Japan Suga Cabinet Approval Rating Hits Lowest Since Inauguration at 34%

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] The approval rating of the Yoshihide Suga Cabinet in Japan continued to record the lowest level since its inception even after the opening of the Tokyo Olympics.

On the 26th, Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported that a telephone survey conducted from the 23rd to the 25th with 998 men and women aged 18 and over nationwide (based on valid respondents), in collaboration with its affiliate TV Tokyo, showed the Suga Cabinet's approval rating at 34%.

This represents a 9 percentage point drop compared to last month's survey, marking the lowest since the cabinet's launch in September last year.

In the Nihon Keizai poll, the 34% approval rating is the lowest since November 2012 during the Democratic Party administration. It is 4 percentage points lower than the previous Abe Shinzo Cabinet's lowest approval rating of 38%, which lasted for 7 years and 8 months.

The percentage of respondents who said they "do not support" the Suga Cabinet rose by 7 percentage points from last month to 57%, the highest since the cabinet's inception.

Among the reasons for not supporting the cabinet, 53% answered "lack of leadership." The ruling Liberal Democratic Party's approval rating was 38%, down 5 percentage points from June.

Regarding preferences for the next prime minister, Administrative Reform Minister Taro Kono and former LDP Secretary-General Shigeru Ishiba each received ratings in the 19% range.

Nihon Keizai reported that Kono ranked first and Ishiba second by a margin of less than one decimal point.

The Suga Cabinet's approval rating had been recording the lowest levels since before the Olympics opening in various media polls.

According to an Asahi Shimbun telephone survey conducted from the 17th to 18th with 1,444 men and women aged 18 and over nationwide, the Suga Cabinet's approval rating was 31%.

During the same period, a Kyodo News poll showed 35.9%. Both the Asahi Shimbun and Kyodo News polls marked the lowest approval ratings since the Suga Cabinet's launch.

Even after the Olympics opening, the cabinet's approval rating remains at a low level, raising the possibility that Prime Minister Suga's plan to leverage the successful hosting of the Olympics to win the LDP presidential election and the House of Representatives election this fall and secure a second term could be shaken.