DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 06/20/07-1

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 07 TOKYO 002784 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR E, P, EB, EAP/J, EAP/P, EAP/PD, PA WHITE HOUSE/NSC/NEC; JUSTICE FOR STU CHEMTOB IN ANTI-TRUST DIVISION; TREASURY/OASIA/IMI/JAPAN; DEPT PASS USTR/PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE; SECDEF FOR JCS-J-5/JAPAN, DASD/ISA/EAPR/JAPAN; DEPT PASS ELECTRONICALLY TO USDA FAS/ITP FOR SCHROETER; PACOM HONOLULU FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR; CINCPAC FLT/PA/ COMNAVFORJAPAN/PA. E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO PGOV PINR ECON ELAB JA SUBJECT: DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 06/20/07-1 INDEX: (1) Poll on political attitude 2 ARTICLE: (1) Poll on political attitude ASAHI (Page 18) (Full) June 19, 2007 Questions & Answers (Figures shown in % age) Q: To what extent are you interested in Japan's politics now? Very interested 31 Somewhat interested 51 Not very interested 16 Not interested at all 2 Q: Do you trust Japan's politics? Trust very much 2 Trust somewhat 39 Don't trust very much 49 Don't trust at all 9 Q: Would you like Japan's politics to change? Would like it to change very much 44 Would like it to change somewhat 48 Wouldn't like it to change very much 6 Wouldn't like to change at all 0 Q: What's your view of politics now? It's inseparable from my daily life and job 62 It's not very related to my daily life and job 34 Q: Do you think politics must be interesting? Yes 27 No 67 Q: Do you think politics is a drama? Yes 18 No 78 Q: Do you think politics now is like a TV wide show? Yes 54 No 39 Q: Which one between national politics and local politics are you more interested in? National politics 55 Local politics 37 Q: Which one between national politics and local politics do you think affects your daily life greatly? TOKYO 00002784 002 OF 007 National politics 52 Local politics 38 Q: Which election are you most interested in? Gubernatorial election 19 Mayoral election 17 House of Representatives election 34 House of Councillors election 2 Prefectural assembly election 4 Municipal assembly election 14 Q: Yubari City, now a failed entity saddled with a huge amount of debts, is trying to turn its finances around. Are you interested in this fact? Very interested 28 �0A;Somewhat interested 52 Not very interested 13 Not interested at all 2 Q: Do you think the financial failure of Yubari City is a peculiar case? Yes 10 No 84 Q: Are you concerned about your municipality's financial situation? Very concerned 24 Somewhat concerned 43 Not very concerned 26 Not concerned at all 2 Q: Would you like to do something so as not to worsen your municipality's financial situation? Would like to do something 28 Would like to leave it to the mayor and assembly members 52 Q: Which political party do you support now? Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) 34 Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) 17 New Komeito (NK) 4 Japanese Communist Party (JCP) 3 Social Democratic Party (SDP or Shaminto) 2 People's New Party (PNP or Kokumin Shinto) 0 New Party Nippon (NPN or Shinto Nippon) 0 Other political parties 0 None 39 Q: (Only for those who picked a political party to support) Are you a consistent supporter of that political party? Yes 36 No 23 Q: (Only for those who picked a political party to support) Do you think you will continue to support that political party from now on as well? TOKYO 00002784 003 OF 007 Yes 34 No 24 Q: Aside from the political party you gave now, if there is any political party you like, pick as many as you like. LDP 11 DPJ 16 NK 7 JCP 5 SDP 7 PNP 4 NPN 2 Other political parties 1 None 18 Q: (Only for those who answered they do not support any political party) Have you ever supported a political party? Yes 16 No 21 Q: (Only for those who answered they do not support any political party) Do you think you will support a political party in the future? Yes 14 No 19 Q: Which political party do you like now? If any, pick as many as you like. LDP 7 DPJ 9 NK 1 JCP 3 SDP 2 PNP 1 NPN 0 Other political parties 1 None 21 Q: Is there any political party you wouldn't like to support? Pick one or more, if any. LDP 22 DPJ 15 NK 41 JCP 47 SDP 25 PNP 19 NPN 19 Q: Do you think the existence of political parties is important for Japan's politics? Yes 53 No 40 Q: Do you think the existing political parties have been playing their expected roles? TOKYO 00002784 004 OF 007 Yes 10 No 83 Q: If there is a political party you support, would you like to become a member of that political party? Yes 17 No 73 Already a member 2 Q: If there is a political party you support, would you like to contribute money to that political party? Yes 13 No 81 Already a contributor 1 Q: If there is a political party you support, would you like to volunteer for that political party's political activities or election campaigns? Yes 30 No 63 Already a volunteer 2 Q: If there is a political party you support, do you think you will vote for that political party's candidate for sure? Yes 51 No 45 Q: Do you think you are a floating voter with no particular party affiliation? Yes 47 No 46 Q: (Only for those who answered "yes") Why? Because I can't find out any political party I'd like to support 14 Because I often change a political party I'd like to support 3 Because I don't want to be bound up with any specific political party 9 Because I don't like the existence of political parties 5 Because I choose a political party to vote for in each election 10 Because I'm not interested in politics itself 3 Q: In the political world, the words "conservative" and "reformist" have been used for a long time. What's your image of the "conservatives"? Good image 17 Bad image 24 No image 51 Q: What's your image of the "reformists"? Good image 29 Bad image 11 No image 50 Q: Do you think it is appropriate to use the words "conservative" and "reformist" now as a yardstick to explain political stances? TOKYO 00002784 005 OF 007 Yes 30 No 58 Q: Do you think it is appropriate to use the words "right wing" and "left wing" now? Yes 18 No 71 Q: Do you think it is appropriate to use the words "dovish" and "hawkish" now? Yes 19 No 70 Q: Do you think it is appropriate to use the words "antireformer" and "reformer" now? Yes 28 No 61 Q: What's your impression of words politicians use in the Diet or press conferences as you see them on TV? Which is closer to your feeling? Clear-cut 5 Equivocal 87 Q: Do the words politicians use get to your heart? Yes 5 No 86 Q: Do you think politicians now make much of "words"? Yes 11 No 80 Q: Do you think politicians these days do not make much of their words and they are apt to play up themselves with their behavior, fashion, and other factors? Yes 56 No 36 Q: Do you think voters are affected by the behavior and fashion of politicians and other factors rather than their words? Yes 50 No 43 Q: Do you look forward to the upcoming election for the House of Councillors? Very much 15 Somewhat 35 Not very much 32 Not at all 13 Q: When you choose a political party and a candidate to vote for in elections for the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors, how much do you weigh what they have actually done in TOKYO 00002784 006 OF 007 the past? Very much 28 Somewhat 53 Not very much 13 Not at all 2 Q: How much do you weigh the policies and campaign pledges of political parties and candidates? Very much 30 Somewhat 49 Not very much 14 Not at all 2 Q: How much do you weigh the competence and attractiveness of political party heads? Very much 22 Somewhat 48 Not very much 22 Not at all 4 Q: How much do you weigh the competence and attractiveness of each candidate? Very much 30 Somewhat 52 Not very much 11 Not at all 2 Q: If you meet a candidate or shake hands with that candidate at the time of an election, do you think you would like to vote for that candidate? Yes 10 No 83 Q: If you are asked by someone you know to vote for a certain candidate or political party, do you think you would like to vote for that candidate or political party? Yes 7 No 86 Q: In recent elections, there were more manifesto-type campaign pledges. Do you think you would like to read them? Yes 59 No 34 Q: Do you think manifesto-type campaign pledges will change Japan's elections? Yes 39 No 48 Q: What do you think about voting in elections? It's a public obligation 41 It's a public right 52 TOKYO 00002784 007 OF 007 Q: What do you think about abstaining from voting? It's not good 51 Can't necessarily say so 44 Q: What % age do you think is needed for the minimum turnout of voters so that those elected can be recognized to represent the voting population? 10 % or so 0 20 % or so 0 30 % or so 3 40 % or so 7 50 % or so 21 60 % or so 29 70 % or so 22 80 % or so 8 90 % or so 2 Q: Do you support lowering the voting right to the age of 18 % Yes 38 No 51 Q: Do you think it would be better for Japan's politics to change government from time to time? Yes 52 No 37 Polling methodology The survey was conducted by mailing the questionnaire form to a total of 3,000 voters chosen across the nation on a stratified two-stage random sampling basis. A total of 339 voting blocs were selected so as to epitomize the nation's electorates at large, and nine persons were picked on average from each voting bloc's register. The questionnaire form was sent on April 5 and was sent back from a total of 2,223 persons before the final deadline set at May 14. Valid answers were from 2,166 persons, excluding answer sheets left blank or filled out by those not subject to the survey. The retrieval rate was 72 % . In the breakdown of respondents, males accounted for 44 % , with females at 53 % . The total % age does not become 100 % because those left unfilled accounted for 3 % . In the breakdown of age brackets, persons in their 20s accounted for 11 % , 30s-16 % , 40s-16 % , 50s-20 % , 60s-17 % , 70 and over-17 % . DONOVAN