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.

On our 3rd Survey:
There has been no significant change in the overall perception of the Japanese public regarding diplomatic and security issues compared to the results of the previous survey conducted in February 2025. However, notable shifts are evident in relations with the United States: the proportion of respondents who view Japan–U.S. relations as favorable, as well as those who support strengthening the Japan–U.S. alliance, declined. In contrast, trust in U.S. military intervention has remained relatively stable. In addition, despite the  developments in the Russia-Ukraine war due to the new policies of the second Trump administration, Japanese public support for economic assistance to Ukraine and for sanctions against Russia remained largely unchanged.

Past Survey: (https://roles.rcast.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/publications?team=208)

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