世論 What Japan Thinks

With the IOC decision this weekend, DIMSDRIVE Research published their survey on 2020 Olympics and bid activities, finding that although one in three are ambivalent about the whole affair, three to one of the remaining two-thirds favour it.

Demographics

Between the 6th and 19th of August 2013 7,311 members of the DIMSDRIVE monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 58.8% of the sample were male, 4.6% were in their teens and twenties, 16.4% in their thirties, 31.7% in their forties, 26.9% in their fifties, 14.9% in their sixties, and 5.6% aged seventy or older. Unfortunately, there was no breakdown of the area of residence of the respondents, but DIMSDRIVE usually has around 40% from the Tokyo and surrounding Kanto area.

I’m personally in favour of the bid, partially out of a desire to feel schadenfreude towards those I find are campaigning against Tokyo due to personal dislike of Japan or due to excessive Fukushima-related scaremongering. Indeed, I suspect that the deciding factor will be whether science can triumph over nuclear irrationality, but I also worry that the Japanese team will not be very good at getting the scientific, factual case across.

Research results

Q1: What do you think about watching sports, including on television? (Sample size=7,311)

	Love it	Like it	Can’t say	Dislike it	Hate it
All	16.3%	36.4%	30.9%	9.2%	7.2%
Male, >29 y.o.	21.3%	32.0%	27.0%	10.7%	9.0%
Male, 30s	23.0%	32.8%	28.6%	7.9%	7.7%
Male, 40s	21.5%	36.2%	29.3%	6.6%	6.4%
Male, 50s	17.5%	43.0%	29.2%	6.2%	4.1%
Male, 60s	18.7%	44.7%	27.0%	5.8%	3.8%
Male, 70 y.o.+	21.3%	52.0%	20.7%	4.8%	1.2%
Female, >29 y.o.	9.9%	25.5%	30.1%	18.9%	15.6%
Female, 30s	11.9%	27.4%	34.9%	14.2%	11.6%
Female, 40s	11.2%	28.1%	36.4%	13.2%	11.1%
Female, 50s	10.2%	35.7%	34.7%	10.6%	8.8%
Female, 60s	12.7%	33.7%	36.3%	11.1%	6.2%
Female, 70 y.o.+	5.4%	48.2%	32.1%	12.5%	1.8%

Q2: How interested are you in the Olympics? (Sample size=7,311)

	Very	Somewhat	Can’t say	Not really	Not at all
All	19.2%	40.1%	16.4%	14.7%	9.6%
Male, >29 y.o.	18.0%	25.4%	20.5%	18.9%	17.2%
Male, 30s	14.5%	33.1%	23.4%	14.1%	14.9%
Male, 40s	18.5%	36.8%	18.8%	15.2%	10.7%
Male, 50s	21.8%	45.9%	14.2%	11.7%	6.4%
Male, 60s	27.4%	43.2%	12.9%	11.5%	5.0%
Male, 70 y.o.+	30.1%	48.6%	10.8%	7.7%	2.8%
Female, >29 y.o.	8.0%	30.2%	15.1%	24.1%	22.6%
Female, 30s	12.6%	34.9%	16.3%	19.6%	16.6%
Female, 40s	14.6%	38.2%	19.3%	17.2%	10.7%
Female, 50s	19.4%	42.7%	16.1%	15.0%	6.8%
Female, 60s	21.2%	49.4%	11.4%	13.1%	4.9%
Female, 70 y.o.+	32.1%	42.9%	8.9%	14.3%	1.8%

Q3: Do you know about Tokyo being a candidate city for the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics? (Sample size=7,311)

Yes, in detail (to SQ)	64.3%
Yes, a little	28.4%
No, not at all	7.3%

Q3SQ: How do you rate these various aspects of the Japan bid? (Sample size=4,699)

	Very much	Somewhat	Can’t say	Not really	Not at all
Can make enough of an appeal	11.7%	50.7%	27.5%	8.1%	2.0%
Has good sense	9.7%	36.5%	38.7%	10.5%	4.6%
Has good people	8.9%	34.4%	40.6%	11.2%	4.9%
Delivers an effective message	8.1%	32.9%	44.7%	10.8%	3.5%
Better than the other cities’ bid activities	9.2%	34.7%	39.8%	11.9%	4.4%
Uses effective methods	10.3%	30.9%	46.5%	8.6%	3.7%
Overall, has good invitation activities	11.0%	43.1%	34.1%	8.3%	3.5%

Q4: What do you think about the activities to invite the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics to Tokyo? (Sample size=7,311)

Support	30.5%
Somewhat support	21.7%
Can’t say	31.1%
Somewhat oppose	6.3%
Oppose	10.4%

Almost two-thirds of those who knew in detail about the Tokyo bid supported it, whereas just one-sixth of those who didn’t know about it supported it. However, those opposed only increased from 15.0% to 21.1%

Q5: Of the three candidate cities, Tokyo (Japan), Istanbul (Turkey) and Madrid (Spain), which do you think will be selected? (Sample size=7,311)

Tokyo	59.3%
Istanbul	20.7%
Madrid	20.0%

78.2% of the people interested in the Olympic according to Q2 thought Tokyo would be selected, versus just 29.1% of those not interested.

Q6: Do you know that there is still one event to be decided for the 2020 Olympics? (Sample size=7,311)

Yes, and know the events that are candidates	38.4%
Yes, but don’t know the events that are candidates	31.3%
No, don’t know	30.3%

Q7: The events to be decided are wrestling, baseball/softball, and squash. Which would you want to see selected? (Sample size=7,311)

Wrestling	64.9%
Baseball/sofball	29.4%
Squash	5.7%

Q8A: Why do you want to see the event from Q7 be chosen? (Sample size=7,311, multiple answer)

Expect Japan to get a medal (Japan is strong)	39.6%
It’s been in the modern Olympics since the start (wrestling)	23.6%
It was also in the ancient Olympics (wrestling)	20.8%
Like that sport	19.5%
It’s a sport familiar to the Olympics (wrestling, baseball)	18.9%
Really want to watch it	13.0%
I have a favourite player of the sport	10.7%
Few chances to see it outside the Olympics	9.1%
I feel close to the sport	8.9%
I enjoy it	7.0%
I know the rules	6.5%
It’s a good topic of conversation	5.4%
It wouldn’t be the Olympics without that sport	4.5%
It’s due for a comeback after Beijing (baseball/softball)	3.9%
There is (seems to be) a lot of people who play it	3.8%
It’s recently become exciting	3.5%
Want it to become even more well-known	3.1%
It’s a great show	1.2%
It will be it’s first time in the Olympics (squash)	1.1%
Other	1.7%
No particular reason	15.5%

Q8B: Why do you want to see wrestling from Q7 be chosen? (Sample size=4,744, multiple answer, top 10)

Expect Japan to get a medal (Japan is strong)	50.5%
It’s been in the modern Olympics since the start	36.3%
It was also in the ancient Olympics	32.2%
It’s a sport familiar to the Olympics (wrestling, baseball)	25.7%
Few chances to see it outside the Olympics	12.6%
I have a favourite player of the sport	12.5%
Really want to watch it	8.5%
Like that sport	7.5%
It wouldn’t be the Olympics without that sport	6.4%
I enjoy it	5.8%

Q8C: Why do you want to see baseball/softball from Q7 be chosen? (Sample size=2,155, multiple answer, top 10)

Like that sport	48.4%
Really want to watch it	24.0%
Expect Japan to get a medal (Japan is strong)	22.9%
I feel close to the sport	19.2%
I know the rules	19.0%
It’s due for a comeback after Beijing	13.4%
I enjoy it	10.2%
There is (seems to be) a lot of people who play it	8.5%
I have a favourite player of the sport	8.5%
It’s a sport familiar to the Olympics	7.5%

Q8D: Why do you want to see squash from Q7 be chosen? (Sample size=2,155, multiple answer, top 10)

It will be it’s first time in the Olympics	18.6%
Few chances to see it outside the Olympics	9.8%
Want it to become even more well-known	7.6%
Really want to watch it	7.4%
Like that sport	6.2%
It’s a great show	4.3%
It’s a good topic of conversation	3.8%
It’s recently become exciting	3.1%
I enjoy it	3.1%
Expect Japan to get a medal (Japan is strong)	2.1%

Q9: If Tokyo were to hold the Olympics, would you want to spectate in person? (Sample size=7,331)

Definitely	7.9%
Depending on circumstances, yes	23.5%
Not in person, but want to watch on television	33.5%
Don’t really want to spectate	8.0%
Don’t want to spectate at all	18.9%
Don’t know	8.2%

When asked what events and ceremonies they were interested in, 44.5% said swimming, 40.6% gymnastics, 40.0% athletics, 32.6% the opening ceremony, 32.4% football, and so on.