"Response to Noto-Kanazawa was good, but"… Japan's Kishida approval rating falls again

LDP Illegal Slush Fund Scandal Leads to Consecutive Record Lows

On the 8th, a week after a strong earthquake struck the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture, central Honshu, Japan, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida received another report card showing the lowest approval rating since his administration began.

Japanese Prime Minister Kishida holding a press conference related to Gangjin
[Photo by AP Yonhap News]

Japan's TBS-affiliated private broadcasting network JNN reported on the 8th that a public opinion survey conducted on the 6th and 7th among 1,209 adults aged 18 and over nationwide (based on valid responses) showed the Kishida Cabinet's approval rating fell by 1.8 percentage points (p) to 27.1% compared to the previous month. The approval rating set a new record low, while the disapproval rating matched the previous highest at 70.4%.

On the other hand, the government's response to the earthquake was positively evaluated. When asked whether they thought the government’s response to the Noto earthquake was prompt, 57% answered "yes." In contrast, only 32% responded "no."

Tourist Attractions in Wajima City Reduced to Ashes by Major Earthquake in Japan
Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

Regarding the Japanese government's announcement that it would not uniformly accept foreign government aid offers, citing reasons such as preparing to accept support, 44% responded that this was "inappropriate," which was higher than the 35% who said it was "appropriate." At a New Year's press conference held on the 4th, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expressed gratitude for the aid offers from various countries but stated, "Currently, we are focusing all efforts on rescuing lives, so we are not in a situation to accept aid uniformly."

Power Vacuum Due to Illegal Political Funds Scandal within the Liberal Democratic Party

As a full-scale investigation into illegal political funds within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) progresses, public opinion in Japan is rapidly spreading that Prime Minister Kishida is responsible for the LDP's political funding issues.

In recent various opinion polls, the approval rating has been continuously hitting new lows. Although direct comparisons are difficult due to different survey methods, a poll conducted last month by Japan's Mainichi Shimbun showed the Kishida Cabinet's approval rating at 16%. This is the first time the approval rating has fallen below 20% since August 2011 (15%) during the Naoto Kan administration. With approval ratings entering the 10% range, there are pointed remarks that a de facto power vacuum has emerged.

Prime Minister Kishida's term as LDP president ends in September next year, and the House of Representatives (lower house) election is scheduled for October 2025. If Kishida's approval rating continues to decline, there is a forecast that moves to remove him from the prime ministership this spring will become visible.

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