78 Pct of Japanese Expect SDF to Defend Remote Islands: Survey

Tokyo, March 7 (Jiji Press)--Some 78 pct of Japanese people expect the country's Self-Defense Forces to defend remote islands, at a time when China is building up its military forces and Russia is invading Ukraine, a government survey showed Tuesday.

Asked what role they expect the SDF to play, with multiple answers allowed, 78.3 pct of respondents in the survey late last year pointed to ensuring national security, such as responding to air and sea attacks as well as attacks on islands.

The percentage jumped 17.4 points from the previous Cabinet Office survey in 2018.

Respondents expecting the SDF to conduct disaster relief operations accounted for the largest group, at 88.3 pct, up 9.1 points.

Protecting people in the event of an attack on Japan, an option that was not included in the previous survey, was cited by 77.7 pct, and responding to ballistic missile attacks by 55.7 pct, up 15.5 points.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]