世論 What Japan Thinks

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

The Cabinet Office Japan recently carried out a survey into society.

Demographics

Between the 20th of January and the 6th of February 2011 10,000 people aged 20 or older selected at random from residency registers from all over the country were approached for interview and 6,338 people agreed to a face-to-face interview. 53.8% of the sample were female, 7.9% in their twenties, 14.0% in their thirties, 16.6% in their forties, 17.2% in their fifties, 23.4% in their sixties, 15.7% in their seventies, and 5.4% aged eighty or older.

I’ve highlighted Q2 on love for Japan, which I think is a topic that I’d like to see explored more to find out exactly what aspects of patriotism people think is missing. Patriotism is of course a loaded word, and I get the feeling that it is not wanting more people to stand up for the national anthem that 81% have in mind, but just to get younger people who are disengaged from society back into the fold, so teaching love for the country gets everyone singing from the same sheet figuratively rather than literally. Or is it just that my cup is half-full? The first and third answers to Q9 (coming tomorrow) is part of what makes me take this stance.

Research results

Q1: Compared to other people, do you thinking that you have stronger or weaker feelings of love for your country? (Sample size=6,338)

Much stronger	19.5%
Perhaps stronger	37.3%
Can’t say either way, don’t know	36.%%
Perhaps weaker	5.6%
Much weaker, no love at all	0.8%

Q2: Do you think it will be necessary in the future to foster more feelings of love for your country amongst the citizens? (Sample size=6,338)

Think so	81.0%
Don’t think so	10.2%
Don’t know	8.9%

Q3: Given the two opinions “One should focus more on country and society” and “Satisfying one’s personal lifestyle is a more important view”, which is closer to your own opinion? (Sample size=6,338)

One should focus more on country and society	56.1%
Satisfying one’s personal lifestyle is a more important view	32.5%
Can’t say one over the other	10.4%
Don’t know	1.1%

Q4: As a member of society, in your day to day life do you think you are usefully contributing to society? (Sample size=6,338)

Think so (to SQ)	66.0%
Don’t think so	31.8%
Don’t know	2.3%

Q4SQ: What sorts of things do you do in your day to day life to usefully contributing to society? (Sample size=4,182, multiple answer)

Activities related to social welfare (old folk, handicapped care, helping out neighbours, etc)	37.9%
Activities related to nature, environmental protection (beautification, recycling, milk pack collection, etc)	35.7%
Local area activities (helping at celebrations, with hardships, serving on resident committees, local fire safety, anti-crime patrols)	35.6%
Disaster prevention, aid activities	23.3%
Through my own work	23.0%
Activities related to physical education, sport, culture (sport, recreation coaching, festivals, school clubs coaching)	22.2%
Through family, children upbringing	20.8%
Donation activities, charity sales	18.0%
Activities related to road safety (monitoring children going to school, etc)	16.7%
Activities related to health, treatment (hospital volunteer, etc)	16.7%
Teaching, assisting with education activities (science, language, calligraphy, etc)	12.0%
Activities at public facilities (public child care, museum volunteer guide, etc)	11.6%
Activities related to international exchange (interpreting, refugee support, technical support, homestay, etc)	11.5%
Activities related to child development (boy, girl scouts, etc)	10.3%
Other	2.4%
Don’t know	1.6%

Q5: Do you think that in the future Japanese should hold benefit for all citizens over benefit for themselves as important or vice versa? (Sample size=6,338)

Benefit for all citizens should be more important	55.0%
Benefit for one personally should be more important	27.4%
Can’t say one over the other	15.5%
Other	0.1%
Don’t know	2.1%

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