FOCUS: Japanese Favorability toward U.S. Falls below 30 Pct

Tokyo, May 19 (Jiji Press)–Favorable sentiment toward the United States is declining among the Japanese public. In a monthly public opinion survey conducted by Jiji Press in April, only 29.2 pct of respondents said the United States was a country they liked. This marks the first time the figure has fallen below 30 pct since the start of U.S. President Donald Trump’s second administration. Negative views of the Trump administration may have contributed to the decline, particularly following its military strikes on Iran and the resulting energy crisis. The survey was conducted from April 10 to 13 through face-to-face interviews with 2,000 people aged 18 and older across Japan. Valid responses were received from 1,175 respondents. Sharp Drop from 2 Months Earlier In the monthly poll, respondents were asked to select, from a list of 10 countries–the United States, Russia, Britain, France, Germany, Switzerland, India, China, South Korea and North Korea–which countries they liked and disliked. Multiple answers were allowed. According to the April survey, Britain ranked highest among the countries respondents liked, at 33.7 pct. France followed at 32.9 pct, with Switzerland close behind at 32.2 pct. The United States came fourth, at 29.2 pct, down 2.4 percentage points from the March survey. Compared with the February survey, conducted before military campaigns against Iran began on Feb. 28, the latest figure represents a sharp drop of 7.8 points. By gender, 36.3 pct of men said they liked the United States, compared with 21.8 pct of women. By age group, support for the United States was highest among respondents in their 30s, at 39.5 pct, followed by those in their 20s and younger, at 37.7 pct. The figure was 26.9 pct among respondents in their 50s and 24.3 pct among those aged 60 and over. Lower Than under Biden The decline in favorable views of the United States has been evident since the start of Trump’s second administration in January 2025, following his victory in the November 2024 presidential election on an “America First” platform. In 2024, under President Joe Biden, the proportion of respondents naming the United States as a country they liked consistently remained above 40 pct in monthly surveys. However, that figure fell below 40 pct in January 2025, slipping to 39.9 pct. It remained under 40 pct thereafter, except in November and December, following the first summit meeting between Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Oct. 28. The decline became more pronounced after the start of the attacks on Iran. Meanwhile, the proportion of respondents naming the United States as a country they dislike has been rising. In 2024, that figure ranged from 2 pct to 3.9 pct each month. From 2025 onward, however, it exceeded 5 pct in nearly every month. In the latest April survey, the share rose 0.2 point from the previous month to 11.3 pct. That placed the United States fourth in the ranking of disliked countries. North Korea topped the list at 73.4 pct, followed by China at 61.3 pct and Russia at 43.2 pct. Important Country In the monthly survey, respondents are also asked which countries they consider important to Japan, with multiple answers allowed. In April, the largest share of respondents named the United States, at 73.2 pct. China was next at 43.7 pct. With tensions over Iran showing no sign of easing, there is little indication that Japanese sentiment toward the United States will improve significantly anytime soon. Against this backdrop, Japan continues to face the challenge of how to deal with the United States under President Trump, its key alliance partner. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]