The Kyodo News nationwide public opinion poll [conducted on Jan. 11–12, 2020] probed respondents’ views on the government project to create integrated resorts (IRs) featuring casinos in Japan. The Abe administration has designated IRs as a key component of its growth strategy. Only 28.7% of Liberal Democratic Party supporters and 30.4% of Komeito supporters think the initiative should move ahead as it stands. The recent arrest of a Lower House member, who also formerly served as Cabinet Office state minister, for bribery related to the IR business is thought to have impacted these findings.

Even Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said, “I realize people have various concerns and distrust regarding this project.”

By political party supported, the percentages of respondents saying that the initiative should be moved forward as it stands are as follows: Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, 4.2%; Democratic Party for the People, 3.6%; Japanese Communist Party, 15.4%; Nippon Ishin (Japan Innovation Party), 32.4%; Reiwa Shinsengumi, 4.0%. Some 15.0% of independents also thought it is okay for the project to move forward unaltered.

Women were notably cautious about having the plan implemented as it stands. By gender, 29.1% of men and 13.8% of women said the plan should go ahead. (Detailed results related to the cherry blossom viewing party have been abridged.)

[Polling methodology: The survey was conducted by telephone on a computer-aided random digit dialing (RDD) basis on Jan. 11–12, 2020, targeting voters across the nation. However, the survey excluded landline numbers in some areas of Fukushima Prefecture. The survey covered 737 randomly selected households with eligible voters nationwide [by landline phone], with responses collected from 521 people. A total of 1,225 people were accessed through their mobile phones, of which 514 responded.]