanently?
|
In favor |
51 |
|
Opposed |
42 |
|
N/A |
7 |
Q: In Western countries that actively accept foreign workers as immigrants, political parties and politicians with an “anti-immigrant” policy are gathering support. If Japan were to accept immigrants, do you think the same phenomenon would occur?
|
Yes |
76 |
|
No |
18 |
|
N/A |
6 |
Polling methodology: The survey was implemented on a mail-in basis, with a total of 3,000 persons chosen from among all eligible voters throughout the country (at 250 locations on a stratified two-stage random-sampling basis). The questionnaire was sent out on March 12 to those chosen for the survey, and completed surveys were sent back by 2,200 persons by April 18. Valid answers were obtained from 2,103 persons (70%), excluding answers from those not subject to the survey.
Breakdown of respondents: Male, 50%; female, 50%. Age 18–29, 12%; 30s, 12%; 40s, 19%; 50s, 17%; 60s, 19%; 70 and over, 21%.
Note: Figures rounded off. The total percentage of numerical values in graphs and tables may not add up to 100%. “0” indicates that the figure was below 0.5%.
