日本自衛隊正面形像上升

Recently the Mainichi News on-line reported the following:
　内閣府が１０日まとめた「自衛隊・防衛問題に関する世論調査」で、東日本大震災の被災地救援に１０万人態勢で臨んだ自衛隊の活動を「大いに評価する」との答えが７９．８％に上り、「ある程度評価する」と合わせて９７．７％が評価した。米軍による「トモダチ作戦」も７９．２％が「成果を上げた」と答えた。
　自衛隊の印象については「良い」（「どちらかといえば良い」を含む）と答えた人は９１．７％に上り、前回０９年調査から１０．８ポイント増えて１９６９年の調査開始以来最高となった。日米安全保障条約が「役立っている」との回答も４．８ポイント増の８１．２％と過去最高を更新。震災活動の評価が自衛隊と日米同盟のイメージ向上につながったとみられる。
　調査は１月に全国の成人男女３０００人を対象に実施し、１８９３人（回収率６３．１％）が答えた。
(試譯文)
In the opinion poll completed on the 10th (March) by the Cabinet Office about " the Self-Defense Forces and the defense problem", up to 79.8% answered "evaluated highly" over the activity of the 100,000 Self-Defense Forces attending the relieve works in areas stricken by the East Japan great earthquake; adding to the the attitude of "positively evaluated to some extent", the total went up to 97.7%. On the "Operation Tomodachi" by the U.S. Forces, 79.2% answered "success achieved".
The people who answered "It is good" (including "it is quite good") on the impression of the Self-Defense Forces went up to 91.7%, an increase of 10.8 points from investigation held last time in the year 2009, and it became the highest since the investigation was started in 1969.
Also, on Japan-US Security Treaty, those replied "it is useful" increased by 4.8 points to 81.2% and updated the highest record so far.
It was concluded that the positive evaluation over earthquake disaster activity had led to the improvement in the image of the Self-Defense Forces and the Japan-U.S. alliance.
The investigation was conducted with 3000 adult men and women all over the country in January, and 1,893 people (63.1% recovery rate) had replied.

Obviously the Self Defense Forces have done a good job to improve their public relation.