Cabinet Approval Rating Still In Free Fall After Replacement Of Justice Minister

The approval rating of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's Cabinet fell 3ppts to 37% in the latest opinion poll by Asahi Shimbun, with the disapproval rate rising 1ppt to 51%, which marks the third consecutive month with a negative net score.

• The poll overlapped with the beginning of Kishida's Southeast Asia trip, with Japan's Prime Minister due to participate in the ASEAN, APEC and G20 summits. Foreign summits tend to boost support for incumbent leaders, as domestic affairs take the back seat and coverage of talks with foreign leaders dominate front pages.
• Furthermore, the survey was taken over the weekend, after the resignation of Justice Minister Yasuhiro Hanashi over his inappropriate comments about the death penalty and his role in the government. Former Agriculture Minister Ken Saito (Ishiba faction) was tapped to become the new Justice Minister.
• Although Hanashi was sacked not long after making the controversial remarks, Kishida had initially suggested that he would retain his post, which created the impression of another delayed and reactive decision by the Premier. Kishida had earlier come under criticism for waiting with the replacement of Economic Revitalisation Minister Yamagiwa who was not transparent about his links to the Unification Church.
• Headwinds for the Kishida administration are expected to continue, with the opposition looking to target Internal Affairs Minister Terada and Reconstruction Minister Akiba, accused of violating political funding rules. Opposition lawmakers are reportedly planning to raise the issue during the Budget Committee meeting this month as the government will be trying to pass its second extra budget.