Poll finds more support for U.S. bases



Wednesday, Sep. 7, 2011

AP


Japanese have become more welcoming toward the U.S. military presence in the country over the past six years, as neighboring China and North Korea are increasingly perceived as a security threat, an Associated Press-GfK poll has found.

The survey released Monday on the public's views of other countries, security and the Imperial family also showed that while about half of Japanese have a positive view of the U.S. and Germany, they are overwhelmingly negative or neutral toward Asian neighbors China, Russia and North Korea. Opinions toward South Korea, meanwhile, are mixed.

The telephone poll, conducted by GfK Roper Public Affairs and Corporate Communications, surveyed 1,000 adults nationwide by calling land lines between July 29 and Aug. 10. It has a margin of error of 3.8 percentage points.

The findings, as well as results showing Japanese are reluctant to allow more foreign workers into the country, suggest a general wariness toward outsiders. Some 46 percent are opposed to increasing the number of immigrants — more than double those in favor of boosting their numbers — even though doing so would help offset the shrinking labor force as the population ages.

And while they gave elected leaders low marks, most Japanese think highly of Emperor Akihito and the Self-Defense Forces.

Tokyo is cautiously monitoring China's growing military spending and its more assertive stance over disputed islands in the region. Ties between the two countries deteriorated to their worst point in years last autumn, after a Chinese fishing trawler and Japan Coast Guard cutters collided near the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, which are controlled by Japan but claimed by Beijing.

China's state-run media have already issued warnings to new Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda over his past statements suggesting that Beijing's military buildup is a regional security threat.

For protection, Japan relies on the SDF and nearly 50,000 U.S. troops based in the country under a 51-year-old bilateral security pact. That arrangement came under increased scrutiny last year, when then Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama sought — and ultimately failed — to move the controversial Futenma base out of Okinawa Prefecture.

U.S. forces were also actively involved in humanitarian relief efforts following the natural disasters in March.

Amid public alarm about China's assertiveness, support for U.S. military bases in Japan has grown to 57 percent, while 34 percent want them shut down. In a similar poll in 2005, Japanese were evenly divided on the issue, with 47 percent in favor and 47 percent against.

"The U.S. military presence has received a greater acceptance, apparently because people think this region has grown more unstable," Foreign Minister Koichiro Genba said in response to the results.

China is viewed as a threat to world peace by nearly three-quarters of the respondents, and about the same number have a negative impression of the country, despite it being Japan's largest trading partner. Unfavorable views of Chinese President Hu Jintao outweigh favorable views by more than 11 to 1, the poll showed.

North Korea, meanwhile, is viewed as a threat by even more Japanese — 80 percent, up from 59 percent in 2005. Pyongyang, which conducted nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009, and fired missiles over Japan and into the Pacific Ocean in 1998 and April 2009, is viewed negatively by 94 percent. The North's leader, Kim Jong Il, is disliked by 9 in 10.

Many Japanese are supportive of the SDF, with 74 percent trusting it to do the right thing all or most of the time.

People were mixed over changing the Constitution to allow the SDF to play a greater international role, although more favored than opposed such a change — 38 percent for and 28 percent against. About a third were neutral on the issue.

The Constitution, drawn up by the Allied Occupation after World War II, prohibits the creation and use of a military force in an offensive capacity. But under pressure from the U.S. to play a larger role in regional security, Japan has become more involved in peacekeeping operations overseas.

Most Japanese continue to hold the Emperor, whose role is purely ceremonial, in high esteem: 70 percent view him favorably and 65 percent feel the Imperial family still has an important role in modern society.

Still, just 22 percent would favor giving the Emperor power to set government policy, while 43 percent oppose expanding the Imperial family's power. About a third are neutral.

Some 41 percent of respondents feel positively about U.S. President Barack Obama, compared with 16 percent who view him unfavorably, and 41 percent who are neutral. As a country, the United States is viewed favorably by 49 percent, neutrally by 36 percent and unfavorably by 14 percent.

While South Korean cultural exports such as television dramas and K-pop singers have become increasingly popular in Japan, the country itself isn't viewed as favorably, with 31 percent positive and 27 percent negative.

Russia, meanwhile, is viewed positively by just 11 percent and negatively by 44 percent.

Japan has come under fire internationally over its whale hunts, but the Japanese public narrowly favors whaling for commercial purposes, the survey showed. Fifty-two percent favor continuing the hunts, 35 percent are neutral and 13 percent oppose them. Far more men than women are in favor of the hunts, it also showed.

However, only a minority — 12 percent — are interested in actually eating whale meat.

typical

They never feel guilty over the massacre and occupation in WW2.

Their politicians use it to brew hatred toward their victims.

It is not fair to the people of Okinawa though. People on mainland Japan rarely have to deal with the military.

Because of people like you, I don't care what happened in WW2.



Everybody that lived in during the war is dead or will be dead in the next 10 years. YOU were not in the war and neither was I so NO I don't feel any guilt.

But hearing this constant bashing from angry warrior wannabes make me think Japan should rebuild it's military. The only thing people respect is violence.





The people of Okinawa are Japanese too. The people of Japan want the U.S. out just as the people or the U.S. want lower taxes. The problem in both cases is the reality of the situation.

In America, how do you pay for everything if you lower taxes?

In Japan, how can we survive a retaliation from the U.S.?



simple poles are meaningless. Anything on a national level is very complicated defying a 'yes' or 'no' answer.

In Brazil We have a saying that means something like this.
"Pepper, when put in other person's eyes isn't that bad".

Why are almost all burden be under Okinawan's back?

Wasn't enough for them who since invaded by Japan(Satsuma) were subjugated and kept as the poorest place in Japan, suffered american invasion and lost more than a quarter of their civilian population?

They are "Japanese" (this is very convenient and useful to Tokio), but are treated as second class citizens about theirs claims.
It wouldn't be more fair to redistribute equally the american bases to others places through mainland Japan?

For the Japanese politicians is unthinkable move out the american bases located in Ryu Kyu islands to other places in mainland Japan.
The same dictation I told above is sometimes said this way.
It's true. "Pepper, when put in other person's anu$ isn't that bad".

Japanese people and politicians are still afraid of America. America is like an abusive husband. I realized that imperial Japan was just a reaction to Western colonization in Asia. We asians need to look beyond artificial animosity and look at the deeper meanings.

+1

japan got intimidated by america, so they had no choice but to modernize and become powerful. that's the reason why they tried to take over asia. i hope asians come to the realization soon that japan was just as much of a victim as they were. asians are together in this. they need to wake up and start cooperating

hahahha

Japan tried to take over Asia... because of the US.

riiiiggghhhttttt

i don't blame this typical line of thinking. u've been educated in the west. but come on. i was educated in the west too and was still able to figure out the REAL causes behind japan's militarization and imperialism. perhaps someone can remind u about the story of commodore perry...and the subsequent events that followed in japan? that ought to help u think more in-depth.

And what about Russia, they are installing weapons north of Japan, it seems they are also a big security threat, and they also don't want to return the islands to Japan.

no, they are not a security threat at all to anyone (maybe ukraine if they're stupid enough to join nato because they tend to mind their own business like china. but they're irritated with US installments in europe and contemptuous of western hypocracy. they will never give up those islands as long as the US maintains presence in east asia. period.

Japan did modernize because it wanted to survive.

It did get into the colonizing business because everyone was doing it, but Japan does open the opportunity that the Chinese juggernaut put these little nation in her place.

Japan would get whatever it deserves for fu-king with China and Korea.

another propaganda. try not to believe too much of the US news.

China will fight a war with Japan, and China will ensure Japan knows it's place in the proper order of East Asia.

I agree with Pawnstars. Japan will get whatever it deserves for fu-king with China and Korea.

China won't fight Japan. They're too intelligent to let territorial disputes escalate into wars. They know that a war will just delay their economic progress and drag down the entire asian region. The future is in cooperation, not war.

That said, the faster they can settle the regional disputes, the better it would be for the whole world. America included. This is true even if some idiots in America, such as banzai and pawnstar disagree.

hahaha lol dream on. u WISH china was that stupid. china is fully aware of the western fondness (or should i say addiction?) for divide-and-rule antics; it has had more than enough expereince to tell. they are also aware that japan and korea are in reality nothing but US pawns. so putting two and two together, they know exactly that the US wants china and japan to be at war with each other. but they're not gonna get it. in fact, their inceasing warmongering and bullying tricks are drawing china and japan closer together.

×　 but are treated
〇　but were treated

.

Amusing idea, a nice myth if you want to unite Asians around it. I wouldn't oppose putting it forward at all as grey propaganda, but factually it's not correct.

Japan had ambitions towards colonizing and controlling Mainland Asia going back hundreds of years before commodore Perry. The Imjin war was precisely that, an effort to Annex Korea. This idea existed in Japan and was discussed in the decades leading up to the opening of Japan as well. What commodore Perry provided was the means to accomplish the goal: Modern weapons and logistics.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imjin_war#Legacy

And even if your innovative revisionist theory were true, colonization was still not the inescapable result of western incursions. To say it was totally absolves Japanese decision makers of all responsibility, as it would likewise absolve western decision makers of all responsibility for colonialism. After all, if Japan, on the other side of the world, couldn't survive without colonies how could the competing European powers? If colonies were necessary for national survival, then the blame for all of colonialism must rest with Spain, since England, France etc. only began colonialism as a response to Spain. You see?

In reality, colonies were not necessary at all for national strength, in many cases they were a national drain. Germany rose to be the single most powerful country in Europe without colonies - the ones it did acquire were practically worthless and purely vainglorious, lasting just a few decades.

EDIT: That the CCP, since Deng, has pushed the patriotic education, and pride about the South China sea, confirms for me that the CCP is totally focused on short term domestic stability. It could take the approach of Europeans - forget about past wrongs, stop looking for revenge or an apology - and build cross country co-operation. But the CCP doesn't do that, it's at best totally indifferent to such an approach. Instead it actively fosters and feeds national hostility towards Japan and others, since that nationalism bolsters the position of the CCP.

In European terms, the CCP is much closer to Kaiser Wilhelm than Konrad Adenauer.

It doesn't matter if China forgives Japan overnite and begs for friendship. The US would NEVER let Chinese/Japanese friendship happen.

Please do not let Japan off the hook for WW2!

It was done to colonize Asia in order to aggrandize and enrich Japan, with the Japanese sitting at the top of the heap among Asians, no whitewashing!!

Why don't you read what Devils666 has to say once in a while.

Get away with what? Japan lost the war if you didn't know. Japan was at the mercy of America, NATO and the UN for decades after the war. Every possible war crime was taken to trial. Japan gave back territory, payed penalties, people went to jail. Whatever the Americans and Europe wanted to do with Japan they did. Japan controlled none of the outcomes. We went to trial. WW2 is over for us.

Your true issue is you don't like the outcome. You feel it was unfair, but that is not Japans doing. China was weak back then and U.S. was strong, they called the shots, they decided what was fair. That's what it really comes down too. 60 years later, 3 generations later you are still going back to WW2 and trying to get recognition of unfairness! Stop being blind and start placing blame were it belongs. The U.S. let Japan off the hook because they wanted a puppet state in the middle of Asia. It's the U.S. that manipulated the system for their own gain,60 years later, Japan is still a puppet(even today US bases are in Japan). I'd chose fair trials over 60 years of slavery any day.

By the way, even if US didn't interfere with the trials, most of Asia(including China) was to weak and poor to affect international trials back then. That is just the reality of the world back then.

Pathetic Japanese.

All I can say is that the general Japanese people and the general Chinese people misunderstand each other over the WWII dispute.

I'm not trying to change you or anything but please hear me out
You might not know it, but the generations after 70s,80s used to like Japan a lot, the traditional culture is similar and all the fancy clothings, J-pop, anime, techologies, you name it.

It's the Japanese ministers/right wing nationalists who brought all the nightmares of WWII back into our heads by praying in the Shrine where worships the worst war criminals including those who directly attended/organised Nanjing massacre.

Of course, you would beg a differ, you're Japanese after all.

and who the fk cares about the Chinese, not the Americans, not the Europeans, we're communists, no one would stand out and say 'Hey, Japan, those people did horroble things, and if you really feel sorry for the victoms who you murdered/raped/buried alive/burned alive, you should not admire those people as heros', SIMPLY because Japan is the favourable country over China in this era, even though the Chinese have NEVER, NEVER done anything bad to the world, heck, all the messed up stuff happned in China had the Chinese people suffering, fk the commies by the way.

I'm not against any ordinary Japanese people, I'm into J-pop and stuff, but you know what, that's about it, do you know why the ring wings brazenly keep messing with our sorrows, rubbing salt in our wounds, not because they're protecting their egos, simply because THEY CAN, they can because they have the USA stand behind, all the J-pop/anime fans all over the world supporting them.

So, we all know it's really up to ourselves to have one day to show to the world that they did a wrong thing.

^They have the japanese people stand behind them too.The japanese people stood behind them during the WW2,they stand behind them now..Japan is a democrat,if the japanese really condemn what those people did in WW2 then why would the japanese ministers/politicians always visit the shrine right before the election in the hope that it will win them more votes?lol,lets not kid ourselves any more okay?

Off the hook = Revisionism to make Japan appear only as victim, whitewashing its aggression and war crimes.

Of course Japan was bombed by the victors, however, it is ALSO accountable to its victims. I wholly support Japan demanding justice from those who committed war crimes against Japan, as I do support Japan's victims, i.e. fellow Asians, demand justice from Japan.

I hope you can see these are TWO separate issues and parties. It doesn't mean that since Japan suffered under the Allieds, it can absolve itself of its responsibilities towards those Japan victimized! These are TWO separate events and entities, in case you have not noticed.

I'm afraid Asians don't see Japan as this great benign power trying to lead Asia to a better future, despite the massacres, destruction and colonization.

Unprovoked, Japan came to destroy Chinese, Korean, Phillipino cities and killed millions of their peoples, committing some of the worse war crimes in human history. Sorry, no excuse for that historic fact. I hope that today's Japanese, even if they are not directly responsible for those evil deeds, can agree that Japan initiated and did terrible things to fellow Asians leading to WW2. It is Japan's refusal to accept the grievance of its fellow Asian victims that lead to the undead anger of WW2 3 generations later.

How would the US stop it? The US can't even stop Venezuela, a country which is more dependent on the US and in the same hemisphere from conducting military drills with Russia and constantly thumbing its nose at uncle Sam. How would it stop Japan, a more powerful country, from doing the same?

The reality is, by the patriotic education, playing up and mis-representation of the textbook issue and encouraging anger over island disputes it's obvious the CCP has no intention of pursuing an alliance with Japan or Japanese people. Maybe the US would somehow stop such an alliance from ever developing.

But blaming the US for preventing something the CCP is obviously not even attempting to pursue is quite absurd. It's like a guy who has never asked a girl out blaming player haters for stopping him getting a girl friend.

war is just a game/tool for government to play, we normal people/citizen always suffer, get dragged in and have nothing to do with it... why are you still blaming the normal japanese citizens?

Because Venezuela is entirely soveriegn from America. Do you know what Soveriegnty means? It means they DON"T have a US BASE on their land. It means their leaders are NOT appointed by the US government. And the US has attemped to assassinate Chavez for years.

Japan has a US base on their land that could turn on Japan at any moment. Japan has had six presidents in 3 years, hmm...I wonder why. Everytime a new Japanese president questions the US base he magically resigns in "disgrace" and a new one is appointed.

i don't think US really cares about south america. but they are obsessed with japan and will never allow china and japan to reconcile to heal old wounds. thanks to the US china is the most hated country in japan.

and i don't think the CCP has any desire to be anyone's ally. they don't like interfering in other countries and don't play all the fake craphttp://www.asiafinest.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=289224&st=20&p=4965774&#

lol...why no love for South Koreans in Japan? What is the reason for the unfavorable view?