* This is an English translation of the Japanese original released on October 19, 2004.

November 8, 2004
Public Relations Department
Bank of Japan

Click on ron0411a.pdf (173KB) to download the full text.

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I. Introduction

The Bank of Japan, through public relations activities conducted at its Head Office and branches, has been seeking to determine the concerns of a broad cross-section of the general public relative to its policy and operations. An example of such action is the Bank's Opinion Survey on the General Public's Mindset and Behavior, conducted since 1993 with a nationwide sample of 4,000 individuals who are at least 20 years of age. This survey is essentially an opinion poll designed to gain insight into the public's perceptions and actions, and therefore differs in character from the Bank's Tankan (Short-Term Economic Survey of Enterprises in Japan), which is conducted separately from this survey.

II. Survey Outline

Survey period:	From August 27 to September 6, 2004.
Sample size:	4,000 people (2,969 people [i.e., 74.2 percent of the overall sample size] provided valid responses to questions).
Survey sample participants:	Individuals living in Japan who are at least 20 years of age.
Sampling method:	Stratified two-stage random sampling method.
Survey methodology:	Questionnaire survey. (Researchers visit sample individuals, ask them to complete the questionnaire within a prescribed period, and then collect the finished questionnaires upon subsequent visits.)