Support for Takaichi Cabinet Dips to 59.1 Pct: Jiji Poll

Tokyo, April 16 (Jiji Press)–Public support for Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s cabinet dipped 0.2 percentage point from the previous month to 59.1 pct in April, a monthly survey by Jiji Press showed Thursday. Takaichi, who took office last October, saw her cabinet’s approval rate hit its lowest level for two months in a row but still remain high compared with her predecessors’ cabinets. According to the April survey, the proportion of respondents who did not support the cabinet declined 1.1 points to 19.2 pct, while 21.7 pct said they did not know. When respondents supporting the Takaichi cabinet were asked for their reasons, with multiple answers allowed, 28.3 pct cited her leadership, 20.2 pct said they trusted the prime minister, 16.4 pct said they had positive impressions of the cabinet, and 13.5 pct said there were no other people fit to be prime minister. The interview survey covered 2,000 people aged 18 or older across the country for four days through Monday. Valid responses were given by 58.8 pct. Takaichi’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party remained the most popular party, backed by 25.7 pct of all respondents, down from 26.9 pct. Trailing far behind, the Democratic Party for the People came in second with 2.9 pct, down from 3.8 pct. The two were followed by the Centrist Reform Alliance with 2.5 pct, the Japan Innovation Party, the LDP’s coalition partner, with 2.2 pct, Sanseito with 2.1 pct, Team Mirai with 2.0 pct, Komeito with 1.9 pct, the Japanese Communist Party with 1.5 pct, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan with 1.3 pct, the Conservative Party of Japan with 0.9 pct, Reiwa Shinsengumi with 0.8 pct and the Social Democratic Party with 0.3 pct. Meanwhile, 51.5 pct supported no particular party. Following a report by the weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun of education minister Yohei Matsumoto’s suspected extramarital affair, 30.6 pct said the prime minister should remove him from his post, while 29.8 pct said she should not necessarily do so. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]