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Only 1 in 5 Japanese happy with ¥100,000 handout plan: poll

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I bet parents of multiple children are very happy with this news! More money for dad’s ciggies and mum’s nails!

-22 ( +14 / -36 )

Only 1 in 5 Japanese happy with ¥100,000 handout plan: poll

So plan of new capitalism under new PM just handout money and expect people happy and solve Japan's economic problem?

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/10/15/business/kishida-new-capitalism/

https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/10/dcb7f3eff041-kishida-to-seek-economic-growth-before-redistributing-wealth.html

2 ( +7 / -5 )

The survey of only 1040 people-it’s meaningless

-9 ( +11 / -20 )

Only 1 in 5 Japanese happy with ¥100,000 handout plan: poll

Oh Boo Hoo Hoo!

So what? They voted for these clowns. They made their bed. Now sleep in it and quit your whining.

23 ( +33 / -10 )

what Exactly is the point of this handout ?

big families get a huge windfall, while children-less couples get nothing.

Does this seem fair !?

9 ( +18 / -9 )

It's not wonder why the majority are not "happy"! If the government is going to give out subsidies to people with "children" and not everyone else, its easy to understand.

Now if the government plans a 100,000 for EVERYONE, that would be a different story.

They are doing this to boost the economy, and if that is the goal, then give it to everyone, make the handouts in the form of "gift" certificates, that can be used in lieu of cash, put a deadline date on them, and the government will see a sudden "kick-start" or boost to the economy.

If it's cash only...forget it, many will just "bank" it and it wont do any good overall!

25 ( +26 / -1 )

I'm on the fence with this one. I have two neighbors with 3-4 children each. One family is well off. They don't really need this extra money. The other family has two working parents and it's obvious that they are really struggling. They could really use this money. I, on the other hand, only have one child. I don't really need the money, but if my job security had happened earlier, we may have decided to have another child. I know that having children doesn't always involve a family's economic situation, but it sure makes it easier. In a country where the birth rate is extremely low, I would think that Japan could do better handing out money to those that really need it, whether they have a child or not.

17 ( +17 / -0 )

With infections having declined and nearly 75 percent of Japan's population fully vaccinated, 58.3 percent said they think the government is doing a good job dealing with the coronavirus

The percentage of 12-19 year olds fully vaccinated in Japan (60.77%) actually exceeds the percentage of total population fully vaccinated in the U.S. (58.5%).

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

I was shocked to learn just how many families live on less than 9.6 million. Only about 8% will be denied the cash due to having a too high salary.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

This is a one-off payment that will not go very far to compensating families for their losses during the pandemic restrictions. I have no doubt that in most cases it will be taken by the city hall to pay back taxes. However, the government will give this payment and forget all the hardship families are still facing. To them, they have done their job and that’s all there is to it.

10 ( +11 / -1 )

19.3 percent of respondents in the two-day nationwide telephone survey said it is "appropriate,"

I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess that the percentage of households with children under 18 is probably about 19.3 percent.

11 ( +11 / -0 )

And... 0 in 5 Internationals are happy with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's plan to give every household 100,000 yen ($880) in cash and vouchers for each child aged 18 or under as part of stimulus measures to shore up the coronavirus-hit economy, according to the International Community in Japan.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Maybe they can just reduce taxes instead of taking our money and giving it back to us like they are doing us a favor.

19 ( +19 / -0 )

What's the point of getting people to buy yet more useless crap they don't need?

10 ( +11 / -1 )

The survey of only 1040 people-it’s meaningless

What statistical arguments do you use to get to that conclusion?

From a population of 125 million a sample of 1400 people can give you results with a margin of error of 2-3%

2 ( +7 / -5 )

I’d be happy too if I could get my share of ¥100,000. Cash handouts that limit eligibility will only divide the nation and create resentment. Across-the-board handouts is the answer.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

My son turns 19 in February. Will he be able to get the money in time?

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

This 100,000 handouts was one of major campaign promise of Komei party on which LDP set a cap.

LDP should say good bay to Komai party and say hello to Ishin-no Kai party

0 ( +5 / -5 )

And... 0 in 5 Internationals are happy with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's plan to give every household 100,000 yen ($880) in cash and vouchers for each child aged 18 or under as part of stimulus measures to shore up the coronavirus-hit economy, according to the International Community in Japan.

Why would 0 in 5 internationals be happy? Usually these things are distributed based on residency rather than nationality, so foreign residents with kids are also eligible.

I’m international, I have kids, and I’m happy with this.

I should acknowledge that I’m happy because someone is saying they are going to give me free money and not necessarily because I think this is an objectively good policy, which it probably isn’t. But…..free money!!!

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Asked what they think of the move, 19.3 percent of respondents in the two-day nationwide telephone survey said...

This handout is nonsensical but I'm stuck on the fact that they did a survey via telephone. Telephone! What, were the fax machines unavailable? My god, this country....

0 ( +2 / -2 )

@kurisupisu

“The survey of only 1040 people-it’s meaningless”

You can’t poll the entire population of Japan.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Just had my second kid a few months ago, and I can get my income just below the limit after some questionable accounting expenses - yay for free money I don't need!

-7 ( +2 / -9 )

Ridiculous. Why give money to the family that makes 800,000 yen a month ? Give to everyone equally or to the ones who have been directly impacted by the COVID.

10 ( +10 / -0 )

Granted that it's typically more difficult for families with multiple kids. The income limit is too high IMO, though. For that matter, it should be means tested and applied to people with an annual income below, say, ¥4,000,000 (individually).

Provide assistance to those who have need.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Losing my job soon due to the COVID19 saga so I welcome the money - for my kids.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

I'm putting 1 child thru university & I'm under the 9.8 mill threshold, but I don't get anything. Seems quite unfair. As Nibeki32 suggested, just reduce our taxes. That would help everyone !

11 ( +12 / -1 )

I also agree with the tax reduction idea.

Let people have more of their own money every month rather than giving a 1 time payment and expecting to be praised for it.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

The income limit is too high IMO, though. For that matter, it should be means tested and applied to people with an annual income below, say, ¥4,000,000 (individually).

But someone who is making 4 million qualifies and some at the 5m level does not ?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

 I have no doubt that in most cases it will be taken by the city hall to pay back taxes.

You are correct. A better idea is to simply wave both ward and health payments for people who are making less than 5 million a year.

10 ( +10 / -0 )

Meanwhile, the approval rating for his cabinet, formed on Oct 4 and relaunched on Wednesday, stood at 60.5 percent, up 2.4 points

Good news for Kishida.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

big families get a huge windfall, while children-less couples get nothing.

Does this seem fair !?

Yes, it does.

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

I doubt that it is fair and serving any economy stimulating effect, when almost no one gets it. The right way would have been to give to everyone and to give additional to children. In addition I still wait for an answer if separation by age is constitutional. If it was a job search, one could nowadays surely complain if excluded and discriminated because of being in another higher age group or having or not having children. How do you see that issue?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

It sure won't stimulate the economy... They're Japanese; they'll all just put it in the bank.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Maybe not such a bad idea, but it should be limited to coupons only, no cash - otherwise this cash money might be spent for pachinko, cigarettes, alcohol and not for the children. The income limit is by far too high, not over 4 million yen income would be better.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

I have 3 kids and live in Tokyo. A 6,000,000 yen salary is just getting by. I was making 7,000,000 before the pandemic, which was fine. Now my wife works part-time and we make around 7,000,000 combined. The 300,000 yen will be very beneficial for my family.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

It's not free money, and Japan's working (shrinking) population must look after financing burdens. A simple formula.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Mr KiplingToday  07:53 am JST

I was shocked to learn just how many families live on less than 9.6 million. Only about 8% will be denied the cash due to having a too high sala

This ”primary” earner is completely wrong. If one parent makes 10 million and one parent is at home, no support. If both parents earn 8M (16M combined), they get the support.

Also if two parents make 5M each, their 1) take home pay is bigger than 1x10M (progressive tax), 2) they can get full 15000/kid/month when other family nothing, 3) the family with 1x10M pays double the nursery fees, etc.

it should be per household limit.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

@virusrex

The sample size is far too small considering the size of the population

In addition, the results of the flawed poll are obviously skewed and not representative for obvious reasons which I am sure are obvious to you.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

This is a Komeito, not an LDP policy. It was going to everyone with kids, but the LDP imposed the 9.6 million threshold. If you are living in Tokyo 9.6 million, 7.3 million takehome, is not that much all told.

Separate to the money to parents for each child, it sounds like households below the income tax threshold (hikazei) will get 100,000 each. So that money at least is means tested and is going to low earners. It sounds like the childless will get this too.

I think this policy has been hamfisted in that it's being presented in way that actively invites comparisons to the 100,000 to everyone last year, so that you are missing out if you are childless or your kids are already 19. The government provides all kinds of support to all kinds of people without others resenting it, some of which cost more than 100,000 yen every single month. The clever way to have done this was to frame it as a one-off boost to child benefit, an ongoing and accepted form of welfare, not "Free money! But only if you are under 18". That is simply going to engineer FOMO and resentment at where the line is being drawn.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I would like to receive this subsidy so I can catch up on the outrageous tax hikes this year. I can send it right back to them and be square again.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Aly RustomToday  07:28 am JST

Only 1 in 5 Japanese happy with ¥100,000 handout plan: poll

Oh Boo Hoo Hoo!

So what? They voted for these clowns. They made their bed. Now sleep in it and quit your whining.

Quite so, What was the turnout at the last election? 31%? Apathetic population deserves all that they get.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

@kurispisu

The sample size is far too small considering the size of the population

I think virusrex' numbers for the margin of error are correct. You can do a check with the calculator at the link below. Note that population size become less significant as the population grows. For example, for a margin of error of 3% and a population of 125,000,000, a sample size of 1068 is needed. For a population of 10% that size (12,500,000) a sample of 1067 is still needed for the same margin of error.

https://www.checkmarket.com/sample-size-calculator/

Of course, the method of selection makes a difference - only asking people in a supermarket at 11:00am on a Wednesday is probably not representative of the population. But increasing the sample size would only reinforce any selection bias.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

the Japan Innovation Party … came away with 13.0 percent, followed by the larger Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, which got 10.7 percent.

That’s a pretty interesting thing. Not a good look for the larger CDPJ to be polling lower than a party with less than half the number of seats in the Diet.

With greater exposure now I hope to see Ishin make greater inroads across the country and maybe within a few election cycles they can displace the stale old LDP and Komeito clowns.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Kyodo News called 621 randomly selected households with eligible voters and 1,915 mobile phone users, with 520 responding from each group.

If the households didn’t have children, they would oppose it for sure. There might be people without children who also would benefit from the handout.

Covid has depressed the economy for sure and businesses would be grateful if more people increased their spending.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Quite so, What was the turnout at the last election? 31%? Apathetic population deserves all that they get.

If you can trust the approval rating reported here and there, most of , or quite a plurality of those who didn't bother going to vote are supporting LDP

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

20% is probably a lot higher than they expected. And remember, it's the J-government, so it doesn't matter if people support it or not -- they'll do it. Remember Abenomasks? How many said THAT was a good idea but they did it anyway. The Olympics?

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Bearing in mind it's only a week or so after the recent general election, these statistics tell me that a large percentage of the electorate clearly don't have coherent political views.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Amen. Bad juju. All or none!

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

19.3 % We're happy with appropriate measure

24.0% Give us 100,000 yen too anyway

**Boundary**

34.7% How come we must support those making 800,000 a month with our bloody tax money?

19.8% When do you stop meaningless pork-barrel?

In case you forgot, this is a manifesto of Komeito party

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

@kurisupisu

The size of the population does not really matter. You're misunderstanding the nature of sampling and statistical representation. The main determinant of error is absolute sample size, not sample size relative to the population. And the marginal effects of larger sample size on accuracy are decreasing in nature, meaning that going from 100 to 200 people nets you a far greater reduction in sampling error than going from 10,000 to 20,000. That is why pollsters usually consider around 1,000 people to be a good number, because at that point they will have a reasonably accurate sample with a margin of error of a few percentage points, and any gains to be made from increasing the sample size will be increasingly miniscule and costly.

You are correct in pointing out that the sampling method is not necessarily a good one, however. All of what I said above is conditioned on the sample being random and representative of the population it is extracted from. I just wished to correct your erroneous statement about the sample size being a problem.

Also, cue the downvotes, a statistical probability (hah!), from people who do not understand the subject in the least.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Ok

So, my proposal is that the actually less people are content with the plan.

Futhermore, their opinions cannot be counted.

There are many that the poll; administered by phone does not reach.

The hospitalised, the homeless, the deaf and dumb, those without a phone etc.

How about the elderly?

How is it really responsible to ask the opinion of those that receive absolutely no benefit from such a handout to agree or disagree with it?

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

You voted for it, now eat it. I don’t want to hear a single complaint from anyone that voted for these clowns or didn’t vote for that matter.

Everyone gets to complain- it’s a free country. And apparently the money is free too.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

fxgaiToday  05:23 pm JST

the Japan Innovation Party … came away with 13.0 percent, followed by the larger Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, which got 10.7 percent.

That’s a pretty interesting thing. Not a good look for the larger CDPJ to be polling lower than a party with less than half the number of seats in the Diet.

With greater exposure now I hope to see Ishin make greater inroads across the country and maybe within a few election cycles they can displace the stale old LDP and Komeito clowns.

I think they'll fizzle out, personally. The CDPJ did pretty well in the 2017 election and look what's happened to them - they failed to capitalise on their gains and I think Ishin will be the same. Ishin will apparently be supporting the LDP with measures they approve of, but the LDP doesn't have to give them anything in return because it's got a majority by itself. When they criticise the LDP they'll just get tarred with the same brush as the other opposition parties. I think this will fail to impress conservative voters who switched to them this year, and come the next election a lot of them will switch back.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Families with children who have needs are more likely to spend the money and thus get it circulating through the economy.

Children are our future and without them there is no future. So I think if they're going to give money away to boost the economy children are a great place to start.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

How much did the Olympics cost the taxpayer? How much did GoTo Travel cost and how much will the next cost?

It is good to have support for people, for families. Money is much better spent supporting people. Too much is spent on supporting businesses especially businesses that support politicians.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

So I think if they're going to give money away to boost the economy children are a great place to start.

Congratulations on your coming windfall! On top of the hundreds of thousands a year you’re presumably already receiving in 子供手当 benefits for your brood. I’m feeling all virtuous knowing my taxes are working so hard.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Well, I think the 1% should be getting the 100,000¥ since others are too big for the government stimulus.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

To the 4 in 5 who are unhappy with it, feel free to make someone else happy and donate it to me!

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

tooheysnewNov. 13  07:34 am JST

what Exactly is the point of this handout ?

big families get a huge windfall, while children-less couples get nothing.

Does this seem fair !?

Yes it does! As a childless couple you are clueless to the time cost and effort of having a child and caring for it properly. If I had never had children I too would have been clueless. Sure it was my choice and I would do the dame thing again even with this knowledge. How can a childless couple be struggling even in a pandemic in a country that is importing labour to cover labour shortages?

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

I bet parents of multiple children are very happy with this news! More money for dad’s ciggies and mum’s nails!

You forgot the latest Galaxy smart phones for all in the family! LOL

0 ( +1 / -1 )

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