TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The latest poll by the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association released Tuesday showed that 76% of Taiwanese listed Japan as their favorite country.
The results show that Japan ranks first among countries that the Taiwanese like the most, feel the closest to, and most want to travel to. Regarding bilateral ties, 70% of respondents believe that Japan–Taiwan relations have improved compared to the past, up 46% from the previous survey in 2021.
The survey, targeting Taiwanese aged 20 to 80, found that 76% of respondents identified Japan as their most liked country or region, a 16 percentage point increase from 2021 and the highest ever recorded. South Korea came in second at 4%, while China and the US tied for third at 3%.
As for the countries or regions seen as having the most influence on Taiwan, the top three remained the same: the US (48%), Japan (30%), and China (19%). Compared to the 2021 survey, the US dropped 10 points, and Japan overtook China to take second place.
In terms of affinity, 81% of respondents said they feel "very close/close" to Japan, a 16-point rise from 2021. Younger respondents expressed a stronger sense of closeness to Japan.
When asked about travel, 68% of respondents chose Japan as their top international travel destination, far ahead of Europe (11%), China (5%), and Australia/New Zealand (4%).
Regarding Japan–Taiwan relations, 77% believe the current relationship is good, an increase of 7 percentage points from 2021. This is the highest percentage for this question since the survey was first launched in 2008.
When it comes to trust in Japan, 71% of respondents said they find Japan trustworthy, an 11-point increase from 2021 and another record high. The percentage who distrust Japan dropped from 8% to 4%.
The main reason cited for trusting Japan was "common values such as freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law" (66%). In addition, 73% believe Japan–Taiwan relations will continue to develop positively, particularly in the economy and trade (65%) and tourism (59%).
As for concerns in Japan–Taiwan relations, the top four issues cited were:
- Japan–China relations (24%)
- Cross-strait tensions (21%)
- Issues caused by Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident (14%)
- Broader international situation (11%)
Among those who selected “Japan-China relations,” 24% were specifically concerned that if Japan grows closer to China, it may reduce Japan-Taiwan friendship and harm Taiwan’s interests. The second most common concern (15%) was that Japan, due to pressure from China or in pursuit of its interests, would not support Taiwan.
The survey was conducted by Pearson Data Co. and commissioned by the Japan–Taiwan Exchange Association from Dec. 27, 2024, to Jan. 5, 2025, covering northern, central, southern, and eastern Taiwan. There were 1,520 valid samples collected, and the results have a 95% confidence level with a sampling margin of error of ±2.51 percentage points.
