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This is a face to face survey by Asahi Shimbun on March 2 and 3, 1997, asking 3,000 people (responded by 2,203) about their views on society and living. Proportion of male vs female was 46% : 54%.
Q: Are you satisfied with your current living ?
| Satisfied |  30%
|
| Fairly satisfied | 37%
|
| Not satisfied | 30%
|
| Other/NA | 3%
|
Q: Do you think you live with reserved power in your mind ?
| Yes | 48%
|
| No | 45%
|
| Others/NA | 7%
|
Q: Do you think it is the best time in your life now or you had better time in the past ?
| Best now | 54%
|
| Better in the past | 35%
|
| Others/NA | 11%
|
Q: Do you think you will have better time in the future ?
| Yes | 43%
|
| No | 45%
|
| Others/NA | 12%
|
Q: Are you anxious about your future ?
| Yes | 69%
|
| No | 29%
|
| Others/NA | 2%
|
Q: [For those who are anxious] What is your concern ? (Choose one)
| Your health | 11%
|
| Job and income | 8%
|
| Family | 5%
|
| Properties such as bank savings | 2%
|
| Social security such as pension | 30%
|
| Recession | 8%
|
| Accidents and disasters | 2%
|
| Others/NA | 3%
|
Q: What do you care for among current economic movements ? Choose up to two.
| Yen depreciation | 8%
|
| Low interest rate | 21%
|
| Stock prices | 4%
|
| Credibility of financial firms | 15%
|
| Rise in consumption tax | 52%
|
| Business condition | 25%
|
| Pension system | 35%
|
| Deficit in national budget | 21%
|
| Others/NA | 4%
|
Q: How do you perceive current business condition ? (Choose one)
| Serious recession | 44%
|
| Recession, but not so serious | 48%
|
| Not a recession | 5%
|
| Others/NA | 3%
|
Q: Are you concerned about the possibility that you might not able to draw your saving from a bank ?
| Yes | 32%
|
| No | 65%
|
| Others/NA | 3%
|
Q: Current interest rate is in the lowest level. Did you take any action to cope with this situation ? (Choose one)
| Switch loan plan | 6%
|
| Buy something with a new loan | 6%
|
| Switch saving to favorable one | 7%
|
| Cut living cost due to less interest payment | 9%
|
| Nothing special | 69%
|
| Others/NA | 3%
|
Q: Do you trust the future of public pension ?
| Yes, very much | 5%
|
| Fairly | 37%
|
| Not very much | 44%
|
| Not at all | 11%
|
| Others/NA | 3%
|
Q: Let's think current Japan as a team of mountain climbing: Where in the mountain do you think this country is reaching ?
| Uphill | 4%
|
| Taking a rest | 13%
|
| Top of the mountain | 3%
|
| Downhill | 32%
|
| Turning point | 38%
|
| Bottom of a valley | 7%
|
| Others/NA | 3%
|
Q: Then how about the power of the members ?
| Very vigorous | 2%
|
| Still have some power | 30%
|
| Considerably worn out | 60%
|
| Burn out | 4%
|
| Others/NA | 4%
|
Q: Then how about the leader of the team ?
| Reliable | 16%
|
| Unreliable | 72%
|
| Others/NA | 12%
|
Q: How do you think Japan will become from now on ?
| Better | 8%
|
| Worse | 26%
|
| Not change very much | 60%
|
| Others/NA | 6%
|
Q: Do you think Japan needs a bold renovation ?
| Yes | 72%
|
| No | 19%
|
| Others/NA | 9%
|
Q: Do you recently think that you should change your life ?
| Yes | 44%
|
| No | 53%
|
| Others/NA | 3%
|
Q: Do you think you are optimistic or pessimistic ?
| Optimistic | 66%
|
| Pessimistic | 19%
|
| Neither | 14%
|
| Others/NA | 1%
|
Source: The Asahi Shimbun, March 8, 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.
