Japan Ruling Bloc Alarmed by Drops in Takaichi Cabinet Approval

Tokyo, July 23 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s ruling bloc is increasingly alarmed by declines in the approval ratings for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s cabinet in recent media opinion polls. The drops in support are widely viewed as being due to the controversial revision of the Imperial House Law and the ruling coalition’s handling of parliamentary proceedings. Worries are mounting especially because Takaichi’s high approval has given momentum to her administration. According to Jiji Press’ public opinion survey for July, the Takaichi cabinet’s approval rate fell to 49.0 pct, the lowest level since its launch last October. A poll by the Mainichi Shimbun daily put approval at 41 pct, down 10 percentage points from the previous survey, and disapproval at 44 pct. A minister in the Takaichi cabinet attributed the dips to the revision of the Imperial House Law and “heavy-handed” management of the Diet, Japan’s parliament, by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party. “The tide may have turned,” said a senior official of the LDP, which is headed by Takaichi. The Imperial House Law revision is aimed at securing a sufficient number of Imperial Family members. The amended law stipulates that paternal-line male descendants from former Imperial Family branches can be adopted into the family. But there are deep concerns that this measure has not gained public understanding. “The reason for the declines in the cabinet approval ratings are that we are not allowing the country to have female Emperors, which many people are seeking,” a middle-ranking LDP lawmaker of the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of parliament, said. Regarding parliamentary affairs, Takaichi has shown reluctance to attend budget committee meetings. In addition, she avoided directly answering questions from opposition parties during a party leaders’ debate on July 15. “The public has a negative impression of the prime minister’s office and the ruling parties,” an LDP member said. Others attribute the dwindling support to delays in addressing inflation. “The prime minister is prioritizing political gestures, such as a law to criminalize acts to damage Japan’s national flag, over policies necessary for people’s lives,” an LDP member who has held a ministerial post said. Yuichiro Tamaki, leader of the opposition Democratic Party for the People, said, “We had expected the Takaichi administration to come up with measures against inflation swiftly, but the work has been delayed.” The prime minister will soon need to make a decision regarding a consumption tax cut for food products. The ruling parties campaigned in February’s general election on a pledge to cut the tax to zero for two years, but they are now mulling a plan to reduce the rate to 1 pct instead. An LDP official expressed worry that adopting this plan would deal a blow to the administration, saying, “If the government takes a half-baked approach, approval (for the cabinet) will fall further.” END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]