Leading Japanese Prime Minister Candidate 'Suga' Gains Support... Secures LDP Support Base

Abe's Approval Rating Also Rises Sharply
Majority Support for Continuing Abe's Diplomatic, Security, and Economic Policies

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] Support for Yoshihide Suga, Chief Cabinet Secretary, who has rapidly emerged as the successor to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, showed an upward trend. In a media poll asking about the next prime minister candidate, Suga defeated former Secretary-General Shigeru Ishiba to take first place.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to a poll released on the 7th by Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun, 46% of respondents chose Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga as the most suitable candidate for the next prime minister. Former Secretary-General Ishiba followed with 33% in second place, and Fumio Kishida, Chairman of the Policy Research Council, ranked third with 9%. This survey was conducted via telephone from the 4th to the 6th, targeting 1,078 voters nationwide, focusing on the three candidates running for the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) presidential election.

Candidate Suga showed strong support among LDP supporters. When limiting respondents to LDP supporters, Suga's approval rating was 63%, Ishiba's was 22%, and Kishida's was 8%. Among opposition party supporters and independents, Ishiba held the advantage. Ishiba's support among opposition party supporters was 59%, Suga's was 22%, and Kishida's was 2%. Among independents, Ishiba received 39%, Suga 33%, and Kishida 11%.

Until Prime Minister Abe announced his resignation, Suga had never ranked in the 'top 3' in polls targeting general voters, but his approval rating surged rapidly after being mentioned as Abe's successor.

In an earlier Asahi Shimbun poll conducted on the 2nd and 3rd, Suga also ranked first with 38%. Former Secretary-General Ishiba, who had consistently been considered a candidate for the next prime minister, was at 25%, and Kishida was at 5%.

Regarding the method of deciding the next prime minister by voting only among members of the National Diet (394 members) and representatives of the prefectural federation (141 members), 59% responded that it was 'inappropriate,' while 34% said it was 'appropriate.'

Public opinion also favored continuing Prime Minister Abe's policies in the next government. 51% responded that it would be good to inherit Abe's economic policy, 'Abenomics,' and 66% said it would be good to continue his diplomatic and security policies. Support for Abe's cabinet also rose significantly. The approval rating of Abe's cabinet was 52%, up 15 percentage points from the survey conducted in August.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.