Abstract
In January 2018, the Trump administration marked the first anniversary of its inauguration that had stunned the world. What will the policies, words, and actions of President Trump, whose priority is to further pursue national interests under the slogan of “America first,” bring about to the U.S. society as well as to the U.S.—Japan relationship? In order to study the attitudes of the American and the Japanese, NHK conducted the “U.S.—Japan Simultaneous Public Opinion Survey” prior to the anniversary.The survey finds that 33% of the respondents in the U.S. and 18% in Japan have a favorable opinion of President Trump—figures are low in both countries. In the U.S., people who have a favorable opinion are limited to republican supporters, white people, the middle—aged and older, and rural residents. Many Americans think President Trump has done more to divide the country, and opinions are split on tighter regulations on immigrants. Meanwhile, the current state of the U.S. economy is received well. Regarding the administration’s protectionist policies, those who support “America first” and tariff increase on foreign products respectively outnumber those who oppose. On contrast, in Japan, the majority have a “negative” opinion on “America first.”Regarding the current U.S.—Japan relations, around a half of the respondents in both countries find it excellent or good. To a question on the U.S—Japan alliance, many Americans and Japanese regard each other’s country as a reliable ally. The Americans and the Japanese share a common perception that North Korea's nuclear and missile program is a threat, and over a half of people prefer non—military solutions such as “negotiation” and “economic pressure” in both countries alike.
