Issue Watch
Track global public opinion on current issues.
- 2008: Race for the White House
- Abortion
- Africa
- Angela Merkel
- Death Penalty
- Economy and Globalization
- Environment
- European Union
- George W. Bush
- Global Warming
- Gordon Brown
- Hamas
- Immigration
- Iran
- Iraq War
- Italy Election 2008
- Kevin Rudd
- Latin America
- Nicolas Sarkozy
- North Korea
- Oil and Gas
- Same-Sex Marriage
- Stem Cell Research
- Stephen Harper
- Terrorism
- U.S. Election 2008 - The Democrats
- U.S. Election 2008 - The Republicans
- U.S. Election 2008: The Primaries
- Vladimir Putin
- Yasuo Fukuda
Angus Reid Global Monitor : Polls & Research
Opposition DPJ Set for Big Gains in Japan
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Japan's main opposition party is clearly ahead before this Sunday's upper house ballot, according to two recent voting intention polls. In a survey by Yomiuri, 28 per cent of respondents would back the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) in the election to the House of Councillors.
Prime minister Shinzo Abe's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is second with 20 per cent, followed by the New Komeito Clean Government Party (Kt) with five per cent, the Communist Party of Japan (CPJ) with four per cent, and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) with two per cent.
In a study by Asahi, the DPJ is first with 32 per cent, followed by the governing LDP with 20 per cent. The remaining parties are in single digits.
In September 2006, Abe became the new leader of the governing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Japan's 90th prime minister. Abe vowed to "make Japan into a country full of vitality, opportunities and kindness." Abe's tenure has been affected by massive clerical errors within the Social Insurance Agency (SIA), and the suicide of agriculture minister Toshikatsu Matsuoka.
The election to the House of Councillors is scheduled for Jul. 29. In March, Abe said he would "go into the elections with the current cabinet." Setbacks in Japan's upper house elections have meant the end of tenures for several prime ministers.
In Japan, members of the House of Councillors are elected to six-year terms, either in multi-seat prefectural constituencies or by proportional representation. Half of Japan's upper house is renewed every three years.
During a campaign rally on Jul. 18, DPJ leader Ichiro Ozawa told supporters: "There hasn't been one other democratic, industrialized country ruled by a single party for 60 years. (.) Your vote can mean the difference in giving power to the opposition party. That's the purpose of democracy."
Polling Data
a) What political party would you vote for in the House of Councillors election?
(Proportional Representation)
Jul. 19 | Jul. 12 | |
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) | 28% | 28% |
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) | 20% | 21% |
New Komeito Clean Government Party (Kt) | 5% | 5% |
Communist Party of Japan (CPJ) | 4% | 4% |
Social Democratic Party (SDP) | 2% | 2% |
Source: Yomiuri
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,059 Japanese voters, conducted from Jul. 17 to Jul. 19, 2007. No margin of error was provided.
b) What political party would you vote for in the House of Councillors election?
(Proportional Representation)
Jul. 22 | Jul. 15 | |
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) | 32% | 30% |
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) | 20% | 23% |
New Komeito Clean Government Party (Kt) | 7% | 5% |
Communist Party of Japan (CPJ) | 4% | 4% |
Social Democratic Party (SDP) | 3% | 3% |
Source: Asahi
Methodology: Interviews to 1,018 Japanese adults, conducted on Jul. 14 and Jul. 15, 2007. No margin of error was provided.