Support rate for Japan’s Kishida cabinet drops to record low: media poll

The support rate for the Japanese cabinet has dropped to a record low of 28.3 percent, according to a survey by national news agency Kyodo. This marks a significant decrease from the previous poll in October, where the approval rating was 32.3 percent. Additionally, the disapproval rating has reached a record high of 56.7 percent, up from 52.5 percent in the previous month.

The survey also revealed that 62.5 percent of respondents are dissatisfied with the recently announced income tax cut as part of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s economic stimulus package. The package, adopted on Thursday, includes measures to assist households affected by rising prices, such as a tax cut of 40,000 yen per person and payouts of 70,000 yen to low-income households exempt from income and residential taxes.

Regarding the construction costs of the 2025 Osaka Kansai Expo, 68.6 percent of respondents found it “unnecessary.” The Japanese government recently approved an increased estimate of 235 billion yen for the expo’s construction costs, which is nearly double the original projection. The cost will be shared equally among the central government, the prefectural and city governments of Osaka, and the business community.

The national telephone poll was conducted over the weekend.

Source – CGTN