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Life under Recession 1998

The Asahi Shimbun conducted a face to face survey on the Japanese opinion about the life under recession in 1998. The survey was done on March 1 and 2, 1998, for 3,000 randomly selected voters, and got effective response from 2,211. Proportion of male vs female was 48% : 52%.

1. How do you see current economic situation ?
2. Is you and your family's job or income affected by current recession ?
3. Do you think economy will recover or become worse within this year ?
4. Which is the heaviest burden in your daily account ?
5. Which of living expense below do you plan to cut ?
6. Self-payment rate of medical expense was increased last September. Do you think this increase too big ?
7. Do you think the burden from 5% increase in consumption tax is heavy, almost one after its launch ?
8. The government decided to introduce ¥2 trillion tax cut, which is about 65 thousands for standard family. Will you use this allowance for consumption or savings ?
9. What do you think is the most serious problem of banks ?
10. Do you think current super low interest rate should be raised ?
11. Do recent scandals of financial firms make you think to withdraw your savings and keep those money at hand ?
12. Do you have expectation or anxiety on the coming Big Bang ?
13. Do you want to invest in new financial product born out of deregulation which might be more profitable but might be more dangerous ?
14. Have you reconsider your way of life due to this recession ?
15. Which do you think more important now, price or quality, comparing to your previous behavior ?
16. Then do you become more careful about advertising or flier to compare alternative products ?
17. Which is closer to your feeling on shopping other than daily commodities ?
18. Do you insist on brand name when buying your belongings ?
19. Do you think credit card is convenient or insecure ?
20. Do you think catalog shopping or mail order is convenient or insecure ?
21. Do you want to have life smiler to other people or individual ?
22. Which do you prefer, stoical life preparing for future stability or enjoy current life ?
23. If you lose ¥10 thousands, will you report to police or give up ?
24. Which do you prefer, gorgeous restaurant dinner or home made dinner to be celebrated your birthday ?
25. Which do you want to buy, if you can buy anything by money ?
26. How much money in your parse makes you safe and confident ?
27. Do you think you can get almost anything enjoyable by money or not ?

Q1: How do you see current economic situation ?

Serious recession	67% 44%
Recession, but not so serious	28% 48%
Not recession	4% 5%
Others/NA	1% 3%

*row 1 ( ) is Mar '98 , row 2 ( ) is Mar '97

Q2: Is you and your family's job or income affected by current recession ?

Affected very much	28%
Affected more or less	48%
Not affected	23%
Others/NA	1%

Q3: Do you think economy will recover or become worse within this year ?

Will recover	4%
Will become worse	37%
Unchanged	54%
Others/NA	5%

Q4: Which is the heaviest burden in your daily account ?

Clothing	4% 6%
Foods	14% 27%
Housing (including mortgage)	18% 16%
Utilities	6% 16%
Medicare	16% 7%
Education	13% 10%
Saving for retired life	24% 8%
Others/NA	5% 10%

*row 1 ( ) is Mar '98 , row 2 ( ) is Jun '82

Q5: Which of living expense below do you plan to cut ? (Choose up to two)

Intercourse and pocket money	23%
Fee for children's crammer and lessons	2%
Dining out	24%
Fashion	20%
Insurances	17%
Replacement of car or electric appliances	32%
Travel and leisure	26%
Not special	17%
Others/NA	2%

Q6: Self-payment rate of medical expense was increased last September. Do you think this increase too big ?

Too big	50%
Inevitable	44%
Others/NA	6%

Q7: Do you think the burden from 5% increase in consumption tax is heavy, almost one after its launch ?

Heavy	74%
Not so much	23%
Others/NA	3%

Q8: The government decided to introduce ¥2 trillion tax cut, which is about 65 thousands for standard family. Will you use this allowance for consumption or savings ?

Shopping or leisure	10%
Savings	20%
Will go to daily expense	63%
Others/NA	7%

Q9: What do you think is the most serious problem of banks ?

Bad loan	23%
Cozy relationship with MOF	14%
Super low interest rate	31%
Reluctance to lending	11%
High salary of bankers	13%
No special problem	4%
Others/NA	4%

Q10: Do you think current super low interest rate should be raised ?

Keep current level	26%
Should be raised	66%
Others/NA	8%

Q11: Do recent scandals of financial firms make you think to withdraw your savings and keep those money at hand ?

Yes	28%
No	68%
Others/NA	4%

Q12: Do you have expectation or anxiety on the coming Big Bang ?

Rather expectation	32%
Rather anxiety	43%
Cannot tell	21%
Others/NA	4%

Q13: Do you want to invest in new financial product born out of deregulation which might be more profitable but might be more dangerous ?

Yes	16%
No	80%
Others/NA	4%

Q14: Have you reconsider your way of life due to this recession ?

Yes	59%
No	37%
Others/NA	4%

Q15: Which do you think more important now, price or quality, comparing to your previous behavior ?

Price	48%
Quality	44%
Others/NA	8%

Q16: Then do you become more careful about advertising or flier to compare alternative products ?

Yes	59%
No	38%
Others/NA	3%

Q17: Which is closer to your feeling on shopping other than daily commodities ?

Want to buy, but no money	70%
Have money, but nothing attractive	24%
Others/NA	6%

Q18: Do you insist on brand name when buying your belongings ?

Yes	10%
No	88%
Others/NA	2%

Q19: Do you think credit card is convenient or insecure ?

Convenient	26%
Insecure	59%
Others/NA	15%

Q20: Do you think catalog shopping or mail order is convenient or insecure ?

Convenient	27%
Insecure	64%
Others/NA	9%

Q21: Do you want to have life smiler to other people or individual ?

Smiler	57% 65%
Individual	39% 32%
Others/NA	4% 3%

*row 1 ( ) is Mar '98 , row 2 ( ) is Jun '82

Q22: Which do you prefer, stoical life preparing for future stability or enjoy current life ?

Prepare for future	52% 54%
Enjoy now	41% 39%
Others/NA	7% 7%

*row 1 ( ) is Mar '98 , row 2 ( ) is May '90

Q23: If you lose ¥10 thousands, will you report to police or give up ?

Report	38% 40%
Give up	60% 58%
Others/NA	2% 2%

*row 1 ( ) is Mar '98 , row 2 ( ) is Oct '88

Q24: Which do you prefer, gorgeous restaurant dinner or home made dinner to be celebrated your birthday ?

Gorgeous restaurant	14%
Home made dinner	83%
Others/NA	3%

Q25: Which do you want to buy, if you can buy anything by money ? (Choose one)

Love	5%
Time	15%
Health	54%
Youth	12%
Talent	12%
Honor	0%
Others/NA	2%

Q26: How much money in your parse makes you safe and confident ?

Less than 3,000	3%
More than 3,000	2%
More than 5,000	10%
More than 10,000	44%
More than 30,000	21%
More than 50,000	12%
More than 100,000	4%
Others/NA	4%

Q27: Do you think you can get almost anything enjoyable by money or not ?

Yes	40% 60%
No	59% 37%
Others/NA	1% 3%

*row 1 ( ) is Mar '98 , row 2 ( ) is Dec '85

Source: The Asahi Shimbun, March 11, 1998

NOTE: I tried to translate the essence of texts, but not aiming at word-by-word precision. In opinion polls, subtle change of wordings may generate different results. Thus, you should be careful in reading this page, understanding that your impression from the text might not be the same as those of who responded to this survey.

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