Kishida Cabinet Approval Rating Rebounds to 36% in NHK Survey

NHK Survey in Japan Shows Approval Rating Rises 3 Percentage Points to 36% Compared to Previous Month

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida responding at the House of Representatives plenary session held in Tokyo on November 21 (local time)
Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Pyeonghwa] The approval rating of the Kishida Fumio Japanese Cabinet, which had been declining amid suspicions of collusion with religious organizations, has rebounded.

On the 12th (local time), Japan's public broadcaster NHK reported that a public opinion poll showed the Kishida Cabinet's approval rating rose by 3 percentage points to 36% compared to the previous month. The survey was conducted from the 9th to the 11th, targeting 1,234 Japanese citizens aged 18 and over.

Previously, the Kishida Cabinet experienced a decline in approval ratings due to issues such as suspicions of collusion between the Unification Church (currently the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification) and Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers, as well as large donations. Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun also revealed through a poll that last month the Kishida Cabinet's approval rating hit its lowest point since taking office in October last year.

According to this survey, 55% of respondents supported the Japanese government's efforts to secure counterattack capabilities, including enemy missile bases, which was higher than the 31% who opposed. Regarding the government’s policy to increase defense spending to 43 trillion yen over the next five years starting next year, 51% were in favor compared to 36% opposed.

Meanwhile, the Kishida Cabinet announced this week that it will hold discussions related to a world without nuclear weapons at the major Group of Seven (G7) summit to be held next year in Hiroshima, Japan, a city affected by atomic bombing. Japan will serve as the chair country for the G7 summit next year.