Ishiba favorite to retain Japan PM role as Cabinet support rate rises to 29%: Mainichi poll

The Mainichi

7 days ago

TOKYO -- The approval ratings of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's Cabinet rose 5 percentage points from last month to 29% in a weekend Mainichi Shimbun opinion poll, with Ishiba topping the list of the next prime ministerial hopefuls favored by respondents.
The nationwide survey conducted on July 26 and 27 also found that the disapproval ratings of the Ishiba Cabinet came to 59%, remaining almost unchanged from the 61% recorded in the previous poll on June 28 and 29.
When pollees were asked who would be suited as next prime minister, 20% picked Ishiba, forming the largest group. While critics have questioned his responsibility for a major setback suffered by the ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Komeito in the July 20 House of Councillors election, a good chunk of respondents supported Ishiba, stating in the survey's comment section, such as, "There is no one else," and, "It is a difficult time with the U.S. tariff issue."
By party affiliation, 70% of LDP supporters and over 40% of Komeito backers approved the Ishiba Cabinet. In addition, 35% of supporters of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP), as well as 30% each of supporters of Nippon Ishin (the Japan Innovation Party) and the Japanese Communist Party (JCP) also approved the Cabinet. Meanwhile, 7% of supporters of the Democratic Party for the People (DPFP) and Sanseito respectively backed the Cabinet, suggesting that the ratings vary among opposition party supporters.
By age group, 19% of respondents in their 40s approved the Ishiba Cabinet, followed by 13% of those in their 30s and those aged 18 to 29, respectively, indicating that the younger the pollees, the lower their approval ratings. Meanwhile, 45% of those in their 70s, 41% of those in their 60s and 26% of those in their 50s supported the Cabinet.
The most common reason for supporting the Ishiba Cabinet was "because there are no other suitable people or political party," picked by 49% of respondents, followed by 20% who chose "I place my expectations on the prime minister's leadership" and 14% who selected "it is an LDP-led Cabinet." Meanwhile, the most common reason for disapproving the Cabinet was "I cannot place my expectations on the prime minister's leadership" at 40%, followed by "its policies are not promising" at 38%.
Asked if Ishiba should step down as prime minister in response to the upper house contest's results, 42% of respondents said he should, well over the 33% who answered he needn't do so. Among LDP supporters, 60% of pollees claimed that Ishiba doesn't need to resign, while 22% said he should step down.
In regard to consumption tax cuts that opposition parties advocated for in the upper house race as a measure to tackle rising prices, 58% of respondents said the government and ruling parties should accept the policy in the wake of the upper house poll, while 22% said they needn't do so.
Trailing behind Ishiba as the most favorite prime ministerial hopeful was Sanae Takaichi, who lost in the LDP presidential election last fall, chosen by 15% of respondents, followed by DPFP leader Yuichiro Tamaki at 8%, agricultural minister Shinjiro Koizumi at 8%, CDP leader Yoshihiko Noda at 5%, former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at 3%, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi at 2% and former economic security minister Takayuki Kobayashi at 2%. Thirty-one percent of respondents said they were "not sure."
Asked whether they appreciate the agreement reached by the Japanese and U.S. governments over President Donald Trump's tariff policy, a mere 28% approved it, well below the 40% who disapproved. Thirty-one percent of pollees said they were unsure.
By party affiliation, 19% of respondents supported the LDP (unchanged from the June survey), followed by the DPFP at 12% (9% in the June poll), the CDP at 9% (unchanged), Sanseito at 8% (6%), Nippon Ishin at 4% (unchanged), Reiwa Shinsengumi at 4% (unchanged), the Conservative Party of Japan at 3% (1%), Komeito at 3% (2%), JCP at 2% (unchanged) and Team Mirai at 2%. Team Mirai fulfilled the requirements for a political party status for the first time in the upper house election. Thirty-three percent of respondents said they have no party to support, down from the 42% in the previous opinion poll.
The survey was conducted via smartphones using the "d-Survey" method. A random sample of people were selected from among roughly 74 million individuals aged 18 or over nationwide. Valid responses were received from 2,045 people.