世論 What Japan Thinks

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Ahh, this is a survey that is sure to be misconstrued and misquoted in the coming weeks and months. Already I’ve seen a poor summary from Kyodo News on Japan Today, and I’m waiting for the usual suspect to throw in his tuppence-worth on it. I’m talking about a recent survey sponsored by the Cabinet Office Japan on the subject of protecting human rights.

Demographics

Between the 21st of June and the 1st of July 2007 3,000 people aged 20 or older were randomly selected from the voter rolls. 1,766 people, or 58.9%, were available and chose to take part in the survey conducted by means of face-to-face interviews. 53.3% were female, 8.1% in their twenties, 16.8% in their thirties, 16.3% in their forties, 20.8% in their fifties, 19.8% in their sixties, and 18.1% aged seventy or older.

In Q15, Hansen’s disease is leprosy.

Q17 is quite timely, with another story just coming to light about three guys who met through the internet with the purpose of doing someone in at random, it seems.

Oh, and the photograph is of ex-Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and a couple of human rights mascots, both called Ken. Don’t ask.

Research results

Q15: Regarding Hansen’s disease sufferers and ex-sufferers and their families, what sort of human rights problems do you think there are? (Sample size=1,766, multiple answer)

Problems living outside Hansen’s disease sanatoriums and working independently	41.3%
Opposition from others regarding marriage	31.0%
Disadvantages job-hunting, at the workplace	30.6%
Use of discriminatory language	29.0%
Denied hotel lodgings	24.4%
Denial of hospital treatment and admission	21.5%
Denied a place to live	18.9%
Other	0.3%
Nothing in particular	7.0%
Don’t know	22.3%

Q16: Regarding crime victims, what sort of human rights problems do you think there are? (Sample size=1,766, multiple answer)

Privacy issues from the media coverage, disruption to private life	62.1%
Shock from being the victim of crime	55.5%
Not getting the desired outcome even after visiting the police	52.1%
Rumours regarding the incident	49.4%
Not having your side of the story properly heard in court	44.9%
Mental issues from the investigation, criminal trial	39.5%
Financial troubles from being the victim of crime	32.5%
Other	0.2%
Nothing in particular	1.9%
Don’t know	5.8%

Q17: Regarding human rights infringement on the internet, what sort of human rights problems do you think there are? (Sample size=1,766, multiple answer)

Dating sites, etc, becoming dens of villany	53.7%
Slander of others	52.8%
Real names and faces of children available through search	40.9%
Internet porn	31.3%
Promotion of discrimination	25.7%
Other	0.1%
Nothing in particular	3.2%
Don’t know	20.2%

Q18: Regarding the homeless, what sort of human rights problems do you think there are? (Sample size=1,766, multiple answer)

Violence from passers-by	49.2%
Problems being financially independent	45.9%
People staring, running away	35.8%
Use of discriminatory language	29.8%
Disadvantages job-hunting, at the workplace	27.5%
Denied a place to live	22.8%
Abuse from those living near them	21.3%
Denied entry to shops, use of facilities	20.2%
Denied hotel lodgings	16.9%
Other	0.7%
Nothing in particular	5.5%
Don’t know	10.5%

Q19: Regarding gender preferences, what sort of human rights problems do you think there are? (Sample size=1,766, multiple answer)

Insufficient understanding of those with gender disorders	49.0%
Use of discriminatory language	30.9%
People staring, running away	26.7%
Abuse at the workplace, school	24.1%
Disadvantages job-hunting, at the workplace	22.1%
Denied a place to live	8.0%
Denied entry to shops, use of facilities	5.0%
Denied hotel lodgings	4.8%
Other	0.3%
Nothing in particular	7.4%
Don’t know	23.8%

Q20: Regarding the promotion of education on human rights, what sort of advertising activites to enlighten people do you think would be effective? (Sample size=1,766, multiple answer)

Television, radio publicity	69.8%
Newspaper, magazine, weekly journal publicity	47.0%
Lectures, study meetings	32.6%
Publicity sheets, pamphlets, posters	32.4%
Meetings for free exchange of opinions	28.1%
Gathering with old people, disabled	19.7%
Movie, video publicity	19.3%
Internet, email (mail magazines) publicity	18.3%
Old people, disabled simulators	15.1%
Workshops	10.4%
Exhibitions	7.4%
Other	0.7%
Nothing in particular	2.2%
Don’t know	4.4%

Q21: In order for the government to resolve human rights issue, which areas do you think they should put effort into? (Sample size=1,766, multiple answer)

Sufficient education regarding human rights inside and outside of school	55.4%
Coordination between national and local government and citizen groups, etc, in order to promote education activities in a unified fashion	46.4%
Sufficent support for victims of human rights abuses	46.0%
Strengthening of punishment for offenders	41.1%
Raise awareness of human rights, deepen understand through promotional activities	40.3%
Sufficient facilities, mechanisms for interviews with specialists in human rights issues	32.9%
Sufficient personel to investage, manage human rights abuse cases	27.1%
Sufficient provision of information regarding human rights	21.4%
Other	0.8%
Nothing in particular	2.4%
Don’t know	5.0%

[part 1] [part 2] [part 3]