U.S. President Barack Obama, left, speaks as Shinzo Abe, Japan's prime minister, looks on during a joint news conference at the State Guest House in Tokyo, Japan, on Thursday, April 24, 2014.Junko Kimura—Matsumoto/Pool/ Bloomberg
Japanese citizens don’t find Americans particularly honest or hardworking, according to a new poll on the state of relations between the two countries 70 years after the end of World War II.
While the Pew Research Center poll revealed that most Americans and Japanese “trust” each other either a great deal or a fair amount, opinions diverge when it came to assigning national traits. The vast majority of Americans view Japanese as hardworking, inventive and honest, but Japanese weren’t quite as eager to assign the same traits to Americans.
Only 37% of Japanese considered Americans “honest.” That rate dropped to 25% for “hardworking.” But 67% could agree that Americans were “inventive.” Aside from a few personal misgivings, both populations were united in their belief that the countries should maintain strong relations as China’s military power rises.
The poll surveyed 1,000 adults in the United States and Japan.
See Photos of Love and Courtship in 1950s Japan
A young couple on a date in a cafe in Tokyo.John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesA Shibui dance function in Tokyo where young people would go to meet other young people in hopes of finding a partner.JOHN DOMINIS—THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGESA Shibui dance function in Tokyo where young people would go to meet other young people in hopes of finding a partner.JOHN DOMINIS—THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGESA young couple walking around in the Ginza district of Tokyo. 1959.JOHN DOMINIS—THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGESAkiksuke Tsutsui, left, bids his girlfriend, Chiyoko Inami, farewell as her train departs. March 1959.JOHN DOMINIS—THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGESAkiksuke Tsutsui, left, and his girlfriend Chiyoko Inami, right, walking around in the Ginza district during their lunch hour. March 1959.JOHN DOMINIS—THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGESNohito Mukai, left, and his girlfriend, Hiroko Inayaki, go roller skating on a date in Tokyo. March 1959.JOHN DOMINIS—THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGESHiroko Inayaki, left, goes for a drive with her boyfriend, Nohito Mukai. March 1959.JOHN DOMINIS—THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGESTakahide Inayama (Age 20), left, and his girlfriend, Mitusyo Ogama (Age 20), both are university students. Seen here picking out apples on a date near their university. 1959JOHN DOMINIS—THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGESChiyoko Inami, left, and her boyfriend, Akiksuke Tsutsui, playing a game on a train headed to Kyoto to meet Tsutsui's family. March, 1959.JOHN DOMINIS—THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGESA young couple out on a date in Tokyo. 1959JOHN DOMINISÑTHE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGESYoung couple visiting a bridge near the Imperial Palace. 1959JOHN DOMINIS—THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGESA young couple takes a "selfie" on a self-timer on their camera. 1959JOHN DOMINIS—THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGESChiyoko Inami, left, and her boyfriend, Akiksuke Tsutsui, right, sharing an intimate moment on a date. March, 1959.JOHN DOMINIS—THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGESA young couple making out on a date in a park in Tokyo. 1959.JOHN DOMINISÑTHE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGES
