General News

Record 78.4% Interested in Senkaku Islands in Okinawa; Respondents Point to Territorial Rights, Natural Resources

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
Foreground to background, Minami-Kojima, Kita-Kojima and Uotsuri islands of the Senkaku Islands are seen from a Yomiuri Shimbun plane on Sept. 6, 2013.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:58 JST, January 9, 2024

A recent poll by the Cabinet Office found that a record 78.4% of respondents were interested in the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture.

The first survey of this type was conducted in 2013, and while direct comparisons cannot be made due to different survey methods, but the latest figure was the highest such percentage. The previous record for the most public interest in the Senkaku Islands was 74.5%, recorded in 2014.

Asked what specific issue they were interested in, with multiple responses allowed, most cited “the grounds for territorial rights” at 58.5%, followed by “underground and fishery resources, and the natural environment” at 55.5%. “The historical background” was chosen by 47.4% of respondents.

The survey was conducted in September and October last year, targeting 3,000 people aged 18 or older, with 1,649 responses. Previous polls were conducted through individual interviews, but the latest survey was conducted by mail.