The approval rating for the Kishida Cabinet shed 4 percentage points and dropped below the disapproval rating amid an embarrassing series of glitches in the “My Number” identification system, an Asahi Shimbun survey showed.

A majority of voters were also disappointed with the government’s package of measures to prop up Japan’s sagging birthrate, according to the nationwide telephone survey conducted on June 17 and 18.

The Cabinet’s approval rating was 42 percent, down from 46 percent in the previous survey conducted in May, while the disapproval rating was 46 percent, up from 42 percent.

Problems with My Number Card identification system, formally known as Individual Number Card, have continued to arise for months. In many cases, people seeking information from their accounts through the computer network have gained inadvertent access to the private information of total strangers, including health, pension and financial data.

Asked about the government response to the fiasco, 72 percent of those surveyed said it was “inappropriate,” compared with 19 percent who said it was “appropriate.”

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on June 13 announced the government’s “different dimension” measures to get people to have more babies, including expanding child allowances.

Seventy-three percent of respondents said they “cannot expect” these measures to halt the falling birthrate, while only 23 percent said they “can expect” improvements.

On financing the measures in the package, Kishida said at the news conference, “We aim to impose virtually no additional burden” on the public.

Asked if they can trust his remarks, a combined 72 percent of respondents said “not very much” or “not at all.”

Only 26 percent of respondents said they “can trust” Kishida’s remarks.

A combined 75 percent of respondents said Kishida “has a responsibility” or “largely has a responsibility” for the actions of his eldest son, Shotaro.

Shotaro resigned as Kishida’s executive secretary for political affairs after a magazine published photos of the son using the prime minister’s official residence for a private year-end party.

Twenty-four percent of respondents said Kishida bears “no responsibility” for that party.

CONCERNS ABOUT ‘MY NUMBER’

Despite all the mixups in the new identification system, the government is pushing to expand the use of My Number Cards.

Seventy-three percent of respondents said they now have “great concerns” about the system, exceeding the 23 percent who said they have “high expectations.”

By gender, 82 percent of women expressed “concerns.”

The government plans to abolish current health insurance cards, in principle, in autumn 2024 and integrate them into My Number cards.

Fifty-six percent of respondents opposed the plan, while 38 percent were in favor. Men were equally divided, but 64 percent of women were against the plan.

In a survey conducted in November last year, respondents were equally divided over the card integration plan, although the question was worded differently.

In the May survey, 55 percent were opposed to the plan, exceeding the 40 percent who were in favor.

With the strength of the ruling coalition, the Diet earlier this month enacted a revised law to integrate health insurance cards into My Number cards.

But the majority of respondents in the latest survey opposed the integration. Even supporters of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party were evenly split over the issue.

NIPPON ISHIN MORE POPULAR THAN CDP

The survey also asked respondents which party they would choose in the proportional representation segment if a Lower House election were held now.

Thirty-two percent picked the LDP, down from 36 percent in the May survey, followed by 18 percent for Nippon Ishin (Japan Innovation Party), up from 17 percent. Ten percent chose the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, unchanged from May.

Among unaffiliated voters, 15 percent selected the LDP, down from 20 percent, followed by 14 percent for Nippon Ishin, down from 15 percent. Ten percent picked the CDP, down from 11 percent.

Nippon Ishin has maintained momentum since its successes in the unified local elections and the five Diet by-elections in April.

In the next Lower House election, the LDP’s junior coalition partner, Komeito, has said it will not help LDP candidates in Tokyo. But Komeito said it will remain in the coalition.

Thirty-two percent of respondents preferred the two parties to continue the coalition, while 55 percent would prefer the coalition to be dissolved.

Among LDP supporters, 49 percent preferred a continuation of the coalition, compared with 42 percent who preferred a split.

Among Komeito supporters, the majority preferred a continuation.

Kishida on June 15 said he would not dissolve the Lower House during the current Diet session, which ends on June 21. But some political observers believe a snap election will be held this autumn.

Thirty-eight percent of respondents said they would prefer a snap election “this autumn,” while 45 percent preferred a poll “later than autumn.”

Among LDP supporters, 33 percent preferred “this autumn.”

The survey was conducted through calls to randomly selected telephone numbers. There were 414 valid responses from voters contacted from landlines, or 48 percent, and 685 from those contacted by cellphone, or 41 percent.

(This article was written by Daizo Teramoto and Hiroshi Kimijima.)