Photo/Illutration Yoshihiko Noda, leader of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, speaks at a news conference in April. The CDP plans to pledge a lifting of the consumption tax on food next April. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Nearly 70 percent of voters favor candidates and parties promoting a reduction in the consumption tax rate, but most of them say such politicians should clearly present alternative revenue sources, a survey showed.

Seventy-two percent of such voters want clarification on new revenue sources if the consumption tax rate is cut, while only 21 percent said such explanations are unnecessary, according to the nationwide telephone survey conducted by The Asahi Shimbun on May 17 and 18.

The approval rating for Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s Cabinet was 33 percent, up from 30 percent in the survey in April, while the disapproval rating was unchanged at 56 percent.

The consumption tax rate is expected to become a key issue in the Upper House election in summer. Some opposition parties have said they will propose consumption tax cuts to help consumers deal with the rising cost of living.

Thirty-three percent of survey respondents believe that a lower tax rate only on food would be appropriate, while 23 percent favor reducing the rate on all items. Twenty percent support abolishing the consumption tax altogether.

On the other hand, 21 percent of respondents prefer maintaining the current consumption tax rate, which is generally 10 percent.

Asked if they want to vote for a candidate or party advocating a consumption tax cut in the Upper House election, 68 percent of respondents said either “very much” and “to some degree.”

In contrast, 28 percent answered “not very much,” or “not at all.”

However, the survey showed that voters who want a reduced consumption tax rate believe that such a policy must be managed with clear guidelines.

More than 60 percent of respondents supporting a tax cut and 56 percent of those hoping for an end to the consumption tax want the parties or lawmakers to show how they would cover the lost tax revenue, the survey showed.

The survey also revealed the opposition Democratic Party for the People has lost momentum since its significant gains in the Lower House election in October last year.

After hovering between 10 and 12 percent, the DPP’s approval rating since December 2024 has surged, even exceeding that of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan.

However, in the latest survey, the DPP’s approval rating was 8 percent, down from 12 percent in April.

The CDP’s approval rating was 7 percent.

Asked which party they would choose if the Upper House election were held now, 13 percent of respondents picked the DPP, and 13 percent selected the CDP.

When asked who among four leaders of major political parties would be most appropriate as prime minister, 21 percent chose ruling Liberal Democratic Party President Ishiba, followed by 12 percent for DPP chief Yuichiro Tamaki, 11 percent for CDP head Yoshihiko Noda, and 3 percent for Seiji Maehara, co-representative of the Japan Innovation Party (Nippon Ishin).

Forty-nine percent of respondents answered there was no appropriate “prime minister” among the four.

The survey was conducted on eligible voters using landline and mobile phone numbers randomly generated by computer. Of the 2,875 voters contacted for the survey, 1,209 gave valid answers.

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The Asahi Shimbun

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