The Endless Fall of Japan's Suga... Lowest Approval Ratings Ahead of the Olympics

Reflecting Dissatisfaction with Poor COVID-19 Response and Olympic Proceeding
Yomiuri and NHK July Polls... 'Do Not Support' Hits Record High

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga
Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] The approval rating of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's cabinet among the Japanese public is hitting record lows.

This appears to reflect growing public criticism of the government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and dissatisfaction with the decision to proceed with the Olympics.

On the 13th, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported that a telephone survey conducted from the 9th to the 11th with 1,068 voters nationwide showed the Suga cabinet's approval rating at 37%.

This is the same level as the previous month's survey, which was the lowest since the cabinet's launch in September last year.

Notably, the percentage of respondents who do not support the cabinet rose from 50% last month to 53% this month, marking a new high.

This downward trend in approval ratings was also confirmed in an NHK broadcast survey.

In a telephone survey conducted by NHK during the same period this month with 1,224 voters aged 18 and over nationwide, the Suga cabinet's approval rating fell 4 percentage points from last month's survey to 33%.

This is the lowest level recorded in NHK's surveys targeting the Suga cabinet.

In the NHK survey, the percentage of respondents who do not support the Suga cabinet rose to 46%, the highest since the cabinet's inception.

The decline in the Suga cabinet's approval rating, which had soared to as high as the 70% range in some media polls shortly after its launch in September last year, is analyzed to stem from dissatisfaction with the inadequate COVID-19 response, repeated declarations of states of emergency, and the decision to proceed with the Olympics.

In this month's Yomiuri Shimbun survey, only 38% of respondents believed the fourth state of emergency declared in Tokyo ahead of the Olympics was effective, while 56% said it would not be effective.

Additionally, 66% of respondents negatively evaluated the Suga cabinet's response to suppress COVID-19.

Regarding the vaccination rollout, 59% expressed dissatisfaction.

As the Suga cabinet's approval rating remains at its lowest levels, voices within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party are reportedly calling for a reformist cabinet reshuffle before the general election (House of Representatives dissolution) scheduled for this fall, according to the Yomiuri Shimbun.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, in the Yomiuri Shimbun's recent survey, 40% supported holding most Olympic events without spectators.

Seventeen percent of respondents said there should be at least some spectators allowed. Still, 41% of respondents insisted on canceling the Olympics altogether.

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