Takaichi Cabinet Approval Holds at 62.6% Despite Agriculture Minister Resignation

Voters rate the Takaichi government highly, but three in four object to a party subsidy for the Centrist Reform Alliance's sole remaining lawmaker. 

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's Cabinet received a 62.6% approval rating in a joint Sankei Shimbun–Fuji News Network (FNN) poll conducted on October 17–18, up 1.0 percentage point from the previous survey on September 12–13. The disapproval rating rose slightly, by 0.1 point, to 32.3%.

The poll followed the resignation of former Agriculture Minister Kazuo Yana amid criticism of his remarks about cuts to road budgets. The controversy appears to have had little impact on public support for the Cabinet.

Yana's Resignation

An overwhelming 85.0% of respondents said Yana's resignation was appropriate, compared with just 9.8% who disagreed.

Meanwhile, 69.3% said Yana should provide an explanation for his remarks, while 27.1% said no further explanation was necessary.

Positive First-Year Assessment

The Takaichi administration marks its first anniversary on October 21. Asked to assess its performance over the past year, 62.3% gave it a positive rating, saying they viewed its record either "very highly" or "somewhat highly."

By contrast, 36.8% gave the administration a negative assessment, rating its performance either "not very highly" or "not at all highly."

Food Tax Cut

Public support for the government's plan to temporarily reduce the consumption tax on food and beverages from 8% to 1% for two years starting next April rose to 62.6%, up from 58.3% in the previous survey. Opposition fell from 35.0% to 32.6%.

However, respondents remained divided over whether the measure would help ease the burden of rising prices. A combined 46.6% said it would have a significant or moderate impact, unchanged from the previous poll. Meanwhile, 52.2% expected little or no impact, down slightly from 52.6%.

An overwhelming 80.9% said the government should clearly explain how it intends to fund the tax cut, while 17.7% said such an explanation was unnecessary.

Lower House Seat Cuts

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, Nippon Ishin no Kai, are seeking to pass legislation that would reduce the number of proportional representation seats in the House of Representatives by roughly 10%. Opposition parties oppose the proposal.

The plan continued to draw majority support, with 65.6% in favor and 25.1% opposed. However, support fell from 68.3% in the previous survey, while opposition rose from 21.7%.

Japan's Response to ICC Sanctions

The poll also asked respondents to assess the Japanese government's response to the Trump administration's decision to impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court itself.

A large majority, 71.0%, supported Tokyo's decision to express concern over the move, while 16.7% viewed its response negatively.

Party Subsidy for Sole Lawmaker

Following the breakup of the Centrist Reform Alliance, just one lawmaker remains in the party, which still plans to receive its political party subsidy for this year.

An overwhelming 74.0% of respondents said this was unacceptable, while only 16.6% considered it acceptable.

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(Read the article in Japanese.)

Author: The Sankei Shimbun