A record 82 percent of Japanese report having friendly feelings toward the United States, according to results of an annual government poll released Sunday, in the first such survey taken since the American military’s huge humanitarian effort last spring in Japan’s tsunami-ravaged northeast.

While the United States has consistently scored highly in the Cabinet Office’s annual poll of attitudes toward foreign countries, the latest result was the highest since the survey began in 1978. Only 16 percent of respondents reported not having a friendly attitude toward the United States, the lowest such result ever.

Local news outlets said the results reflected the good will created here by Operation Tomodachi, or “friend,” in which 20,000 American military personnel members and 20 warships helped with rescue and relief operations after the deadly earthquake and tsunami on March 11. The reports also cited Japan’s insecurities about the rise of neighboring China, which many Japanese look to the United States, and its large military presence in Japan, to keep in check.

According to the poll, 71 percent of respondents said they did not feel friendly toward China.

The poll was conducted from Sept. 29 to Oct. 16 using a live telephone survey of 3,000 voting-age residents.