Australia: not worth it

Japan's Cabinet Office which runs the Foreign Policy Opinion Polling has had its budget slashed.

One of the unfortunate results is that polling on Japan's popular sentiment towards Australia will not be conducted this year - or subsequent years.

Currently only five countries are identified for specific treatment; America, China, Korea, Russia and India. Australia and New Zealand are not specified, instead being called 'pacific countries'.

This comes as a blow for those interested in Japan-Australia relations, and alternatives will have to be found.