Arab News Japan

TOKYO: The economic sanctions that the Japanese government has brought against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine was supported by 82% of the public, according to a nationwide poll reported by The Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper.

Only 9% of respondents did not support the sanctions, and another 9% did not respond in the telephone poll conducted by The Yomiuri Shimbun from Friday through Sunday.

The vast majority of eligible voters seem to be calling on the government to deal with Russia stringently. Whether by gender, age or political party, about 8 out of every 10 respondents supported the sanctions, which are being imposed in cooperation with many other nations.

When asked whether Japan should deal with Russia through similar means in the days ahead, 62% agreed, while 28% said Japan should respond in its own way.

Regarding threats to Japan’s security, 81% of respondents thought Russia’s attempt to unilaterally change the status quo by force would affect other regions, such as encouraging China to use armed force against Taiwan. Only 11% said they did not think so.

There are strong concerns that China might try to change the status quo by force, and these fears might affect discussions over the reinforcement of Japan’s defense capabilities.

A majority of respondents, 54%, said they thought Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was dealing appropriately with the issues related to Ukraine, while 29% didn’t think so.