Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Faces Record-Low Cabinet Approval

Tokyo

The approval rate for Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's cabinet has plummeted to 23 percent, marking the lowest since he assumed office in October 2021, according to a recent opinion poll conducted by Japanese broadcaster NHK. This significant drop, by 6 points from the previous month, is also the lowest approval rate since the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) regained power in December 2012. Simultaneously, the disapproval rate rose by 6 points, reaching 58 percent. Among those who approved of Kishida's cabinet, 40 percent cited a preference for it over possible alternatives, while 28 percent expressed support for the political parties involved. On the other hand, among the disapproving respondents, 50 percent expressed low expectations for the cabinet's policies, and 26 percent felt that the cabinet could not effectively implement its policies. The poll was conducted against the backdrop of a political fund scandal involving major factions of the LDP, suspected of underreporting revenues from fundraising events. Kishida recently left the faction he had led since 2012, aiming to restore public trust in a neutral position. However, 66 percent of respondents felt that his response was too late, while 22 percent considered it appropriate.