Politics & Government

Poll: 56％ disapprove of govt decision to hold Abe state funeral

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
Visitors lay flowers in front of a photo of late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at Zojoji, a temple in Minato Ward, Tokyo, on July 12 before a family funeral for Abe.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:01 JST, September 5, 2022

In the opinion poll, 38% of respondents approved of the government’s decision to hold a state funeral for former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, while 56% disapproved. The latest poll contrasts with an earlier poll conducted Aug. 5-7, when 49% approved and 46% disapproved.

Dissatisfaction with the government’s failure to explain the significance of and reasons for holding a state funeral since announcing its decision in July likely led to the increase in negative views.

By age bracket, the younger the respondents were, the greater the percentage that disapproved of the decision.

Among respondents age 18-39, 43% approved of the decision, down by 22 percentage points from the 65% recorded in the August poll, while disapproval soared by 21 percentage points to 49%.

The 40-59 age bracket showed approval dropping from 46% to 36%, with disapproval rising from 50% to 60%.

The state funeral is scheduled for Sept. 27.