Japanese poll on men and women

This is an annual face to face survey by The Asahi Shimbun on December 14 and 15, 1997, asking 3,000 people (responded by 2,314) about their views on men and women. Proportion of male vs female was 49% : 51%. US survey was done by Louis Harris company to 1,009 people during December 11 to 15, 1997, using telephone. Some questions are comparable between Japan and US, as well as with previous survey.

Q1: Are you satisfied with current politics ?

Yes, satisfied	4%
Fairly satisfied	16%
Not satisfied	70%
Other/NA	10%

Q2: What do you expect most form the government ? (Choose one)

Consumer price	7%
Economy	32%
Land/housing	2%
Tax reduction	17%
Administrative reform	11%
Education	3%
Social welfare	15%
Defense	0%
Political clean up	10%
Other/NA	3%

Q3: Do you think your life became better-off compared to the same period of the previous year ?

Better	3%
Worse	40%
Same	56%
Other/NA	1%

Q4: Select one word that is appropriate to describe current society

Stable	7%
Solitude	2%
Confusion	32%
Freedom	4%
Decadence	11%
Prosperity	1%
Unfair	18%
Selfish	17%
Solidarity	2%
Other/NA	6%

Q5: Do you think Japan-US relationship works well ? (Japanese survey)

Yes	42%
No	32%
Cannot say either	17%
Other/NA	9%

Q6: Do you think Japan-US relationship works well ? (US survey)

Very well	3%
Fairly well	33%
Not very well	49%
Bad	8%
Other/NA	7%

Q7: What impression do you have on the word "marriage" ? (Choose one)

Happy	13%
Stable	9%
New life	16%
Cooperative life	21%
The end of the springtime of life	1%
Responsibility	23%
Perseverance	12%
Restriction	2%
Other/NA	3%

Q8: Do you think husband and wife are one flesh, or independent ?

One flesh	29%
Independent	68%
Other/NA	3%

Q9: Do you think husband and wife should share their tomb ?

Yes	76%
No	15%
Other/NA	9%

Q10: How do you think the love between married couple should be expressed ? (Choose one)

Words	10%
Present	0%
Skin ship	4%
Careful consideration	38%
Cooperation in home	39%
Tacit understanding	6%
Other/NA	3%

Q11: Do you understand homosexuality as a style of love ?

Yes	28%
No	65%
Other/NA	7%

Q12: What kind of women (men) do you think is attractive ? (Choose up to two)

Funny	15% 17%
Serious	27% 36%
Gentle	70% 42%
Cool	2% 3%
Intelligent	28% 26%
Sexy	9% 0%
Dependable	13% 52%
Need protection	12% 3%
Other/NA	3% 3%

*row 1 ( ) is Men , row 2 ( ) is Women

Q13: Do you think immoral love can be allowed ? (Japanese survey)

Never allowed	48%
Allowed depending on case	45%
Other/NA	7%

Q14: Do you think immoral love can be allowed ? (US survey)

Never allowed	76%
Not allowed if anything	11%
Allowed if anything	9%
Allowed	3%
Other/NA	1%

Q15: If you are tempted an immoral love by a favorable person, do you think you will be moved ? (Japan)

Yes	34%
No	56%
Other/NA	10%

Q16: If you are tempted an immoral love by a favorable person, how much do you think you will accept it ? (US)

Positive	5%
Fairly accept	9%
Not very positive	17%
Never accept	67%
Other/NA	2%

Q17: If you cannot live well with your partner, do you think you can divorce ? (Japan)

Yes	45% 61%
No	45% 31%
Other/NA	10% 8%

*row 1 ( ) is '88 , row 2 ( ) is '97

Q18: If you cannot live well with your partner, do you think you can divorce ? (US)

Totally agree	32%
Fairly agree	32%
Not fully agree	17%
Not at all	18%
Other/NA	1%

Q19: Do you think children are a bond between their parents ?

Yes	72%
No	23%
Other/NA	5%

Q20: Do you think the divorce of aged couple will increase ?

Yes	69%
No	23%
Other/NA	8%

Q21: Did you have any sympathy with late Princess Diana ? If yes, in which point ?

Innocent to herself	29% 11%
Try to be patient to unhappy married life	7% 7%
Contributed to humanitarian activities	30% 56%
Attracted people with beauty and amity	15% 12%
No sympathy	13% 12%
Other/NA	6% 2%

*row 1 ( ) is Japan , row 2 ( ) is US

Q22: Do you think the way of life of Seiko Matsuda is free and feel sympathy ?

Yes	35%
No	54%
Other/NA	11%

Q23: Do you think the enjo-kosai, or young school girls' dating for money, even prostitution without a sense of sin, is a big social problem ?

Yes	85%
No	12%
Other/NA	3%

Q24: What do you think is the cause of enjo-kosai ? (Choose one)

Society that blasts the desire for goods	30%
Poor school life	5%
Men who pay for it	18%
Media's exaggerating reports	8%
Parents who cannot discipline their children	34%
Other/NA	5%

NOTE: I tried to translate the essence of texts, but not aiming at word-by-word precision. In opinion polls, subtle change of wordings may generate different results. Thus, you should be careful in reading this page, understanding that your impression from the text might not be the same as those of who responded to this survey.

The Men and Women 1997