Approval Ratings Of Kishida Cabinet Continue To Sink But Opposition Struggles To Make Gains

The approval ratings of Japan's Cabinet continued to fall in the latest round of opinion polls. Support for Prime Minister Kishida's administration fell 9pp to 36% in the latest Yomiuri survey, while a JNN poll indicated a 3.1pp decline to 39.6%.

• The Cabinet's support levels fell below the 40% mark for the first time in both surveys. The disapproval rates rose by 4pp to 50% in the Yomiuri poll and by 3.8pp to 57.7% in the JNN poll. Continued deterioration in net ratings is a worrying sign for the ruling coalition, with the recently announced jumbo-sized fiscal package failing to restore public confidence in the administration.
• While 62% of respondents told Yomiuri that they "appreciate" comprehensive economic measures announced by the government, 77% in the JNN poll deemed inflation countermeasures insufficient, while 72% said they were affected by the rising costs of living.
• The government received poor feedback on its response to the threat posed by North Korea. 86% of respondents told JNN that they felt "threatened" by Pyongyang's nuclear and missile development programmes, while 68% of those surveyed by Yomiuri were disappointed by Kishida's North Korea policies.
• Still, opposition parties are clearly struggling the capitalise on the decline in support for the Cabinet. The Liberal Democratic Party scored 33.7% in the JNN poll and 33% in the Yomiuri poll, with the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party trailing at 6.2%/6%.