Upper House Election: Japan Voters Favor Ruling LDP in Upper House Election, But Support Level Down 21 Points from 2022 Survey

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:29 JST, June 30, 2025

The Liberal Democratic Party is voters’ most favored choice in the proportional representation segment of the upcoming House of Councillors election, according to a nationwide poll conducted by The Yomiuri Shimbun.

In the survey, 24% of the respondents said they would vote for the LDP in the proportional representation race, down by 2 percentage points from the previous May survey. This was followed by the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan at 11%, up from 10% in the last poll.

The survey was conducted from Friday to Sunday, while the previous poll was carried out from May 16 to 18.

The approval rating for the Cabinet of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba was almost unchanged at 32%, compared to 31% in the previous poll. The disapproval rating for the Ishiba Cabinet stood at 53%, down from 56% in May.

The 24% who chose the LDP for the proportional representation segment in the upper house election represents a significant drop from 45% in the survey carried out in June 2022 right before the previous upper house poll. It was also the lowest figure in polls conducted before upper house elections since the inauguration of the second administration of late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2012.

The Democratic Party for the People followed the LDP and the CDPJ at 9%, down from 14% in May. The Sanseito political party was favored by 6%, up from 2%; Komeito at 5%, up from 4%; the Japanese Communist Party at 5%, up from 2%; and the Japan Innovation Party at 5%, down from 6%.

Those who said they had not decided which party they would vote for in the proportional representation segment stood at 23%, compared with 22% in the May survey.

The government’s responses to high prices were supported by only 17% of respondents, significantly lower than the 75% who did not back its measures.

Regarding the LDP’s campaign pledge to provide ¥20,000 per person (or ¥40,000 to every child and adult in households that are exempt from residential tax), 28% supported the pledge while 66% said they did not.

As to the Japanese government’s negotiations with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump over such issues as Trump’s tariff policy, 29% supported the negotiations and 56% did not.

Meanwhile, 45% of the respondents supported the series of measures by the government over soaring rice prices, up from 15% in May, while 48 percent did not support government measures, compared with 78% in May.

As for the consumption tax rate — the revenue from which is stipulated by law to be used for social welfare — 43% responded that the rate should be maintained while 50% said the rate should be lowered.

Asked which party they support, 23% said they support the LDP, down from 25% in the May survey, while 6% supported the CDPJ, the same level as in May.

Five percent said they support the DPFP, down from 11% in May, while Sanseito garnered 5%, up from 1% in May. Those who said they do not support any particular party stood at 43%, up from 41% in May.

The survey covered 732 households with fixed phone lines and 1,859 people with cellphones, with 1,061 people responded.