A Cabinet Office survey in Japan has shown that the proportion of people who think Japan-Russia relations are good has hit a record low of just over 3 percent.

The public opinion poll on diplomacy was conducted in October and November last year. Of the 3,000 adults targeted in the mail survey, 1,732 people responded.

The results show that 3.1 percent think Japan-Russia relations are good. That is a drop of 17.5 points from the previous year, before Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The latest figure is the lowest since 1978, when the question was first introduced, although a simple comparison is difficult due to a change in the survey method in 2020.

As for Japan-China relations, 11 percent of respondents said they think the relations are good, down 3.5 points. Last year, Japan and China marked 50 years since the normalization of ties. But the two countries face a number of issues of concern, including that of the Senkaku Islands. Japan controls the islands. China and Taiwan claim them.

Regarding relations with South Korea, 28.3 percent said they are good, up 9.7 points. South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has expressed willingness to improve ties with Japan since taking office last May.

Japanese Foreign Ministry officials say the results of the poll appear to reflect the Japanese people's interest in Russia's aggression in Ukraine and pending issues involving China.