InsideJapan News Network

Japanese people are among the happiest in the world, according to the results of a new poll.

A survey of 3,000 people conducted by the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper found that 88 per cent respondents said they were happy, compared to ten per cent who claimed to be unhappy.

In each of the six surveys conducted by the newspaper since 1979, the proportion of "happy" responses has swung between 87 per cent and 92 per cent.

Of those surveyed, 53 per cent were women, while 47 per cent were men.

Asked if Japan was a country in which people can live happily, 64 per cent of respondents answered 'yes'.

Making his diplomatic debut at the UN General Assembly, the new Japanese prime minister Taro Aso said: "Peace and happiness are most certainly within our grasp through the pursuit of economic prosperity and democracy."