PH-Japan relations ‘at one of their strongest points,’ survey finds

MANILA, Philippines — A recent survey revealed that 79 percent of Filipinos nationwide trust Japan, while 70 percent describe Philippine-Japan relations as “very good,” reaffirming the “stable and strong” ties between the two countries.

These were the findings of Octa Research’s Tugon ng Masa survey, released on Monday, which involved 1,200 male and female adult respondents interviewed face-to-face from December 3 to 11, 2025.

According to the survey commissioned by the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines, more than 70 years of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Japan have evolved into a partnership grounded “not only by diplomatic and economic cooperation but also by strong public trust and social familiarity.”

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“Philippine–Japan relations may therefore be at one of their strongest points in the history of the partnership, continuing to broaden and deepen across economic, cultural, and strategic domains,” the survey said.

Based on the survey, 70 percent described the current relationship between Japan and the Philippines as “very good/good,” while 24 percent said it was “neither good nor poor.”

Five percent said they “don’t know/can’t say” while only one percent described it as “poor.”

Meanwhile, about eight in ten Filipinos, or 79 percent, expressed trust in Japan, with only four percent of respondents saying they “strongly distrust/somewhat distrust” Japan, and 17 percent “can’t say if I trust him/her or not.”

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“This trust is broadly distributed across regions, age groups, and socioeconomic classes, suggesting that positive perceptions of Japan are deeply embedded in Philippine public opinion,” the survey explained.

In addition, it revealed that Filipinos also show strong trust in the Japanese people, with 74 percent saying they trust the Japanese, six percent expressing distrust, and 20 percent remaining undecided.

The survey said that “this indicates that goodwill toward Japan is not limited to government or policy relations but extends to interpersonal perceptions of Japanese citizens, reinforcing the social dimension of the bilateral relationship.”

The survey had a ±3 percent margin of error at a 95 percent confidence level, with a 95 percent confidence level and ±6 percent margin of error for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. /dl