Photo/Illutration Prime Minister Fumio Kishida takes questions from reporters on Nov. 11 in Tokyo. (Koichi Ueda)

The approval rating for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s Cabinet slid to a record low of 37 percent as criticism continued over his handling of Unification Church issues, an Asahi Shimbun survey showed.

It was the first time the approval rate has dipped under 40 percent—the ratio in the previous survey taken in October—since Kishida took power in October 2021.

According to the nationwide telephone survey conducted on Nov. 12 and 13, the disapproval rate rose to 51 percent from 50 percent in October.

It was the third straight month for the disapproval rating to exceed the approval rating.

Among voters who support the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, 68 percent approve of the Cabinet, while 25 percent voiced disapproval, the survey showed.

Among unaffiliated voters, 20 percent approved of the Cabinet’s performance, compared with 62 percent who disapproved of it, according to the survey.

The approval rating was lower in younger age groups, with the rate at 33 percent among those in their 30s and 29 percent among those aged between 18 and 29.

Among all respondents, 24 percent said Kishida is demonstrating leadership, while 69 percent disagreed. Among LDP supporters, 36 percent said Kishida was showing leadership, while 59 percent said he was not.

His justice minister, Yasuhiro Hanashi, was forced to resign on Nov. 11 over comments that were criticized as making light of capital punishment. Kishida initially said Hanashi would not have to step down, but the prime minister soon changed his mind.

Fifty-nine percent of survey respondents disapproved of the way Kishida handled Hanashi’s resignation, while 32 percent approved.

Daishiro Yamagiwa also resigned from his Cabinet post of economic revitalization minister in October over his ties to the Unification Church. But he was later appointed head of the LDP’s COVID-19 response team.

Asked about the latest appointment, 76 percent of respondents said it was inappropriate, while only 14 percent said it was appropriate.

Sixty-nine percent of LDP supporters and 68 percent of voter who approved of the Cabinet said the appointment of Yamagiwa was inappropriate.

Issues related to the Unification Church continue to hurt Kishida.

According to the survey, 77 percent of respondents said the LDP should investigate reports that church affiliates have asked certain party lawmakers to sign “policy pacts” in exchange for support in elections.

Fifteen percent of the respondents said a party investigation was unnecessary.

Seventy-five percent of LDP supporters and 76 percent of those who approved of the Cabinet said the party should investigate the pacts.

On how Kishida is dealing with politicians’ ties to the church, 23 percent approved of his handling of the issue while 67 percent disapproved of it.

The disapproval rate for Kishida’s handling of the issue was 65 percent in August, 66 percent in September and 67 percent in October.

Asked if they felt burdened by the rising prices of food, utilities and gasoline, 73 percent of respondents--the highest level in surveys this year--said they did, while 27 percent said they did not feel that much of a burden.

Asked about the central government’s economic package that includes a policy to reduce the burden of electricity and gas bills, 3 percent of respondents approved it very much and 43 percent approved it to some extent. 

Thirty-eight percent did not approve it very much and 12 percent did not approve it at all.

The survey was conducted by contacting fixed telephone numbers and mobile phone numbers selected at random by computer.

The survey takers received 498 valid responses, or 51 percent, from 978 fixed numbers of households with at least one eligible voter each.

There were 867 valid responses, or 41 percent, from 2,133 mobile phone numbers of eligible voters. Valid responses totaled 1,365.

Related News