Japan Ishiba Cabinet Approval Rating Falls to 20% Range for First Time... Lowest Since Launch in October Last Year

Support for Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has fallen to its lowest level since he took office, according to a recent survey.

Yonhap News

The Mainichi Shimbun reported on the 20th that a public opinion poll conducted from the 18th to 19th among 2,042 respondents (valid responses) showed the approval rating for the Ishiba Cabinet at 28%. This is the first time the approval rating has dropped below the 30% range.

In previous monthly polls conducted by the Mainichi Shimbun, the Ishiba Cabinet's approval rating was 46% in October last year, immediately after the cabinet was formed, then fell to 31% in November and 30% in December. This month saw a further decline.

Meanwhile, a survey conducted by the Yomiuri Shimbun from the 17th to 19th among 1,015 people showed the Ishiba Cabinet's approval rating at 40%, similar to the 39% recorded in the previous month's survey.

However, even in the Yomiuri survey, when asked whether they believed Prime Minister Ishiba could demonstrate leadership in governing under a divided Diet with a minority government, 64% responded "No," while only 24% said "Yes."

Additionally, when asked if they thought Prime Minister Ishiba could build a trusting relationship with Donald Trump, the next U.S. president, 66% answered "No," and 23% responded "Yes."

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