Pew poll shows Japanese think poorly of Americans

WASHINGTON - They are the so-called "allies." But they may view each other in an entirely different -- if not opposite, way, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey.

Ordinary Americans, the survey out Tuesday showed, think Japan is an inventive, hardworking and honest nation. But Japanese, shockingly, have a low opinion of Americans.

While 94 percent of Americans regard Japanese as hardworking, only one in four of Japanese survey participants reciprocate that view.

Merely 19 percent of Americans view Japanese as selfish, compared to 47 percent of Japanese who say Americans are self-centered.

Meanwhile, 75 percent of Americans think Japanese are honest, but only 37 percent of Japanese hold that view toward Americans.

Other surprising findings include that nearly 25 percent Japanese don't think of Americans as inventive.

According to USA Today, Bruce Stokes, expert with Pew Research and principal author of the survey, said some views expressed in the poll may reflect stereotypes.

"Stereotypes such as honesty or inventiveness or aggression, are emotions -- not rational views backed by data. (But) these emotions matter. Such stereotypes help drive broader attitudes about policy," he said.

Yet, the survey still found 68 percent of Americans say they trust Japan either a great deal or a fair amount, and 75 percent of Japanese say they feel the same toward the United States.

The results come weeks ahead of a planned address by Shinzo Abe before a joint US Congress session.