UTokyo ROLES Survey:  Security, Alliance, and Foreign Engagement Research (SAFER) project

Aim and Scope of this Survey: 

The primary purpose of this survey is to elucidate how people perceive Japan's diplomacy, national security, and the international situation surrounding Japan. The media have conducted similar surveys on these themes in the past. Nonetheless, the questions were often limited in scope and conducted sporadically. Thus, they were not necessarily designed to capture long-term trends. Our survey aims to understand the public's perceptions amid the rapidly changing international environment surrounding Japan. Further, it seeks to examine them from a long-term perspective while comparing them with similar surveys conducted in other countries to achieve a deeper understanding. 

The Japanese public’s sense of crisis regarding the security environment was evident in this first edition of the survey. Against perceived threats from China, North Korea, and  Russia, there was noticeable support for strengthening the Japan-U.S. alliance and for closer ties with Taiwan, Australia, the U.K., and NATO. However, the logic of security is not overwhelming. Some 45% of respondents agreed with the statement, “Japan must not use force under any circumstances.” In comparison, about 60% are against Japan developing its own nuclear weapons or hosting U.S. nuclear weapons on its soil. The survey shows that it is impossible to understand the Japanese people’s attitudes toward security without considering the pacifism that has defined post-war Japanese society. We will continue to monitor the dynamics surrounding the logic of security and pacifism.

(Click on the link below for the full report).