Poll Highlights Discontent Over U.S. Tariffs, Rice Prices; Nearly Half Favor Shift to Opposition-Led Government

By Yohei Odakura / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

15:45 JST, May 19, 2025

The 31% support rate for Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s Cabinet in a recent poll appears to reflect the public’s low expectations regarding this administration’s negotiations over U.S. tariffs and its dissatisfaction with the government’s failure to control rice prices.

The support rate in this month’s Yomiuri Shimbun poll tied for the lowest level since the current Cabinet’s inauguration.

Asked what kind of administration they preferred, 48% favored a shift to an opposition-led government, 12 percentage points more than those who preferred the continuation of a Cabinet centered on the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

A total of 72% said they cannot expect anything from the government’s negotiations with U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration on tariffs and other issues. The same answer was given by 58% of ruling bloc supporters, 83% of opposition bloc supporters and 74% of non-affiliated respondents.

Among people who expressed concern about the future of Japan-U.S. relations, 76% said they did not expect anything from the negotiations with the United States.

Rice prices remain high due to slow distribution even after the government released stockpiled rice. The survey found that 78% did not think highly of the government’s measures in this area. Among ruling bloc supporters, 68% felt this way, compared to 88% among opposition bloc supporters and to 80% among non-affiliated respondents.

As many as 66% of Cabinet supporters said they do not think highly of the government’s measures.

The poll shows the public is increasingly dissatisfied by the government’s failure to take effective measures about the cost of rice and other items, and the U.S. tariff policy. The most respondents, 38%, said they do not support the Cabinet because they cannot expect it to devise any good policies, up 18 points from the 20% that gave this answer in the October poll.

Respondents who favored a shift to an opposition-led government outnumbered those preferring a Cabinet centered around the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. The gap between those respondents widened from 2% in the April poll to 12% in the latest survey.

Those who prefer a change of government marked 48%, up 6 points from the previous poll, compared to 36% who prefer a continuation of government, down 4 points.

Among respondents aged 18-39, a total of 62% preferred a change of government, while 24% wanted the situation to remain the same. In the age group from 40-59, a change was favored by 56% and continuation by 31%.

As for those 60 and older, 34% preferred a change of government and 48% preferred a continuation of government.

“The government’s measures such as free education and countermeasures for rising prices did not boost its support,” said Chuo Univ. Prof. Kiichiro Arai, a specialist in political behavior.

“It’s a difficult situation for the LDP, because the support rate remained the same but more voters want a change of government. It will be more difficult to manage the administration unless it achieves something that is readily felt by voters,” Arai said.