March 8, 2022
TOKYO – The economic sanctions that the Japanese government has been heightening against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine are supported by 82% of the public, according to a nationwide poll.
Only 9% of respondents did not support the sanctions, and another 9% did not answer the questions, in the telephone poll conducted by The Yomiuri Shimbun from Friday through Sunday.
The vast majority of eligible voters seem to be calling on the government to deal with Russia stringently. Whether by gender, age or which political party they support, about 8 out of every 10 respondents supported the sanctions, which are being imposed in cooperation with nations like the United States.
When asked whether Japan should deal with Russia through such concerted efforts with like-minded countries in the days ahead, 62% agreed, while 28% said Japan should respond in its own way.
Regarding threats to Japan’s security, 81% of respondents thought Russia’s attempt to unilaterally change the status quo by force would affect other regions, such as encouraging China to use armed force against Taiwan. Only 11% said they did not think so.
There are strong concerns that China might also venture to change the status quo by force, and these fears might affect discussions over the reinforcement of Japan’s defense capabilities.
A majority of respondents, 54%, said they thought Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was dealing appropriately with the issues related to Ukraine, while 29% didn’t think so.
As for the novel coronavirus, 54% approved of the government’s handling of the pandemic, up six percentage points from the previous poll conducted Feb. 4 to 6, while 37% disapproved, down from 44%.
The central government decided to extend through March 21 quasi-emergency measures for Tokyo, Osaka, and 16 other prefectures, and 68% of respondents approved the move, while 26% didn’t.
With the start of COVID-19 vaccinations for children ages 5 to 11, 63% wanted as many children as possible to get the shot, while 25% did not. By age, 36% of respondents in their 40s said they did not want many children to get the shot, higher than any other age bracket, apparently because there are relatively more people with children between 5-11 in this demographic.
The poll used the random digit dialing method and received valid responses from 1,063 people aged 18 and over who are eligible voters.Speech