世論 What Japan Thinks

[part 1] [part 2]

Last weekend goo Research, in conjunction with Yomiuri Weekly, released the results of a survey into what people thought the coming year may bring. For a week spanning the end of November and the start of December 11,648 members of goo’s online monitor group successfully completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 53.2% of the respondents were male, 5.9% in their teens, 18.9% in their twenties, 29.9% in their thirties, 21.5% in their forties, 11.9% in their fifties and 11.8% aged sixty or older.

The economic outlook in Q4 seem very bleak, but remember this is the viewpoint of the average person in the street, not the pronoucements of politicians, as there seems to be a lot of pundits suggesting that the recent economic growth in Japan has not trickled down to the workers, but instead has been used for investment or passing on to shareholders.

Q1: Overall, was 2006 a good year? (Sample size=11,648)

Good	6.6%
Quite good	32.9%
Quite bad	41.4%
Bad	19.2%

Q2: Overall, will 2007 be a good year? (Sample size=11,648)

Good	9.1%
Quite good	49.1%
Quite bad	32.3%
Bad	9.5%

Q3: In 2007, what will happen regarding North Korea? (Sample size=11,648)

Brinkmanship will continue	65.8%
Terms of engagement will change	6.6%
Internal collapse	25.2%
Other	2.5%

Q4: Until when do you think Japan’s economic expansion will continue? (Sample size=11,648)

Until spring	37.1%
Until summer	19.8%
Until autumn	6.8%
Continue all year	36.3%

Q5: Will Princess Masako return to public duties in 2007? (Sample size=11,648)

Fully return to public duties	4.6%
Occasionally carry out public duties	62.1%
Not return, but occasionally appear in public	30.6%
She will not be seen at all	2.8%

Q6: What do you think will be the result of the 2007 summer upper house elections? (Sample size=11,648)

The ruling LDP themselves will gain a majority in the house	21.9%
The ruling coalition (LDP plus New Komeito) will retain their majority in the house	59.8%
The opposition parties will gain a majority in the house	16.6%
The opposition DPJ alone will gain a majority in the house	1.7%

[part 1] [part 2]