Kishida Approval Ratings Continue To Tumble Presenting Risk To Position

The latest approval ratings for PM Fumio Kishida and his Cabinet make grim reading for the head of gov't and his conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). In the latest Mainichi poll carried out from 18-19 Nov, just 21% of respondents approved of Kishida's governing, down 4% from October, while 74% disapproved, up 6% in the same period. Historically in Japan, once prime minister's approval ratings are in the 20-25% range they are at significant risk of ouster from within their party.

• Similarly, in the latest Yomiuri/NNN poll carried out 17-19 Nov, 24% of respondents approved of Kishida, compared to 62% disapproving. This compares with approval of 34% and disapproval of 49% in October.
• Finally, in the latest Asahi poll (18-19 Nov), 25% approved of Kishida to 65% disapproving, compared to 29% approving and 60% disapproving in October.
• We highlightedearlier this week that the increasingly poor approval ratings could limit the prospect of a snap general election, but raise the chances of an internal challenge to Kishida's leadership within the LDP