• A majority of the Japanese public supports Japan's ODA policies and programs. (According to polls taken by the Prime Minister's Office, about 80 percent of the population has expressed such support.)
• An overwhelming majority of citizens have access to information on ODA affairs, through newspapers, television, radio, and other mass media (Note 9),
• Japanese people are split in their views on the issue of whether ODA should be directly linked to the national interest ("Should not be link to the national interest," 25.5%; "Should be linked," 20.7%; "Should not be decided in general terms," 27.8%; "Don't know," 25.6%) (Note 9).

Aware of the importance of keeping the publ ic properly informed about ODA affairs, the Japanese government has engaged itself in a range of disclosure- and publicity-related activities, as listed below.

• Japan's Official Development Assistance (ODA white papers, initiated on an annual basis in 1984)
• Aid project evaluation reports (released annually since 1982)
• Annual reports on Japanese ODA (released annually since 1993)

These reports outline official aid policy with respect to key recipients, provide listings of companies that have won contracts for projects funded by grant aid or yen loans, and also list the names of consultants contracted to perform development surveys.

• International Cooperation Day (October 6) and the International Cooperation Festival (held annually since 1992)
• Plaza for International Cooperation

October 1993 occasioned the opening of the Plaza for International Cooperation, a center designed to provide information to citizens interested in international assistance-related affairs. (Note: The facility is a 3-minute walk from Hiroo Station, on the Hibiya subway line, and is run by the Association for Promotion of International Cooperation.)

• Home Page of the Japanese Foreign Ministry

To fulfill its role as a leading donor, Japan faces the task of helping aid personnel hone their skills and expertise. Furthermore, to maintain public support for its aid policies and programs, the values and realities of ODA need to be properly taught at all educational levels.

To remove misconceptions about ODA and help students and other citizens gain a better understanding into the real situation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, JICA, and the OECF have begun sending speakers for "ODA teach-ins" on university campuses around the country (Note 10). The government also sends out instructional materials, documentation, and PR videos, and in other ways strives to get more accurate information into the hands of educators and students alike.

The Foundation for Advanced Studies on International Development (FASID) was established to cultivate more skilled human resources for development assistance. FASID sponsors international symposiums, assists in field work and the establishment of university lecture courses on development assistance themes, and has in other ways actively engaged itself in efforts to support development-related education and research.

Chart 11 Findings of a Public Opinion Poll by the Prime Minister's Office on Future Economic Cooperation