music & knowledge sharing
This is a face to face survey by Asahi Shimbun on November 24 and 25, 1996, asking 3,000 people (responded by 2,325) about their views on jobs and life. US survey was done by Louis Harris company to 1,004 people during December 12 to 16, 1996, using telephone. Some questions are comparable between Japan and US, as well as with previous survey.
Q: What do you expect most from the government ? (Choose one)
| Consumer price |  10%
 9%
|
| Business condition | 32%
22%
|
| Land and housing | 3%
2%
|
| Tax reduction | 15%
20%
|
| Governmental reorganization | 7%
14%
|
| Education | 4%
3%
|
| Social welfare | 14%
16%
|
| Defence | 0%
1%
|
| Political clean-up | 10%
10%
|
| Other/NA | 5%
3%
|
*row1 1 ( ) is December '95, row 2 ( ) is November '96
Q: Do you think your vote can influence over politics ?
| Yes | 42%
36%
|
| No | 53%
57%
|
| Other/NA | 5%
7%
|
*row1 1 ( ) is December '93, row 2 ( ) is November '96
Q: Do you think Japan-US relationship works well ? (Japanese survey)
| Yes | 40%
47%
|
| No | 33%
28%
|
| Cannot say either | 19%
19%
|
| NA | 8%
6%
|
*row1 1 ( ) is July '96, row 2 ( ) is November '96
Q: Do you think Japan-US relationship works well ? (US survey)
| Very well | 4%
3%
|
| Fairly well | 39%
38%
|
| Not very well | 46%
43%
|
| Bad | 7%
8%
|
| NA | 4%
8%
|
*row1 1 ( ) is July '96, row 2 ( ) is November '96
Q: Hashimoto continiues to lead the cabinet while Clinton was re-elected. Do you think Japan-US reletion will become better or not?
| Will become better | 20%
 21%
|
| Will become worse | 6%
4%
|
| Will not change | 68%
69%
|
| Other/NA | 6%
6%
|
*row1 1 ( ) is Japan, row 2 ( ) is US
Q: Do you think your life became better-off compared to the same period of the previous year ?
| Better | 5%
5%
|
| Worse | 31%
26%
|
| Same | 63%
68%
|
| Other/NA | 1%
1%
|
*row1 1 ( ) is December '95, row 2 ( ) is November '96
Q: How do you consider your job ?
| Puopose of the life | 29%
51%
|
| Duty | 8%
22%
|
| Source of income | 57%
26%
|
| Other/NA | 6%
1%
|
*row1 1 ( ) is Japan, row 2 ( ) is US
Q: When do you feel full and happy ?
| On the job | 18%
16%
|
| With family | 39%
40%
|
| On hobby or leisure time | 38%
39%
|
| Other/NA | 5%
5%
|
*row1 1 ( ) is September '90, row 2 ( ) is November '96
Q: Are you satisfied with your job ?
| Satisfied | 38%
36%
|
| Fairly satisfied | 31%
30%
|
| Not satisfied | 19%
23%
|
| Other/NA | 12%
11%
|
*row1 1 ( ) is December '88, row 2 ( ) is November '96
Q: Are you satisfied with your job ? (to US intellects)
| Satisfied very much | 45%
|
| Fairly satisfied | 43%
|
| Not very much | 9%
|
| Very unsatisfied | 3%
|
| Other/NA | 0% |
Q: Do you think you want to work more and earn more, or work less ?
| More income | 32%
72%
|
| Less job hours | 50%
18%
|
| Other/NA | 18%
10%
|
*row1 1 ( ) is Japanese, row 2 ( ) is US intellects
Q: Do you think Japanese work too much ?
| Yes | 61%
66%
|
| No | 34%
29%
|
| Other/NA | 5%
5%
|
*row1 1 ( ) is December '81, row 2 ( ) is November '96
Q: Do you think American people work too much ? (US survey)
| Yes | 37%
|
| No | 62%
|
| Other/NA | 1%
|
Q: It is generally said that Japanese workers are very diligent. Which do you think more diligent, Japanese or US workers ? (US survey)
| Japanese are more diligent | 74%
66%
|
| Not different very much | 20%
27%
|
| Americans are more diligent | 3%
3%
|
| Other/NA | 3%
4%
|
*row1 1 ( ) is March '82, row 2 ( ) is November '96
Q: If you can live well without job, do you still want to work ?
| Yes | 65%
|
| No | 31%
|
| Other/NA | 4%
|
Q: Do you think the age and seniority should be taken into important account when to determin the salary and position, or ability should be more important ?
| Age and seniority | 18%
|
| Ability and achievement | 70%
|
| Other/NA | 12%
|
Q: Do you think you should change your job if you find better one, or should stay at the same company ?
| Should change | 47%
79%
|
| Should stay | 45%
19%
|
| Other/NA | 8%
2%
|
*row1 1 ( ) is Japan, row 2 ( ) is US
Q: There are more and more young people who live as freelances rather than belonging to one company. Do you think this tendency is a problem ?
| Problem | 57%
|
| Not a broblem | 37%
|
| Other/NA | 6%
|
Q: Some people think that male should concentrate on the job and female should do best on house keeping and child care. Do you agree ?
| Yes | 50%
36%
29%
|
| No | 37%
52%
69%
|
| Other/NA | 13%
12%
2%
|
*row1 1 ( ) is Japan / Dec. '94, row 2 ( ) is Japan / Nov. '96 , row 3 ( ) is US / Dec. '96
Q: Do you think young people should experience to earn money through a job ?
| Yes | 59%
|
| No | 34%
|
| Other/NA | 7%
|
Q: How do you think current trend to utilize computers in offices and society ? (Choose one)
| Things become more convenient | 22%
|
| Business become more effective | 42%
|
| May lose job | 6%
|
| Cannot keep up with | 25%
|
| Other/NA | 5%
|
Q: Do you feel some anexiety on your family or job ?
| Yes | 36%
|
| No | 61%
|
| Other/NA | 3%
|
Q: (To those who answered Yes to above question) What does it come from ? (Choose one)
| Income | 7%
|
| Current job | 4%
|
| Disease or accident | 13%
|
| Job transfer | 2%
|
| Unemployemnt or bankraptcy | 6%
|
| Difficulty in finding successor | 2%
|
| Other/NA | 2%
|
Source: The Asahi Shimbun, January 1, 1997
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 this survey.
