Ishiba Cabinet’s Approval Up 9 Points Since Election; Many Supporters Cite Lack Of Any ‘Other Good People’

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks at the first meeting of the Liberal Democratic Party’s political reform headquarters on Tuesday.

The approval rating for the second Cabinet of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba stood at 43% in a Yomiuri Shimbun survey taken on Monday and Tuesday, up 9 percentage points from the previous survey on Oct. 28-29, right after the House of Representatives election.

The nationwide survey was conducted on Monday and Tuesday following the inauguration of the second Ishiba administration.

The survey also showed that 66% of respondents supported the plan of the opposition Democratic Party for the People for policy-by-policy cooperation with the ruling coalition, while 21% disagreed with it.

Although the Cabinet’s disapproval rating eased to 42%, down from 51% in the previous survey, the figure is neck and neck with the approval rating. Ishiba is likely to face difficulties in steering his minority government.

In an earlier survey on Oct. 1-2, right after the launch of the first Ishiba Cabinet, its approval rating stood at 51%.

In the latest survey, the most common reason for approving Ishiba’s Cabinet was, “There are no other good people,” which was selected by 45% of the respondents. Among those who disapproved of the Cabinet, the most common reason was “because it’s a Liberal Democratic Party-centered administration,” which was chosen by 29%.

Asked whether the prime minister will be able to exert leadership from now on, 56% said they “do not think so,” while 31% said they “think so.” To a question on whether the politics-and-money issue involving LDP factions would be resolved under the prime minister, 81% said they “do not think so,” whereas 13% said they “think so.” Regarding the situation in the lower house, where the ruling coalition has failed to maintain a majority, 36% said they feel anxiety while 55% said they do not.

Regarding the DPFP’s proposal to raise the ¥1.03 million annual income threshold for imposing income tax, 78% supported it while 13% were opposed. As for that party’s call to enable a temporary gasoline tax cut by lifting the freeze on the so-called trigger clause, 81% supported it and 10% opposed it.

Asked which general stance they would like the DPFP to take in the future, 52% of respondents said it should decide whether to support or oppose to the ruling parties depending on individual policies, whereas 31% said it should “aim for a change of government in collaboration with other opposition parties.” Another 11% said the party should “join the coalition government of the LDP and Komeito.”

As to what kind of administration they expect after a next lower house election, 44% said “continuation of LDP-centered administration,” whereas 37% said “change to an administration centered on opposition parties.”

When it comes to support for individual political parties, the LDP was supported by 30% of respondents, up from 25% in the previous survey. The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan was backed by 11%, down from 14%; the DPFP was supported by 10%, up from 7%; Reiwa Shinsengumi was backed by 4%, which was unchanged; the Japan Innovation Party was backed by 3%, down from 5%; Komeito was supported by 3%, down from 4%; and the Japanese Communist Party was backed by 2%, down from 3%. Thirty percent of respondents said they did not support any particular party, down from 31% in the previous survey.