世論 What Japan Thinks

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

NTV did a survey on a number of hot topics in the news right now – a lot of questions, but not much detail, so the exact meaning of some of the answers is up for debate. They carries out the survey from the 14th to 16th of this month, asking 1000 people but only getting 479 sets of replies, so it’s a bit of a small sample.

Q11: The Food Safety Commission presented a report that USA beef imports were basically safe, and would want to see imports restarted. Do you support resuming USA beef imports?

Support	43.0%
Don’t support	49.3%
Don’t know, no answer	7.7%

Q12: Rakuten has been buying TBS shares, and has proposed management integration. What do you think about TBS and Rakuten’s management integration?

By combining broadcast and (internet-based) transmission, I have expectations of new growth	20.5%
TBS’s side says it’s sudden, but I want to see change in the future	28.4%
I worry whether public (free-to-air?) broadcast will continue	28.8%
Others	4.6%
Don’t know, no answer	17.8%

Q13: Yoshiaki Murakami, against the wishes of the Hanshin Railways management ranks, in order to raise the company valuation, has proposed to float the subsiduary Hanshin Tigers baseball team on the stock market. Do you support this proposal?

Support	21.7%
Oppose	55.3%
Don’t know, no answer	23.0%

This is a question that frurstrates me a bit – I know the majority seem opposed to the idea, but why? Is there a general opposition to the idea of floating sports teams on the stock market, or is there opposition to Murakami personally, or is it just reluctance in the face of rapid change?

Q14: Tatsunori Hara has been appointed the new manager of the Giants baseball team. Do you think baseball will become interesting next year?

I think it will become interesting	49.7%
I don’t think it will become interesting	34.2%
Don’t know, no answer	16.1%

There seems an implication in this question that this year’s weak Giants automatically made the season dull. Although they are the top team in terms of support in Japan, the question seems loaded to me.

Q15: Do you think the Japanese economy will continue to improve?

I think so	36.5%
I don’t think so	55.7%
Don’t know, no answer	7.7%

Finished! A bit of a mixed bag there, but interesting opinions on quite a few of the burning issues. Thanks for reading all the way through.

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

Read more on: baseball,beef,economy,merger,ntv

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

NTV did a survey on a number of hot topics in the news right now – a lot of questions, but not much detail, so the exact meaning of some of the answers is up for debate. They carries out the survey from the 14th to 16th of this month, asking 1000 people but only getting 479 sets of replies, so it’s a bit of a small sample.

Q6: The Koizumi cabinet has re-submitted their Post Office privatisation bill for splitting it into four companies and has it passed into law. Do you support this establishment of the bill? (Bad, possibly wrong translation!)

Support it	61.8%
Don’t support it	26.9%
Don’t know, no answer	11.3%

Q7: Of the 13 former LDP members who voted against the Post Office privatisation proposals in July, 11 of them voted in favour this time. Do you support the actions of these 11 who changed their votes?

Support their actions	24.2%
Don’t support their actions	64.7%
Don’t know, no answer	11.1%

Q8: There is less than one year to go until Koizumi retires from leadership of the LDP. What would you most want him to accoplish during this time?

Resolve North Korea and kidnapping problems	17.5%
Civil service reform	8.4%
Financial and taxation reform	20.5%
Public financial institutions merger or abolishment	3.3%
Pensions review	42.2%
Others	4.6%
Don’t know, no answer	3.6%

Q9: There are about 600 GSDF troops deployed in Samawah, Iraq until the 14th of December. Please tell me your opinion about the GSDP deployment.

Deployment should be extended	21.1%
Should withdraw in December	61.4%
Should withdraw now	13.8%
Don’t know, no answer	3.8%

Q10: On the 17th of October is the Yasukuni Shrine Autumn Festival, and there is the view that Koizumi may very well attend. Do you support Koizumi woshipping there?

Support him	47.6%
Don’t support him	45.5%
Don’t know, no answer	6.9%

A slight diversion – the Yasukuni Shrine has perhaps two aspects to it. The first is the enshrinement of Class A war criminals, which is the topic that most people seem to focus upon, but to me it seems very much to hinge on a technicality or two, and as such does not particulary interest me, especially as the other aspect is that the shrine is run by, apparently, a bunch of right-wing militaristic nut jobs, not to put too fine a point on it. Friends who have visited have noted that the text of many of the exhibits, in both English and Japanese, glorify the Second World War and the earlier East Asian adventures whilst glossing over, if not outright ignoring the evil that was committed in the process. A visit to their English homepage, for instance, reveals unapologetic nonsense like this, from their FAQ:

There were also 1,068 “Martyrs of Showa” who were cruelly and unjustly tried as war criminals by a sham-like tribunal of the Allied forces (United States, England, the Netherlands, China and others).

Can you really imagine a German leader, say, visiting a church that had a sign talking about how Goering was unfairly accused, or even a British leader visiting (in a not really official, honest, Guv kind of way) that statue of Bomber Harris near Trafalgar Square?

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

Read more on: iraq,ntv,Politics,privatisation,yasukuni

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

NTV did a survey on a number of hot topics in the news right now – a lot of questions, but not much detail, so the exact meaning of some of the answers is up for debate. They carries out the survey from the 14th to 16th of this month, asking 1000 people but only getting 479 sets of replies, so it’s a bit of a small sample.

Q1: Do you support the Koizumi cabinet?

Yes	62.2%
No	29.4%
Don’t know, no answer	8.4%

Q2: For those answering YES in Q1, why do you support his cabinet?

Because I have expections for the cabinet members	2.7%
Because I can trust Koizumi’s character	21.5%
Because it’s the cabinet of the party I suppose	12.1%
Because I have expections for the policies	11.4%
Because I can expect reform	21.8%
Because there’s no-one else to do the job	21.8%
No particular reason	5.7%
Others	2.4%
Don’t know, no answer	0.7%

Q2: For those answering NO in Q1, why do you not support his cabinet?

Because I have no expections for the cabinet members	9.2%
Because I can’t trust Koizumi’s character	29.1%
Because it’s not the cabinet of the party I suppose	19.2%
Because I don’t have expections for the policies	22.0%
Because there’s no leadership	1.4%
No particular reason	4.3%
Others	13.5%
Don’t know, no answer	1.4%

Q4: Please tell me which party you support. If you don’t support any party, choose which you have strong feelings for.

LDP	46.1%
DPJ	19.0%
New Komeito	4.0%
Communists	2.7%
SDP	2.9%
People’s New Party	0.0%
New Party Nippon	0.2%
New Party Daichi	0.2%
Others	0.4%
I don’t support any part	21.9%
Don’t know, no answer	2.5%

Q5: The DPJ have selected Maehara as their new leader. Do you support Maehara’s leadership of the DPJ?

Greatly support	17.5%
Support to some extent	37.6%
Don’t really support	32.4%
Don’t support at all	9.6%
Don’t know, no answer	2.9%

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

Read more on: ntv,Politics