Support for Japan’s LDP Rises to 43%, Recovering from Lows Under Kishida, Ishiba

The Yomiuri Shimbun

20:00 JST, February 20, 2026

Support for the Liberal Democratic Party has risen to 43%, escaping the low figures the party saw under the Kishida and Ishiba Cabinets.

Meanwhile, Team Mirai, which gained seats in the House of Representatives election, is steadily making itself known and rising in popularity among working-age voters.

The LDP had struggled with low approval since November 2023, during the Kishida Cabinet, mostly hovering below 30% until last fall. In July’s survey, support for the party sank to 19%. This was partly due to a scandal involving politics and money.

However, support rose back above 30% in October’s survey, after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s first Cabinet was inaugurated. It increased to 35% in January’s survey, conducted between Jan. 23-25, just before the start of official campaigning for the lower house election.

In the latest survey, support for the LDP rose among all age groups, hitting 39% among those ages 18-39 (up from 29% in January), 42% among those ages 40-59 (up from 35%) and 45% among those age 60 or older (up from 39%).

Women showed a more pronounced rise in support than men, with 44% backing the party, up from 35%. For men, the figure was 41%.

Team Mirai earned the second highest approval rating after the LDP at 6%, a significant gain from 1% in January. Eight percent of those ages 18-39 backed the party. The figure was 6% among those ages 40-59 and 4% among people 60 or older, indicating support from working-age voters.

Approval for the Democratic Party for the People fell to 5% (down 1 point from January), while Sanseito stayed level at 4%. Among those ages 18-39, support for the DPFP fell to 9% (down from 12%), and it also declined among those ages 40-59, from 6% to 4%. Among those age 60 order, support was flat at 3%.

Sanseito garnered support from 6% of people age 18-39 (down from 7%), 5% of those ages 40-59 (down from 6%) and 2% of those age 60 or older (unchanged), suggesting it has more support among younger people, a trend that has continued from the January survey.

The Centrist Reform Alliance struggled, with only 5% backing the party. Although 10% of those age 60 or older endorsed it, the party saw miniscule support from younger people and those of middle age, at 2% for both the 18-39 and 40-59 age groups.