Cablegate: Daily Summary of Japanese Press 07/09/07-1

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FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
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RUALSFJ/COMUSJAPAN YOKOTA AB JA//J5/JO21//
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 08 TOKYO 003123

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 07/09/07-1

(1) 3rd in a series of polls on House of Councillors election

(2) Pre-election serial polling on Abe cabinet, political parties,
upper house election

ARTICLES:

(1) 3rd in a series of polls on House of Councillors election

YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full)
July 6, 2007

Questions & Answers
(Figures shown in %age)

Q: Do you support the Abe cabinet?

Yes 32.0
No 53.9
Other answers (O/A) 3.7
No answer (N/A) 10.4

Q: Which political party's candidate are you thinking of voting for
in the House of Councillors election this time in your electoral
district?

Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) 24.2
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) 22.8
New Komeito (NK) 4.2
Japanese Communist Party (JCP) 3.5
Social Democratic Party (SDP or Shaminto) 1.7
People's New Party (PNP or Kokumin Shinto) 0.2
New Party Nippon (NPN or Shinto Nippon) ---
Other political parties ---
Independent candidate 0.5
Undecided 35.9
None in particular (NIP)
N/A 7.0

Q: Which political party's candidate or which political party are
you thinking of voting for in your proportional representation
bloc?

LDP 22.0
DPJ 25.0
NK 4.6
JCP 3.5
SDP 2.5
PNP 0.2
NPN 0.2
Other political parties ---
Independent candidate
Undecided 34.6
NIP
N/A 7.5

Q: Which political party do you not want to see increase the number
of seats it has in the election this time? Pick as many as you like,
if any.

LDP 39.5
DPJ 9.1

TOKYO 00003123 002 OF 008

NK 13.8
JCP 15.2
SDP 5.8
PNP 2.5
NPN 1.6
Other political parties ---
Independent candidate
Undecided
NIP 26.2
N/A 11.5

Q: The LDP and New Komeito, which are the ruling parties, hold a
majority of the seats in the House of Councillors. Would you like
the ruling coalition to retain a majority of the seats, or would you
otherwise like it to lose its majority?

Retain its majority 32.7
Lose its majority 48.9
Can't say which 11.4
N/A 7.0

Q: Do you go to the polls in the House of Councillors election this
time? Pick only one from among those listed below.

Yes for sure (including early voting) 65.9
Yes if possible 26.0
Maybe no 4.4
No (abstain from voting) 3.0
N/A 0.7

Q: What would you like to consider in particular when you choose a
candidate or a political party to vote for in the election this
time? Pick as many as you like from among those listed below.

Economy 31.4
Pensions 68.8
Education 40.8
Civil service reform 27.8
Social divide 28.7
Foreign, security policies 25.8
Constitutional revision 25.1
Politics and money 39.0
O/A 0.8
NIP 2.7
N/A 1.6

Q: Which political party do you support now?

LDP 32.1
DPJ 21.3
NK 5.0
JCP 3.4
SDP 1.8
PNP 0.4
NPN 0.1
Other political parties ---
None 31.8
N/A 4.1

Q: Do you appreciate the government's announced measures for the
issue of its pension record-keeping flaws?

TOKYO 00003123 003 OF 008

Appreciate very much 7.1
Appreciate somewhat 20.4
Don't appreciate very much 30.1
Don't appreciate at all 31.6
N/A 10.8

Q: Prime Minister Abe has now explained the government's action to
deal with the issue of its pension record-keeping flaws. How is your
anxiety now?

Weak 9.4
Strong 27.4
No change 47.5
No anxiety from the beginning 10.6
N/A 5.0

Q: Defense Minister Kyuma has resigned as minister to take
responsibility for his remarks in which he said the United States'
atomic bombings of Japan "couldn't be helped." Do you take it for
granted?

Yes 81.7
He didn't have to resign 11.8
N/A 6.5

Polling methodology: The survey was conducted across the nation from
July 3 through July 5 on a computer-aided random digit dialing (RDD)
basis. A total of 1,664 households were found to have one or more
eligible voters. Valid answers were obtained from 1,050 persons (63
% ).

(2) Pre-election serial polling on Abe cabinet, political parties,
upper house election

ASAHI (Page 2) (Full)
July 5, 2007

Questions & Answers
(Figures shown in %age, rounded off.)

Q: Do you support the Abe cabinet?

5th pre-election serial poll (June 9-10)
Yes 34
No 48

6th pre-election serial poll (June 16-17)
Yes 32
No 51

7th pre-election serial poll (June 23-24)
Yes 31
No 48

8th pre-election serial poll (June 30-July 1)
Yes 28
No 48

Q: Which political party do you support now?

5th pre-election serial poll (June 9-10)
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) 28

TOKYO 00003123 004 OF 008

Democratic Part of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) 19
New Komeito (NK) 3
Japanese Communist Party (JCP) 3
Social Democratic Party (SDP or Shaminto) 1
People's New Party (PNP or Kokumin Shinto) 0
New Party Nippon (NPN or Shinto Nippon) 0
Other political parties 0
None 39
No answer (N/A) + don't know (D/K) 7

6th pre-election serial poll (June 16-17)
LDP 27
DPJ 17
NK 2
JCP 3
SDP 1
PNP 1
NPN 0
Other political parties 1
None 40
N/A+D/K 8

7th pre-election serial poll (June 23-24)
LDP 27
DPJ 15
NK 4
JCP 2
SDP 1
PNP 0
NPN 0
Other political parties 0
None 44
N/A+D/K 7

8th pre-election serial poll (June 30-July 1)
LDP 25
DPJ 16
NK 3
JCP 2
SDP 1
PNP 0
NPN 0
Other political parties 0
None 39
N/A+D/K 14

Q: To what extent are you interested in the upcoming election for
the House of Councillors? (One choice only)

5th pre-election serial poll (June 9-10)
Very interested 33
Somewhat interested 41
Not very interested 21
Not interested at all 5

6th pre-election serial poll (June 16-17)
Very interested 33
Somewhat interested 42
Not very interested 20
Not interested at all 5

7th pre-election serial poll (June 23-24)

TOKYO 00003123 005 OF 008

Very interested 33
Somewhat interested 42
Not very interested 19
Not interested at all 5

8th pre-election serial poll (June 30-July 1)
Very interested 34
Somewhat interested 40
Not very interested 21
Not interested at all 4

Q: Do you have a political party's candidate in mind to vote for in
your electoral district?

5th pre-election serial poll (June 9-10)
Yes 40
No 59

6th pre-election serial poll (June 16-17)
Yes 36
No 62

7th pre-election serial poll (June 23-24)
Yes 40
No 58

8th pre-election serial poll (June 30-July 1)
Yes 41
No 56

Q: Do you have a political party's candidate in mind to vote for in
your proportional representation bloc?

5th pre-election serial poll (June 9-10)
Yes 36
No 62

6th pre-election serial poll (June 16-17)
Yes 34
No 64

7th pre-election serial poll (June 23-24)
Yes 36
No 61

8th pre-election serial poll (June 30-July 1)
Yes 33
No 63

Q: If you were to vote now, which political party's candidate would
you vote for in your electoral district?

5th pre-election serial poll (June 9-10)
LDP 27
DPJ 28
NK 4
JCP 5
SDP 1
PNP 0
NPN 0
Other political parties 0
Independent 1

TOKYO 00003123 006 OF 008

N/A+D/K 34

6th pre-election serial poll (June 16-17)
LDP 27
DPJ 28
NK 3
JCP 4
SDP 2
PNP 1
NPN 0
Other political parties 0
Independent 1
N/A+D/K 34

7th pre-election serial poll (June 23-24)
LDP 26
DPJ 26
NK 5
JCP 3
SDP 2
PNP 0
NPN 0
Other political parties 0
Independent 1
N/A+D/K 37

8th pre-election serial poll (June 30-July 1)
LDP 26
DPJ 25
NK 4
JCP 3
SDP 1
PNP 0
NPN 0
Other political parties 0
Independent 1
N/A+D/K 40

Q: If you were to vote now, which political party or which political
party's candidate would you vote for in your proportional
representation bloc?

5th pre-election serial poll (June 9-10)
LDP 23
DPJ 29
NK 4
JCP 4
SDP 1
PNP 0
NPN 0
Other political parties 1
N/A+D/K 38

6th pre-election serial poll (June 16-17)
LDP 23
DPJ 26
NK 3
JCP 4
SDP 2
PNP 1
NPN 0

TOKYO 00003123 007 OF 008

Other political parties 1
N/A+D/K 40

7th pre-election serial poll (June 23-24)
LDP 24
DPJ 23
NK 5
JCP 3
SDP 2
PNP 1
NPN 0
Other political parties 1
N/A+D/K 41

8th pre-election serial poll (June 30-July 1)
LDP 19
DPJ 25
NK 5
JCP 3
SDP 2
PNP 0
NPN 0
Other political parties 1
N/A+D/K 45

Q: Would you like the LDP-led ruling coalition to hold a majority in
the House of Councillors after its forthcoming election, or would
you otherwise like the DPJ and other opposition parties to hold a
majority?

5th pre-election serial poll (June 9-10)
Ruling camp 29
Opposition camp 50

6th pre-election serial poll (June 16-17)
Ruling camp 27
Opposition camp 50

7th pre-election serial poll (June 23-24)
Ruling camp 28
Opposition camp 46

8th pre-election serial poll (June 30-July 1)
Ruling camp 25
Opposition camp 48

Q: Would you like the current LDP-led coalition government to
continue, or would you otherwise like it to be replaced with a
DPJ-led coalition government?

5th pre-election serial poll (June 9-10)
LDP-led coalition government 31
DPJ-led coalition government 38

6th pre-election serial poll (June 16-17)
LDP-led coalition government 28
DPJ-led coalition government 40

7th pre-election serial poll (June 23-24)
LDP-led coalition government 30
DPJ-led coalition government 34

TOKYO 00003123 008 OF 008

8th pre-election serial poll (June 30-July 1)
LDP-led coalition government 30
DPJ-led coalition government 35

Polling methodology: The survey was conducted over the telephone on
a computer-aided random digit dialing (RDD) basis. Respondents were
chosen from among the nation's voting population on a three-stage
random-sampling basis. Valid answers were obtained from 1,038
persons (60 % ) for the 5th serial survey, 1,041 persons (59 % ) for
the 6th survey, 1,095 persons (64 % ) for the 7th survey, and 1,013
persons (62 % ) for the 8th survey.

SCHIEFFER

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