.Russians urge good relations with Japan - poll.

29/7 Tass 78

TOKYO, July 29 (Itar-Tass) - Russian citizens feel interest in Japan
and urge good relations with the country, but insist that the Southern
Kuriles that are called the Northern Territories in Japan should continue
to belong to Russia, according to the survey on the image of Japan in
Russia conducted by the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Centre at the
request of the Japanese Foreign Ministry last March.
Taking part in the survey were 3,600 people from Moscow and St.
Petersburg and the territories stretching over to the Primorsky territory
and the Sakhalin region.
The results of the poll were placed on the website of the Japanese
Foreign Ministry on Thursday.
Around 53 percent of the respondents expressed an opinion that the
Southern Kuriles should remain the part of Russia. Six years ago during a
similar survey 48 percent of those polled had this point of view. A mere 3
percent agreed that the Southern Kuriles should belong to Japan, while 32
percent of the respondents thought that Moscow and Tokyo should come to an
agreement on the issue.
Fifty percent of those polled said they had a big and moderate
interest in Japan. Regarding the areas of interest culture, including
cuisine, the art of flower arrangement (ikebana) and martial arts ranked
the highest.
Forty one percent of the respondents said they had trust in Japan,
while another 38 percent - had no trust.
About 90 percent agreed with the opinion that Russia needs good
relations with Japan.
According to the survey, Japan ranks fifth in the list of countries
with which respondents had a sense of affinity after France, Germany,
Britain and the United States.
-0-isk/mil


Delete & Prev | Delete & Next