Japanese Public Supports Strengthening Defense Capabilities at 68%... 27% Oppose

Yomiuri and U.S. Gallup Joint Survey Results
Yomiuri: "Majority Expect Expanded Role for Japan"
Both U.S. and Japan Prioritize 'Pressure' Over 'Dialogue' in North Korea Policy

JS Izumo, a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force escort ship under training. Photo by Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jung-wan] A public opinion survey revealed that 68% of Japanese citizens support strengthening Japan's defense capabilities.

On the 16th, Yomiuri Shimbun announced the results of a survey conducted in mid-last month with Gallup in the United States, targeting about 1,000 voters from each country. According to the report, 65% of American respondents also supported strengthening Japan's defense capabilities.

Responses opposing the strengthening of defense capabilities were 27% in both countries. Yomiuri Shimbun analyzed, "Voices expecting an expanded role for Japan in Asian security also constituted the majority among Americans."

When asked which countries or regions they consider a military threat to their own country (multiple responses allowed), Japanese respondents answered North Korea (82%), Russia (82%), and China (81%) in that order. American respondents identified Russia (79%), China (77%), and North Korea (70%) as threatening countries.

Regarding the question of whether the international community should prioritize 'dialogue' or economic sanctions pressure to stop North Korea's provocations, which have escalated with repeated ballistic missile launches, respondents from both countries answered that pressure should be emphasized.

The proportion choosing 'emphasis on pressure' was 61% in the U.S. and 48% in Japan, while 'emphasis on dialogue' was 43% in Japan and 33% in the U.S.

When asked, "If China invades Taiwan, do you think U.S. forces must defend Taiwan?" 72% of Japanese respondents answered "yes." In contrast, American respondents were evenly split with 48% saying "yes" and 45% saying "no" to the same question.

Japanese respondents who evaluated the current U.S.-Japan relationship as "good" were 58%, up 7 percentage points from the 2020 survey. Those who answered "bad" were 25%. Regarding the U.S.-Japan relationship, 51% of Americans said "good," and 11% said "bad."

This survey was conducted nationwide among voters in the U.S. from the 14th to the 20th of last month, and in Japan from the 18th to the 20th of the same month. The number of respondents was 1,002 in the U.S. and 1,051 in Japan.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.