Ipsos Releases "Japanese Public Opinion and Politics 2026 March" Decoded with Data
Ipsos Inc. has published its March 2026 column, "Decoding Japanese Public Opinion and Politics with Data," based on its global "What Worries the World" survey. The report indicates that while confidence in the government's vision and foreign policy slightly outweighs concerns about daily life, poverty, inequality, and inflation remain the top worries, highlighting a growing gap between the wealthy and the poor. Additionally, concern over climate change surged significantly due to unusual weather patterns experienced in March.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 3, 2026 at 22:10
- 🔍 Collected: April 3, 2026 at 18:04
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 17, 2026 at 12:11 (330h 6m after Collected)
World's largest opinion polling company Ipsos Inc. (Japan office: Minato-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director: Shunichi Uchida) has released the March 2026 edition of its column "Decoding Japanese Public Opinion and Politics with Data," which analyzes Japanese public opinion and politics based on data from its monthly international survey "What Worries the World," a regular survey observing the political and social issues of people in 30 countries worldwide.
**Comment for March 2026 of "Decoding Japanese Public Opinion and Politics with Data"**
The current trend of improvement in the recognition that "the country is heading in the right direction" can be said to be a state where the "strong national vision" and trust in diplomacy/security advocated by the Kishida administration are barely outweighing the "hardship of daily life" at the ground level. However, the fact that "poverty and inequality (32%)" and "inflation (31%)" are at the top of the concerns cannot be overlooked. This vividly illustrates the reality that the macroeconomic improvements, such as rising stock prices and good corporate performance, have not yet permeated many households, and the polarization between "haves and have-nots" is accelerating.
Furthermore, regarding anxiety about taxation (29%), while the strengthening of national foundations such as defense spending and measures for the declining birthrate is gaining some support, a strong sense of caution about the burden further pressing on people's lives is clearly represented in the numbers.
Notably, concern about climate change (28%) saw a sharp increase of 6 points compared to the previous month. This can be attributed to many citizens experiencing the "fluctuations in Japanese seasonality" firsthand through the record-mild winter and sharp temperature variations in March.
**About "What Worries the World"**
"What Worries the World" is a global survey conducted by Ipsos that regularly collects and analyzes people's opinions on the social and political issues they recognize as most important in 30 countries worldwide. Based on a decade of data, this survey presents the most concerning issues globally, alongside people's opinions on whether their country is moving in the right or wrong direction.
**About "Decoding Japanese Public Opinion and Politics with Data"**
This column focuses on "Japan" within this extensive global data, aiming to decipher public opinion movements and expectations for politics in an easily understandable manner, going beyond mere percentages. By contextualizing Japan's unique challenges from a global perspective, it delivers insights each month to business leaders, policymakers, media, and all individuals interested in societal trends, providing a basis for future actions or discussions.
**Author Profile**
Shunichi Uchida, Representative Director, Ipsos Inc.
After graduating from the State University of New York in 1985, he worked for a Japanese trading company and a European manufacturer before joining the predecessor of Ipsos Inc., Nihon Statistical Survey Co., Ltd., in 1993. He became Representative Director of the same company in 2008. Since 2017, he has served as Chairman of the Japan Marketing Research Association.
**Comment for March 2026 of "Decoding Japanese Public Opinion and Politics with Data"**
The current trend of improvement in the recognition that "the country is heading in the right direction" can be said to be a state where the "strong national vision" and trust in diplomacy/security advocated by the Kishida administration are barely outweighing the "hardship of daily life" at the ground level. However, the fact that "poverty and inequality (32%)" and "inflation (31%)" are at the top of the concerns cannot be overlooked. This vividly illustrates the reality that the macroeconomic improvements, such as rising stock prices and good corporate performance, have not yet permeated many households, and the polarization between "haves and have-nots" is accelerating.
Furthermore, regarding anxiety about taxation (29%), while the strengthening of national foundations such as defense spending and measures for the declining birthrate is gaining some support, a strong sense of caution about the burden further pressing on people's lives is clearly represented in the numbers.
Notably, concern about climate change (28%) saw a sharp increase of 6 points compared to the previous month. This can be attributed to many citizens experiencing the "fluctuations in Japanese seasonality" firsthand through the record-mild winter and sharp temperature variations in March.
**About "What Worries the World"**
"What Worries the World" is a global survey conducted by Ipsos that regularly collects and analyzes people's opinions on the social and political issues they recognize as most important in 30 countries worldwide. Based on a decade of data, this survey presents the most concerning issues globally, alongside people's opinions on whether their country is moving in the right or wrong direction.
**About "Decoding Japanese Public Opinion and Politics with Data"**
This column focuses on "Japan" within this extensive global data, aiming to decipher public opinion movements and expectations for politics in an easily understandable manner, going beyond mere percentages. By contextualizing Japan's unique challenges from a global perspective, it delivers insights each month to business leaders, policymakers, media, and all individuals interested in societal trends, providing a basis for future actions or discussions.
**Author Profile**
Shunichi Uchida, Representative Director, Ipsos Inc.
After graduating from the State University of New York in 1985, he worked for a Japanese trading company and a European manufacturer before joining the predecessor of Ipsos Inc., Nihon Statistical Survey Co., Ltd., in 1993. He became Representative Director of the same company in 2008. Since 2017, he has served as Chairman of the Japan Marketing Research Association.