Yomiuri Poll Shows DPFP Regaining Top Spot Among Opposition Parties; Sanseito Drops to Second as Momentum Wanes

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:51 JST, September 17, 2025

The Democratic Party for the People regained the top spot among opposition parties for the first time in four months, with support of 9% in a recent nationwide Yomiuri Shimbun opinion poll.

According to the poll, which was conducted on Saturday and Sunday, Sanseito ranked second with 8%, indicating that its momentum has somewhat declined in comparison to the period around the July 20 House of Councillors election.

The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the largest opposition party, was unable to escape its slump and sank to third place with 5%.

“[The opinion poll results] reflect expectations for the realization of our policies, such as increasing take-home pay,” DPFP leader Yuichiro Tamaki said at a press conference on Tuesday.

The DPFP had lost the top opposition spot to the CDPJ in June and to the Sanseito in July and August. Within the party, some see their return to top status as a result of the fact that they have consistently spread their message about policy, which other parties have not done much of.

When asked about Sanseito’s drop in support, from 12% in the last poll in August to 8%, Tamaki said, “There appears to be a trend where support that had shifted to Sanseito has been returning to the Liberal Democratic Party as conservative figures have risen in the LDP’s presidential election.”

The CDPJ has seen its support decline since the July survey, when it garnered 8%. Despite its leadership reshuffle on Sept. 11, the party has yet to make its presence felt. At a press conference on Tuesday, CDPJ Secretary General Jun Azumi said, “We must properly communicate [our policies] and become impossible to ignore.”