Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has said he will take into account public opinion, along with various other factors, when he decides whether to extend the one-year Self-Defense Forces mission in Iraq, which expires Dec. 14.

Newspaper opinion polls have shown that most people oppose continuing the deployment.

But some people question if the typical methodology of media surveys -- asking pollees to select from among a rigid set of answers and putting emphasis on the raw numbers -- correctly gauges the diversity of public opinion.

As a result, dozens of people from around the country have taken to the streets to conduct their own sampling.

Their aim is to take the temperature of public opinion among both supporters and opponents of continuing the SDF deployment in Iraq.

"We wondered whether people's opinions are simple enough to be measured by just the two options -- for or against," said Kazuhiro Imamura, an assistant professor of Japanese language at a university in Tokyo and an organizer of the polling in the nation's capital.

"There must be a gray zone stretching across these two options, and we thought that is where real public opinion lies," he said.

Interestingly, they found out that many of the people polled did not have a strong opinion one way or the other -- because they lacked sufficient information on government policy.

Bringing along a big white board, Imamura and five others went Sunday to Yoyogi Park to collect opinions. It was their sixth such attempt since early November.

They explained to families and couples strolling through the park that the troop deployment is currently scheduled to end Dec. 14 and asked them to put a small round seal on the board according to their opinion: a blue one if they support extending the deployment, red if they are opposed or green if they are undecided.

Intrigued by the sight of the board covered by the colorful seals, scores of people stopped and took a moment to offer their opinions.

After they made their vote, a researcher asked them for the reasons behind their choice.

"That's Japan's duty," said Kunishige Atsusaka, a 71 year-old photographer who placed a blue seal in support of continuing the deployment. He said he was in elementary school at the end of World War II.

He said the nation's postwar reconstruction owed much to the support that came from the United States following the surrender.

"Those who have experienced the war do not oppose" the SDF deployment, he said.

A 14-year-old girl who voted against extending the deployment said she is afraid more Japanese could be taken hostage and killed if the SDF stays in Iraq.

However, many of the respondents were unable to give such clear-cut answers.

"It's really difficult to tell," said Yuta Tajima, a 22-year-old scaffolding worker who placed a blue seal on the board when asked why he voted for the extension.

"To tell you the truth, my opinion is just off the borderline" between support and opposition, he said. "Japan should contribute to the world, but I am not so sure when I think of the families of (the SDF troops) sent there."

Tatsuya Onishi, a 26-year-old acupressure therapist, said he has been watching news programs to find out why Japan needs to place its troops in the conflict-plagued country but has found the prime minister's explanations too vague.

"I can't decide," he said after placing a green seal. "Diet debate looks to me like an elementary school homeroom discussion. I can't see any clear government policy."

During a 90-minute stay in the park, Imamura's group collected 82 votes, of which 20 were in favor, 46 against and 16 undecided.

They were among the 8,619 people surveyed in the poll-taking movement nationwide to date.

The street polling started in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, in early November based on a local housewife's idea. It has now spread to 14 prefectures, including Tokyo, Osaka, Shizuoka, Fukuoka and Okinawa. The participants communicate via e-mail and combine their tallies.

Of the 8,619 people polled, 1,071 said they support extending the SDF deployment, 6,590 are opposed and 958 are undecided.

That translates to 12.4 percent in favor, 76.5 percent against and 11.1 percent undecided.

The results may not differ much from those taken by major newspapers, which have found 60 percent to 70 percent opposition to extending the deployment.

But collecting people's opinions on the streets has resulted in more than just numbers, Imamura said.

"The gap between citizens and politics is growing," he said.

Many of those polled found themselves not having enough information to decide on a position, and were unable to give quick answers when asked the reasons for their opinions.

According to Imamura, some who voted for the continued deployment relied on hope, saying they don't know the details of what the SDF is doing but anything that helps the Iraqi people should continue.

Others expressed resignation, saying nothing is going to affect government policy, he added.

Alarmed by the result, Imamura's group last Thursday sent a letter based on their polling to every member of the Diet, warning that public trust in politics is fast eroding.

"Please hear people's voices according to the basic rule of democracy," the letter said.