Yomiuri: "Kishida Cabinet Approval Rating at 39%... Rebounds After Five Months"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] The approval rating of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's cabinet rebounded for the first time in five months according to a Yomiuri Shimbun public opinion poll.

Yomiuri reported on the 5th that, based on a telephone survey conducted from December 2 to 4 with 1,069 voters aged 18 and over nationwide (valid respondents), the approval rating of the Kishida cabinet rose by 3 percentage points to 39% compared to the previous survey conducted from November 4 to 6.

According to Yomiuri's poll, the approval rating of the Kishida cabinet had recorded 65% in July but declined due to controversies such as the ties between the Liberal Democratic Party and the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (formerly the Unification Church), falling to 36% last month.

When asked, "Until when do you think Prime Minister Kishida should remain in office?" the most common response was "until the end of the LDP presidency term in September 2024," accounting for 37%. This was followed by "for the next year" at 24%, and "should be replaced immediately" at 23%.

However, since contrasting sentiments are detected depending on the survey, it seems premature to say that the overall evaluation of the Kishida cabinet by the Japanese public has reversed. In the Yomiuri poll, the percentage of respondents who "do not support" the Kishida cabinet increased by 2 percentage points to 52%, marking the highest level since the cabinet's formation.

Additionally, in a JNN public opinion poll conducted by Japan's TBS network released on the same day, the approval rating of the Kishida cabinet was 34.2%, down 5.4 percentage points from last month's survey. The percentage of respondents who do not support the Kishida cabinet rose to the 60% range for the first time.