A SUNDAY IN DECEMBER : On Japan and the Japanese: What the U.S. Polls Show

BEFORE THE WAR . . .

...Americans had little sympathy for the Japanese, favoring China over expansion-minded Japan in 1937 by 43% to 2%, and favoring Russia in a 1938 boundary dispute with Japan by 45% to 4%. (Others either favored neither side or expressed no opinion.) But they didn’t foresee war until the eve of Pearl Harbor:

May, 1939 October, 1939 Foresee War With Will Japan Be Japan In Next 10 Serious Threat Years? to Peace of U.S. In Next 50 Years? Yes 16% 24% No 64% 55% No Opinion/ 20% 21% Don’t Know

Late Nov., 1941 Will U.S. and Japan Go To War in the Near Future? Yes 52% No 27% No Opinion/ 21% Don’t Know

Source: Gallup Organization

DURING THE WAR...

...Americans saw the Japanese as the more irredeemable enemy:

1942 1944 1945 Who Is America’s Who Can the U.S. Which People Are Chief Enemy? Get Along With More Cruel At Heart? Better After the War? Germany/Germans 34% 74% 18% Japan/Japanese 53% 4% 82% No Opinion 13% 21% 0%

Source: Gallup Organization

AFTER THE WAR...

...American feelings about Japan and the Japanese turned favorable relatively quickly after the war, although some recent surveys show some deterioration:

Year Friendly/ Unfriendly/ Neutral Undecided/ Favorable Unfavorable No Answer 1949 34% 29% 30% 7% 1951 51% 25% 18% 6% 1985 87% 8% 5% 1990 75% 18% 7% 1991 62% 30% 8%

Sources: Gallup Organization; CBS News/New York Times