The dominating emotions Russians feel towards Japan are interest and liking.
MOSCOW, March 16, 2011. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the data describing the attitudes of Russians towards Japan and Japanese. The opinion poll was conducted not long before the tragedy took place in the heat of the dispute over the Kuriles Islands.
The attitudes of Russians toward Japan and Japanese people are ambiguous: 42% are indifferent toward them, whereas the same share of respondents (41%) expresses positive emotions such as interest (27%) and liking (14%). The share of those with positive emotions has decreased over the recent thirteen years (from 47 to 41%); more Russians feel indifference toward Japanese (from 35 to 42%). Those who feel suspicion (from 6 to 8%) or even fear (6%) are still in minority.
Those who are indifferent towards Japanese are rural area residents (47%) and Russians with low level of education (53%). Those who are interested in this country are Fair Russia party (33%) and non-parliament parties (37%) supporters, Muscovites and St.Petersburgians (34%), 18-24-year-old Russians (31%) and Russians with high level of education (31%). Supporters of LDPR and Fair Russia parties (11% for ach), elderly respondents (10%) and respondents with education level above secondary (9-10%) express suspicion towards Japan. LDPR party adherents also tend to feel fear towards Japan (11%).
According to the VCIOM director general Valery V.Fedorov, "we should take into consideration the fact that the opinion poll was conducted before the tragedy, in the heat of the territorial dispute. The tragedy often evokes such feelings as sympathy and liking towards the stricken nation. In this case, the liking can be neutralized by the fear of the potential radioactive contamination".
The initiative Russian opinion polls were conducted on 5-6 March, 2011. 1600 respondents were interviewed at 138 sampling points in 46 regions of Russia. The margin of error does not exceed 3.4%.
What is your general attitude towards Japan and Japanese people? (close-ended question, one answer) | ||
| 1998 | 2011 |
Liking | 18 | 14 |
Interest | 29 | 27 |
Rather indifferent | 35 | 42 |
With suspicion | 6 | 8 |
Fear | 6 | 6 |
Hard to tell | 7 | 4 |
What is your general attitude towards Japan and Japanese people? (close-ended question, one answer) | ||||||
| Total respondents | Moscow and Saint-Petersburg | More than 500 thousand | 100 - 500 thousand | Less than 100 thousand | Rural area |
Liking | 14 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 12 | 11 |
Interest | 27 | 34 | 26 | 29 | 26 | 23 |
Rather indifferent | 42 | 35 | 41 | 43 | 39 | 47 |
With suspicion | 8 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 9 |
Fear | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 6 |
Hard to tell | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
What is your general attitude towards Japan and Japanese people? (close-ended question, one answer) | ||||||
| Total respodnents | Aged 18-24 | Aged 25-34 | Aged 35-44 | Aged 45-59 | Aged 60 and above |
Liking | 14 | 8 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 15 |
Interest | 27 | 31 | 28 | 29 | 26 | 22 |
Rather indifferent | 42 | 43 | 42 | 39 | 43 | 42 |
With suspicion | 8 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
Fear | 6 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 |
Hard to tell | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
What is your general attitude towards Japan and Japanese people? (close-ended question, one answer) | |||||
| Total respondents | Elementary, or lower, incomplete secondary education | Secondary (school, technical college) | Secondary special (college) | Incomplete higher (not less than 3 years), higher |
Liking | 14 | 15 | 12 | 13 | 17 |
Interest | 27 | 20 | 27 | 25 | 31 |
Rather indifferent | 42 | 53 | 46 | 41 | 33 |
With suspicion | 8 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 9 |
Fear | 6 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 6 |
Hard to tell | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
Note: Using materials from the site www.wciom.ru or wciom.com, as well as distributed by VCIOM, the reference to the source (or hyperlink for the electronic media) is obligatory!