In the Public Opinion Survey on Diplomacy by the Cabinet Office of Japan conducted at the end of 2021, just over 10% of respondents in their 60s and 70s — those with the harshest attitudes toward China — answered that they felt “close, friendly or familiar” with China. On the other end of the spectrum, over 40% of respondents aged 18 to 29 gave the same response. This indicates that the younger generations are more likely to have better perceptions of China.
According to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center in June 2022, Japan is among the countries with the largest generation gap in terms of people’s perceptions of China, whereby the younger generation in Japan has a more favorable impression of the country.